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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by chiron on April 10, 2002, at 18:59:57
I just got some samples from the doc. He said that most of his patients gain weight on it. What are your experiences?
Posted by ChrisK on April 11, 2002, at 4:56:52
In reply to Zyprexa Questions, posted by chiron on April 10, 2002, at 18:59:57
If you do a search at the top of the page for Zyprexa in the archives I think that you will see that weight gain is the biggest complaint about Zyprexa. Just from spending time on this board I would hazzard a guess that more than half of the people who have tried Zyprexa have gained weight while on it. Of course some have not for one reason or another. I gained the weight but after time have been able to lose some of it but I've been taking Zyprexa for about 4 years so I've reached a steady state with regard to the weight issue.
A lot of people also have a problem with the initial sedation that Zyprexa usually causes. I'd suggest that if you are just going to start it that you start on a Friday afternoon/evening to get used to the effects over a weekend.
There is also a small number who find Zyprexa to be agitating. Everyone will react a little differently but those are the main problems that I've seen here.
I hope you are starting with a small dose like 2.5 mg/day. That is the common dose when used for depression or OCD symptoms.
This is just meant to be a little information - don't let it scare you from trying it. Zyprexa has been one of the best meds I have ever taken for my depression.
Posted by crepuscular on April 11, 2002, at 11:31:46
In reply to Zyprexa Questions, posted by chiron on April 10, 2002, at 18:59:57
Why not use Seroquel? It is not associated with weight gain and has the lowest side fx profile of all the atypicals.
Posted by chiron on April 11, 2002, at 11:50:08
In reply to Re: Zyprexa Questions, posted by ChrisK on April 11, 2002, at 4:56:52
Thank you crepuscular. How long does the sedation last? I really wanted something to help my energy & motivation. Damn. I don't have insurance, so I feel like I wasted a trip to the dr. (at least they were free samples).
Posted by crepuscular on April 11, 2002, at 16:41:36
In reply to Re: Zyprexa Questions, posted by chiron on April 11, 2002, at 11:50:08
well, it is sedating at first, but i don't notice it anymore (except at bedtime.) i'm not sure any antipsychotic could be called "stimulating"! but perhaps in a roundabout way it could.
Some of my "brain-fog" symptoms were apparently due to overactivty in certain (dopamine?) circuits, neural noise i suppose. i've even had olfactory hallucinations during these "fog" periods. this seems to be gone (though only time will tell) which is nice. also, because i sleep better, i have more energy. so does all this add up to stimulating? well, coffee still beats seroquel imho.
good luck. sth about lack of insurance. i hate that, all people should get the care they need.
Posted by chiron on April 11, 2002, at 18:27:58
In reply to Re: Zyprexa Questions, posted by crepuscular on April 11, 2002, at 16:41:36
How quickly does it work? The doc told me a few days. I really don't want to take it longer than I need to to find out if it will help me (especially w/ the common weight gain thing). And are the results pretty dramatic if it works for you? Will I know if it's working?
Posted by BlueJay Bird on April 12, 2002, at 1:31:26
In reply to Re: Zyprexa Questions, posted by crepuscular on April 11, 2002, at 16:41:36
Are you taking and referring to Zyprexa or Seroquel? I've taken both and found Seroquel (even at a very low dose) to be far more sedating than Zyprexa in terms of Seroquel making me woozy and drowsy quite soon after taking it, whereas Zyprexa was a more subtle type thing. Never put me to sleep the way Seroquel did.
Also, you mentioned "brain-fog" symptoms and said they were apparently due to overactivty in certain (dopamine?) circuits, "neural noise" -- what do you mean by "brain fog"?
I think of brain fog as being cloudy-minded, in a haze, unable to think clearly or focus, feeling kind of spacey and out-of-it, but I'm not sure anymore since you associate "brain fog" with OVERACTIVITY of dopamine, which I thought was a stimulating thing, so maybe "brain-fog" is something stimulating? Hmmmmm ... Could you describe your brain fog a bit? Thanks!
