Zyprexa, The anxiety killer but at a price

[lleksam]

Hey,

I thought I would write a small post about my experiences with a medication which does not have a section on the forums or from what I can find is not mentioned very often.

This medication is called Olanzapine or Zyprexa, first it is a anti-psychotic and mood stabilizer and is also classed as a major tranquillizer. These are some scary words but they have little meaning to the anxiety sufferer apart from the last one.

Here is my experience. I was diagnosed with GAD almost 2 years ago, after suffering for 1 year while on 75mg effexor I developed depression. My depression would be massive mood swings, from feeling normal to total despair in less than an hour, It became chronic.

My then psychiatrists decided I should try Zyprexa, She said "Not only does it balance mood but it helps you relax and focus, many cancer patients are given it to help them cope" , I was resistant at first and the pills sat in my kitchen cupboard for weeks until one night after triggering a massive anxiety attack and not wanting to have a horrible sleepless night full of worry and fear I took my first dose.

Within 2 hours I was sound asleep, I awoke the next day feeling a little groggy but relaxed, calm and not a single hint of anxiety and this was on the lowest dose of 2.5mg. As the weeks went on the sleepiness after taking the pill faded but the effect on my anxiety remained, from constant shaking, never sleeping, mind racing, vomiting and being hospitalized twice to calm and focused but with massive increase in my appetite.

After three months on Zyprexa a weighed myself, I was shocked to see that I was 16 stone! I had never been above 14 and although I had a larger appetite than normal I couldn't see how I could put so much weight on. After some research I found out Zyprexa causes weight gain for several reasons, this of course can vary from person to person but you will always put on weight regardless of dose.

They're is a strong connection between Zyprexa and diabetes as well and Lilly have recently been sued for not making the public aware of this side effect.

I am now trying to quit this medication but like many drugs related to mental illness there is a withdrawal which can be very nasty.

If anxiety has completely destroyed your life and you have exhausted every avenue and nothing has helped and you feel that you life is over and to be ruled by anxiety then this medication could be your answer but the cost of taking it is something you must consider strongly, Once you're on this medication you may be dependant on it but that is not always a bad thing if you think that many people are dependant on a medication with many affliction to improve their quality of life.

I hope someone finds this useful.

/Lleksam