There's a NYTimes article today about how side effects of drugs are not caused by the drugs but by genetic defects! "Drug Makers Seek Clues to Side Effects in Genes" http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/health/research/27effect.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

So now, if you have a side effect, it's your fault, not the drugs fault.

The arguement that we feel so much better on these drugs that we pig ourselves was getting old.

I don't anyone who has used Risperdal or Zyprexa --- who has not gained signicifant weight, putting them at risk for diabetes and CV disease. My daughter was on Risperdal for several of her teen years and her body/health have never recovered from that evil Rx. Yes, it helped with some of her bipolar disorder sx but it also increased her prolactin levels, made learning difficult and of course, she hated herself even more with her now pudgy, bloated body (she is 5'11" and was once a willowy and lithe). The weight gain side effect was usually dismissed by her pdoc and she was told to eat less and exercise more. The Risperdal made her ravenous and no amount of exercise reduced the weight gain. She's on a small dose of Abilify now and it is the RIGHT drug for her sx---it has helped her tremendously. Her pdoc and Bristol Myers say that it's "weight neutral" but that's BS, too. She has gained some weight--nothing as bad as with Risperdal--and other health professionals tell her that's common. But the benefits outweigh the risks and to his credit, the pdoc informed her of all the potential serious side effects. He very much believes in informed consent. She's also on Lamictal, which has been another miracle drug for her. But she has a bad case of acne and the benign rash on her arms and legs and she worries about liver complications. In the chase for stability, she feels like she's been a guinea pig for a wide variety of meds---many people with BP disorder have the same experience. She, too, has been told how "lucky" she is to have access to these new atypicals and that these side effects are a small price to pay for "stability."

There's a very strong family history for BPD and given the course of the last 10 years, I agree with her diagnosis of early onset BPD (she was 14 at the time). She has come so far in the past 2 years and I feel like I have my daughter back. Still, I am very concerned about the long term side effects of these drugs and the pharmaceutical companies who barrage doctors and patients with all their marketing and propaganda. Thank you for researching, questioning, raging against the big pharma machine.

I have to say, that this honestly gives me much sadness, so much that I do not have anything more to say. So I will leave it at this:

1999- 2007: OCD: ADHD: Childhood Bipolar Disorder: The Evolution of a Diagnosis ; part 25 -and links to the series.

8 pounds in 3 weeks? That's nuts. And that's just the average; I wonder what the distribution looks like. How are people going to sumultaneously afford Zyprexa and a new wardrobe to fit them?

I'm sad AND mad----but what ARE the alternatives? Despite the side effects and risks, my daughter says that this is the best she's felt since even before the diagnosis of BP disorder. No meds (with excellent psychotherapy) =impulsivity, self-injury, deep depressions, rages, suicidal ideation and attempts & more. Current Rx (with excellent psychotherapy) = mild depression, ability to go to school, motivation, hope. She lives the side effects and knows and understands the risk of diabetes, tardive dykinesia, liver dysfunction and more from the 2 meds she's on. We're going shopping for some clothes this evening and I dread it because it's hard to find anything that fits and that's in style when you're a size 18. She's a brave, young woman but it sucks----and I'm going way beyond the weight gain issue.

booknan, i'm sorry to hear of that fix. my own experience with the atypicals (and not zyprexa i should stress) suggests to me that it's good to be on an antipsychotic for as short of a period as is humanly possible. the side effects really become intolerable over time. but this depends a whole bunch on your daughter's clinical course and how comfortable she is with herself. i wish you the best of luck no matter what.

Booknan, I'm sorry for you and your daughter. I think all drugs should be decriminalized and if your daughter is helped by zyprexa, she has a right to take it. I wonder if there might not be other alternatives to her being stuck on such a dangerous drug, and hope, if there are, that she finds them, and if not, that she, as one of the very few for whom the benefits of this drug outweigh the risks, she leads a happy productive life.

Just to clarify my daughter was medicated with Zyprexa for 6 years for a wrong diagnosis that started in 1999. She is a child that was caught up in the fast-paced whirlwind of Childhood Bipolar Disorder that started with OCD, and she too is on an even more dangerous drug right now: Clozaril.She could die just from the drug alone, and it requires blood draws mandatory by law for the use of it to make sure she has normal white blood cell counts--every 2 weeks.
The price she paid for being misdiagnosed was 6 years of Depakote [Abbott]use and 6 years of Zyprexa [Eli Lilly], which resulted in permanent damage of her body from Depakote: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, she has an increased cancer risk now and most likely no ability to have children, along with permanent hormone therapy[pills].

AS a 17 year old, to find out you were actually not bipolar, and took those medications, suffered the 50 pound gain at age 13, being called the Beast in the cafeteria, unable to read with eyes rolled up due to Zyprexa---well.

Not more to be said on how she feels. Her brain was fried, and no one can prove she is/or is not a product of these meds also trialed by expert psychiatrists:Abilify,Seroquel,Geodon,Trileptal,Lithobid,LiCarb,Haldol,Zoloft,Luvox,Melleril, and more.

