Posted by bleauberry on March 17, 2009, at 18:55:08
In reply to Onset of anxiolytic effects of Zyprexa...?, posted by jms600 on March 17, 2009, at 16:53:21
I took zyprexa for 8 years, so I know a little bit about it.
Before I get to that, what you might try is sampling some now, before you go, so you know what to expect.
10mg is a large dose. Honestly, I would try 2.5mg first and don't make any decisions on doses until after that. If 2.5mg doesn't do it, try 5mg the next day or the day after that.
For me zyprexa worked fast. How fast? Well, how about 2 hours. Though longterm benefits do buildup over time, the effects of zyprexa are almost immediate.
The reason you might want to play with the lowest dose you find helpful is to avoid oversedation. Taking a 5mg or 10mg in the middle of the day for an anxiety situation will work for the anxiety, but could also make you too sleepy to be good for any activities.
Sometimes I would take little chunks of zyprexa, maybe 1.5mg to 2mg, spread out through the day, for a smooth effect without the heavy sedation.
After a month or so on zyprexa the sedation was much less. But the antianxiety, antipanic, and prosocial part of it was very good. I took it once a day, about 4pm, for a relaxed evening, and by 8pm I was ready for bed, with zero sedation the next day.
I remember one time after I had quit zyprexa I had an unexplained panic attack out of town. It was a nightmare. I still carried zyprexa around with me in case of emergency. Well, that emergency happened. Two hours after my emergency dose, I was calm as could be, mingling with the crowd, somewhat sedated, but no problem.
And of course it is worth considering that mileage varies, not all drugs work for everyone. I can't imagine zyprexa not helping someone's anxiety, but I guess anything's possible.
My dose the entire 8 years was 5mg. I had the prozac jitters and was also taking the stimulant provigil, so anxiety was a real problem until zyprexa joined the mix. Zyprexa smoothed all that out real well.
poster:bleauberry
thread:885791
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090313/msgs/885803.html