Posted by xjs7 on March 15, 2002, at 19:29:36
In reply to shall i end it!!!!, posted by obsessivechris on March 15, 2002, at 18:54:02
Hi Chris,
I also have a problem with severe anxiety that does not seem to respond to anything but antipsychotics, so you are not alone in that regards. I really have no idea why some anxiety disorders respond best to antipsychotics, even when the person is not psychotic. The SSRI's like Paxil also did not work on my anxiety (panic and agoraphobia). In fact, Paxil exacerabated the problem.
From your message I infer that you are considering suicide because of the weight gain. I hope you do not make an attempt at it, especially when medications have proven to be effective on your symptoms. If one medication (Zyprexa in your case) works on you, chances are that another medication would also work.
You say that Geodon was partly effective and also caused weight gain. From your message it seems that you gained the majority of your weight very fast with the Zyprexa, like in the first few months. Perhaps you did not give the Geodon enough time. It takes a lot of time sometimes to lose weight.
I certainly don't know enough about your situation to make a solid suggestion as to your next course of action; however, I am sending this message just to emphasize that there are other options psychiatry has to offer. There is a wide variety of antipsychotics (atypical and typical), not to mention older antidepressants besides Luvox, Celexa, and Prozac, and benzodiazepines, which have proven very effective for many suffering from severe anxiety.
Many people, including myself, feel 'trapped' on their medication; but if you look at this from a different angle, this means that the medication is making a positive change in your life overall.
I urge you to keep looking for the right drug for your condition, one that does not cause unacceptable side effects. And it is simply not true to say that you cannot lose the weight--anyone can lose weight!
I hope you find an answer soon.
xjs7
> Hi, i have ocd and i need some advice from you.
> I am currently taking zyprexa (5 mg) and have been for close to 4 years. I want to get off of it because i have gained 100 pounds while on the drug, i weighed 140 when i started it, now i weigh 240 and i gained the weight really fast too, like 30 pounds a month. I tried exercising, walking 3 miles a day and i can't lose any weight, only gain. My docs have tried to get me off it a few times, which left the ssri's that i was taking at the time as my only med (luvox,celexa and prozac). And each time after a week of being off the zyprexa, my ocd got real bad. Let me explain to you as to what i mean by real bad:
> I am the pure obsessive type, i don't have rituals for relief(i wish i did, i used to and it was not even close to this bad, i wouldget relief from the rituals, when i am not on the zyprexa, i got no relief, its just pure torture).I have obsessions with body parts, like having a heart attack, swallowing my tongue, going blind, deaf, ect. And while off the zyprexa, thats all i would think about during my waking hours and eventually it would get so bad to where i couldn't sleep and i had to start the zyprexa again. I would get psycho somatic pains in the areas i was obsessing on- the chest, throat,eyes, some in the head too. Then i would obsess on the imaginary pain that wasn't there and that made the anxiety even worse, unbearable would be the better word. I could barely talk on the phone and could not use the computer, let alone get out of the house, as i was so anxious. I don't even know if the term anxious would do justice in terms of describing what i was going through.
> So my question to you is, why is zyprexa the only drug that has worked for me even though i am not psychotic? Furthermore, since the ssri's do not help, do you have any other drugs you would recommend that i ask my doctor about? I really don't want to keep taking zyprexa or any anti psychotics for that matter (i tried risperdal it didn't help, tried geodon and it helped somewhat but the weight gain was still there) because of the weight gain and sleepiness i get, i can sleep for 10 hours and still be tired. What urks me also is that taking the zyprexa seems like the only option because of the symptoms i get while being off it, its like i am trapped. *It should be noted that i experienced these same symptoms before i first started taking zyprexa. plse help.
> sry for the essay...... i need help.... i am at my whits end... i feel so low and depressed especially with all the weight gain.. i cant lose it... :(
poster:xjs7
thread:98208
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020313/msgs/98218.html