Any thoughts on Zyprexa?

Sickntired

New Member
Had our doctor appointment today to get back on his medications. We asked him again about bipolar. I have a school psychologist who diagnosed him with bipolar. My psychiatric doctor (board certified pediatriac) is still reluctant to put that tag on him. So, we have two opinions. Who do you believe. psychiatric doctor did change his medications. Stopped Zoloft. Left him on Concerta and added Zyprexa as the mood stabilizer. He had been on Geodon and Invega and Abilify. Abilify just quit working. Invega worked well but he developed "man boobs". Had to stop it. Tried Geodon. It worked basically, but he was so zapped out couldn't keep him awake. There was still some underlying anger. Then he stopped all his medications. Now starting fresh again with a new mood stabilizer. His psychiatric doct just isn't ready to label him bipolar yet. He said he has a lot of the symptoms, but it's a tag that carries for life and he still just isn't ready to do that yet. Has anyone had any luck with Zypreza for agitation and anger issues? I understand it makes you gain a lot of weight, but luckily, he can stand that. He is very skinny and the Concerta makes him not eat, so hopefully they will balance out. Thanks.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Zyprexa is not a mood stabilizer. First-line mood stabilizers are Lithium, Depakote, Lamictal, Tegretol and Trileptal. It is an atypical antipsychotic used for mania, anxiety, anger, aggitation and aggression. Side effects include sedation and weight gain. Like any AP, it can also cause metabolic changes that can lead to high cholesterol and diabetes.

My daughter (easy child/difficult child 3) has been on Zyprexa for 1.5 years. She has severe anxiety that manifests itself in an eating disorder. Zyprexa has calmed her anxiety and helped her eat, but she also needs an antidepressant for residual anxiety. She just started Remeron last night.

I would tend to believe a board-certified child psychiatrist over a school psychologist for dxing purposes. However, is the psychiatrist willing to concede that your difficult child has a mood disorder (BiPolar (BP) is one of the mood disorders)?
 

Sickntired

New Member
Yes, he agrees he has a mood disorder, just is not willing to label him bipolar yet. Maybe I misunderstood "mood stabilizer". It is given to help him with his anger problems and agitation. Guess I just read "mood stabilizer" into it.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
kt uses zyprexa as a PRN medication; had been on it twice daily for almost 2 years.

It does help kt with her agitation & anger - it melts under the tongue so it's quick acting. It's a godsend during crisis situations here.

And I can only answer for kt. Her reaction could be totally different from anyone else here on the board who has used this medication.
 

Sickntired

New Member
He did prescribe the Zyprexa Zydis which is the wafer that dissolves. Is the taste bad, cause he is a problem giving medications to anyway and if it tastes bad, he will probably shoot it back at me.
 

smallworld

Moderator
My daughter takes the Zyprexa Zydis. According to her, it melts so quickly that there's barely a taste.

by the way, mood disorders are frequently treated the way BiPolar (BP) is -- with mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics. My two older kids have the mood disorder diagnosis and that's how they're treated.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Of late, there has been new research on bipolar/mood disorders and the consensus is sort of becoming that they are all on the mood disorder spectrum and treated pretty much the same (except for unipolar depression). At any rate, Zyprexa is NOT a mood stabilizer. It does have some stabilizing qualities, but in my opinion mood stabilizers are better.
It isn't true that if your son is labeled bipolar he'll own it forever. First of all, if he has it, he does. Secondly, I have a mood disorder and I've been labeled bipolar by some, mood disorder not otherwise specified by others and depression by others. WHO CARES? I'm the same person no matter what the psychiatrist calls it and I require the same treatment and the truth of the matter is, I do have problems related to whatever it is...lol. I do need medications. I wish I didn't. Your child will be the same kid he always was no matter what the psychiatrist calls his problem.
Zyprexa can have serious side effects. My son had involuntary movements on it which is a VERY serious side effect, flu like symptoms, muscles aches, he slept all the time, and he was very crabby and depressed. It works for some people, just wanted to give you the low down on what it did to my son. I hope it works well for your child and that he is feeling better too (and that you can get some much needed rest).
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I know that it is NOT approp for migraine prevention (had a doctor that told me it was, long boring story!). It does seem to help a lot iwth eating disorders, and several of the eating disorder inpatient clinics my exSIL was in prescribed it.

It is FOR anger/aggression type symptoms. That is what atypical antipsychotics are used for, as far as I know.

I hope it helps, but if it is a mood disorder of some kind you need a first line mood stabilizer.

I hope the psychiatrist will listen to you and after this will add a mood stabilizer. I would NOT take a diagnosis from a school psychologist. I know they can be excellent at what they do, but they just are not trained for diagnosing mental illness. Only MD's should do this.

Hugs,

Susie
 

Sickntired

New Member
The only reason I am questioning who to believe is because I have seen so many posts, and read so much, that if it is bipolar, that it is not ideal to treat that with stimulants and antidepressants. Doctor did discontinue the Zoloft, but left the Concerta. Wish I could find the "magic pill" that would make him give a diddly ***. He has convinced himself that he does not need medication. I tried to to explain it to him this way. If he were born without a hand, and a doctor made him an artificial hand ---- as I was about to finish my sentence, he blurted out ---- I wouldn't wear it. It would make me look dumb. Go figure. He is SO oppositional, I don't know why I keep banging my head against that wall, but I do, daily. I know medicine isn't the complete answer. There is no magic pill. But there should be some medicine that works enough to sit on his symptoms so he can possibly even come close to thinking like others. Sorry, bad day.
 
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