Olanzapine

[Arienette]

My guess there have been many threads like this before, but they weren't written by me, and Im not in the mood for strolling through old threads.

I've been having a hard time, yada yada, the police came over and put me on a 136. I'm sure they can't put you on a 136 IN YOUR OWN HOME, but they might have just set it from when I stood outside. Anyway, I was in that room and the Dr said I wasn't "sectionable" *yippee*, and seeing as I'm not going in voluntarily, that they're going to try olanzapine again.

I was on it before, but the hunger was too distressing because I have anorexia at them time. That's all fine. I was on 2.5mg.

Now though, she's put me straight onto 5mg - now I know this isn't a big dose because people with schizophrenia etc have that dose and up to 20mg or so, but it feels like a lot to "start" on. Because she also mentioned about increasing it at a later date.

My only issue is that OMG it's making me SLEEPY! It's impossible to wake up in the morning, and my dry mouth is hitting me like crazy because it's

(olanzapine dry mouth + citalopram dry mouth) = A sahara desert mouth

I don't think I really have much of a question, I just wanted a place to rant because I feel a bit irked.

I'm not sure why. I just am. I'm hoping it works and haven't noticed much hunger yet, although I've only had it twice so let's let it set in first I suppose.

I just, I know it's an atypical antipsychotic and all that stuff; I'm just not 100% sure why I'm on it.

Also, if anyone has any experiences of being on olanzapine, good, bad, or even suggestions of how to manage any negative effects that may perhaps crop up and occur soon then that would be great.

Also any ideas on concentrating, and waking up from the stuff would also help.


Utopia - youtopi - high,topi a - us,topia

[Wonderland.]

If you aren't entirely sure why you are on it, that is definitely something your team can AND should have explained to you.

I was on 10mg for a while to help with the voices. But whilst it helped greatly with the voices, I gained a lot of weight. Which when you have an ED already is obviously quite distressing.

Whilst I have been in hospital they have reduced it down to 5mg, I've only had one psychotic episode in 3 months, so fairly stable with that amount. And with the reduction my appetite has reduced greatly and I am now losing the weight I put on when starting it.

I don't find it sedates me at all. But am on other meds that keep me sedated throughout the night into the morning. I find it hard to get up most days. But if I give myself a reason to get up I find that helps. Perhaps timetabling some stuff to try and achieve in the mornings would be helpful. Even if it's just getting up, and making a brew.

[Ballerina123]

I find taking it earlier helps with getting up in the morning.

Otherwise it helpped a lot with my anxiety and psychosis.

It would be a good idea to ask about why you're on it.

[Epicene]

I've not long been on it, but I'm finding it massively helpful. For me, it sedates me enough and helps with voices and flashbacks. I actually feels like it clears my head and enables me to see more clearly, even if I'm a little less 'with it' in terms of behaviour (ie I would not trust myself on the road because I'm a bit dazed and slow in responding).

For me my concerns relate more to metabolic changes and cardiovascular risk rather than weight gain as such.

My advice would be, as others have said, find out the rationale for being on it and the dosage. In terms of being tired,taking it earlier can make a difference. You should adapt to the drug over time though - putting things in place each day can also give you an incentive to stay awake and push through urges to climb into bed forever! Food wise, it can help to have fruit in a visible place, and if you feel hungry outside of healthy balanced meals, snack on that. Keep an eye on your weight but don't worry yourself silly trying to preempt what will happen. If anything untoward occurs you are unlikely to be kept on it.

[tiptoes]

I found that the sedation reduced as I got more used to it. I can't remember exactly how long it took. Maybe 4-6 weeks.

On the whole I found olanzapine quite a good medication it didn't completely treat all my symptoms so I swapped to quetiapine to see if that would be slightly better (probably is). I was on it for bipolar disorder. With quetiapine I find the biggest issue is when I come to in the mornings I'm not as awake as I would be usually so it is much easier to roll over and go back to sleep and if I get up usually with 15 minutes or so I'm quite awake. I'm not sure but olanzapine might be similar.

With concentration I find lots of to-do lists and planning my time helpful.

[Arienette]

Thank you for your replies.

I think it might be helpful because last time it helped stabilise me and the weight gain really bothered me - but I'm not concerned anymore.

I have noticed that I keep having twitches though, it's really weird.

Not bad enough or intrusive enough to make me stop trying it, but i keep twitching/jerking in my legs tonight.

Since I came home today too I my coordination has been a bit iffy. I've poured my coffee down myself missing my mouth, and it took 5 attempts to get the teaspoon in the coffee jar when i was making coffee.

I can shrug it off - i think though i just wanted to rant somewhere about it. I'm jerking loads right now, like every few minutes in my torso and legs. It's iffy feeling.

Did other people get that at all?

I'm probably just adjusting to it still. x

[tiptoes]

I got tardia dyskenesis with quetiapine (high dose) which sounds a little like you described. I took myself off this medication not long afterwards so don't know if would have gone away and I haven't had it since I've been back on it.

I would recommend mentioning your concerns to your prescribing doctor, it might be something that goes away or if it something to keep an eye etc.

