Posted by Cam W. on May 5, 2000, at 20:16:38
In reply to *what*, posted by Heather Veeder on May 5, 2000, at 16:14:36
> If there is any positive response I would love to here...thank_God I never went on it....Heather - Not everyone gains weight on Zyprexa, just most people. In general, the better you respond to Zyprexa, the more weight you seem to gain. Also, the weight gain seems to plateau at about 8 months. Methods for preventing Zyprexa-induced weight gain (exercise and healthy, closely watched eating habits) are always more successful than trying to lose the weight once it has been gained. Also, the lower your initial body weight (or body mass index), the more weight you seem to gain.
Clozaril induces more weight gain than Zyprexa, but it is more toxic and is a better antipsychotic. Some studies suggest that exercise and dietary interventions with Clozaril do not have an effect on the amount of weight gain you may get with this drug. If you are going to gain weight with Clozaril, you will gain weight. At least with Zyprexa you may be able to slow the weight gain.
I think that there is a clinical study being done in Southern Ontario on using Topamax to control Zyprexa-induced weight gain. I think that using Topamax for losing weight only (and not also as a mood stabilizer or anti-epileptic) is not the best strategy. Topamax has too many cognitive side effects and is too potent a drug for weight loss alone (my opinion).
Zyprexa is a great drug. It unclouds the mind, as well as controls the symptoms of psychotics disorders. It works wonderfully as a mood stabilizer and also has some antidepressant activity.
The older, traditional antipsychotics (eg chlorpromazine, thioridazine, etc) also caused a fair bit of weight gain, but they also caused more serious movement disoders. Tardive dyskinesia is far more serious than weight gain, so the weight gain wasn't really talked about.
I'm rambling again - Cam W.
poster:Cam W.
thread:32431
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000429/msgs/32481.html