Olanzapine (zeprexa) vs diazepam

[femaletrouble]

I feel like my life is empty..I hardly see anybody apart from my partner every day seems the same. I suffer from GAD an I would say mild depression bordering on moderate which I suppose alot of people feel in these strange days. I'm prescribed diazepam 2 x 5mg aday an the doctor has written me a prescription for olanzapine. But reading up on some reviews I'm not sure if it's suitable? I mean it's for psychosis and I'm not psychotic apart from some intrusive thoughts which sometimes are unpleasant. I don't take the diazepam daily has don't want to become dependent or keep increasing the dose. So would taking the olanzapine be a better choice for me In my present state of mind? Sorry for the long rant just need people's opinions on pros an cons. BTW I don't mind if I put on weight just need to feel normal what ever that is lol

 

[Jabberwocky]

I would stay far away from olanzapine. But I am jot you or your doctor. It has long list of very unpleasant side effects and is truly bad for your body. Proceed with caution.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Olanzapine is used for more than psychosis, it's prescribed for things like bipolar as well. I think it is occasionally adjunctively used for sleep in certain people although this is technically off label.

I really cannot advise using it for sleep and/or anxiety unless it is truly needed or advised by a doctor. The list of side effects is massive, and in the end, it's really not that good for anxiety or sleep. It is also particularly dangerous for older people and the side effects become even worse and often leads to dementia and increased mortality in that age group.

If you are depressed olanzapine will most likely make depression worse. It zaps all energy and fun out of life and makes you feel like an anhedonic zombie. It's often compared to a chemical lobotomy.

I would seriously suggest dozens of other things before olanzapine. Diet, exercise, therapy, herbals/plants, meditation, etc, etc. These will not only likely be more efficacious, they are also safer.

 

[femaletrouble]

Most herbals don't do anything for me. Kratom is mildly effective but also wears off quickly. Has for olanzapine zapping energy an fun out of life I've got very little to begin with. What could I tell my Dr about other alternatives with not even giving olanzapine a fair chance? I was thinking of trying it tonight or tomorrow night but you have put me off with saying it has lots of side effects but then again when one is in a low mood can it really be all that bad? Also isn't it better than having a dependence on diazepam

 

[Jabberwocky]

Have you taken the olanzapine before? Do you know how it effects you? The sedation it provides is very unnatural. It makes you feel tired and lethargic but at the same time actually doesn't make sleep any easier or better quality.

It makes all other drugs feel less pleasurable and completely blocks the effects of others. It makes everything in life less pleasurable. Food, sex, entertainment... everything just feels flat and barren. I remember specifically not being able to laugh at things I would usually find funny.

Honestly after being on the stuff for over a year while I was in psychosis, I would rather have a mild dependence to diazepam than be on olanzapine again. Both have major downsides, but for me olanzapine overall was more life draining.

 

[femaletrouble]

Well I have tried it in the past and didn't find it any worse than if I took tramadol. My outlook on life is limited I'm what you would call stuck in a rut. My capabilities in life are also limited through anxiety an depression. Don't do drugs per sey apart from weed. An the occasional co.codamol which I take at therapeutic doses also the occasional street xanax which I only take quarter of.

 

[JackARoe]

I feel like my life is empty..I hardly see anybody apart from my partner every day seems the same. I suffer from GAD an I would say mild depression bordering on moderate which I suppose alot of people feel in these strange days.

Just wanted to say a person would have to be really screwed up to look out into the world and not be depressed. Strange days indeed. I am in the same boat. I work remote at a company that can go to hell (I should join The Great Resign) but the work I do with databases is a dime a dozen now since people are quitting. My wife home not working at a job but taking care of everything else. And we are sick of each other. lol Bored, depressed, etc.

I don't know, I think of my self as a somewhat realized person with a lot of Faith. But I feel that statement you wrote to a T.

Glad BL has people with experience with all drugs and substances. Snafu is like gold around here with the knowledge. I know I appreciate it.

Feel better ft. One foot in front of the other and keep the Faith.

