![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Pierce on January 10, 2004, at 22:36:08
I have struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my 39 years. I took imipramine during law school, and feel I owe my diploma to that drug. For the last 5 years, in a quite stressful job, Effexor XR has done the trick in dosages from 300-450mg (my former Dr. was fine prescribing up to 450mg, but not my current Dr.) However, in the last couple of years, I've had depression/anxiety break-thru, so Remeron and then Wellbutrin were added to the effexor along with Buspar and klonopin. Currently I take 300mg Effexor, 45mg Remeron, 60 Buspar, and 1.5 mg klonopin. My doctor has added 2.5 mg of Zyprexa, and I am to taper off the klonopin. I have been depressed lately, and the klonopin may not have helped. Is this Zyprexa a good drug for depression/anxiety? Any comments, suggestions, or advice would be appreciated. (I'm kind of scared because even with therapy I seem to be taking too many drugs!)
Posted by HappyGirl on January 11, 2004, at 0:27:48
In reply to Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by Pierce on January 10, 2004, at 22:36:08
Hi:
In my knowledge, Zyprexa has NO proven effective evidence to depression and anxiety meds. However, in my personal experience from taking this med., Zyprexa, .... it seems to have 'booster' effectiveness to AD and even Lithium I've been on. I've been on 5 mg. Zyprexa, BTW.
In regard to 'too many meds.' on which you have some concern, ... I too agree with you in this regard.
Since your dx is depression along with anxiety, ... in my knowledge, anxiety is a part of depression, ... not two different diagnoses, but your case might be those two, not from the depression you've been carrying in years.Impiramine is a sort similar to 'Wellbutrin SR' if my memory on this is correct. Then, it's quite understandable your success at college owed this med.
As to your current med. regimen, ... Klonopin is good for sleeping aid that most of folks saying, then in turn alleviate effect on Anxiety, in my guess. Effoxer and Remeron both are AD meds. and Buspar and Klonopin both are Anxiety meds. Then, there are altogether four different meds. but there are two different classes, one for dep., and the other for Anxiety. Then, you pdoc. plans to add Zyprexa on the top of four meds.? To be frank and honest, ... it's not easy to answer to your med. regimen. However, in my experience through Bp II that mostly has major depression, .... it's often needed to 'booster' on AD meds. because most of AD meds. in my personal experience, ... not have 'potent/powerful' effectiveness. On the otherhand, AP like Zyprexa has 'really horse-power' to pull things out. Then, in my understanding, ... yes, Zyprexa may have 'good effectiveness' to the med. combo. you've been on.
Besides this, ... possibly, you may seek a second opinion from more competent and experienced pdoc. if the depression and Anxiety would linger. Because, your depression along with Anxiety sounds to me like starting to progress,(sorry to say this,... but the truth might be better than false.) This is either because of the stress you've been having recently or sometimes it might be just 'years' you have.
H.G.
Posted by brussell on January 11, 2004, at 9:35:38
In reply to Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by Pierce on January 10, 2004, at 22:36:08
Just wanted to mention that imipramine is a tricyclic AD, totally unrelated to Welbutrin.
I found Zyprexa excellent for anxiety, but the numbing effect it had (for me) was intolerable, and it seemed to make me more depressed.
There seems to be a fad amoung psychiatrists to replace benzos with Zyprexa. I think it might be a result of E Lily's desperate attempts to market this expensive drug as a magic pill for everything from anxiety to depression to BP to schizophrenia!
Two psychiatrists (my regular one and a psychopharmicologist) have tried to get me to take antipsychotics for anxiety instead of lorazapam. I followed their advice, but found the side-effects of AP's to be intolerable. I still take lorazapam, which works fine.
Zyprexa might work great for your anxiety, so go ahead and try it. I don't think it will help your depression, though. Are you still taking Welbutrin?
I think you need to reassess your antidepressants. Maybe a traditional SSRI like Prozac would work better for you. I would also seriously consider MAOIs.
Best wishes
Posted by SLS on January 11, 2004, at 10:10:42
In reply to Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by Pierce on January 10, 2004, at 22:36:08
Research and clinical experience are converging on the conclusion that the atypical neuroleptics like Zyprexa possess antidepressant properties. I found it so. A lot of people on PB have described positive experiences when Zyprexa was added to their regime of antidepressant medication. No guarantees, of course.
- Scott
Posted by Sebastian on January 11, 2004, at 10:14:12
In reply to Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by Pierce on January 10, 2004, at 22:36:08
I've found zyprexa to be best for anxiety. depression is so so. I take celexa for that.
Posted by SLS on January 11, 2004, at 10:35:05
In reply to Re: Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by Sebastian on January 11, 2004, at 10:14:12
> I've found zyprexa to be best for anxiety. depression is so so. I take celexa for that.
My guess is that Zyprexa makes for a good emergency medication for use in suicidal states.
- Scott
Posted by bark2323 on January 11, 2004, at 13:24:08
In reply to Re: Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by SLS on January 11, 2004, at 10:35:05
Ive been on zyprexa about 4 times, and have found it excellent for both depression and anxiety. The anxiety effect wanes after a few months for me, but not the positive effects on mood. It also seems to clear my thinking and generally bring me back to what I feel I 'used to be like'. The reasons I have always gone off of it has usually been the weight gain, although the last time was feeling a little blunted, but that might have been psychosomatic. I've been on anywhere from 5-10mg and I'm BPII if that helps.
Posted by Pierce on January 11, 2004, at 20:07:30
In reply to Re: Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by bark2323 on January 11, 2004, at 13:24:08
Thank you all for your responses. What a great forum to gain insight and support. Those of us who suffer from these things deserve to have the suffering stop, and I hope scientists can make major breakthroughs soon! God Bless.
P.S. I was always an anxious and insecure kid despite great parents. In college I finally went to a psychiatrist, and was told the anxiety seems to be most prominent, and was diagnosed with GAD. Later, when I encountered new challenges, the anxiety would get so bad it would turn into depression. Now they seem more intertwined, in fact, the depression seems to be almost more prominent. Wish me luck......I'm having a rough go of it right now for some reason. Could be that I'm overwhelmed with a house I bought and am remodeling, combined with my stressful job.
Posted by CareBear04 on January 12, 2004, at 11:05:26
In reply to Is Zyprexa good for depression/anxiety?, posted by Pierce on January 10, 2004, at 22:36:08
I found Zyprexa to be very good for depression. I initially took it very short-term (a few weeks) while waiting for the AD to kick in. I was spiraling downward, and Zyprexa stopped the slide and provided a sort of cushion against bad feelings. I find that it has definite mood-stabilizing properties. As for anxiety, I think Zyprexa is very powerful but not specific enough for me. When I've taken it primarily because of anxiety, it knocked me out and made me groggy the whole time I was on it. Bottom line-- when I'm depressed and anxious and obsessive, Zyprexa is great. When I'm just anxious, benzos work much better for me.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.