Fluoxetine / olanzapine for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews

• MrS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 15, 2013

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "After years of feeling as though I were slowly losing my mind to ruminations, agitation, depression, lack of focus, and general brain cooties, it finally dawned on me that I was bipolar and I sought treatment. You may read the other positive reviews on here and think they could be written by manufacturers, but you may be underestimating the efficacy of this medication, it is truly amazing. I feel like I did when I was a younger man, before mental illness took hold in my life. My mind is unencumbered and clear. I feel normal! I still can get sad, I still get annoyed by things, I still feel enthusiasm, but it's tempered, appropriate emotion. Symbyax is great. Try it. Minimal weight gain, by the way."

• Mul...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 27, 2016

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "Symbyax is like gold. It has done wonders for my bipolar. I can sleep at night with no racing thoughts, my manic episodes no longer happen, my depression is gone, and my anxiety level is down. I don't have that constant worry in my everyday life that I used to have. It keeps me level-headed."

• Von...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 14, 2019

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "Day 4. Wow!!! I feel alive for the first time in 25 years. Tired first few days but am full of energy. No excess hunger yet either. Just feel great after feeling at the end of the road for so long. Wish I would have been put on this much sooner!"

• cow...
• March 29, 2009

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "Only ten days and I am a new man. I have had zero weight gain. I don't eat everything I see. Racing thoughts are gone. I feel super light. I have energy like never before. I don't procrastinate simple tasks. I don't snap at people. I am way more active and do things that I want. I don't do anything self-destructive. Anxiety gone. I am 28 and I didn't have a clue I was bipolar till 8 months ago. I feel like I just woke up and everyone around me can't believe how extremely different I am. I love my new life. I take this with Lithobid. Did I mention how awesome life is."

• Two...
• January 13, 2020

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I have been taking it for five years now. I was in a manic, out-of-control state when I was given this med. From day one, I was a different person. All my obsessiveness went away. My original psychiatrist retired, and it gets harder to find someone who still uses this drug. It saved my life. I swear."

• Bow...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 5, 2019

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I figured I would wait a couple of months to leave a review, so I had actual experience using this medicine. I have come to the conclusion that this medicine is a godsend. I'm able to handle life a lot better now, I’m not sad, aggravated, upset, and bitter towards the world anymore. I’m happy, content, and excited for what life brings. I started on 3.5/25 mg and now I’m at 5 mg/20 mg. This is the perfect dosing, I’m able to sleep through the night (I do sleep a lot harder now than I did), and I’m not nearly as anxious as I was. This is a great medicine. I have gained 10 lbs in just a few months, but it’s worth every pound."

• Han...
• May 23, 2013

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I have been on this medication for over 4 years now. I was able to go to nursing school and have been working in the field now for almost 2 years. I'm less anxious, I don't get frustrated. I'm calmer. I did gain almost 60 pounds. This has been an issue for me. I also noticed that I'm not in tune as much spiritually, which is an issue for me. I stay on the medicine because I have never functioned as well on anything else. I don't cry much, seems like my emotions are hidden somewhat. I'm not sure I like that. I have thought about getting off of the medicine for a while just to see what happens, but I'm afraid of what might happen, so I continue to take it. All in all, it has been a good experience."

• My...
• January 11, 2013

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I've been on Symbyax for over 5 years, off and on, but consistently for the last 3. I have found that when I'm on it, I feel like me again. I am not moody, snappy, or self-destructive. When I was manic, I engaged in promiscuous activity, large spending, and shopping sprees. When I didn't have the money, I would turn to stealing. When I was down, I could be bedridden for days, sometimes weeks. I would not go into work, was suicidal, and ultimately hospitalized on different occasions at my worst. I was started on many different medications and combinations, but also being an epileptic (which also caused some depression), my doctors and I had to be careful with medicines. Symbyax, Depakote, and Trazodone worked! I feel great."

• pit...
• February 13, 2013

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I took Symbyax a few years ago for a month. It was great, made me feel happy again and happy about life. Since I suffer really bad mood swings and other stress-related issues, I stopped taking it and have not been good without it. Started taking it again. The only knock is you get a crazy appetite and can gain weight if you don't work out and cotton mouth for days, but other than that it's a miracle."

• Anonymous
• February 2, 2011

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "Miracle medicine. I am not the same person. My mind stopped racing, thought I had OCD, but that hyperness is gone. I am easier to be with and around, sleep better. Have had no weight gain. I forget a bit more, it seems, but can live with that. Don't snap at people, calmer, overall just better."

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 21, 2015

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "The Zyprexa part of this mix means it will work, you WILL have weight gain no matter what. But it works. I went from daily suicide attempts to being normal within a week of going on this combo. I wouldn't go on this first, I would say it's a last resort for those who are treatment-resistant."

• Hap...
• August 25, 2011

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I've been on Symbyax for almost two weeks. It has been a tremendous help. The only thing I'm worried about is the cost! But this seems to be my wonder drug. I'm happier, healthier, more energetic, on and on. It's amazing! The only problem I would say is I sleep like a rock, and it's hard to wake me up, so that can be a good and a bad thing. Good because I need more sleep, bad because if something were to happen, you wouldn't be able to wake me up! I still love it though. 9/10 for inability to wake up and cost. I've been on several other medications for months waiting for it to take effect. On this one, I felt better after 4 days."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2009

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "The first couple of weeks, I was flying high on this medicine. The high does eventually come down, but overall I am able to function much better in my everyday life. The weight gain is an issue. If I wasn't a pretty lean person already, the weight would be an issue. Thankfully, the weight gain has been good for me. The only thing is, I wish the sweet cravings were unbearable at times. I could eat two pints of ice cream in a sitting- I know, scary. For now, the medicine is working. I am not big on medicine, but I would have to say it is doing the job. Good luck to anyone who is skeptical, as I was at one time. But if life can be a little better, why not?"

