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New Gal on Zyprexa,and afraid of the med!!

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Posted 4/14/2005 12:47 PM (GMT -6)
Hello everyone. I am new to the Healing Well board,so this is my first post here at all

I have been suffering from a severe depression for over a year now. I've  never had such a long period of being "in the pit" before. The GP Dr I'm seeing has tried me on Paxil, Zoloft,

Prozac,and several others I can't recall the name of. Now I'm  taking Effezor XR.

The Dr added an anti-psychotic drug called Zyprexa to the Effexor. My diagnosis has always been Depression and Anxiety. I don't have Sz or Bipolar, so why did the Dr give me an antipsychotic drug? When I found out what it was, and read about the serious side effects, I am afraid of this Zyprexa drug.

I have to take it at night because it makes me sleepy.

Anyone here familiar with Zyprexa?

If so, please talk to me, okay> :-)

Posted 4/14/2005 2:34 PM (GMT -6)
Welcome Locket!!!

I'm so glad you found us. I am not familiar with Zyprexa, but I will look on the net and see if I can find anything for you.

Many drugs have some beneficial affects for things other than what they were developed for. I take lexapro and it does a great job for me . . . but I can't sleep. So doc prescribed amitryptylene because it has a side effect of making people fall asleep easily. It is really another class of antidepressant (trycyclic I think). Anyway, it takes a while to find the right drug or combination of drugs to get the best affect for each person. It sounds like your doc has reason to believe that the Zyprexa will 'round things out' for you.

I was also taking an anti-seizure med for a pinched nerve because a side effect was to dull nerve pain. There are lots of drugs that doctors use like that. I didn't have seizures, but I was taking a seizure med.

I'll see what I can find and post again.

Blessings!
Posted 4/14/2005 2:48 PM (GMT -6)
Anxiety and Depression are two of the 'off label uses' that I have found on the web for Zyprexa. I plugged that term into a search engine, along with Zyprexa and came up with wayyyy too many sites. Different dosing is used in some cases as well. In other words, you may be prescribed a smaller does of the med to round out your Effexor.

One thought is to talk to a pharmacist. They usually have the latest most meds.

I hope to see you posting often!!

Blessings!
Posted 4/14/2005 4:42 PM (GMT -6)
Adding my welcome. I would go back to your PCP and ask the reasoning for the additional med and what the desired result would be. Wish I could help more.
Posted 4/14/2005 4:56 PM (GMT -6)
Hi Locket!

I know what you mean about taking weird drugs. I have crohns and was freaked when my doctor gave me 6-mp. It says it is a chemotherapy drug...yikes.. but turns out it is relatively mild. I get a liver test done monthly, but I have had no problems.

I dont know anything about zyprexa, but I imagine there are many uses for it. There are a ton of uses for lots of drugs. I would still ask your doctor 'Why am I on an anti-psychotic?' He will tell you.

Welcome once again!!
Posted 4/14/2005 7:12 PM (GMT -6)
Hello Locket,Just wanted to welcome here.I have crohns,RA,OA and I do suffer from depression also.I take Zoloft100mg aday and I also take xanax xr.I take 0.5mg twice a day.Lexapro did nothing for me and I can't take prozac because it made my skin feel like it was crawling.It does get old haveing to change up but thats the only way that doctors can find the right meds.


Curley.....
a.k.a.Mela..........
Posted 4/14/2005 8:48 PM (GMT -6)
Always Rosie, it was good of you to research Zyprexa for me.I guess i should give the med a try.

Seems like nothing else has worked very well for me.

All of last year is a blur to me. I was so depressed I slept alot of the time. Now I have begun to stay awake more. Maybe the meds are starting to finally kick in!!! :-)

Thanks to you all for the welcome. And i will be posting again soon, i'm sure of that!!

Posted 4/15/2005 12:34 AM (GMT -6)
Locket,

You should definately ask your doctor why they chose to put you on those certain medications.  My psychiatrist prescribed two medications to me that I looked up on the web when I got home.  Both were used to treat bipolar and Schizophrenia both which I don't have.  I freaked out as well because I thought why didn't anyone tell me that they classified me I don't meet the qualifications.  I endend up speaking with her  I suffer from depression.  She told me that orginally that the drug was used solely to treat for these two main things but now have found out that these medications were also good to help with sleep and anxiety etc.

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