Butterflykisses Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I was wondering how effective zyprexa is for anxiety. I am not using it for its intended purpose (I take 160 mg of Geodon for psychosis, and I take 900 mg of Lithium for mood). I do not find ocd anxiety relief from benzo's like klonopin or Ativan. And I CANNOT take AD's because even the tinniest dose throws me into a manic episode. So my pdoc and I agreed to try me on a super low dose of zyprexa to see if I find relief. I have been imprisoned by this OCD anxiety. The negative thoughts, intrusive thoughts, compulsions, the tics, the pacing....all a result of extreme anxiety. She wrote the prescription for 1/2 of a 2.5 mg pill twice daily = 2.5 mg total in a day She wants to first try out just 1/2 in the morning...and if that doesn't help enough then take the other half that evening. = 1.25 mg in a day Does Zyprexa help your anxiety...and if you have ocd, does it help with the obsessions/compulsions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I took 20mg of zyprexa for many, many years. I took it for mood and psychosis but it did help my anxiety. I still had to remain on klonopin and an AD for extreme anxiety though. Eventually I gained 100lbs since starting zyprexa and I was taken off of it. Seroquel comes in second place as does abilify, but I'm no longer stable. This is the closest I've been to minor stability in a long time. I wish I didn't get such bad side effects from it. I would still be on it to this day. I slept well with zyprexa too. So if you do end up,needing it at night it may even help you sleep to boot! Anyways, good luck! I hope it helps you without any side effects! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koa Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Personally, I think zyprexa should only be used temporarily to get people out of acute psychosis... The side effects relating to weight gain and diabetic tendencies are just too great to ignore. However it is a very effective drug. Just be aware of the heavy sedation and weight gain it can cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amosleigh Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I take Geodon and find it very calming for anxiety. I sometimes wish I had a prn extra dose I could take too. I actually look forward to dinner when I get to take my evening dose and relax from some of the anxiety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 3 Me's Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 i started zyprexa yesterday. is weight gain a deffinite effect. i did have my first good sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 I just didn't have many options. I cant take Anti Depressants, and I have tried benzo's and my body gets used to them too quick. I am hoping the 1.25 mg wont have significant side effects on me and will help my anxiety. If it does I wont even have to take the full 2.5 mg amount. I take 1000 mg of metformin so that helps with weight issues. and what I am experiencing is acute anxiety. I go to therapy 2x a week, I try to self help as much as possible but I want to get better. I will not increase above 2.5 mg though because I know the side effects will be more severe at higher doses. So it either works at 1.25 or 2.5 mg or I will have to find something else (not much left to choose from) plus I can only afford generic meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieN Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 when I took 1.25mg daily I still got weight and high sugar issues. I would only take zyprexa for psychosis not anxiety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanTheMan Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I have just switched from Zyprexa to Abilify for psychosis. I did find the Zyprexa definitely had a calming effect. I also noticed the weight gain. Just a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lifequake Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I have found several of the atypical anti-psychotics to be helpful with anxiety. If you find that you do not like the Zyprexa or its side effects, you could talk to your pdoc about risperidone (generic for Risperdal). Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjimjam Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I took 2.5-5mg for anxiety. It didn't really work for my anxiety which at that time was mainly a phobia of school. It helped with general anxiety. I was generally calmer, but still too afraid to go to school. I did start gaining weight quite rapidly once the dose was increased to 5mg. Watch out for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Well it is worth a try. It could help with my psychosis in combination with the Geodon. plus my anxiety feeds into psychosis. My mind doesn't stop. It ruminates negative thoughts and leaves me with annoying compulsions. If I notice weight gain >5 pounds, I will stop it. I read it has a calming effect. I NEED THAT!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Also, the anxiety I experience is severe. I don't want it to aggravate my psychosis either. Geodon & Zyprexa should get a good grip on my psychosis AND anxiety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 If Zyprexa doesn't work out, there are a few typical APs which in low doses can be good for anxiety without the metabolic side effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I find that seroquel really helps with my psychosis and anxiety and sleep and mood too. So if you gain a ton of weight on zyprexa you could always try seroquel. It still may have some weight gain but usually a lot less than zyprexa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I used to take 30 mg of Zyprexa a day and I did notice it calmed me down and lowered my stress and anxiety. The only problem (like stated above) is the sedation, and more importantly, the weight gain. This is why I don't take it anymore. So basically, I would recommend it just be attentive about the side-effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 I have been on Seroquel up to 800 mg before and Seroquel xr up to 400 before. It made my psychosis worse. So that was not an option, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 I am hoping with metformin 1000 mg I wont gain too much weight on 1.25-2.5 mg doses. I took 1.25mg this morning and I didn't fall asleep at all, I feel great! I think this is a good combination. How long does zyprexa stay in your system. If not long I will take 1.25 mg tonight as well. Doctor said twice a day but once if I felt I only need 1.25 and found symptom relief throughout the day. That's why I am curious about the half life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Wikipedia reports the half-life as 33 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I'm glad you found it helpful today! It is a very helpful med for lots of folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Thanks, I am going to take the 1.25mg tonight because as the day has gone on I have been experiencing rebound anxiety. I am actually thinking at my next pdoc apt (next month) I will ask if I can take 2.5 mg twice a day, instead of 1.25mg twice a day. But if I proceed with that my chances of weight gain goes up, so I am still unsure. I will see how I am doing on 1.25mg 2x a day regimen for the remainder of the month. If I am doing well, no need to increase. I am already on an antipsychotic so I don't want to over do it. But I must say, if I do stay on the 1.25 mg twice daily I will have it compounded so I don't have to cut those tiny little 2.5 mg pills in half anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 I had such a good sleep last night after the second 1.25mg dose. And here is the funny thing. I weighed yesterday morning then this morning and I have lost 3 pounds. I don't really have an appetite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifluous Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 not everyone gains weight on zyprexa. i've taken it for ages and i'm chronically underweight. so though perhaps statistically unlikely, it is possible. glad it's helping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizophrenic_Sanity Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 (edited) not everyone gains weight on zyprexa. i've taken it for ages and i'm chronically underweight. so though perhaps statistically unlikely, it is possible. glad it's helping Agreed. I just started Zyprexa and I haven't noticed any increase in my appetite or weight either. This is unusual for me since I usually gain weight on atypical anti psychotics. Point is everyone responds to meds differently. I hope it keeps helping you. Edited December 12, 2013 by Schizophrenic_Sanity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanTheMan Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 That's awesome! I'm glad that it's helping you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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