Zyprexa and Depression: What Users Say

• Eme...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2020

For Depression "I was put on 17.5mg of Zyprexa in 2017. I took this for 6 months before I finally decided to listen to my body and stop listening to the so-called experts. Zyprexa made me dull, depressed, and robotic. I now lack empathy, emotion, concentration, and I no longer get pleasure from things I used to enjoy. Zyprexa zaps the joy from your life, basically. There is no upside. Please, please avoid this drug. It will steal your personality, and nobody will believe you except for the people who have also been victims of this drug."

• Eme...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2020

For Depression "I was put on 17.5mg of Zyprexa in 2017. I took this for 6 months before I finally decided to listen to my body and stop listening to the so-called experts. Zyprexa made me dull, depressed, and robotic. I now lack empathy, emotion, concentration, and I no longer get pleasure from things I used to enjoy. Zyprexa zaps the joy from your life, basically. There is no upside. Please, please avoid this drug. It will steal your personality, and nobody will believe you except for the people who have also been victims of this drug."

• Eme...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2020

For Depression "I was put on 17.5mg of Zyprexa in 2017. I took this for 6 months before I finally decided to listen to my body and stop listening to the so-called experts. Zyprexa made me dull, depressed, and robotic. I now lack empathy, emotion, concentration, and I no longer get pleasure from things I used to enjoy. Zyprexa zaps the joy from your life, basically. There is no upside. Please, please avoid this drug. It will steal your personality, and nobody will believe you except for the people who have also been victims of this drug."

• Jos...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 29, 2019

For Depression "I've been on Zyprexa for about a year and a half at 15 mg. I was put on Zyprexa to help with severe treatment-resistant depression. I also take 150 mg of Effexor and 300 mg of Wellbutrin. In the past year, my depression has slowly gotten worse, and I suspect it's the Zyprexa. About 3 months ago, I decided to taper myself off Zyprexa. I went from 15 mg to 7.5 mg for 3 months. I experienced moderate sleeping issues (I sleep between 4-8 hours and wake up about 10 times during the night), nausea, and a dramatic increase in depression. My highs are lower, and my lows are longer and more severe. My two questions are this: 1) Has anyone experienced increased depression as a result of taking Zyprexa? 2) Has anyone experienced an increase in depression as a result of Zyprexa withdrawal."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Zyprexa was a life saver for me. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and OCD last year. Took Abilify and became irritated easily, Lamictal and kept forgetting things, then I started 30 mg of Prozac and 2.5 mg of Zyprexa combo. It instantly got me out of depression/mood swings and helped me get back to school & focus a little bit more. I will say that I feel a little dull/do not want to talk much & gained 25 pounds in one month being on it. No matter how much I work out, I do not lose the weight. I honestly love the pros of this drug, I can smile and laugh again. But I do not want it to affect my confidence and self-esteem because I am gaining so much weight. I am now weaning off Zyprexa and trying Latuda. My advice to anyone trying Zyprexa - give this a try and expect the weight gain to occur, it will help reduce negative thoughts, excessive worrying & mood swings. Have faith, and try it, I really believe Zyprexa will help get someone out of their worst days."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Zyprexa was a life saver for me. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and OCD last year. Took Abilify and became irritated easily, Lamictal and kept forgetting things, then I started 30 mg of Prozac and 2.5 mg of Zyprexa combo. It instantly got me out of depression/mood swings and helped me get back to school & focus a little bit more. I will say that I feel a little dull/do not want to talk much & gained 25 pounds in one month being on it. No matter how much I work out, I do not lose the weight. I honestly love the pros of this drug, I can smile and laugh again. But I do not want it to affect my confidence and self-esteem because I am gaining so much weight. I am now weaning off Zyprexa and trying Latuda. My advice to anyone trying Zyprexa - give this a try and expect the weight gain to occur, it will help reduce negative thoughts, excessive worrying & mood swings. Have faith, and try it, I really believe Zyprexa will help get someone out of their worst days."

• Geo...
• November 4, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I was on Zyprexa at 25mg (had psychosis) for a few months, literally, the worst months of my life. All I wanted to do was eat and sleep, so tired and foggy, and I had no motivation. So glad I ignored doctors and got off it as soon as I possibly could. If there was an option for zero, I would give that. This stuff is utter garbage."