• Kjl...
• March 17, 2017

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "All I can say is Wow!!! I am myself again after all this time and trying so many different meds. I kept doing more research and finally found my dream drug: Symbyax. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. A tiny capsule instead of a handful of drugs."

• Anonymous
• June 10, 2009

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I tried several medicines before finding success with this one. My depression and mood swings are under control, and life is manageable. My friends and family tell me that I'm much more enjoyable to be around now. I feel that this medicine saved my life. The only negative effect it has is that I'm hungrier and have gained some weight. I've just had to make adjustments in my diet to eat healthy, but this is a good thing for my overall health too. I feel so great on this medicine that the negative effect is worth it."

• AFC...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2021

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "When I was diagnosed with type 1 bipolar disorder, after coming out of my first and only admission for mania and spending months with depression that only came out a few days, they only gave me valproic acid, which depresses me. Quetiapine worked for a while, but I had to stop taking it at high doses for constipation and rhinitis. With aripiprazole for 2 whole days, vomiting. With cariprazine for a whole month, with akathisia, and olanzapine only depressed me. I saw that there was Symbyax (olanzapine plus fluoxetine) that in 6 days took me out of the depression. I managed to change psychiatrists, I told him that I was still sleeping 10 hours a day and mentally dull with Symbyax, so I got prescribed 100 mg of lamotrigine and 50 mg of quetiapine, which does not make me fat at such a low dose, and it allows me to sleep 7-8 hours and get off depression and mania. But I have to admit that Symbyax cured my depression apart from lamotrigine. I am from Spain, and sorry if I made some mistake."

• Yor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2015

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "Great medicine. I used Symbyax 3/25 before for depression, and it helped a lot. I am taking it now for bipolar, it has helped a lot, really. The bad thing is the excess appetite, weight gain. But I don't care about the weight as long as it helps me out."

• Mr ...
• August 11, 2010

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I have been taking this medication for over a year. One excellent side effect is that my insomnia is gone. I almost gave up on trying antidepressants, as nothing seemed to work for me. Then I was prescribed Symbyax, and my life changed for the better in just a few days! This medication is definitely worth a try if you have depression or bipolar disorder."

• BMW...
• January 3, 2018

"I've been using a combination of 5 mg olanzapine with 40 mg Prozac per day for about 3 months now, and the changes have been incredible. I started going back to the gym, I'm able to read without my brain bouncing all over the place, I picked up guitar again, I quit smoking, I changed my diet and lost approximately 15 lbs, my interactions with people are far better, I have a better sense of well-being all around. I highly recommend this combination."

• Tbi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 11, 2015

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I have been on Symbyax for about 3 years, and it works great. Slept like a log, my emotions were suppressed (not sure if that's good or bad). I was recently changed to generic, and I am having problems with mood swings and even worse weight gain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 13, 2013

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I don't get majorly depressed anymore or suicidal. My only problem is being so tired all the time. I used to work a lot and be up for days sometimes and required only 3-5 hours of sleep per night. Now sometimes I do nothing but sleep for as long as 5-6 days, only getting up to eat, shower, and use the bathroom. My energy level has gone from 9 to 3 on a good day. Marriage is in trouble too. I've had dosage adjustments all over the place and am back to my starting dose of 3/25. 6/50 was the worst. Now taking an additional 20 mg of fluoxetine during the day, but it doesn't help so I'm stopping that. I'll stick with the lowest dose and start drinking coffee or something to get me going. I'm a 52-year-old male in good shape. No reason for the tiredness."

• Anonymous
• November 23, 2010

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I have been taking Symbyax for 3 weeks. I cannot believe the difference it's made in my life. I was always against anti-depressants since all I had tried made me feel worse. I haven't had energy or motivation like this in, I can't remember how long! It is hard to wake up if I take it too late in the evening. I'm afraid of the weight gain, but I think it would be worth it. I am only giving it a 9 since it is so expensive and I have no insurance."

• Anonymous
• November 26, 2008

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "Have used it off and on for 2 years now. It works wonderfully, and improvement is usually shown immediately. However, it affects my blood sugar immensely, and I usually have to quit taking it. If I don't eat constantly, I get very sick and shaky because of low blood sugar, and because I have to eat constantly, I gain weight. The medicine itself works great, it would just be nice to not have to sacrifice feeling well physically for mentally."

• Cry...
• May 30, 2014

"I have been on this medicine for one week. I have been really hungry, and now after reading the message boards, I realized the medicine may be to blame, so I will adjust by eating healthier, lower-calorie snacks. But besides that, I feel great and have been sleeping like a normal person. My attitude is cheerful, and I feel more positive. And let me tell you, before I started taking it, I was seriously depressed, so I feel like a new person now. I feel like my old self, before mental illness took over my life."

• Tim...
• June 17, 2009

Fluoxetine / olanzapine "I was on this for several months, and my mentality improved 100%. I have not felt so good in years. I was absolutely amazed by this medicine. I am only giving it a 7 for the simple fact that not only did it cause weight gain, but my ankles and fingers stayed swollen and were painful. I tried taking Lasix to get rid of the swelling, but it just never worked. I really hated to come off this medicine."