Comments: The Zyprexa Chronicles: Marketing Zyprexa As The New Mood Stabilizer For Bipolar Disorder And Downplaying Diabetes And Weight Gain Concerns
Your information only confirms what I have "felt" for a very long time--that among “evil” pharmaceutical corporations, Lilly deserves a place at or very near the top of the list.
I still wonder, after reading how successfully Lilly marketed this product, what role should be assessed for MD activities. Not a single dose of this product could have been dispensed if a willing medical professional had not written the prescription. If Lilly could be likened to a drug kingpin (producing, marketing, selling its "poison"), then aren't doctors very much like the corner street hustler, hawking this feel-good, must-have product to the consumer for profit? After all, doctors, who are always most eager to impress with their “years of sacrifice, education and training” credentials, are best-positioned to read and understand research material that should have been bleeding with red flags. And yet, they enabled Lilly to change the paradigm for treating bipolar, and allowed this treatment to morph into treatment for depression.
Posted by Melody at February 21, 2007 06:24 AM
Maybe you should start before and after photos people who were on antipsychotics and how much weight they gained while taking them. I gained 50 pounds and lost it within months of going off Seroquel and while on Seroquel my FASTING blood sugar was 110. I will let the exidence speak for itself.
Posted by Angie at February 21, 2007 07:19 AM
This wouldn't be the same Dr. Gary Tollefson who swore under oath that "There is absolutely no medically sound evidence of an association between ... Prozac and the induction of suicidal ideation or violence."
http://ariannaonline.huffingtonpost.com/columns/column.php?id=293
This despite the following quotes on Dr. Healy's homepage:
‘Considering the benefit and the risk, we think this preparation totally unsuitable for the treatment of depression.’ — May 25th 1984 communication to Lilly US from Lilly Bad Homburg by B v.Keitz containing a translation of an unofficially received medical comment on the Fluoxetine application to the German regulators.
‘I do not think I could explain to the BGA, a judge, to a reporter or even to my family why we would do this especially on the sensitive issue of suicide and suicidal ideation.’ — Memo from Bouchy C to L Thompson Re: Adverse Drug Event Reporting – Suicide Fluoxetine. November 13th 1990. Exhibit 117 in Forsyth vs Eli Lilly.
http://www.healyprozac.com/
These statements utterly contradict each other.
Posted by lurker at February 21, 2007 07:59 AM
Philip, thank you for the Zyprexa Chronicles, and for the detailed and informative writing you are doing here.
Angie, I thank you for bringing me the idea to share photos of my daughter before and after on my blog.
I've linked to this entry on my blog; it is a necessary discussion, that weight gain was so over-looked by medical professionals (and still is) while a person uses antipsychotics.
Posted by Stephany at February 21, 2007 10:47 AM
Regarding weight gain and medications; I was given Xanax (a benzodiazepine)and I started to gain weight at a steady enough pace over the years, that I complained to the (general family) doctor.(who prescribed the med)
He ran thyroid tests,etc. which all came back normal. He then told me "some people over-eat when under stress, so cut back on your eating." My eating habits had not changed.
I have often suspected my weight gain was/is from Xanax (benzo)use.
Posted by Stephany at February 21, 2007 05:13 PM
It's been my experience that psychiatrists downplay weight gain concerns from psych meds. That troubles me because when I consider the top ten causes of death in the US look how many of those causes are correlated with obesity (heart disease - # 1 killer, diabetes, stroke, cancer). This IS as big of concern for patients as suicide is. In fact, I had an obese psychiatrist who I saw a couple of times and then she died (Apparently she had a heart attack). Dead is dead - whether it's from suicide or from heart disease. I told the subsequent psychiatrist that I was not going to take a medication that caused weight gain. I didn't think it made a whole lot of sense for me to exchange one chronic illness for another.
Posted by Lisa at February 21, 2007 07:32 PM
Lilly is evil yes, but am I the only one here who was on "maintenance" use of a typical antipsychotic, (in my case thorazine) for 5 years before switching to Risperdal and Seroquel? My doctors were using anti-psychotics for maintenance way back. I've been on HIGH doses of anti-psychotics for 20 years. (I've learned a thing or two and am now off the seroquel and almost off the risperdal...it seems it was never necessary as "maintenance" as I've not suffered any sort of relapse.
