Re: zyprexa warnings- a doc's perspective

[Guest guest]

Please tell your daughter thank you from me. She just reduced my

anxiety as much as any pill.

> I too was very alarmed by the Zyprexa warnings. Mom takes a small

daily

> dose (2.5 mg-5mg) which has made a wonderful change and I was

> concerned about her not having it.

>

> I forwarded the article on to my daughter who is a physician and

she e-mail=

> ed

> me the following response.....

>

> " Remember that " significant " means from a statistical standpoint

only - the=

>

> overall risk  went up 1.5 - 3.5% so the relative increased risk is

2%.  We =

>

> should look at the original data that this info came from - how

many patien=

> ts

> were in this study?  Did the population they studied have vascular

dementia=

>

> (and thus already have known vascular disease) or other causes for

> dementia?  Still, the risk is low.  Also, you have to look at the

risk bene=

> fit ratio -

> if she is hallucinating and confused, her risk of having an

accident is muc=

> h

> higher, quality of life is worsened, and morbidity and mortality

increased.=

>   I

> think the benefit of using the drug probably far outweighs the risk

of not =

> using

> it. "

>

>

> I'm feeling a bit more comfortable about it. I wish there were

other option=

> s...

> when mom misses a pill it is just so awful for her and me.

>

>

> .

[Guest guest]

I too was grateful for this response from your daughter. My mother also has

benfited from Zydys, the liquid form, and I am hesitant at this point to start

the process all over again. If there were any significant indications, I

would be tempted. I am sure that certain other variables make a great

difference

in the danger of stroke. Blood pressure could be one. My mom tends to have

very low blood pressure so I wonder if that may be part of the success.

The honest truth; until drugs are developed specifically for LBD, we can

never be sure that any of these other neuoleptics, atypical antipsychotics, AD

meds, or PD drugs will have the true desired effect for a disease that is in a

" league of its own. "

I would be grateful to hear from anyone on the site who has had any

involvement with stroke and/or heart attack while taking Risperdal or Zyprexa.

Mom was

on Risperdal before her heart attack last May. There were warnings issued in

Spring of the potential for stroke from it. Now hearing about Zyprexa, I am

proceeding cautiously.

Betty

[Guest guest]

My father has had those out of it spells for 6+ years and had been

put on blood pressure med and then on a heart med. The " spell's "

got significantly worse the last year but by the time the medics or

ER would check him there would be no problem except temporary low

blood pressure. Finally they installed a heart monitor last winter

(he refused to wear an outside the body one). Still nothing was

found on the monitor. He had a hip replacement last June (very very

bad idea, but that's another story) and went into a steep downward

spiral). He was put on Risperdal in July. Still had " spells " and

nothing on monitor. In January, he had a bad day--very weak,

calling for his dead wife, cranky refused to eat and drank only a

little. By bedtime he was talking gibberish so back to ER. They

diagnosed a heart attack based on elevated blood enzymes--and

dehydration--not sure which came first, did a CAT scan to check for

stroke too. No one checked the heart monitor! He was very weak and

looked horrible for four days ( I took care of him), then was back

to " normal " by the follow up appt with his primary care doct. They

said the elevated enzymes could come from something else and not be

from a heart attack. I'm not sure what if anything showed up on the

monitor at his appt withe his heart doct. They did take him off the

blood pressure medication since Risperdal lowers it anyway.

He's had some really bad agitation lately, the doctor would only

give us mild tranqualizer to give him if we need to. He didn't seem

to think we needed to change from Risperdal and is reluctant to

increase the dosage. We are reluctant to give him the tranquilizer.

My dad has not been diagnosed with anything except generic dementia

and arthritis. He seems to be a classic LBD from our observations.

CAthy R

and fine but no> involvement with stroke and/or heart attack while

taking Risperdal or Zyprexa. Mom was

> on Risperdal before her heart attack last May. There were

warnings issued in

> Spring of the potential for stroke from it. Now hearing about

Zyprexa, I am

> proceeding cautiously.

>

> Betty

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

He was on an antidepressant four years ago before my mom died. It

made him so sleepy he was refusing to take any medication. He was

taken off it and actually improved dramatically under the caregivers

undivided attention for about two years. I've been wondering about

him getting some again, but the real battle right now is physical.

R

> ,

>

> Thanks for the info. My mom was put on Risperdal Nov '02 and it

was just

> about six months later, the first week of May '03 that she had her

heart attack.

> It was detected also by the high enzyme levels. I insisted that

Mom's PCP

> take her off the medication and try something different. Well,

that something

> different sent her into a tailspin. Three months later, in mid-

August she was

> readmitted to Monroe Gero-psych hospital where Zydys (Zyprexa)

was initiated.

> She was also placed on Celexa, an antidepressant, at the same

time. She

> has not returned home since her transfer back to Shelton Health &

Rehab. Is

> your dad taking anything for depression. Sometimes this can help

substantially.

>

> Donna in MI also had her mom on very small dosages of Risperdal

given

> throughout the day.

> I really hope that you find a better drug or mixtures. This does

seem so

> much like a game of medical roulette.

>

> Betty

>

>

>