Does Olanzapine help with anxiety?

[Arienette]

I'm on olanzapine and it has been inroad a while ago to 10mg.

I"ve noticed that when i go out or swimming i have stopped feeling like everyone is talking about me, or looking at me, or reading my thoughts etc (general anxiety stuff) - and this is a good thing.

I just wondered is this probably because of the olanzapine? Is that even possible?

Thanks. I'm not complaining i like not feeling like that anymore, i was just wondering.

I'm just trying to get some understanding of what has been going on for me etc because I only have my GP to work with. x

[ParanormalChickenGeek]

Yes- Olanzapine certainly does help with anxiety related to intrusive thoughts.
I'm glad this has improved for you.

[sherlock holmes]

I would say that having thoughts that everyone is watching you and reading your thoughts are psychotic type thoughts which olanzapine would help with as it's an antipsychotic. It probably helps general anxiety and intrusive thoughts slightly too, but its main function is an antipsychotic

[Ballerina123]

Yea it really helps with my anxiety. I haven't had a panic attack since going back on it. It's also a little sedating and sedation can help manage anxiety symptoms x

[EyelinerAndCigarettes]

I find it very helpful with my anxiety, impulsive actions, along side the paranoia.
Before I was on the 5mg I would get taken away with my thoughts/anxiety & now it kinda cleans my brain a little before I do anything, I'm now able to rationalize my thinking most of the time. I do still get panic attacks but not everyday thanks to the Olanzapine.

[Arienette]

Sherlock: my cc and doctors all said it was anxiety related. I mean I'm unsure because I've had contradictory information from different professionals, but I remember my cc pretty much raising her voice a bit and being all "well you're not psychotic" and I never even mentioned psychosis, just what I was experiencing.

---
Either way though it is good that my olanzapine could be helping with these issues, because I feel a lot less bothered by them since going on it, which makes going to the gym, and swimming and out and about a lot easier to deal with. I had become used to it and I feel so relieved to not be feeling like that anymore. I even ha dmyself convinced that I was making those feelings up, because of my CMHT probably, but I feel so much better now they're easing off. X

[Steel Maiden]

Most, if not all, antipsychotics have positive effects on anxiety to some degree. They're sometimes used in A&E to calm down certain types of agitated patient, for example, even if the patient is not psychotic.

[Ballerina123]

I remember reading once that olanzapine has a similar chemical structure to benzos and benzos are an anti anxiety.

But i have been given olanzapine as a prn before in hospital for agitation and anxiety.

[Steel Maiden]

Yes. Olanzapine is of the thienobenzodiazepine chemical class.

[Arienette]

Oh amazing. That probably explains it. I had no idea it would help with anxiety or agitation.

So that's a nice surprise. X