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I Wanted To Know Your Opinion On A Trileptal/low-dose Olanzapine
Question: I wanted to know your opinion on a trileptal/low-dose olanzapine combo...
I recently came off MAOIs combined with Lamictal...I am still on lamictal and tianeptine, with benzo at nighttime. I feel a very "empty" depression and apathy coming back, along with strong bouts of irritability, nervousness and verbal problems around people at work and friends/loss of confidence, and ruminative anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity.
Trileptal with the Lamictal helped briefly with the anger, paranoid ideations, and lifted mood...but I soon became more irritable and unstable throughout the day. Not sure how the tianeptine effects the mix.
I have some type of comorbid depression/complex trauma/borderline/BPII stuff most of my life. Zyprexa is one of the newer antipsychotics I have not tried but I'm worried about the weight gain. The other ones have made my anger worse and made me feel very dissociated and zombie-like.
I read that zyprexa is good for borderline symptoms like paranoid ruminations/anger/interpersonal sensitivity AND helps with dysthymia/anhedonia. I know trileptal has helped me feel more emotionally open and less fearful at first, but I think it the serotonin release; and the effect on lamictal metabolism, creates spontaneous anger and lability through the day.
Is there any way to avoid the zyprexa weight gain? Will it likely affect my sex life or flatten me emotionally?
I am fine dropping the lamictal as I know it helps with mood but also increases anger and rumination with me (I know this is rare but it is true for me). I am also fine dropping the small doses of clonazepam. Also open to other suggestions.
I recently came off MAOIs combined with Lamictal...I am still on lamictal and tianeptine, with benzo at nighttime. I feel a very "empty" depression and apathy coming back, along with strong bouts of irritability, nervousness and verbal problems around people at work and friends/loss of confidence, and ruminative anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity.
Trileptal with the Lamictal helped briefly with the anger, paranoid ideations, and lifted mood...but I soon became more irritable and unstable throughout the day. Not sure how the tianeptine effects the mix.
I have some type of comorbid depression/complex trauma/borderline/BPII stuff most of my life. Zyprexa is one of the newer antipsychotics I have not tried but I'm worried about the weight gain. The other ones have made my anger worse and made me feel very dissociated and zombie-like.
I read that zyprexa is good for borderline symptoms like paranoid ruminations/anger/interpersonal sensitivity AND helps with dysthymia/anhedonia. I know trileptal has helped me feel more emotionally open and less fearful at first, but I think it the serotonin release; and the effect on lamictal metabolism, creates spontaneous anger and lability through the day.
Is there any way to avoid the zyprexa weight gain? Will it likely affect my sex life or flatten me emotionally?
I am fine dropping the lamictal as I know it helps with mood but also increases anger and rumination with me (I know this is rare but it is true for me). I am also fine dropping the small doses of clonazepam. Also open to other suggestions.
Brief Answer:
Olanzapine is a safe drug.
Detailed Answer:
Hello thanks for using ask a doctor service
Yes Zyprexa or Olanzapine is a good drug and helps to improve symptoms in bipolar disorder, in other mood disorders. Olanzapine is known to cause weight gain but the risk in more in people who are already obese. But if you take the drug in low dose then the weight gain will not be significant and you will feel better.
The drug is safe to use and has no serious side effects. This drug will also supplement the effects of Trileptal which is acting as mood stabiliser. Taking the drug in low dose like around 5 mg per day would not cause much weight gain. Any significant weight gain can be compensated by dietary adjustments and exercises. High protein diet with complex carbs and low fats and refined sugars help to prevent weight gain caused by Olanzapine.
Olanzapine will also help in causing sedation and will help in sleep. You can even try to skip Clonazepam too.
The drug will not cause much effects on sex life. No need to get worried. I am using even the drug in dose of 20 mg to my patients, no one reported any significant effects on sex life.
Thanks. I hope this helps, but if you have more doubts please ask again.
Olanzapine is a safe drug.
Detailed Answer:
Hello thanks for using ask a doctor service
Yes Zyprexa or Olanzapine is a good drug and helps to improve symptoms in bipolar disorder, in other mood disorders. Olanzapine is known to cause weight gain but the risk in more in people who are already obese. But if you take the drug in low dose then the weight gain will not be significant and you will feel better.
The drug is safe to use and has no serious side effects. This drug will also supplement the effects of Trileptal which is acting as mood stabiliser. Taking the drug in low dose like around 5 mg per day would not cause much weight gain. Any significant weight gain can be compensated by dietary adjustments and exercises. High protein diet with complex carbs and low fats and refined sugars help to prevent weight gain caused by Olanzapine.
Olanzapine will also help in causing sedation and will help in sleep. You can even try to skip Clonazepam too.
The drug will not cause much effects on sex life. No need to get worried. I am using even the drug in dose of 20 mg to my patients, no one reported any significant effects on sex life.
Thanks. I hope this helps, but if you have more doubts please ask again.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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