Zyprexa and Brain Fog: What Users Say

• mad...
• April 19, 2019

For Depression "Put on this drug for anxiety, loss of weight, not sleeping, all connected with something that happened to me. On it for a month at 10 mg and had pounding blood pressure in ears, sudden headaches, ankles swelled up 2x their size, gained 25 lbs. in a month, huge appetite, foggy thinking, flat personality, and dizzy. After I got off, I felt much better. Off it now for 2.5 months, and I can't lose any weight, and in fact am still gaining, so can't get it out of my system. How can I get it out of my system? I don't want to become diabetic or get heart disease, but this drug can do that and I'm not even on it! Doctors are putting people on it that should not be given this drug, it should be a last resort if at all. This drug can cause permanent changes chemically, in metabolism, and dopamine receptors in the brain. Is there no antidote?"

• Geo...
• November 4, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I was on Zyprexa at 25mg (had psychosis) for a few months, literally, the worst months of my life. All I wanted to do was eat and sleep, so tired and foggy, and I had no motivation. So glad I ignored doctors and got off it as soon as I possibly could. If there was an option for zero, I would give that. This stuff is utter garbage."

• Anonymous
• December 5, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar II and have tried multiple medications. Sadly, I have had to get off this medication because it caused me to gain 20 lbs within a few short months, and also made my thinking slow down. However, this without a doubt was one of the best medications I have tried. I was able to finally get some rest and didn't constantly wake up throughout the night. My depressive thoughts decreased, though they were still there sometimes, they were manageable. I was able to go days without feeling completely poorly. My racing thoughts decreased, and I felt like I could think without having racing thoughts, or having 100 ideas going on in my head at once. My irritation levels almost ceased to exist. I was pleasantly surprised to see after trying several medications, that this is one of the only medications that has worked on me. If you can get around the weight gain, this is definitely a medication that is a must-try. Maybe I will try this medication again in the future if all else fails."

• mor...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 27, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I started taking Zyprexa 10 mg in 1996 until 2017, which is when I began tapering due to health reasons. I am now down to 2.5 mg but have gained a lot of weight, pain in joints, inability to sleep well, anxiety for no reason, memory loss, inability to think, no motivation, crying for no reason, terrible pain in my arms, muscle cramps in my feet, pancreatitis, constant eating, lack of feelings and enjoyment. Extremely difficult to get off it, it ruined my life!"

• che...
• February 1, 2011

For Depression "Found this medication very effective in my withdrawals from both alcohol and weed. It stops my racing thoughts and keeps me calm. However, it does somewhat make you zombie-like and unable to feel emotions."

• kry...
• September 25, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on a 5 mg tablet for almost 2 years. I started off on one tablet a night, then cut my dose down to half a tablet, currently taking a 1/4 tablet during the day because I always miss my alarm if I take it at night. I oversleep way too much, always tired, brain feels foggy. I've gained 30 pounds, and it's getting harder to take it off. I'm always hungry and always thirsty. It helps with behaviors. I still flip out, but way less often."

• Anonymous
• March 14, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I just started this medication over two weeks ago and am already seeing massive improvement. No more mania, very little depression. I have focus and energy, my mood is great most days. It even helped with irritable bowel syndrome. For the first few days, I felt like a zombie, but that side effect has gone. I still have a massive temptation to eat everything in the house, but I am controlling it and changing my diet to minimize weight gain. This medicine was a minor miracle to me. I've never felt so good in all my life."

• Tkv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug caused me a lot of problems. At first, it made my mania go away, but after a month on it, I developed very stiff muscles. I was given Cogentin, but that didn't help, and after two months, I became very spaced out, and my family said I was saying some weird stuff, but I couldn't remember. My pdoc finally took me off Zyprexa after four months when I showed her how stiff my muscles had become (walking a block was a chore) and told her my leg would start twitching by itself. Overall, a horrible experience."