 

[AbbeyLee]

I've found Olanzapine becomes a problem if I take it regularly for more than about a month. I ended up in Emergency in 2018 unable to move my muscles. I felt like an elephant was sitting on me!!

I knew it was the Olanzapine because I'd been on it (and other anti-psychotics) before and after a while my body started to feel stiff and robotic.

I stopped taking it then and there (despite doctors trying to give it to me rather than diazepam!) and haven't had that muscular problem since.

Diazepam, on the other hand, is a life-saver for me and I don't care if I'm on it for life. I've never been psychotic and I've only ever been given anti-psychotics for severe anxiety. They indeed knock me out (so at least I get some sleep) but they start doing very weird things to my body.


That's just my personal experience (over three decades). Good luck

 

[Jabberwocky]

I ended up in Emergency in 2018 unable to move my muscles. I felt like an elephant was sitting on me!!

I knew it was the Olanzapine because I'd been on it (and other anti-psychotics) before and after a while my body started to feel stiff and robotic.

All "anti psychotics" have extrapyramidal side effects as most of their success comes from blocking dopamine receptors. They also make mess of the serotonin circuit. I would compare them with chemotherapy for cancer. It should be the last medication used, when it is obvious that person will not respond to any other treatment. As @Snafu in the Void said earlier, they are used for psychosis and bipolar disorder, especially if the manic aspect is more pronounced. It is hard to be motivated and therefore manic when your dopamine system is shut down. That is also the reason why most recreational drugs will not work. They kind of need access to dopamine and serotonin receptors. I wish you health and good luck you all.

 

[AbbeyLee]

All "anti psychotics" have extrapyramidal side effects as most of their success comes from blocking dopamine receptors. They also make mess of the serotonin circuit. I would compare them with chemotherapy for cancer. It should be the last medication used, when it is obvious that person will not respond to any other treatment. As @Snafu in the Void said earlier, they are used for psychosis and bipolar disorder, especially if the manic aspect is more pronounced. It is hard to be motivated and therefore manic when your dopamin system is shut down. That is also the reason why most recreational drugs will not work. They kind of need access to dopamine and serotonin receptors. I wish you health and good luck you all.

The other side effect I had from them is a kind of mild psychosis. I felt like I recognised everyone's face but with no idea how I knew them (I didn't).

That was awesome in the middle of London when I was 19yo They were old-school anti-psychotics but I had the exact same thing on Olanzapine in hospital in 2018.

Luckily my mind was able to operate on two levels at once and recognise it for what it was. Sure enough it disappeared when I stopped the Olanzapine.

 

[Jabberwocky]

The other side effect I had from them is a kind of mild psychosis. I felt like I recognised everyone's face but with no idea how I knew them (I didn't).

That was awesome in the middle of London when I was 19yo They were old-school anti-psychotics but I had the exact same thing on Olanzapine in hospital in 2018.

Luckily my mind was able to operate on two levels at once and recognise it for what it was. Sure enough it disappeared when I stopped the Olanzapine.

Onevof the side effect of anti psychotics is - ta, da - psychosis. And I am not kidding. Wish I were...

 

[AbbeyLee]

Onevof the side effect of anti psychotics is - ta, da - psychosis. And I am not kidding. Wish I were...

Hmmm

 

[femaletrouble]

How ill would a person need to be to be of any benefit from olanzapine? Is it best for persons who have been hospitalised? Thankfully it's not come to that. But like most people shit happens an we through no fault of our own become ill with ptsd or other life events. I know a man who is to all intent purposes just your average Joe who struggles with anxiety but when he mentioned he was taking clozepine I didn't like to pry as to why he's prescribed this heavy duty head med. But hey ho it seems to suit him.

 

[plumbus-nine]

These antipsychotics are vastly over prescribed if you ask me, doctors throw them around like candies and don't believe them who report side effects. An old doc who should be experienced enough told me that if I wasn't psychotic then I should feel nothing at all from ingesting antipsychotics which is very far from the truth. I too got psychosis from APs, specially risperidone but also aripiprazole, which was clearly not a coincidence as it came with taking them and went away upon cessation. I had an episode of drug induced psychosis and voluntarily tried a bunch of APs but none helped.

