- Used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
- Used for PTSD, panic attacks and delusions
- Also used to treat anxiety, eating disorders, Tourette syndrome, stuttering and to induce sleep
Zyprexa is the brand name for the generic drug Olanzapine which is manufactured by Eli Lilly. The drug is available in three forms – tablets, disintegrating tablets and injectibles. The tablets come in strengths of 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg. The orally disintegrating tablets come in strengths of 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg. The intramuscular injectible comes in a strength of 10 mg and is available in vials.
Indications
Zyprexa is indicated in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as well as other ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, anxiety, delusional behavior, eating problems like anorexia, in stuttering and as an aid to sleep.
Action
This is an atypical antipsychotic drug that works on the neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for communication between the nerve cells. The ones it affects are serotonin and dopamine which are responsible for a person’s moods and when there are imbalances in the amount of these chemicals in the brain, it affects the person with mood swings, depression and other mental disorders.
Side Effects
There are some common side effects with this drug which are not dangerous and which usually pass within a few weeks of use. The side effects could be gaining weight, feeling sleepy, constipation, dry mouth, increased appetite, skin rashes and tiredness. The more serious side effects are jerky and uncontrollable movements, diabetes, cholesterol levels increasing, increased eosonophil levels, irregular heartbeats, decreased white blood cell levels and hair loss. It could also cause the blood pressure to drop suddenly.
Caution
You will need to give your doctor your full medical history as well as any family history of mental problems. You will need to tell him about any allergies that you might suffer from as well as any conditions like diabetes, cardiac problems, liver or kidney ailments and prostrate or epilepsy problems. It is very important to tell the doctor whether you smoke or drink. The drug becomes much less effective with tobacco so your doctor will need to know if you smoke, how much and whether you intend to give it up. There could be weight gain with this drug so you need to talk to your doctor about how best you can keep your weight down.
Contradictions
You need to be careful if you are an older patient – especially if you are over 65. You will need to have your blood pressure monitored on a regular basis. If you are a smoker, you need to think of quitting as the two do not mix. You also need to know that there are adverse reactions with certain drugs so you need to make sure the doctor knows exactly what medication you are taking. People with impaired kidney, liver and heart problems must be cautious as must people who suffer from epilepsy and seizures. Other groups at risk are people who have glaucoma, pregnant women and nursing mothers and patients with Parkinson’s disease.