Drug-Induced OCD?!? | Zyprexa/Olanzapine Review

I was on Zyprexa from December of 2018 to July of 2021 took a break, then restarted and I've been on it ever since. This is my experience on this powerful and effective drug!
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Easy Links to Learn More:
Drugs.com - www.drugs.com/monograph/olanz...
Medline Plus - medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds...
Healthline - www.healthline.com/health/ola...
MedicineNet - www.medicinenet.com/olanzapin...
Papers about atypical antipsychotics causing OCD or making obsessive compulsive symptoms worse:
"Olanzapine and obsessive-compulsive symptoms" - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10974...
"Obsessive-compulsive symptoms with olanzapine" - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15231...
"Clozapine-Induced Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Critical Review" - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22942...
Paper mentioned about Seroquel helping OCD symptoms:
"Is quetiapine effective for obsessive and compulsive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial" - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34027...
Other papers/sources:
"FDA Approves Symbyax(R) as First Medication for Treatment-Resistant Depression" - investor.lilly.com/news-relea...
"The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry" (See page 16!) - books.google.com/books?id=XvO...
Yes, I am aware of the weird blinds effect that happens in the latter part of this video.
Disclaimer: I am not a qualified mental health professional. This channel exists for educational purposes, and I do my best to provide accurate and up-to-date information. In order to create content, I combine scientific resources (peer reviewed studies and easy-to-understand articles) and my own personal experiences/advice. I seek to make complicated topics easy to understand, but I am no substitute for a doctor, therapist, or other qualified mental health professional.

[@Thejonathanospina]

Oh my gosh!!!! This is incredible to hear! I’ve been on zyprexa and could not read and I love reading!! But i felt so so so bored trying to read and I thought I was the only one!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!

[@jjlara5476]

omg thank you so much..i really neede to hear this!my son was just prescribed this and i was so scared

[@lisatomihiro3488]

Thanks for all these explanations about the various drugs. ♥️

[@SchizoKitzo]

No problem! It's one of my favorite things to do, can you tell? :D

[@macbosa8274]

Thank you for sharing this video, it was very informative. I hope the Seroquel works for you and you start reading/writing again! I’m on 5mg Zyprexa right now for bipolar and it’s definitely been helping with mood and insomnia, hopefully I can just stay on the 5 and skip the negative side effects…

[@royclevenger9817]

Thank you as always Kit. Unrelated topic: love the top you're wearing.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Thanks!!!!!! As always :)

[@gckinsey]

I really enjoyed your Lamictal review and this one was just as great! I wish there were breakdowns this thorough of every drug, it's such a helpful way to understand what the experience of taking them is like. I love how you explain what goes into your rating of each aspect (like with the drowsiness/sleepiness thing... that would have made me give it a super low score for side effects, but since you mentioned that it was a blessing for you, that made your rating make more sense lol). It was also super interesting to hear you talk about your experiences with voices in your head, and like you said, I will definitely not take being alone in my own head for granted after this. Thank you so much for another interesting and informative video!

[@SchizoKitzo]

EEEEK thanks so much for another great comment, GC! I really have found that I enjoy making these rating videos and I have a few more drugs to do them with. I think long and hard about ratings so it's nice to know it's appreciated. Thanks again!

[@Susan.Burns63]

What an amazing young woman you are 🥰 I'm 60 and have battled alone many year's and I started this 6 week's ago and it's saved my life! I always felt lithium took something from my mind and this has put it back?❤ My bestie suffers schizophrenia I suffer bipolar and ADHD but we have similar symptoms, he has the voices whereas my Inner voice was always down and pessimistic, I'd talk myself out of thing's or my mind automatically took the negative of everything, not now and I'm finally happy ❤ I wish you the best of life as you have helped many no doubt 🙏🇦🇺PS thanks so much for your honesty 🙏 bless your heart dear.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Thank you!

[@GeorgeAmador]

Thank you for this video!

[@SchizoKitzo]

No prob! I appreciate the support!

[@bluemoon472]

Ty for this video & helpful info! I was so glad to learn N-Acetyl Cysteine helps w OCD & immediately looked it up only to discover the FDA has banned it (summer 2021) SMH! I hope there is another similar remedy the gov won’t restrict.

