netsavy006 Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I went up on the Zyprexa starting tonight because of the increased visual hallucinations I've been having for the past week. I've been seeing bugs. In Pathmark the other day, I saw birds flying inside the building. I also have been seeing shadows out of my periphery and I look and there's nothing there. So she increased the Zyprexa from 5 to 7.5mg. I told her that I didn't want to take the Zyprexa anymore and would prefer Invega, but she said I'd just come back telling her that I'm all shacky (which I don't even remember). She suggested Geodon, but I told her I didn't want to do that either because of the heart risks (Qt Prolongation). Then she told me well it's either Geodon, Clozaril, or the Haldol Shot (I don't know why not the pills). She wrote me a script for my full lipid profile and to see another psychiatrist in 2 weeks for a 2nd opinion but for now I will be taking the increased dose of Zyprexa (7.5mg). Andy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Zyprexa's not that bad you know. Im on 20mg and Id much rather be on that than Invega and all that increased prolactin levels. At least with Zyprexa all you have to do is stop eating carbs and eat like a diabetic. Believe me, I gained a lot of weight but now Ive lost it. Being thin and taking shitloads of Zyprexa can be compatible. I don't experience any bad effects like sedation or any other things listed in the PI sheet. When it comes to APs Zyprexa is hard to beat. You seem to do an awful lot of chopping and changing. Everytime you do that, you destabilise yourself further. Antipsychotic changes are terribly traumatic for me so I play the cards Im dealt. I'll be on 20mg of Zyprexa for life AND 3mg Haldol. I have to live with it. I'm still psychotic but this is THE BEST MED I CAN HOPE FOR. Sometimes you just have to accept your lot in life and Zyprexa really is the gold standard for psychotic symptoms. It doesnt deserve its monster reputation. blackbird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimpmaster Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I suspect that your Zyprexa dose is too low. You are on 7.5mg/daily. I personally take 20mg daily and my p-doc has just upped that to 25mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Andy - I know you get akathesia symptoms from too high a dose of Z, but chimpmaster is really right. There isn't much brain chemical absorption difference between 5 mg of zyprexa and 7.5 mg. You really need to titrate to a workable dose and see if it works. For many people, that's a minimum of 10, and often 20 mg. I know when I had my blazing saddles mania in October, it took a full month of 20mg of zyprexa to calm me fully down to normal. Bottom line is there really is no better AAP out there for management of severe symptoms than zyprexa. I'm overweight, I have a family history of crappy things like diabetes and heart and cholesterol problems. I take Z and I have no problems. I don't see it as some ticking time bomb. I get my blood checked every visit or every other visit, and I'm ok with that. I eat my own home cooking, snack on microwave popcorn, and am still losing weight while on zyprexa, which is supposed to be unheard of. At some point, you will have to come to the realization that just because one or three people in a study had a severe side effect while taking a medication DOES NOT MEAN YOU will have that same side effect. It's just what it says it is: a rare side effect. Winning the lottery is a rare side effect of playing the lottery, if you think about it. And do you expect to win the lottery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted May 16, 2009 Author Share Posted May 16, 2009 I was on 10mg/day of Zyprexa when in the hospital and I didn't like the side effects I was getting. Even with Cogentin I was still getting akathisia and I was having cognitive problems. That's why we keep the dose below 10mg/day. Luckily, @ 7.5mg/day I get the relief I need. But I tend to over-obsess and over-worry about the longer term effects that I know I shouldn't be like hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and stuff of that nature. I guess that's why my p-doc ordered to have a full lipid profile done to see where I'm at in those regards. I probably have none of these problems but I worry that they will happen to me. What can I do to lessen the fear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 You just accept the fact that those are rare side effects, and not common ones, therefore not likely to happen to you. Therapy would be the best way to alleviate your fears. Pull past the BS and see a therapist on your own, not one your pdoc gives you permission to see. Screw her if she doesn't like it. What's she going to do? Not refill your scripts? She's your employee, not your mother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Bottomline Netsavvy, If you have another mania, you could end up doing something really stupid that could endanger your life or fall into a deep depression that could endanger your life too - probably safer to take that Zyprexa with its remote chance of side effects. To lessen your fears, I have a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes too. And premature death through heart failure. My brother in law (who knows nothing about psychiatric drugs at all - he's a police man) told my mother 'Oh blackbird better watch out on those drugs, she will end up wrecking herself'. Well I am on 20mgs of Zyprexa and have been for 4 years. My weight and BMI are normal and healthy for my height. I do not have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood fats or anything. My smart-assed brother in law who made the comment about Zyprexa, knows nothing about psychiatric drugs has discovered he has extremely High cholesterol and he is on no psychiatric medication whatsoever. If you are so concerned, to lessen your chances of these rare effects happening, eat a low fat, low carb diet like I do - something like what a diabetic would eat. That way you won't put on weight or raise your blood sugar levels or fat levels. 7.5mg is a baby dose. My mother took away my Zyprexa and put me on 10mg and I couldn't function - I had to beg her to go back up to 20mg. I know lots of people on doses of 30mg and they have no problems at all. Try not to worry too much and think about the benefits to your sanity - you won't get a better drug than Zyprexa to stabilise you. I am still psychotic but functionally psychotic. On all other APs I can't think straight or even read a sentence in a newspaper. This is how good Zyprexa is. blackbird x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 Well I got the blood work done today. It was for CBCs, full lipid profile, and lithium levels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 That's good - hopefully everything comes back fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 You were right tryp. everything did come back fine. Everything came back normal, including the lithium level... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Oh good - there you go, then. Some facts to help assuage your anxiety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 You're right. But now I have a second doctor involved because of what I did. I feel I should still see the 2nd doctor, but because of the current blood work coming back normal what should I discuss with the 2nd pdoc? This 2nd pdoc was only to get a 2nd opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Did you already get the second opinion? If you have nothing to discuss with second pdoc, you may as well go back to your regular pdoc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 I didn't get the 2nd opinion yet but I do have an appt. with the pdoc 6/3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Well, if you feel like you don't need a second opinion anymore, just cancel the appointment. If you still want the opinion, just go and let the pdoc evaluate you. It'll probably work out alright either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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