They are just around because we don't have anything better yet. Big Pharma is researching on novel drugs with less side effects but approval is hard and we just get the next best horrible dopamine partial agonist.

If you have GAD, may I ask whether you've tried pregabalin yet? Or a SSRI?

I'm in a place where my outlook to life is overshadowed, no illicit drugs because of no supply and prescription drugs failed through the bank. I'd say that APs would even come with the chance if worsen depression, unfortunately. You need dopamine to feel good, blocking it too much leads to anhedonia.

 

[femaletrouble]

Yes I get prescribed pregabalin but I abuse it as they are only 50mg capsules so I take a bunch all at once. But only do this every couple of months as don't want another monkey on my shoulder

 

[femaletrouble]

Also with pregabalin I find tolerance goes up super fast mores the pity

 

[plumbus-nine]

Also with pregabalin I find tolerance goes up super fast mores the pity

Oh yeah, pregabalin tolerance is heavy, it's the single most tolerance inducing chemical I've encountered so far... that is, when using it recreationally, at least for some lucky ones it seems to continue working when sticking to the same dosage every day. Unfortunately not for everybody, for me it didn't work, I didn't even get withdrawal after cessation of 900mg/d.

What dosage are you prescribed? When you say 50mg capsules I imagine a low dosage like 3x 50mg/d? I'd recommend to give it a try at 600mg/d, it's indicated for generalized anxiety at last so it must work for some.
Did you ever try dissociatives? They have amazing fast-acting antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. Just that they're addictive as well..

 

[Jabberwocky]

How ill would a person need to be to be of any benefit from olanzapine?

When they are in prodromal psychosis, distressed by hallucinations or manic episodes which are impacting their daily functioning, or causing them to be a danger to themselves or others, or other seriously detrimental things.

Antipsychotics are not a class of drugs that makes people "feel better", they are very hardcore drugs that are designed to stop a person from getting WORSE, if that makes sense.

Most people who take them loathe the fact that they have to, many people out there are forced by law to take them or else they will be committed. They aren't pleasant drugs to take.

 

[plumbus-nine]

When they are in prodromal psychosis, distressed by hallucinations or manic episodes which are impacting their daily functioning, or causing them to be a danger to themselves or others, or other seriously detrimental things.

APs are not a class that makes people "feel better", they are very hardcore drugs that are designed to stop a person from getting WORSE, if that makes sense.

Docs should remember this before prescribing them ...
When I was in psych ward most people were prescribed one or more antipsychotics besides not all of them having history of psychosis or mania, to many the were just given for sleep, anxiolysis, augmenting antidepressants, mood swings, drug withdrawal (sigh), prevention of new psychotic episodes in drug induced cases despite abstinence and whatnot and 3 out of 4 or more suffered from severe adverse effects, like anhedonia, oversleeping, metabolic disorder, extrapyramidal symptoms sometimes tardive (irreversible form). And this was in open wards where people stayed more or less voluntarily.

Wonder how prevalent psychosis from antipsychotics is? Afaik does e.g. olanzapine even have "hearing voices" listed among the side effects but good luck convincing your doc from that, in 99.5% they'll just up the dosage. Like depression from antidepressants which exists as well.

 

[femaletrouble]

Oh yeah, pregabalin tolerance is heavy, it's the single most tolerance inducing chemical I've encountered so far... that is, when using it recreationally, at least for some lucky ones it seems to continue working when sticking to the same dosage every day. Unfortunately not for everybody, for me it didn't work, I didn't even get withdrawal after cessation of 900mg/d.

What dosage are you prescribed? When you say 50mg capsules I imagine a low dosage like 3x 50mg/d? I'd recommend to give it a try at 600mg/d, it's indicated for generalized anxiety at last so it must work for some.
Did you ever try dissociatives? They have amazing fast-acting antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. Just that they're addictive as well..

Yes 2 50mg twice a day. What are the more common dissociative? I will need to research into this