[@SchizoKitzo]

I'd say talk to your doctor! I have to special order it where I'm at. Best of luck finding something that works!

[@Syncere20]

Thank you for explaining .

[@SchizoKitzo]

No prob! Glad to help!

[@laurasauraus0350]

Interesting to hear about your experience with zyprexa. I took it for a short time for my schizoaffective disorder and it helped make my thinking clearer but decided to stop taking it because of akathisia

[@SchizoKitzo]

It’s got a lot of hard-to-deal-with side effects. Sorry you had to stop taking it, and I hope you found something that worked!!!!

[@user-tv2vs5pb6z]

Did you have a hard time when you stopped?

[@Alinoregon1986]

Good two cents on zyprexa, thank you for your insight

[@robmetalhead6185]

Thanks for posting these videos crazy is a stereotype look at the pandemic for example and the way so called normal people are acting personally like myself just because we have a different perspective and think differently so what normal people that society keeps pushing are boring anyway and being more creative and different is never a bad thing just to point out a thyroid disorder can mimic bipolar and schizophrenia symptoms which I have easily can be misdiagnosed really appreciate the message you are portraying

[@SchizoKitzo]

Thanks so much for the comment! Thyroid disorders sound rough as well. I hope you're doing well in it!

[@robmetalhead6185]

@@SchizoKitzo I am thank you I was just mentioning that since sometimes since they can cause the same symptoms and as far as am concerned most doctors are psychotic lol it can be a mimicked issue that is missed a lot and they are completely different causes of schizo and bipolar symptoms thanks for the reply have a great day

[@f1y_str8]

You’ll be fine my love ❤❤❤❤❤

[@dinfix]

Hi im having i Lot of trouble by taking zyprexa , i'm also bipolar II .. i fell numb and keep having trouble to concentrate myself .. and your right about ocd .. is a nightmare and lock yourself in , thanks you for uploading this videos greetings from Venezuela

[@SchizoKitzo]

I hope you get your condition figured out! Oftentimes it's hard to get it right. Hang in there and remember to tell your doctor about all the side effects that concern you. YOU GOT THIS!

[@harrietjames9059]

Thank you my daughter on it now. Looking for all info.

[@mosesmary3299]

Your opening craft is origami! I’m a schizophrenic Japanese, so that’s surprising! I somehow feel strong nausea for over 3 yrs. However I gained weight by 13kg with Asenapine for one yer, so I'm afraid of trying Zyprexa. I've tried it once for 3 months, and put on my weight by 10kg then… You are a good roll model for me. My fear for Zyprexa decreased a little. Thank you for this video.

[@SchizoKitzo]

I love folding paper cranes so incorporating it into the channel was fun to do! I don’t really do that title anymore but thank you for noticing it. Also, I’m glad the video helped. Antipsychotics can be scary. I mean the name alone has shock value, but when you find the right one it’s not so scary anymore because it helps so much! Best of luck, and thanks for your kind words!

[@Daisy-ty8ov]

Awesome thanks ❤

[@trevorgrommet4654]

This video is spot on. Been prescribed zyprexa for several years now. 20mg doses. I have OCD tendencies and weight gain. I’ve tried several different antipsychotics and I feel like I’m “fuzzed out” from feeling happy and good. I have found myself to be less creative and energetic as I used to be. I yearn to find a better alternative.

[@SchizoKitzo]

I wish there was a better alternative honestly. And I am back on this drug as i write this, and it still is the best med for me even to this day. Oh well.

[@trevorgrommet4654]

@@SchizoKitzo I’m looking into ketamine therapy as I’ve tried lots of antipsychotics to little to no avail. I’m glad that zyprexa works for you. Awesome!