• Luc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "My boyfriend suffers from manic bipolar disorder. He was off meds for 2 years and recently became manic again. We go to the doctors and this is what she prescribed him at a dose of 3mg. It worked to stop his manic episodes. BUT he is legitimately like a zombie now. He sleeps all the time, is always tired, emotionless, unsure of himself, doesn’t talk, doesn’t eat, doesn’t laugh. He's basically a shell of himself. It’s really sad to watch, and I’m actually hoping his doctor will change his meds this week because this is NO way to live."

• Sug...
• December 25, 2014

For Insomnia "I went to a psychiatrist for sleep meds and was prescribed 5 mg Zyprexa. It helped me sleep, but as soon as I stopped taking the medicine after two weeks, I experienced severe insomnia, sweating, palpitations, agitation, depression, and agitation. I had to be put back on it to stabilize. I am now taking 7.5 mg. I don't like the effect on me, and I will try to taper off of this medicine. I wish I had known about the side effects and withdrawal symptoms of this medicine."

• Ite...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 16, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Stay away from Zyprexa. I had a massive weight gain, diabetes, cholesterol problems, significantly makes your brain dull, unable to think properly, have no emotions, anxiety. Sleep a lot. I think it destroys your brain chemistry. Unable to taper off as the withdrawals are extreme."

• mor...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 27, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I started taking Zyprexa 10 mg in 1996 until 2017, which is when I began tapering due to health reasons. I am now down to 2.5 mg but have gained a lot of weight, pain in joints, inability to sleep well, anxiety for no reason, memory loss, inability to think, no motivation, crying for no reason, terrible pain in my arms, muscle cramps in my feet, pancreatitis, constant eating, lack of feelings and enjoyment. Extremely difficult to get off it, it ruined my life!"

• Anonymous
• February 13, 2012

For Depression "This medication is a great sedative, if that's what you're looking for. It's not euphoric, it just makes you sleepy. But it caused me to gain over 40 pounds in less than 2 months. I now get depressed just looking in the mirror. My doctor says it just makes you hungry, not gain weight, but the amount of weight I gained in such a short time is unnatural!"

• rb1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2016

For Depression "Was on Zyprexa from Mar 2015 till Aug 2015. At first, it seemed like it was mellowing me out a bit, and I could sleep through the whole night, which was an improvement. After a few months, I noticed my depression was getting much worse. Came off the drug cold turkey, and went through one of the most serious withdrawals one could face. Depression, severe anxiety, PTSD, night terrors took over. To this day Apr 2016, I have still not returned to the way I was before I started taking this horrible drug. Depression and anxiety are still bad, not as bad as 6 months ago, but still worse than when I first started taking it. I'm convinced this drug can cause permanent brain damage."

• Now...
• August 6, 2021

For Depression "I have never written a review, but what I am experiencing is something I do not wish on anyone. Please listen to what I am saying before it is too late for you. The first thing I want to point out is that they say this drug is not addictive. I will tell you that is the biggest crock I have ever heard. It is beyond addicting. You cannot just stop it. The nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, depression, mania, insomnia, desire to just die to get this over with, shaking, you feel cold and hot at the same time. The withdrawals are unbearable, so naturally people keep taking it. The only solution I see to this is to find a rehab for this and have professionals help me through this. I should have never been placed on this drug to begin with. I needed to gain weight. But to give me one of the strongest antipsychotics for that is criminal. Sure, I gained 40 pounds, but I have no life. No desire to live. No focus. No motivation. Nothing. If you are not psychotic, do not take this poison."

• cma...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2017

For Depression "I was only on Zyprexa for 10 days, but it made me so tired I couldn't even function. All I wanted to do was sleep all day. And it made my depression worse. I was so depressed by that 10th day that I almost quit my job because I just felt like I couldn't handle any stress at all. So glad I stopped taking this drug."

• Jba...
• February 12, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication has made me extremely tired! I feel like I've lost all of my motivation. I am a teacher and a coach and find it extremely hard to get myself 'up' to do these things. I am very tired in the morning and it's not until late at night that I start to feel like myself again. Only in time to take the medication again and start the process over. It has taken away some anxiety symptoms and helped me sleep (a bit too much), but I feel down a lot because I feel like I lost my passion. I am slowly coming off of it and look forward to getting back to feeling like myself again. I empathize with people on this medication."

