OLANZAPINE?

Hello Cassandra,

This is a non expert answer, but I hope it might help to start with.

Please believe..There is no one 'best' drug for  treating paranoid sz. and there is a wide choice available.

Here in UK and I am sure most other countries it is good reccommended practice for the psychiatrist's choice of ongoing meds to be after discussion and consideration of which side effect profile is most acceptable to the individual who has been prescribed them.

A word of caution...

If you read other share posts here I am sure you will realise from others' experience that completely cold turkeying on the antipsyc meds is a rocky and risky road to travel. Though many not unaturally have tried.....

Do suggest you get back to your psych doc soon and get another med that suits your needs better.

Good luck with your studies.

Hope you will post again here and say how things are going,

Best wishes

Chris

retired doc UK (non psych)

(family member with untreated sz)

Hello Cassandra,

I understand your reluctance to take the Olanzapine.

Though I'm not a professional, and can't diagnose or treat problems, I can tell you that Abilify (Aripiprazole) and Geodon (Ziprasidone) are the two newer atypicals with less of a chance of weight gain.  Though I'm on Geodon and haven't experienced drowsiness, I can't recommend any particular drug for you because two different people on the same drug could have different side effects.  One person could have no side effects, and the other person could have them.

Still, you need to work with your psychiatrist to try every option available.

Qutting cold-turkey is never a good idea.

Please go back to your doctor and work with him or her.

You may be able to control your symptoms on your own for awhile; however, there's no guarantee you'll control them without drugs for the long-term.

At some point, most people who discontinue schizophrenia meds cross a line where they can no longer tell what's real and what's not.

It's a dangerous road to go down.

Regards,

Christina

Cassandra, I feel 2 ways about olanzapine.  One is I hate the side effects of weight gain and drowsiness.  (I gained over 90 lbs.)  The other way I feel is fortunate for having an antipsychotic that works.  I have tried many others, including Geodon and Abilify, and olanzapine is the only thing that keeps my symptoms at bay.  It took me years to figure out I really was sick and had to take the meds every day.  Let me spare you some heartache, some nightmarish times, and perhaps spare you a hospital stay by encouraging you to take the olanzapine till you can see your psychiatrist again.  Then ask him or her to let you switch to an antipsychotic that doesn't have unwanted side effects.  But...they all have some sort of side effects.  I tried Abilify and Geodon and unfortunately they were not right for me -- I had insomnia and severe agitation on both.

One of the weird things about schizophrenia to me is that so many people who have it think that they can control the symptoms themselves or for some other reason see no need.  They just can't convince themselves that they are sick enough to take meds for it every day.  But believe me, your chance of relapse or worsening the sz is very real without the meds.

Please keep us up-to-date on your progress.  Best wishes to you.

Carolyn

Im on Olanzapine and have had no side effects. As previously mentioned everyone is diffferent when it comes to medication but it is advised not to stop such medication without talking with your Doctor first.

You also have to weigh the pros and cons of any side effects against your condition and lifestyle as most drugs do have side effects.

My 16 year old son started on 10mg Olanzapine about a year ago.  The extreme drowsiness wore off after a month or so.  He did put on some weight, but we all worked together to keep temptation at bay, by keeping the whole family on a healthy diet, and the cravings subsided too.  Since the medication caused his schizophrenic symptoms to subside and allowed him to get back to school and mix with his friends, I think it would not have been a good idea to give up on Olanzapine.