[@user-tv2vs5pb6z]

There's alot of horror stories about zeprexa. Supposedly it causes diabetes

[@user-tv2vs5pb6z]

I'm on Zeprexa and I have Avolition and used to have Akathisia and I also have insomnia. Thinking about coming off but don't want the side effects

[@ahmed2741]

Please tell me what happened after you quit them? And after how many days you got back on it? What happened? Thank you so much

[@sloanesteen8472]

I have severe borderline personality disorder and bipolar 2 disorder. I went to treatment in March 2020 and got off the benzos my doctor had me on, and they used 15mg of Zyprexa for my mood and anxiety. It was INSANELY HELPFUL. And I swear that it helped me through benzo withdrawal. But it’s by far the most superior medication I’ve ever been on. But over time I was able to lower my dosage. I now take 2400mg of Gabapentin for anxiety in place of the higher dosage of zyprexa. I’m still on 2.5mg a day, with an extra one as a PRN for mania and severe panic. But it has literally caused so much weight gain. I have history with eating disorders, so it has been so rough. I’m trying to lose the weight it caused but it’s been so tough. It’s been a godsend in a lot of ways, but the weight gain was the worst part. Oh, and after a while the higher dose gave me restless leg syndrome. But over 8/10 medication. Best one I’ve been on.

[@SchizoKitzo]

I'm actually finding that a lower dose gives me the benefit of balancing my moods while letting me keep my creativity etc... I WISH I would gain weight on it (maybe we could switch for a few days lol) but it seems to only randomly make me hungry at 3 am... I'm glad it works for you though, even if you have to compromise a bit (my compromise is taking another pill so I can do my job every day...gotta love parkinsonism). Cool to know that about gapapentin though! Thanks for the comment!

[@nicholasdoan7306]

I started it months ago , haven't had any side effects so far .

[@altheagretelgelito4946]

I was just prescribed with zyprexa literally few hours ago, and im searching here on yt like the experiences of people taking it. So far yours is the most positive experience. I've read comments saying that zyprexa is the worst antipsychotic drug they ever used. And having a mind that overthijks everything is sooo hard, because it will start to think that maybe i shouldn't take this because the side effects or long term effects are not great. But at the same time I want to get better because im very very delusional right now and and starting to jear some voices, and its so hard dto deal with this. But thank you for your video.

[@SchizoKitzo]

It’s one of the most effective antipsychotics out there, and I’ve gone back on it for well over a year now since I published this video. I am at half the dose I was before, and I can read and write fine. Concentration is still hard sometimes, but it keeps the mania and the delusions away. The reality is psych meds are different for everyone, and people are more likely to share negative experiences than positive ones. So be patient with yourself and just work with your doc to find the antipsychotic that helps the most. If zyprexa works, great, if it doesn’t, there’s over a dozen more you can try. Hang in there, and I hope you find a balance soon!

[@nelsonteixeira1651]

I became almost catatonic on haldol and I take it with olanzapine

[@sharonjensen3016]

I hated Zyprexa. I almost crashed my car while I was on it. It made me feel doped up and hungry. But I didn't bother telling the doctor who prescribed it because he didn't listen to my concerns about Mellerill. So I stayed silent.

[@IslambedeutetUnterwerfung]

I can agree here. i was prescirbed Zyprexa and not informed of what it does etc..i felt horrible when taking it. the withdrawal is hell

[@user-vk4mm9so7l]

Ive had a good experience with zyprexa

[@johnsmith-gv9yw]

do you ever experience lack of motivation, trouble getting out of bed, when im on antipsychotics it just drains my energy and i have a hard time communicating with others, also i feel no dopamine.

[@SchizoKitzo]

I feel those things when I'm depressed actually. Not being on antipsychotics. I'm sorry they don't seem to be working for you :( Talk to your doc about this!

[@Shawn-ju9te]

Restless leg is hell

[@brittanya.bailey6520]

That’s funny to hear someone else say this. I had a hard time adjusting because of the blurts of random words and cut off sentences my “voices” would say. Also I was really sad to lose MY friend. But as time went on I learned to adjust and think clearly

[@paulflint6254]

I have this illness and see stuff instead, though I think they are likely ghosts. I have precognition sometimes and if I get anxious for awhile it is often a warning about a future event. I'm on olanzapine but stopped it as it made me depressed and paranoid, recently. I do get mania often and i know it helps me, i can get more done. I find olanzapine makes me so lazy. Originally it helped, maybe I'm too used to it though. Thanks for your video.