The withdrawal process, however, is slow and painful. I've been at it for 3 years. Each cut requires a period of adjusment to the withdrawal...and I've found that no more than 5% to 10% of the current dose can be cut at any one time...these drugs are among other things extremely addictive. I know Zyprexa is no exception as I've talked to people withdrawing from it as well. The addcitive nature of these drugs is something that is not being sufficiently discussed. Once people are on them for long periods I imagine some cannot get off at all, primarily because there is no research in coming off of drugs and psychiatrists know nothing about how to do it safely. (unless you consult Breggins book: How and Why to Come off Psychiatric Drugs) Of course he is so confrontational and enraged that he alienates doctors and patients. I can assure you, though, that he does have a handle on safe withdrawal which virtually all other psychiatrists do not.
I tried to come off of Risperdal at 9mg and my then doctor advised I come off 1mg a day. I became a gelatinous mess and quickly reinstated convinced, as my doctor was, that I simply "needed" the drug. NOT SO. I'm down from 11mg of Risperdal to 1 1/2 mg. And completely off the 50 mg of Seroquel I was on...(after gaining almost 100lbs) I have no doubt that I will get off the last bit of Risperdal, but like I said it's taken 3 years.
Philip....thanks for the brilliant post and the whole set of chronicles.
Gianna
Posted by Gianna at February 22, 2007 04:18 AM
Thanks, Gianna, for sharing this story of withdrawal. It's so important for people to hear that it is possible if done slowly and carefully enough. It's so important for people truly to understand the dimension of the chemical dependency. And it is so shocking that the doctors out there who understand this can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Posted by Sara at February 22, 2007 07:37 AM
I completely agree with Gianna and withdrawal taking years to complete; as well as finally, someone else (thank you Gianna) brought up how Zyprexa is addictive, hard to remove,withdrawal period intense; and possibly never able to be removed. I also like what Breggin has to say, and have come across in conversation with "professionals" how Breggin is not to be regarded as any sort of authority: as in "he is not one of us" ( a so-called competent professional).
Posted by Stephany at February 22, 2007 08:57 AM
gianna, were you being treated for bipolar or schizophrenia? my experience--confirmed by other docs--is that it was very uncommon to use ap's for 'maintenance' unless someone was 'psychotic' all the time. but your experience sounds a bit different. but they were using thorazine for bpd? really?
Posted by Dawdy at February 22, 2007 08:59 AM
Regarding 'psychotic all the time' and maintenance.
It was after 5 solid years of Zyprexa use, and exhibiting NO psychosis; is why my family member asked to remove Zyprexa, per the diabetes warnings.
Three months later, and after removing a very low-dose (2.5mg) of Zyprexa; this person was described by an on-call psychiatrist as "psychotic and catetonic" and put the patient back on 10mg of Zyprexa, stating that "this is relapse of symtoms."
I feel strongly, that this was neuroleptic withdrawal syndrome, med-removal-induced-psychosis.
2 years later another attempt at removing the Zyprexa created another 'psychotic break/relapse', and according to psychiatrists:
I was told by several who saw my family member, that sanity could possibly never be returned, that permanent psychosis can be triggered by removal of antipsyhotics.(and the only answer was to find another antipsychotic "that works").
I don't buy it.
I strongly believe it is the antipsychotic (Zyprexa)that created permanent psychosis.
Read the fine print on any neuroleptic withdrawal site, including Zyprexa lawyer sites, and there are court cases documented where patients have been left with permanent psychosis after Zyprexa use.
