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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by RSIRL on January 25, 2006, at 17:54:20
Hello everyone. I have been reading the postings for a while but just finally decided to post one myself.
My pdoc has put me on 20 mg of Zyprexa and 150 mg of Effexor. The combination seems to be working for me except that I have gained alot of weight and am very tired. I work full time so I decided to lower my dosage of Zyprexa to 15 mg to hopefully aleviate some of the tiredness. I do seem to be less tired and more energetic but I am also noticing that I may not be thinking as clearly and am making more little mistakes. Does anyone have experience like this and if so, will my mind start thinking clearer after I have been on the lower dosage for awhile? I have only been taking 15 for about a week.
Posted by bennyj on January 25, 2006, at 19:57:29
In reply to Zyprexa - lower dosage, posted by RSIRL on January 25, 2006, at 17:54:20
Your cognitive impairment might be the effexor...when I was taking it I found the higher the dose of effexor (I went up to 150mg) the less I could think straight...making mistakes, forgetting words etc....this never went away until I stopped the effexor
> Hello everyone. I have been reading the postings for a while but just finally decided to post one myself.
>
> My pdoc has put me on 20 mg of Zyprexa and 150 mg of Effexor. The combination seems to be working for me except that I have gained alot of weight and am very tired. I work full time so I decided to lower my dosage of Zyprexa to 15 mg to hopefully aleviate some of the tiredness. I do seem to be less tired and more energetic but I am also noticing that I may not be thinking as clearly and am making more little mistakes. Does anyone have experience like this and if so, will my mind start thinking clearer after I have been on the lower dosage for awhile? I have only been taking 15 for about a week.
Posted by deniseuk on January 26, 2006, at 11:53:41
In reply to Zyprexa - lower dosage, posted by RSIRL on January 25, 2006, at 17:54:20
Hi,
Can I ask you why you are taking Zyprexa?
Denise
Posted by RSIRL on January 26, 2006, at 18:22:08
In reply to Re: Zyprexa - lower dosage, posted by deniseuk on January 26, 2006, at 11:53:41
I have a mild form of schizoprenia with paranoia. I am not very severe and don't think I need to be on such a high dose, but my doc never lowers my drug, he only ups it! It does help, but going to bed at 8:00 every night and working full time does not leave me much time for a life. That was starting to get pretty depressing.
Posted by yxibow on January 27, 2006, at 0:51:53
In reply to Zyprexa - lower dosage, posted by RSIRL on January 25, 2006, at 17:54:20
> Hello everyone. I have been reading the postings for a while but just finally decided to post one myself.
>
> My pdoc has put me on 20 mg of Zyprexa and 150 mg of Effexor. The combination seems to be working for me except that I have gained alot of weight and am very tired.Try to excercise as much as possible and watch the munchies. I know its very difficult with a medication like Zyprexa, and it induces metabolic changes on its own right regardless and that's a simplistic statement I made, but it has some value. I believe that there was a study that showed that Axid (a H2 antacid) reduced some weight on Zyprexa, I think. Some people try Topamax, but that has some risky side effects. If the weight gain becomes intolerable you may have to change antipsychotics, perhaps to Seroquel which is a bit less of a weight gainer. On the other hand, as you said, the combination is working. I would get your general practicioner to do blood tests for diabetes and cholesterol if you're to continue the medication for a long term.
What you're probably experiencing, besides the tiredness, is "blunting" which is experienced from most antipsychotics. It affects the affectiveness of your personality to a degree, dimming life around oneself to a certain sense. Its hard to exactly describe but I experience it with Seroquel, taken for other reasons.
Posted by blueberry on January 27, 2006, at 5:38:57
In reply to Zyprexa - lower dosage, posted by RSIRL on January 25, 2006, at 17:54:20
In my own personal experiences any dose reduction of just about any medication causes me some cognitive dysfunction or confusion. It usually goes away in about 1 week to 3 weeks. You might want to just stabilize on 15mg for another 2 weeks and then reassess things then. I think it is just the receptors and transmitters in a state of change and readjusting.
That being said, zyprexa has been shown in research to increase cognitive function, primarily by its dopamine enhancing effects in the prefrontal cortex part of the brain. So maybe you are experiencing a slight drop in that dopamine effect. Which should stabilize.
In my own experience, zyprexa has been the hardest of any of the dozens of meds I've taken to reduce the dose. Dropping down from 20mg to 15mg doesn't sound like much, but with zyprexa that is actually a huge drop. It took me one month to get from 5mg to 2.5mg. And now it seems totally impossible to get off the last 2.5mg. When I try, things get really bad really fast.
Posted by HappyGirl on January 28, 2006, at 21:37:56
In reply to Re: Zyprexa - lower dosage, posted by RSIRL on January 26, 2006, at 18:22:08
Hi:
I have not much knowledge as to Shizo., however if you need to sleep a lot due to the Zyprexa, try to counteract by taking Wellbutrin SR or XL.I've been taking the Zyprexa 5 mg. as long as I can remember, and in my opinion through the experience, the Zyprexa saved me in many ways. However, as you quote, ... downside part of the Zyprexa is sleepiness and weight problem. Those 'two' would be reduced by taking the WB. In my case, I take 300 mg., divided twice a day and gotten an excellent result.
H.G.
Posted by WeeWilly on January 29, 2006, at 0:23:45
In reply to Re: Zyprexa - lower dosage » RSIRL, posted by HappyGirl on January 28, 2006, at 21:37:56
My sister replaced the Zyprexa with Abilify and it has worked better for her. It does'nt cause sleepiness and weight gain. Best wishes
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