[@brittanya.bailey6520]

I’ve been on zyprexa for a while. I function great on it. The only noticeable negative side affect has been weight gain. I’m waiting to hear back on how my blood work is going to look. But as few as functioning I feel great. I can read (and haven’t been able to in years) I sleep well I feel more sedated throughout the day and really groggy in the morning but it’s ok compared to akathsia which I experienced on other antipsychotics . I may try to go off zyprexa at some point if it’s negatively affecting my white blood cells and other things that only show up in bloodwork

[@dorothybeveridge3133]

Iv just had 4 days of 2-5 mg & I’m sleeping a long time . Is this normal?

[@Corey-iw4ot]

I was drinking alot when i was on it and after i stopped it. It seemed to make the dark looping thoughts worse. I was bad porn addiction for. MANY years and this didn't help my ocd and mania at all

[@azeri10]

working for OCD?

[@Paul-kd3ui]

So doc wanted to stack the meds? 1 zyprexa, pill 2 (for tremor), pill 3 for OCD. , So if you get "side effects" for pills 2,3 then you get pill 4? Pill 5 this goes on forever? Pill stacking is sick

[@lisbethbird8268]

But, you shouldn't count NAC as a "pill". It's a nutritional supplement. An amino acid (protein molecule) and glutathione precursor. It is medically used to reverse liver toxicity from acetaminophen overdose, so I wonder if it might be protective of liver damage for people who do take multiple meds. I take it daily for liver damage from poor diet and too much alcohol.

[@spartacus09ful]

How much NAC were you on a day?

[@rachelpepper5149]

Hi, do you recall roughly how long it took to come off Olanzapine? 😊

[@Smackbox]

Coming off Zyprexa can be difficult if done too fast, how's it going?

[@SchizoKitzo]

My doctor had me on a 20mg dose and I went down 5mg every week for three weeks. Just finished the switch last Friday and I'm doing pretty well! No crazy withdrawal and Seroquel, the new one, is actually working better than Zyprexa (which I found hard to believe at first!). Moods are stable and voices are quiet. Thanks for asking, I appreciate it.

[@Filthycoffin]

Wow I don’t see how your staying thin and not suicidal on it. I’m trying to get back on viibryd.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Good luck with yours! I react differently than most to antipsychotics, like I've been on two others (abilify and Seroquel) and both of those killed my appetite and made me lose weight! I hope you get your meds figured out soon ❤️🤞

[@nelsonteixeira1651]

Man my legs get worse than my hands on meds, does anyone doesn't have a problem standing up? I get so much pain standing up that I feel like laying down on the floor most of the time

[@thebuilder5271]

I just got put on Olanzapine and fluvoxamine for panic attacks and very severe anxiety. I heard anti-psychotics can a lot of times have side effects that are worse than the original symptoms but anything is better than constant panic attacks for me. Im worried though because my anxiety and panic attacks are from OCD 😭

[@lisaharmon8401]

Hi Kit, how did you manage your weight on zyprexa? I'm turning into a balloon at a 5 mg dose?

[@SchizoKitzo]

So, weight gain on antipsychotics is a side effect, which means it will not happen to everyone. I am one of those people, and I typically lose my appetite on antipsychotics, sometimes entirely. Hope this helps!

[@lisaharmon8401]

@@SchizoKitzo thanks

[@paulch5394]

Did it cause you ocd?

[@sarayasser9089]

Has your OCD gone after stopping zyprexa ?

[@SchizoKitzo]

So this is a complicated question. While my OCD was exasperated BY zyprexa, I am on n-acetyl-cysteine to treat it, even to this day. Also, Seroquel, the antipsychotic I currently am on as of this comment, works to treat OCD, even if it is used off label (there are peer reviewed studies talking about this). At the end of the day I still have some OCD tendencies, but since starting Seroquel, instead of well... Checking my stove all my lights and all my outlets multiple times (3 or more) I only check once and sometimes not everything I just mentioned! So I'd say yes it has gone down but not all the way, and there are so many compounding factors and I don't feel like testing the variables to know if it's the NAC, Seroquel, or stopping Zyprexa. I hope this helps!

[@AnnLaustsen87]

Are you still on Seroquel? 200mg caused nasal congestion. I also would feel my blood pressure drop when I was standing, to the point where I would feel that I was about to pass out.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Nah, back on good ol olanzapine, it works great for me now

[@AnnLaustsen87]

@@SchizoKitzo Nice, I'm on 10mg of olanzapine right now.