THIS is where I am coming from. IF she was allowed to have a diagnoses emerge on it's own, she would be suffering less, and not one doctor or neuro-doc has an answer. WHY? because no one will ever know in her tragic case what started this, meds or an illness.

Each person has a drug that can work for them. The question is, how ethical was it for Lilly to hide information that damaged people like my daughter? She had no way to be informed about Zyprexa, because Eli Lilly LIED.

I wish everyone the best, and am glad that what everyone has now, is what I did not have in 1999:
ALL of this information to make an informed choice. My daughter is Exhibit A of a paradigm gone bad.

I had an alarming thing happen today. I met a young mother, who was dx bipolar this summer and placed on Li & Zyprexa, and now was crying to me that she is diabetic. I asked her when the diabetes happened, and she said it was AFTER STARTING ZYPREXA.She also has gained an immediate 20 lbs. I have no idea why the doctor did not know about diabetes & Zyprexa. They just gave her insulin with the med cocktail!! Eli Lilly and the insulin pen/Zyprexa combo. Nice job pharma.

Stephany, I think you're an awesome, caring mother.

I'd like to know--do medications cause weight gain because they increase appetite or because they mess with metabolic function?

I wouldn't get too worried about clozaril. In Europe, where trial lawyers are not nearly as prevalent, the blood testing requirements are not nearly as stringent. The biweekly bloodwork essentially is a cover your posterior stipulation. I would however, look into orthomolecular psychiatry. It has helped me, immensely.

Just to clarify to Sally and others: my daughter is currently on 7.5 mgs of Abilify (+ Lamictal). She never took Zyprexa but was on Risperdal in her high school years. I equate Risperdal with Zyprexa in terms of high risk atypical anti-psychotics. Abilify has a similar profile for major short-term and long-term anti-psychotics but this drug has helped her tremendously. She and her doctor are trying to find the lowest doseage possible to keep her sx at bay. Recently she decreased her dose to 5 mgs and she felt miserable. So she's back up to 7.5 mgs, at least for now (going into autumn, which is notoriously a rough time for her). She is not afraid to question or say "NO" to her doctor. And he actually listens, informs and respects her decision. Of course, we both wish that she could be stable w/o any meds but she did that for almost 2 years and she's still trying to pick up the pieces from the bad life choices she made then. I really appreciate this blog and readers' comments and have shared info with my daughter. All of us need to be informed and skeptical consumers, no matter what the product is.

Thank you flowergirl, and here is a link that is interesting re: metabolic syndrome. I'm no expert by any means, but the immediate weight gain my daughter had was on medications, and no diet increase of food intake--as a matter of fact once the Zyprexa was removed, she dropped all of the weight so fast she had to keep buying clothes.

I also appreciate the orthomolecular comment, and I feel that could be beneficial, once my daughter is able to focus and think again.

Booknan, I've been there and understand exactly where you are coming from, and this is why I am pleased that there is so much information available, and your daughter being a proactive patient is awesome along with your support and watchful eye she will have a positive and happy life.

Metabolic Syndrome.

Thanks for the link to metabolic syndrome, Stephany. While I've read a bit on this subject, the information you shared was extremely thought-provoking and eye-opening. What really caught my attention was the reference to further weight gain after an "hormonal event." 4 days before my daughter was to have an IUD inserted (because she's responsible AND because she can't take birth control pills AND because she knows an unplanned pregnancy would be dangerous given her BP disorder, because she's in no position to be a parent and because she doesn't want children!), she found out she was pregnant! Her wonderful boyfriend and I were totally supportive of her choice and a month later, she terminated the pregnancy. Those 4 weeks of waiting were absolute hell for her, physically, emotionally and medically. That was 3 months ago and now with an IUD in place, on the 7.5 mgs of Abilify and 300mgs Lamictal, she's doing well but seems to be gaining more weight than ever. She is not even close to her pre-pregancy weight and she's pretty upset about this. I NEVER discuss weight issues, unless she wants to. I don't want to freak her out about metabolic syndrome but I think she should discuss this with her pdoc. Any suggestions as to how to approach this with her and then, her with her pdoc?

booknan, I would just allow her time and space right now re: the abortion. Her hormones are going to be off a bit now and she also may feel depressed, not a dx of depression but a delayed reaction to the abortion.I gained weight on Xanax which is rarely discussed, but directly associated with my gain.[yippee]The metabolic syndrome is so complex, that one would have to find a specialist. Hormones and women go hand in hand with mental wellness, and often are confused in the psych world. Lamictal, though is known to work well with womens hormones.Lamotrigine therapy in treatment-resistant menstrually-related rapid cycling bipolar disorder: a case report; Lamictal use and bipolar women. Also take a look at the sidebar and read Bipolar Blast, she is documenting her personal journey with hormones,psych meds and wellness. I never understood why I was gaining weight and my PCP who was treating my so-called anxiety told me that I was eating via stress, when in fact I wasn't eating at all. Point--I think the metabolic issues are permanent. So for now, just let her be her. What a great support you are for your daughter.