Zyprexa?

[itsgot2bme]

My psychiatrist started me on Zyprexa, 2.5mg at bedtime, on Wednesday mainly as a sleep aid and appetite stimulant, with the added bonus of helping regulate my mood a bit. I was wondering if anyone else has been on Zyprexa for the same reasons and how well you tolerated it etc?


Background Info on Me:

Diagnosis of PTSD & ADHD

Medications: 20mg Celexa (2 1/2 months), 30mg Vyvanse (1 month)

Therapy: Combination of talk and CBT therapy weekly

[StarHunter]

I am not on the same doseage as you are - in fact I am now on 20mg a night but that is because I suffer from a psychotic illness with anxiety as a piggyback!  Lucky me!

I can tell you though that through experience with zyprexa as well as other "anti-psychotics" is that zyprexa is a fairly easy to tolerate medication for me.  I have not suffered any of the serious side effects (like the tremors or the diabetes mellitus etc).  I do get a dry mouth and I do feel very sedated every morning until around noon or so when it wears off some.  It is FANTASTIC for sleep so if you are using it to help you sleep then it will almost definitely do what you want it to do (aka get you to sleep).  It will also probably enhance your appetite - be careful to stay away from too many carbs and sweets as I find that for me the zyprexa really gives me a sweet tooth and a hankering for breads, pastries and pasta - not fantastic if you want to keep your weight under control.  Lots of fruit and vegies and complex carbs (rather than the white stuff) and lots and lots of water should keep your weight from ballooning while just giving you a little boost in the appetite department.  The water helps with the dry mouth that a lot of people experience also.

You should get a blood test in 6 months time to check that your blood sugar levels on it are fine as zyprexa can really raise your sugar levels to the point of diabetes in rare cases.  It is unlikely to happen though on the very small dose that you are on.  As I said I am on 20mg and have been on varying doses of zyprexa for several years and my blood sugars are fine!  It's good to keep an eye on them though of course. 

Good luck!  I personally think that zyprexa is a great med and it does a lot to calm my anxiety also. 

[itsgot2bme]

Thank you so much for all the information! I'm feeling wonderful after only a week on the Zyprexa, and I have very little drowsiness in the mornings now (though it was pretty severe the first couple days). I do get the dry mouth, but only while sleeping and when I first wake up.

I have PTSD, and I've noticed I'm not extremely hyper-vigilant or as easily irritable as I was before I started taking Zyprexa. I've also noticed a decrease in flashbacks, and very few night terrors :D.

I completely agree about getting my blood sugar checked and I talked with my doctor about it before starting. We're going to be checking all my metabolic rates very month when I go in to see him, so that we can monitor any changes.

[kite]

I have also taken Zyprexa in the past for bipolar disorder (although I have anxiety, as well).  I can say that it worked great for me.  I also took it at night, and slept very well on it.  I did experience drowsiness during the day though (I was on a higher dose).

I had to discontinue taking it due to side effects.  Specifically, I gained over 50 pounds (while on Weight Watchers).  The weight gain was concern enough, as it wasn't being controlled by diet.  In addition to the weight gain, diabetes runs on both my mom's and dad's sides of the family, so coupled with the weight, my chances for getting diabetes were just too much of a risk.

And that was really sad for me, because it made me feel so much better!  But yes, your doctors will likely keep an eye on your metabolism, blood sugar levels, etc.  If your doctor hopes it will help with your appetite, it might.  Eat lots of good, healthy foods!

[StarHunter]

Ah yes, silly me!  You should get the tests every month and not every 6 months when first starting out.  I am on 6 monthly blood tests now but I have been on zyprexa for close on 5 years with no ill effects so 6 monthly is good now.  I had monthly and even bi-weekly tests at first that I forgot about.  Sounds like your doctor is on the ball with you so that is good.

2.5mg is a low dose and I really doubt you will have any problems while on it.

Glad to hear that you are feeling better already - awesome news!!!!  People seem to be scared of anti-psychotic meds but hey if it works then do what works