[@sorenvc]

I take olanzapin since 7 years and I have little motivation to get out of bed or even play videogames. My eyes are always tired no matter how much I sleep.

[@user-el8bp1gj2m]

It is an miracle drug i would just not take it every every day and not together with drugs

[@user-vk4mm9so7l]

I liked to express hearing my voices as wearing headphones instead of being on the phone with someone.

[@xronald619x]

I'm on 800 mg of Seroquel and 5 mg zyprexa had to get on zyprexa Seroquel stopped working on me but i think zyprexa is more sedating than Seroquel .

[@Corey-iw4ot]

800 damn that's alot they trying to kill u

[@AwaisAnwar-cw3hz]

​@@Corey-iw4otactually not 600mg is normal for psychotic symptoms..1200mg is max 800mg makes sense .... myself on 600mg seroquel with 30mg zyprexa it makes sense

[@kennytalcove8272]

Did you feel any withdrawal effects while stopping zyprexa?

[@SchizoKitzo]

No because I did it gradually

[@wooooo139]

Ive been taking 40 mg of zyprexa a day, that was when i wasnt in my head so much

[@romeo4377]

Ontario,Canada '2022'

[@damnablethief]

Ugh...not as bad as Seroquel, but ugh...

[@SevenUnwokenDreams]

It made me drowsy, and food obsessed, and I wound up with an eating disorder (I met the full criteria and was diagnosed) which fully disappeared four weeks after I got off it. Other than that I was never better.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Wild what meds can do, they’ve messed me up too, even if they’ve saved my life many times over at this point

[@Paul-kd3ui]

You're sooo cute ❤

[@treefingers6329]

One does not simply stop taking olanzapine. (speaking from personal experience)

[@SchizoKitzo]

Tapering is so important!

[@waleedmohammed5405]

Use Zyprexa and Depakene The problems I have are Weakness in perception and understanding Weakness in memory Aberration of mind Inability to talk to people normally Blurred feelings and sensations I feel like a restricted person With a loss of passion and nothing that interests me in all areas of life There is no sexual desire I suffer from bipolar disorder type 1 I am 29 years old

[@Karlhto]

I keep hearing voices calling me gay. The OCD is crazy, when I go out I don’t know where to look. I tend to look at people at their pants without wanting to look there and I don’t have any sexual tendencies about it. It just happens. I’ve been with zyprexa since I was 14 and now I’m 31. I have been in a mental institution twice in my life and in that time of my life I had quit zyprexa. I went to a psychologist recently and I told her that my mom is helping me with the dosage and I don’t have a psychiatrist and the therapist refused me to see me again. I’ve been taking 5mg of zyprexa for the summer. I have quit drinking alcohol smoking cigarettes I don’t do drugs or I don’t smoke weed. I’ve also have quit drinking coffee or eating sweets or consuming sugar. I eat meat but all the above that I mentioned, no. I feel like I’m under a microscope when I go out of my house. It’s hard to watch a movie or read. I write lyrics and make music but it’s hard as I grow and time passes to be creative. Thank u for this video

[@angelstinson2436]

Try alternatives to meds

[@JonMcAdams]

Well your voices are rude and juvenile. Calling you gay? Surely you can ignore those childish bums.

[@alecempire8982]

So what if you are gay? I am absolutely positive you are not because that's not how people find out they prefer same-sex partners.

[@Karlhto]

i am not gay @@alecempire8982

[@f1y_str8]

Did you stop the medication? and this happened before and after ?

[@LeftHander-tp7jg]

U look like my sister

[@neurodivergent7744]

You are very beautiful! ❤

[@elliotportner8020]

1:25

[@FBAV]

Seroquel isn't much better. I want to stay off of that shit. I had Zyprexa too long ago. And other stuff. It was all awful... And don't tell me about combining it with prozac. I felt like I was killed. My liver won't last long anymore and my cognitive functions have gone backwards enormously as well.

[@SchizoKitzo]

Wish I didn’t have to take mine but I wouldn’t be here without them, so side effects and long term effects here I come 😔

[@f1y_str8]

Maybe you’re my girlfriend

[@o56_idress_ahmed_ee32]

Did you experienced weight gain with zyprexa

[@SchizoKitzo]

No. It’s a side effect, meaning not everyone will experience it. Hope this helps!