Posted by BlueJay Bird on April 12, 2002, at 1:33:27
In reply to Zyprexa Questions, posted by chiron on April 10, 2002, at 18:59:57
I've been on Zyprexa and WOW it sure did increase my appetite ... however, I fought like the dickens not to give in and did not gain a pound on this med. Also, the sedation (which I found very mild, barely noticeable) wore off, as did the increased appetite.
If you can ride out any initial side effects, Zyprexa is a good med. JMVHO.
Posted by crepuscular on April 12, 2002, at 12:03:38
In reply to Re: Zyprexa Questions » crepuscular, posted by BlueJay Bird on April 12, 2002, at 1:31:26
was talkin'bout seroquel.
the fog: i read and article about depression which noted *overactivity* in various circuits of the right side of the brain for some people. they had some nice SPECT scans along with the article.
prior to this, i had always associated depression with a lack of neural activity - which is certainly is - but never thought about the possible presence of overactivity as a source of ruminating symptoms, brain fog, and olfactory hallucinations. but it does make sense if you consider this mental state - for me - as akin to a slow seizure of some sort.
brain fogs for me are like living in a creepy tunnel. everything seems distant, foggy, and i can't focus. the world literally *looks* wrong to me, like a cartoon. usually i have an odd smell in my nose (and i've been to several ENT to check out sinus sources) and the episodes last about 10 days. sometimes there is a strong mood component, but these events have also happened without strong changes in mood. they started in 7th grade.
i've told every p-doc & neurologist i've had about this and they don't really know what to make of it. my conclusion is that my brain is vulnerable to destabilizations of various sorts, including depressions, manias, and other states which are more along the lines of temporal lobe epilepsy that explode over the period of two weeks rather than two minutes!
Posted by JohnX2 on April 12, 2002, at 23:12:18
In reply to Re: Zyprexa Questions » crepuscular, posted by BlueJay Bird on April 12, 2002, at 1:31:26
> Are you taking and referring to Zyprexa or Seroquel? I've taken both and found Seroquel (even at a very low dose) to be far more sedating than Zyprexa in terms of Seroquel making me woozy and drowsy quite soon after taking it, whereas Zyprexa was a more subtle type thing. Never put me to sleep the way Seroquel did.
>
> Also, you mentioned "brain-fog" symptoms and said they were apparently due to overactivty in certain (dopamine?) circuits, "neural noise" -- what do you mean by "brain fog"?
>
> I think of brain fog as being cloudy-minded, in a haze, unable to think clearly or focus, feeling kind of spacey and out-of-it, but I'm not sure anymore since you associate "brain fog" with OVERACTIVITY of dopamine, which I thought was a stimulating thing, so maybe "brain-fog" is something stimulating? Hmmmmm ... Could you describe your brain fog a bit? Thanks!My psychiatrist had me on Zyprexa. When i complained about agitation from my medications he wanted to give me Seroquel instead.
Seroquel is supposed to be better for agitation, but i never tried the medicatinonJohn
Posted by KB on April 15, 2002, at 8:28:01
In reply to Re: Zyprexa Questions, posted by JohnX2 on April 12, 2002, at 23:12:18
I have also been taking Zyprexa (in combo with Celexa and Wellbutrin) for "brain fog" associated with atypical depression. For me, the fog involved extreme forgetfulness, leaving the oven on, the door wide open, telling my intern the same thing repeatedly and an intense feeling of being pressured and overwhelmed by tasks.
Zyprexa definitely makes me sleepy - but if I time it carefully so that I have 8 or 9 hours to sleep, it's OK. The first few days I was zonked, but that wore off.
As far as the speed, I started feeling better really quickly - a few days, and by now the fog it totally gone, which is record time for a psych drug.
This is the end of the thread.
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