Posted by Stephany at February 22, 2007 11:26 AM
I was, indeed, being treated for bipolar disorder. And I was NOT psychotic when it was prescribed. (CAVEAT--the very first time I was prescribed thorazine I was psychotic as a result of doing a hallucinogenic drug, but I don't count that as I've never again been psychotic and I went off those initial meds immediately since I wasn't being "compliant" at that time) The second time it was prescribed I was simply extremely manic, but completely lucid. Once I crashed into a suicidal depression I was appropriately subdued so that I did whatever the doctor told me. I got scared and stopped questioning the system. I'm just beginning to see the light again. Thanks for the comments...I do hope I can somehow help people out there who are suffering needlessly on unecessary neuroleptics.
Stephany, from the research I've done I would guess your hypothesis that your family members psychosis was caused by withdrawal is right.
Posted by Gianna at February 22, 2007 01:35 PM
Gianna,
I appreciate your comments here, very much. I have been researching the neuroleptic withdrawal psychosis subject for so many years.
I was not able to convince any psychiatrist to listen to me. I hope that somehow, our words can help others.
Thank you for what I know were many, many hours reading what I have read over many years.
Best,
Stephany
(for my daughter)
Posted by Stephany at February 22, 2007 08:11 PM
Have you read the book Is it Me or my Meds? I did a review on it a while ago on my blog and while it was focused on antidepressants the author makes some good points about inadequate testing of meds (especially over the long-term), doctors who think that curing one symptom with a pill and then prescribing a second pill to alleviate the side-effects is good practice and claims that weight gain, loss of libido, drowsiness and other side-effects are rare. I wish! I gained a lot of weight on meds and it didn't all fall off as soon as I stopped the meds. About half did, the rest took a lot of hard work.
I also had leaking breasts (my body thought I was pregnant) after only 3 mths of a low dose of risperdal and it took several mths off the meds for my hormones to settle down. Not a happy camper!
I've been on four different antipsychotics and I can't say it was a pleasant experience - especially as it appears I was misdiagnosed. Current thinking is that I have narcolepsy, and that the nightmares were not caused by unresolved psychological trauma so much as a neurological problem. Ditto the excessive daytime sleepiness and irritability - oh how I long for a good night's sleep.
I've been diagnosed with more mental illnesses than I can count so these days I don't pay much attention to doctors and while I acknowlege that meds are helpful for some people my own experience has not been positive and I'm enjoying being med free.
Posted by Talia Mana, Centre for Emotional Well-Being at February 27, 2007 05:13 PM
While I am horrified at the duplicity carried out by Eli Lilly, I have to say I have bipolar 1 and spent a lot of my 20s trying lots of drugs, because lithium made my thyroid sick. Since taking Zyprexa regularly, I have been stable, well and productive for 2 years. Before that, I was suffering floridly manic episodes, along with brutalising depressions. I was simply all over the place. Zyprexa has worked just as well as lithium did for levelling all of those out. I agree it should not be prescribed for plain depression, but it has certainly helped me immensely.
Posted by Erin at March 19, 2007 03:45 AM
My first med for bipolarism was Zyprexa. I gained a ton of weight and the diabetic tendencies came out in me in a very young age. I hate this med. It's evil.
Posted by Susie at March 26, 2007 10:58 AM
zyprexa induces a chemical lobotomy. it severs the neural connections between the basal ganglia and the prefontal cortex. withdrawal is very difficult. use amino acids to rebuild neurotransmitter levels. tyrosine and mucuna pruriens rebuilds dopamine which is targeted by zyprexa. use small does then taper up and dont start this until you have finished the drug. try other natural antidepressants 5htp which is an amino acid anaglogue that naturally creates serotonin. neuroleptics like zyprexa can seriously fuck up your brain and this becomes evident once u come off it. dont let them convince you the medicine didnt do it. i was only mildly depressed before coming off this, now one month after staying off it i can say i have never felt this bad my entire life. i see some improvement and my guess is that in a few months i should be quite healthy and restored but the process of withdrawal needs to be done with natural supplemental help to rebuild the chemicals in the brain that have been destroyed supressed and recircuited by the powerful psychotropic medications. i would personally encourage anyone using this product to sue the fucking shit out of Eli Lily, the maker of zyprexa. I intend to.
Posted by Daniel at April 3, 2007 03:46 PM
Daniel, exactly right. All of it.
Posted by Stephany at April 3, 2007 06:47 PM