Zyprexa
Psychological disorders can cause serious disruptions in people's lives. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness affecting millions of Americans. If not treated, it can cause extreme mood swings, causing people to experience periods of ups and downs, or highs and lows. The highs are referred to as mania, while lows as depression.
Schizophrenia is another mental illness that can cause serious disruptions in people's lives. It affects the way that people's brains receive and interpret information, making it difficult to organize thoughts and possibly cause trouble relating to people. Schizophrenia can cause people to experience delusions, hallucinations, and a lack of interest in people who are close to you.
The medical profession has spent years trying to find ways to treat the symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Zyprexa, which uses the active ingredient olanzapine, is used to treat patients who suffer from the psychotic conditions of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. As a treatment for bipolar disorder, Zyprexa is used to improve people's concentration and relieve symptoms such as insomnia, irritability, anger, mood swings, or fears. Used for schizophrenia, Zyprexa is designed to treat symptoms such as voices, feelings of suspicion, insomnia, nervousness, depression, fears, confused thinking, and lack of concentration.
Like any medication, Zyprexa does have risks and potential side effects associated with it. Possible effects include sleepiness, decrease in energy, increased appetite, behavioral changes, dizziness, tremors, dry mouth, restlessness, or hard or infrequent stools. If you have underlying health conditions, inform your specialist about them, so that he may be able to tell if you should be taking the medication. You should tell your specialist if you have problems with your liver or kidney, if you have ailments of the heart, a prostate enlargement, or if you have a hard time urinating, difficulty swallowing, or glaucoma. You should also inform your doctor if you have had a history of stroke, breast cancer, heart attack, seizures or diabetes. Your specialist may advise you not to take Zyprexa if you have any of these ailments. If your underlying health problem is not serious, he or she may prescribe to you a low dosage of the drug and require you to undergo special tests to see if you are reacting to the drug. In addition, a warning that is associated with the drug is that it may cause serious or fatal injury, such as stroke or heart failure if administered to elderly patients with dementia.
A treatment course that includes Zyprexa can result in a high blood sugar level, or hyperglycemia, which causes symptoms like constant urination or thirst, weakness, severe hunger confusion, or fruity smelling breath. If you have had a history of diabetes, you should check the level of your blood sugar regularly. When you are taking Zyprexa and not feeling well, you should see your specialist; they will be able to tell you if you are reacting negatively to the drug. If you are planning on having a baby or you are currently pregnant, you should avoid taking the drug, as the possible effects are unknown. Using the medication while breastfeeding your infant is also inadvisable. The drug can be passed on to the baby while you are nursing him or her.
If you experience any kind of allergic reaction to Zyprexa, like swelling of the face, throat or tongue, breathing difficulty, or hives, you should immediately seek medical attention. You should also confirm with your specialist if you need to stop taking in your medication, or if you need to lower the dosage. You should also inform your doctor if you are experiencing any side effects. These might include muscle spasms, weakness or numbness to one side of the body, lightheaded feelings, fainting, hallucinations, unusual thoughts, muscle stiffening, fever, sudden head pains or problems with your speech or vision. The onset of any of these ailments may require you to stop taking the medication.
There are times when the pharmacist or pharmaceutical company does not inform the patient of the dangers that Zyprexa has. This case usually leads to the development of an ailment, which can be very serious. There are even cases in which the negative effects of the drug results in the death of a patient.
If you or someone close to you has experienced serious health problems because of the drug, contact a lawyer. An attorney who specializes in pharmaceuticals will help you make a claim and seek compensation for the damages you may have incurred as a result of complications related to Zyprexa.
