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Zyprexa: Taking Zyprexa
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In September of 2003, the FDA asked Eli Lilly to add a new warning to the popular schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, warning patients that Zyprexa has been linked to diabetes and other blood sugar disorders. In a recent study, Zyprexa and two other atypical antipsychotics that are used to treat schizophrenia were found to cause diabetes 50 percent more often than older drugs. Last year, Britain's Medicines Control Agency warned that several patients taking Eli Lilly's top selling drug Zyprexa (used to treat schizophrenia) had developed diabetes-related complications. In the Medicine Control Agency's Current Problems newsletter, the regulatory body said that the antipsychotic drug "can adversely affect blood glucose."
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Zyprexa is an anti-psychotic drug prescribed for patients suffering from schizophrenia, and other psychological disorders, as well as elderly people with dementia. However, patients taking Zyprexa are at an increased risk for dangerous side effects, including diabetes, hyperglycemia, pancreatitis and tardive dyskinesia, a condition marked by slow, rhythmical, involuntary movements. There have ... been several reported cases of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), a potentially fatal symptom.
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In April 2003, the Wall Street Journal reported an eight-year study of Zyprexa, in which nearly 300 Zyprexa patients had developed diabetes and twenty-three died. The study found the incidence of diabetes was fifty percent greater in Zyprexa patient than patients taking older antipsychotic drugs. Additionally, reports have revealed that many patients taking Zyprexa have reported dramatic weight gain.
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Most of the lawsuits claim that before September 2003, the information on Zyprexa labels did not adequately warn patients that taking the drug might put them at risk of developing hyperglycemia and diabetes. Hyperglycemia is a condition in which the blood has elevated sugar levels, typical in diabetics. Lilly changed its labels in September 2003. The agreement announced June 9 involves only plaintiffs who argued that they developed diabetes-related conditions from using Zyprexa. Lilly has said it is prepared to continue its “vigorous defense†of the drug in the remaining cases.
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Zyprexa sometimes causes drowsiness and can impair your judgment, thinking, and motor skills. Use caution while driving and don't operate dangerous machinery until you know how the drug affects you. Medicines such as Zyprexa can interfere with regulation of the body's temperature. Do not get overheated or become dehydrated while taking Zyprexa. Avoid extreme heat and drink plenty of fluids. Use Zyprexa with caution if you have any of the following conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, trouble swallowing, narrow angle glaucoma (high pressure in the eye), an enlarged prostate, heart irregularities, heart disease, heart failure, liver disease, or a history of heart attack, seizures, or intestinal blockage.
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Zyprexa has been associated with pancreatitis. Zyprexa is ... linked to the development of two very serious illnesses, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) and Tardive Dyskinesia (TD). NMS is a potentially fatal Zyprexa side effect that is associated with the use of nearly all antipsychotic drugs. Symptoms of NMS include, but are not limited to, acute kidney failure, body temperature in excess of 106 degrees (hyperpyrexia), rigid muscles, irregular pulse or blood pressure, rapid heart beat (tachycardia), and irregular heartbeat. TD may cause patients taking antipsychotic drugs to lose their ability to control voluntary movements and is sometimes irreversible. TD occurs most frequently in elderly women, although it can affect anyone.
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