Zyprexa

If you actually bother to read the title, you’ll probably have a clue what this whole thread is about. Basically, I’m looking for some real-world intel on these pills. I want to know what your experiences have been like—how long you’ve been on them, what diagnosis you’re dealing with, and if there’s anyone out there who actually managed to successfully taper off under a doctor's supervision.
A close friend of mine has been on them for five years now, currently splitting it between 5mg in the morning and 10mg at night. For most of that time, things were totally fine, but she tried to start tapering off about two months ago—which was a terrible idea given how much stress she was dealing with lately—and it ended with her in the hospital dealing with hallucinations and paranoia. Once she went back to her regular dose, things stabilized. Honestly, she functions just like anyone else; if you didn't know, you'd never guess she was on meds.

Her big question right now is whether anyone here has actually made it off these things successfully, and if so, which doctor they worked with.
Also, does anyone have any insight or experience regarding using these during pregnancy?

thanks 😉

A close friend of mine has been on Zyprexa for about nine years now, though she keeps it at a relatively low dose of 5mg every night. She eventually decided she wanted to have a baby, so, after coordinating closely with her doctor for several months leading up to the pregnancy, she tapered off the Zyprexa entirely and successfully conceived. She managed to navigate the entire pregnancy completely medication-free, eventually giving birth to a perfectly healthy, beautiful baby. However, about two months postpartum—since she was adamant about staying off meds to ensure she could breastfeed without any interference—she ended up hospitalized and had to restart her treatment regimen. Honestly, she’s functioning quite normally now and doesn't even entertain the idea of stopping her medication again. I once heard someone suggest that pregnancy hormones act as a sort of protective shield during that period; in her case, she sailed through the pregnancy beautifully, but as soon as her hormone levels stabilized back to their baseline, the illness came roaring right back.

Hi, looking for some expert insight here. I've been on Zyprexa 10 mg for about four years now. I’m dealing with constant issues with cold sores. I spend practically 8 or 9 months of the year fighting outbreaks. I’m not saying the medication is definitely the cause, but I can't ignore that these flare-ups started right around the time I began taking this crap. On top of that, I have this massive need to sleep—about 13 to 14 hours a day—and if I don't get enough, I feel like absolute garbage. Lastly, my vision has been messed up since I started this stuff. I just want to know if this medication could be responsible for a weakened immune system, the exhaustion, and the vision issues... or if it's nothing to do with it? It would be easier if the answer was yes, because I’d like to hope things improve once I stop taking this junk. Thanks for any input.

Alex Thomas49 said:Hi, looking for some expert insight here. I've been on Zyprexa 10 mg for about four years now. I’m dealing with constant issues with cold sores. I spend practically 8 or 9 months of the year fighting outbreaks. I’m not saying the medication is definitely the cause, but I can't ignore that these flare-ups started right around the time I began taking this crap. On top of that, I have this massive need to sleep—about 13 to 14 hours a day—and if I don't get enough, I feel like absolute garbage. Lastly, my vision has been messed up since I started this stuff. I just want to know if this medication could be responsible for a weakened immune system, the exhaustion, and the vision issues... or if it's nothing to do with it? It would be easier if the answer was yes, because I’d like to hope things improve once I stop taking this junk. Thanks for any input.

Well, strictly speaking, Zyprexa shouldn't technically cause cold sores, but more likely they're a sign that your immune system is taking a hit... though honestly, with how much people play fast and loose with side effects these days, I can't even say for sure. But I'd bet money that Zyprexa is behind the vision changes and the fatigue, since those are pretty standard side effects... See, Zyprexa is an antipsychotic used to manage psychosis, but it's hard to call it a "cure" per se. It's more about dampening the symptoms so a patient can function socially despite being sick... so it's not like you can just suddenly walk away from the treatment easily...
If these side effects are seriously messing with your life, there are definitely some newer generation antipsychotics out there that might offer similar results but with way fewer downsides....