Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by denise528 on January 12, 2003, at 11:55:16
Hi,
Just wondering if anyone here takes Zyprexa now and again (as I do) and do they find any benefit in doing so?
Denise
Posted by xjs7 on January 12, 2003, at 14:00:49
In reply to Anyone here take Zyprexa now and again?, posted by denise528 on January 12, 2003, at 11:55:16
Hi Denise,
I remember reading that intermittent use of neuroleptics is a risk factor for TD, so I did a search and found this:
Intermittent Neuroleptic Treatment and Risk for Tardive Dyskinesia: Curaçao Extrapyramidal Syndromes Study III
van Harten PN, Hoek HW, Matroos GE, Koeter M, Kahn RS. Am J Psychiatry 1998;155:565–7.
In this study, the authors examined the association between 3 lifetime medication variables and the occurrence and severity of tardive dyskinesia. The 3 variables are the number of interruptions in neuroleptic treatment, the cumulative amounts of neuroleptics, and the cumulative amounts of anticholinergic medications. The study included 133 patients with a history of taking neuroleptics for at least 3 months who were presently using neuroleptics. The results showed that only the number of neuroleptic interruptions was significantly related to tardive dyskinesia. The risk was 3 times higher for patients with more than 2 neuroleptic interruptions than for patients with 2 or fewer interruptions.
Comments
Without an effective treatment for tardive dyskinesia, clinicians are left to recognize the risk factors. Over the years several studies have advocated the benefits of intermittent neuroleptic therapy in schizophrenia. Since intermittent neuroleptic therapy generally reduces the cumulative amount of neuroleptic medications used, it was thought that such a strategy could reduce the risk of tardive dyskinesia. In recent years, however, research results have not substantiated the benefits of such therapy, and it is not yet a recommended approach. Recommended or not, our patients do this themselves when they stop the medications on their own. In this context, the results of this study are important, as they clearly demonstrate that intermittent neuroleptic treatment is a risk factor for tardive dyskinesia, not only for its presence but also for its severity. Using logistic regression models, the authors have shown that the best model for predicting tardive dyskinesia was the number of interruptions in neuroleptic treatment, second only to the well-known risk factor of age. The question, therefore, is how do we get our patients to comply and to take their medications regularly?
I found this at
http://www.cpa-apc.org/Publications/Archives/Bulletin/1998/Aug/neuropsych.htm
I hope this helps. It is important to know the risks of how we use our medications.
xjs7
Posted by denise528 on January 12, 2003, at 15:01:34
In reply to Re: Anyone here take Zyprexa now and again? » denise528, posted by xjs7 on January 12, 2003, at 14:00:49
Hi,
Thanks for the response but this has left me in even more of a quandry. I don't want to take Zyprexa every day because I don't need to 1 every day would be too much for me. 1 every 2 weeks would be enough but I can't see how that would increase the risk of TD.
Denise
Posted by JohnL on January 12, 2003, at 16:55:38
In reply to Anyone here take Zyprexa now and again?, posted by denise528 on January 12, 2003, at 11:55:16
Hi there,
I happen to believe that if it aint broke, don't try to fix it. In otherwords, if intermittent use of Zyprexa provides you benefits, then go for it. Don't worry about the whys and hows, because in fact nobody knows anyway. Whatever works for you personally is what you should do.
As a sidenote on TD, those risks are mostly associated strongly with the older APs, but not much at all with Zyprexa, especially at a low dose.
> Hi,
>
> Just wondering if anyone here takes Zyprexa now and again (as I do) and do they find any benefit in doing so?
>
> Denise
Posted by judy1 on January 13, 2003, at 18:19:28
In reply to Re: Anyone here take Zyprexa now and again? » denise528, posted by xjs7 on January 12, 2003, at 14:00:49
I happen to take zyprexa prn because after a week I start having EPS. So for me the few days it takes to come down from a (psychotic) manic episode is the length of time I take it. take care, judy
Posted by gabbix2 on August 17, 2003, at 17:32:41
In reply to Re: Anyone here take Zyprexa now and again?, posted by denise528 on January 12, 2003, at 15:01:34
I zyprexa exactly the way you do, maybe 3 times a month. The Dr. who recommended it to me, is a well respected psychopharmacologist. He's the psychiatric medication consultant for the larger Hospitals in Canada.
Though I'm not even in the same town he's in anymore or his patient will answer my panicky phone calls about medications, and has never steered me wrong.My point. He said using the Zyprexa as a p.r.n the way I was using it was fine and the risk of Tardive Dyskenesia was, in this respect was practically negligable. He's always been honest, and encourages me to ask him questions I have no reason to doubt him. I agree with the person who said "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"
Posted by lesliekay on August 18, 2003, at 22:31:49
In reply to that was interesting... » xjs7, posted by judy1 on January 13, 2003, at 18:19:28
i find all this very interesting as well...i am on abilify daily...but i take prn zyprexa when i am about to kill somebody...my p-doc isn't a big fan about this because he doesn't want me on dual therapy, not because of the TD connection...i find that research a little scary...
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