20mg Zyprexa for delusions ?
What are people’s experiences ?
It takes time. The delusions are the last symptoms to go, if they do. It took months on Zyprexa and then a med change to Risperdal Consta injections (similar to Invega) then more months for the delusions not to have as strong a hold.
Zyprexa was a bust for us. No benefit whatsoever. We started with Latuda, switched to Zyprexa then switched to Seroquel 650 mg. Still needed marked improvement so we went to Clozapine and that is the best and most effective drug despite the side effects and my son is the best he has been right now after 3+ years of dealing with this.
Hi Rosie he was originally on 25mg Zyprexa 2mg biperidine and 75mg Effexor… he gained so much weight from the meds that the doctor started weaning him off the Zyprexa he has been on 10mg for a couple of months but has completely relapsed I have made the choice to up him to 20mg Zyprexa again because his dr is useless as he doesn’t show any signs of issues to him… I have called him and seen him separately and recorded his outbreaks but that is still not enough to the dr… he was smoking weed for so long but has been caught with it on him so his lawyer told him he needs clear drug screens which he has been providing … he has been off weed for 9 weeks now but as stupid as this sounds… he was actually less delusional when he was smoking weed.
I have read about the injections… how am I going to get him to accept to change his meds though. He is adamant that he is not ‘sick’ and that the meds are a waste of time (even though he is still taking them)
The delusions are the hardest part… and I don’t even know whether to just go with it or let him know that he is delusional. When he talks about all the kids he doesn’t even have sometimes I can’t help but to agree with him just to calm him down
Hey. My son gained 40 lbs in 4 weeks on Zyprexa and was a zombie with no evidence that it improved his delusions. He lost Zyprexa weight and gained no weight on Seroquel and it was much better than Latuda and Zyprexa but he just needed stronger med. My son has been in his current treatment program for 10 months, is doing great on Clozapine (although weight is still an issue) but will be moving out soon. Despite the hiatus from weed, I have no expectations that he won’t immediately go back to weed. He has told me that it enhances his delusions which he likes. I don’t feel optimistic that he will maintain all of the ground he’s made on his own. I think he will go back to weed, start to forget to take his meds and things will go down hill from there. I hope I am wrong. Right now he is tutoring calculus and physics to a couple of high school students and he has a part time job. His hygiene and self care have improved greatly. His clarity of thought is great. He still goes to IOP 3 times a week and meets with therapist once a week. He is also administered his meds and held accountable for his time management and hygiene. So I can sleep at night knowing that someone knows where he is at all times and that he is substance free. I almost wish he could stay there forever even though that is not realistic. He is ready to leave, is there voluntarily, and it’s very expensive so I’m bracing myself for the transition. It’s not my place to give you advice, but I think you need a better doctor.
My son has no insight either. He doesn’t think he is sick but he voluntarily admits to these programs we send him to and recently, in group, he replied that he was recovering from psychosis. That is huge and due to the effects of Clozapine. I think he is starting to gain a little insight. We use the power of the purse. If he wants financial support, he has to do what we say and that includes anything his doctor or therapist prescribes.
1 Like
Hang in there and keep working with the doctor. Sometimes it is a special combination of these meds that will work for each individual. My son did Zyprexa, Seroquel and Lithium as his main meds. Others were added for sleep and anxiety. Ability Maintena shots were also added and that seemed to work better than the abilify tablets. Hang in there!
Yes, you’re right not to challenge delusions. It would be best if you could also find a way not to agree with them, but that’s a very fine line.
My family member never took medication for very long until medication was court ordered. I think the Zyprexa was calming and helped with sleep, but the injectable form of Zyprexa is not often used for logistical reasons. So, the court’s medical team changed the meds and also to injection form. There is absolutely no way I could somehow change my family member’s meds and enforce treatment, but if the court takes over, then it happens.