Not sure about the coordination as my coordination is terrible anyway. If I am having issues with my coordination I try to stop and take a few deep breaths as stressing about how uncoordinated I am just makes me more uncoordinated.

[Arienette]

I would recommend mentioning your concerns to your prescribing doctor,

I can't because it was the Dr who saw me in the 136 room, so I won't see her again. I am having a phone appointment with my GP on Monday, and so I will ask then if they know.



stressing about how uncoordinated I am just makes me more uncoordinated.

This is a really helpful idea. Thanks for sharing it.

x

[Steel Maiden]

I was recently on 25mg olanzapine for schizophrenia maintenance and daily severe challenging behaviour (mostly meltdowns and self-injury) related to autism. I had hardly any side-effects from it, but that is beacuse I was on 20mg for 5 years.

Basically if they decide it helps you, then the side-effects do wear off with time.

Although there are several alternatives depending on indication.

[Arienette]

Thanks.

I have still been having inner urges to do some of my unhelpful behaviours (scrawling on walls with certain substances) and I'm wondering if this will help with that?

It has been a little less this past week, but I think my inner self that needed to express stuff this way got it out a bit when I had my last break down maybe? I don't know, it's just an idea from my understanding.

I have dissociative issues, but wondered if olanzapine would help quieten this for me in time? Because that would be helpful.

If it doesn't I suppose I will have to figure out a method of dealing with these urges and voices (dissociative) in a more helpful way. It's just a thought I was wondering, because that would be helpful if it helped with that stuff as that is what I mainly struggle with.

I think this past week has been a little better though because I really took the time out to rest, then did some positive healthy stuff with friends - and I think I really needed that to wind down and de-stress. (stress is a major trigger)

- I am already working on stress management techniques because I know this.

x

[Steel Maiden]

Low-to-moderate dose olanzapine is used for many things, like me for example (schizophrenia, autism, OCD). However I am not a doctor, but it's worth asking about olanzapine for your dissociation, I have heard other members on RYL taking antipsychotics for similar reasons.

[Arienette]

then the side-effects do wear off with time.

This is good to know.

I have heard other members on RYL taking antipsychotics for similar reasons.

This is too Thank You.

----

I have noticed that over the past few days or so, I've had a really nervous excitable energy in my stomach. It is making concentrating on my college work a bit difficult.

Is this a side effect of olanzapine?
I think it has been helping as I am functioning a bit better since being on it now, as in I am showering more, looking after my self a bit more and managing to get my chores done around the house which helps because I find mess quite stressful sometimes.

Everything just feels a little fast and disconnected. I'd like to stay functioning well, but it's like I can't quite keep up with myself at times.

I am still sleeping a lot though at night. I am sleeping for 10-12 hours still. I do get tired, but even when I'm tired I Have a lot of energy.

I'm going to the gym later in the hope that this helps get some of it out because I can really push myself, and exercise helps my mental health a lot anyway. I was just wondering if it is olanzapine stuff that anyone else had experienced?

Sorry to keep this thread going so much, but I am feeling quite uncertain with it all and because I am navigating this on my own just seeing my GP here and there I feel this is my best resource to ask these questions.

Even if I was under my CMHT they'd be telling me I'm noticing things that aren't there or something silly. They're like that: hence I don't want to go under them again.

x

[Steel Maiden]

Could it be residual mild hypomania if the olanzapine hasn't fully kicked in? Or perhaps your dose is not optimal?

[Epicene]

Antipsychotics tend to slow things down, so I wouldn't have thought it is a side-effect. I know that doesn't really help with things but hopefully will reassure you about the medication if nothing else.

[Arienette]

residual mild hypomania

I don't know what this is.

hopefully will reassure you about the medication if nothing else.

Hi Thanks, yeah this is helpful to know if it's not olanzapine based. Maybe I'm just in a funny place. I feel like I am in a funny place lately - and I feel very all over. Maybe I need to wait for it to take a proper effect, but I feel like it's making me hallucinate.

In the library earlier I heard someone right behind whisper "excuse me" - not out the question in the library so I turned around, but no one was there. I was sat in a far corner and the only other person near me was reading intensely about maths.

It's starting to stress me out to be honest, because it is different to normal and I feel like I don't know if I'm coming or going with myself. x

[Ballerina123]

I know anti psychotics are meant to help psychosis but when I was on quietapine it made me have bad hallucinations so it really can happen.
saying that when I told my doctor he didn't believe me until he increased it and I got even worse.
It dose happen.
I would suggest speaking to your dr about it. There are other anti psychotics you can go on if you need one.

[Arienette]

yeah. I have an appointment on Monday. I'm in college thurs and fri, and I'm trying hard to not let this interfere. I think you're right though.

It's like a toss up between 2 rubbish options. I don't even feel like it's helping with my other issues because it's been really hard to not draw on the walls again, and my other voice has been chatting away and just not shutting the eff up.

I've calmed down from my tons of nervous energy that I couldn't keep up with though because I had 0.5mg xanax: and that has really helped me calm down. Although it didn't help with concentrating on study because I've been asleep for hours, but when I'm asleep it's not happening, nothing is happening. It's like a safe haven from my daily reality at the moment.

x