• JOH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "Do NOT take this medicine. It caused my dad to get diabetes, and I took it not knowing that it was the same medication and gave me a terrible reaction. I had to be rushed to the hospital. I couldn’t walk because I was so out of it. I started talking funny, I couldn’t focus, much less keep myself awake most of the time. This medicine is for schizophrenia patients, NOT bipolar. This medication has lawsuits on it continually because of it causing so many issues."

• abu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2019

"I was forced to take this horrible med for 2 months, even though I didn't need it. Then I cold turkeyed off it as soon as I could. It left me with probable brain damage and slowed thinking and pains everywhere."

• edy...
• June 30, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 49. I was immediately put on Zyprexa and, essentially, the next four years are a blur to me. To say I felt like a zombie is a gross understatement. I changed my doctor and insisted he take me off the drug, which he did. I am now taking 'plain old lithium' and have been doing well for the past five years. I understand that everyone doesn't have the same experience with Zyprexa that I had, but people should be aware that there are long-proven alternatives. I only wish that my doctor had considered them first."

• Len...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I had this a few days ago in the hospital for extreme mood swings and anger due to bipolar. I took half a pill that dissolves under your tongue, and it made me feel MUCH WORSE! Within 20 minutes of taking this garbage, I became insanely sleepy, dazed, I was slobbering and slurring when I was talking. It made me even more angrier and anxious. I had intense restless legs and arms and facial tics. My legs would randomly kick and jerk up in the air. I had awful dreams and couldn’t stay asleep at night. I couldn’t stop stuffing my face, and I gained 4 lbs since the day I took it, which was on Monday. I took a Xanax yesterday because I had another episode where I was irate, all because I dropped something. I took this particular medication once in 2018 and for the first time in 2013, and it always made me irrationally angry, hungry, anxious, and unreasonable. Never again."

• Owl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2017

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This medicine never made the voices I heard go away-though I'll admit they were a bit calmer. They couldn't have been anything but, though, considering the fog I was in because of the side effects. I felt NOTHING, not happiness, depression, calmness, anxiety. I saw no wonder in the world, felt no kind of joy. It was no way to live-it wasn't living. It was existing, and that side effect didn't go away despite my taking it for months. Another side effect was the weight gain-in three months, I'd gained thirty pounds."

• the...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 3, 2017

For Schizophrenia "I was hospitalized because of a brief psychotic episode following some traumatic events in my life, one of which was contracting Stage 3 Lyme disease. They put me on Zyprexa 5 mg. It worked for a few months, but the brain fog and lethargy were causing problems at work, so I decided to taper down to 2.5 mg and then stop. I really wish my doctor had told me not to go from 2.5 immediately to zero because the withdrawal has been an absolute nightmare. Scary dreams, non-stop anxiety, really jumpy, headaches, depression, and my brain fog has never been worse. I finally knuckled under and am taking 0.6 mg just to take the edge off. I don't want to discourage others seeking help, but stay away from Zyprexa!"

• cat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 16, 2022

"I was on 0.5 mg for over 2 years after a Borderline Personality Disorder episode that landed me in a hospital, where I was prescribed this. It helped me a lot, chilled out my severe mood swings, and finally helped me stop freaking out over anything. Zyprexa probably saved my life, but it was not 100% good. While it zapped excess emotion that made life difficult, it destroyed my ability to feel emotion at full capacity. I don’t consider this a total con, as it’s preferable to the way I used to live, but it is undeniable. So was the weight gain. I gained around 30-40 lbs during my time on Zyprexa and felt extremely self-conscious and depressed due to it. I also became very lazy, sleepy, zombie-like, and so emotionless I was reckless/careless. After 2 months of being off, the weight has been lost. I still don’t feel to the same extent, especially negative emotion, but positive emotion is coming back. The side effects are real and lasting, but it might be a chance worth taking."

• Anonymous
• May 5, 2010

For Depression "I was constantly tired, spaced out, and I couldn't eat enough. In 2 months, I gained 20 pounds and slept an average of close to 14 hours a day."