My son as been on Zyprexa for about 2 months, starting at 5 mg and now up to 20 mg for about the past month. It’s not been effective yet for removing voices, which is his worst problem. Prior to being hospitalized 2 months ago delusions were the biggest problem.
His doctor told him he could take 50 mg of Seroquel for sleeping, but my son is taking 100-200 mg at night to suppress the voices, which he says it does well. If Seroquel is doing the job with the voices maybe his doc will switch to that instead of Zyprexa.
Or, he may move on to clozapine (Clozaril) if Seroquel doesn’t end up working much better than Zyprexa.
Hi thanks for your reply
He is now on 30 mg Zyprexa and 100mg serequel xr
He will not admit to voices but he is 100% we have his cure and we aren’t giving it to him he also believes he has a family and kids but it’s a delusion
He sets a date each week that he expects to be given this ‘cure’ and when the date comes he gets extremely angry at us
I’m so lost as to what to do
He is fine except for these delusions but these delusions are turning him against us
Hi , Hope all well , do you mind me asking is your child still on Zyprexa ? and has it helped his delusions ? Im besides myself as my sons delusions are just too much to handle and my heart breaks for him . He is currently on Abilify and I’m thinking of discussing Zyprexa with his Doc
Hi Linda, my son is currently taking 7.5 mg Zyprexa. He was court ordered to take medication. Originally on 20mg of Zyprexa since May. It was making him sleep a lot and gain weight. So my husband spoke with his NP and got it lowered to 15mg. He was still sleeping a lot so he decided to cut the pill in half. We are just happy he takes 7.5 mg each night. He sleeps about 10 hours and will nap during the day. At least he is pleasant to us now, walks our dogs, showers, washes his clothes basic self care. Prior to May he was smoking cigarettes and marijuana. He hadn’t touched the stuff in 10 years. He was also very psychotic. We couldn’t talk to him without him snapping. He was smirking and laughing to himself. Not showering etc… He won’t take anything but Zyprexa. He doesn’t believe he is ill, but says it’s like a sleeping pill. His first experience in the hospital the Dr. put him on Haldol, which shut him down. He was like a Zoombie. Then Abilify injections which gave him horrible Tardive Dyskinesia. We would love to get him on Invega or another injectible, but he won’t agree to it. His 90 day involuntary treatment order runs out in August. He says he is going to stop the Zyprexa then also. All my husband and I can do is call his NP & Therapist to tell them what is going on.
Firstly i’m happy to hear he is doing better , let’s hope and pray he will continue to take them . My son was court ordered also to take meds and when the ordered ran out he stopped them and after 5 days , i told him he will end up in hospital again which he hated .He realised it was a mistake and started taking them again , he still has no insight but continues to take the meds thank Gd .
1 Like
Linda, I may have to tell my son he will end up in the hospital again also if he doesn’t take his Meds and continue therapy. Thank you for sharing and your support.
I think that is wise to tell him just before his order runs out , he may see for himself that the meds make him feel a little better then without , HOPE AND PRAY 
hang in there …
1 Like
Thanks for your advice Linda! Yes, hope and pray every day!
1 Like
My son went from 5 mg while committed in a hospital and then titrated up to 20 mg by his psychiatrist after discharge. He gained a lot of weight.
It’s not just the weight gain that was a problem. His triglycerides went off the chart, with the max being 520. Normal is less than 150. His psychiatrist tapered him off of it because of the weight gain and triglycerides.
2 Likes
Dear Caregiver1, Thank you for the information and graph. My son got blood work done yesterday. We’ll see how it turns out. I was worried about his A1C levels, now I’m curious about Triglycerides.
My son is being more active now and jogging 4 days a week. This is a major accomplishment as he has put on 40lb s since starting Zyprexa.
If your son wants to control his weight more effectively, it is far more important to measure your calories and eat less. I gained weight on Zyprexa too when I was on it. I measured my calories and ate only 1400 calories with no exercise and managed to lose all the weight I gained. Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. It is good to exercise though regardless.
3 Likes