• Jba...
• February 12, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication has made me extremely tired! I feel like I've lost all of my motivation. I am a teacher and a coach and find it extremely hard to get myself 'up' to do these things. I am very tired in the morning and it's not until late at night that I start to feel like myself again. Only in time to take the medication again and start the process over. It has taken away some anxiety symptoms and helped me sleep (a bit too much), but I feel down a lot because I feel like I lost my passion. I am slowly coming off of it and look forward to getting back to feeling like myself again. I empathize with people on this medication."

• Pet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 28, 2023

"This is a very toxic, dangerous drug! It has destroyed my health. Caused akathisia, extreme exhaustion, muscle seizures, extreme hair loss, fainting spells, low blood pressure, diarrhea, panic attacks, depression, dry skin, hot sweats, blurred vision, light sensitivity, insomnia, and cognitive issues. Don't take this medication, you will regret it. The maker, Eli Lilly, has been sued many times for damages this drug has caused. It has caused diabetes, heart attacks, pancreatitis, skin rashes, strokes, sudden death, and much, much more. It should be outlawed, but big pharma runs everything! Zyprexa sucks! I would have rated it a -10 if I had the option."

• Las...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 23, 2012

For Schizophrenia "Got this medicine and was amazed at how I recovered. I wasn't paranoid, was relaxed, and loved life. Until I kept taking it for a couple of years and all the symptoms returned. I now am withdrawing, which is a nightmare."

• Vzz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2021

For Depression "This drug is the worst thing ever created. For me, it CAUSED unbelievably severe depression, so bad that I’m thinking of suicide. But, I was forced to take it repeatedly because of a lie told by a jealous woman who had me committed and force-fed this evil poison. Even getting off it now, every day is an enormous struggle, and I worry I’ll never be the same again. Please stop making this dangerous drug. Nobody ever prescribe this, please."

• bjo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2021

For Schizophrenia "Like other drugs, Zyprexa has different effects on different people. For me, the drug was a life-ruining experience. When I was on it (for a psychotic episode), I had severe side effects, including sedation, emotional numbing, and life-threatening metabolic deterioration. With a psychiatrist's help, I cross-titrated from it to Latuda. However, I happened to be in the fraction of people that has severe repercussions from discontinuing Zyprexa. With withdrawal, I had severe insomnia, which half a year later has only mildly improved. I have had to be on Ativan to get some sleep, and there are many testimonials to the same experience I've had-Zyprexa can for an indefinite period of time disrupt sleep regulation. Because of this, it should not be tried unless newer antipsychotics with a more focused receptor profile have been attempted."

• Anonymous
• January 12, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on 2.5 mg, and it made me into a hungry zombie. All my emotions were flat, it made life completely unpleasant. Every day was a struggle to get through, and sex was completely numb. However, it was a very effective medication for bipolar one disorder. If it wasn't for the side effects, I'd still be on it."

• Glu...
• June 10, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Zyprexa for about 5 years. Started at 5 mg and am now at 2.5 or 1.25, depending on the day. This is for bipolar. I've tried to go off it (because I felt dulled and had a preoccupation with food) a few different times and had severe depression/anxiety symptoms recur. I also take Prozac (20 mg) and Lamictal (100 mg). I don't think the Lamictal does anything, but the Zyprexa seems to be the 'glue' that keeps me together. Weight gain was an issue, but I have recently lost 20 lbs through diet and exercise (and reducing dose). I would rather not have to take it, but it so greatly improves my quality of life that I feel I should stay on it."

• Anonymous
• October 15, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I found Zyprexa to be quite effective, however, it made me very tired and unmotivated, though. I was incredibly hungry all day. Only stayed on it for about a month and put on 7 lbs. I am in the process of exploring different antipsychotics that are more weight-friendly. Putting on weight was making me depressed and making me become more hostile because of it."

• sub...
• December 3, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early '90s. Tried all kinds of anti-psychotic medicines, Zyprexa is the one that has helped me the best. I feel tired and emotionless, but I am pretty sure that it is better than what my family goes through when I am not on it."