Three and a half years on Zyprexa
If you or someone you know is taking this drug; Here is what happened to me while I was on it for 3 and 1/2 years.
1) Type 1 diabetes
2) high cholesterol and triglycerides
3) more severe blood pressure problems
4) Severely restricted communicative skills (e.g. I could comprehend everything,
but Zyprexa is known to cause disturbances in the area of the brain which
contols speech in humans). As a result I went from an extremely outgoing
personality brimming with thought and interactions...to an almost invisable lump
of, well...who knows what?! Not being able to coordinate speech and thought
meant the whole process from listening, reasoning and speaking out with own
opinions became a two or three minute process. Of course, by the time I was
finally able to speak...the conversation had moved on. The longer I was on the
drug; the more effort communication became; until I just sank into a pessimistic
fog and I withdrew from my family and friends.
5) Five hospitalizations for pancreatitis in a 2-3 year period.
6) One of those hospitalizations was 23 days with 21 of them in ICU on a
ventilator.
7) Deepening dependence on insulin for higher and higher doses being needed.
8) One hospitalization for a week when my digestive tract shut down.
9) My appendix has been removed
10) My gall bladder has been removed
Before I started taking Zyprexa because of a court ordered hospitalization; I took medicine for high blood pressure and a diuretic. Nothing else. Nothing considered psychotropic.
Now I take 14 physical medications and 3 psychotropics.