No alerts on Zyprexa wt. gain

[cougarnurse]

Thought this was interesting: State: No alerts on Zyprexa side effects - Yahoo! News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Eli Lilly and Co. failed to adequately warn doctors and patients of dangerous side effects associated with its drug Zyprexa, an attorney for Alaska said Wednesday in opening arguments in the state's lawsuit against the drug maker.
Lilly did not adequately disclose that using the drug, prescribed to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, could lead to severe obesity, elevated blood sugar and diabetes, lawyer Scott Allen said.
"If they put a warning on this product, their sales would fall," Allen said. "They would lose money. People would choose another drug, and they decided not to disclose what they knew."
Alaska is suing to recover money it claims it had to pay for Medicaid patients who suffered serious health problems after taking Zyprexa. Alaska is one of nine states suing Lilly over Zyprexa and the first go to trial. The others are Utah, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Montana, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi and South Carolina.
An attorney for the Indianapolis-based Lilly called Alaska's lawsuit "a case that should never have been brought."
George Lehner said the company will prove it met Food and Drug Administration labeling requirements and that physicians who prescribed the drugs were well aware of possible side effects, including weight gain.
Lilly provided approved product information in package inserts as well as physician desktop reference books and labels evolved as more information became available, Lehner said.
"The fact that the label changed over time does not mean it was misleading," he said.
Lilly attorney Nina Gussack urged jurors to consider how Zyprexa had helped free people "from a hell most people cannot imagine." The drug has been prescribed to more than 23 million people.
Despite filing the lawsuit two years ago, Alaska has not restricted the use of Zyprexa and at times has sought court orders to administer the drug to Alaskans with mental illness, Gussack said.
But Allen said that under state consumer protection law, Alaska does not have to present evidence that any single person was harmed, only that the company misled consumers.
"Informed choice," Allen said. "That's what this case is about."
Zyprexa brought in $4.8 billion in sales last year. The company has spent more than $1 billion to settle product liability claims from patients over Zyprexa, with many also alleging inadequate warnings.

[mar4ela]

Originally Posted by cougarnurse

Thought this was interesting: Buy Zyprexa

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Eli Lilly and Co. failed to adequately warn doctors and patients of dangerous side effects associated with its drug Zyprexa, an attorney for Alaska said Wednesday in opening arguments in the state's lawsuit against the drug maker.
Lilly did not adequately disclose that using the drug, prescribed to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, could lead to severe obesity, elevated blood sugar and diabetes, lawyer Scott Allen said.
"If they put a warning on this product, their sales would fall," Allen said. "They would lose money. People would choose another drug, and they decided not to disclose what they knew."
Alaska is suing to recover money it claims it had to pay for Medicaid patients who suffered serious health problems after taking Zyprexa. Alaska is one of nine states suing Lilly over Zyprexa and the first go to trial. The others are Utah, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Montana, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi and South Carolina.
An attorney for the Indianapolis-based Lilly called Alaska's lawsuit "a case that should never have been brought."
George Lehner said the company will prove it met Food and Drug Administration labeling requirements and that physicians who prescribed the drugs were well aware of possible side effects, including weight gain.
Lilly provided approved product information in package inserts as well as physician desktop reference books and labels evolved as more information became available, Lehner said.
"The fact that the label changed over time does not mean it was misleading," he said.
Lilly attorney Nina Gussack urged jurors to consider how Zyprexa had helped free people "from a hell most people cannot imagine." The drug has been prescribed to more than 23 million people.
Despite filing the lawsuit two years ago, Alaska has not restricted the use of Zyprexa and at times has sought court orders to administer the drug to Alaskans with mental illness, Gussack said.
But Allen said that under state consumer protection law, Alaska does not have to present evidence that any single person was harmed, only that the company misled consumers.
"Informed choice," Allen said. "That's what this case is about."
Zyprexa brought in $4.8 billion in sales last year. The company has spent more than $1 billion to settle product liability claims from patients over Zyprexa, with many also alleging inadequate warnings.

Olanzapine: so i put weight on, say 2-3 stone & it doesnt look likely to come off any time soon. But i personally think it is an excerlent medication, because of it i can think clearly and am confident that if life were to take a sudden turn for the worst i would still have a solid grip. Been on zyprexa for about 3 years in that time ive only tryed abifily as an alternative, abifily had side effects like light headedness and generaly feeling yuck so i went back onto the olanzapine. What i want to say about it is, when i take my meds at night (10mg) its over till i have to take it again the next night, i seem to suffer no side effects and it just goes to work not even bothering me in the slightest. Guess that could make it easy for me to forget i have to take it, maybe not. Would like to hear your views on zyprexa?

[hppygr8ful]

In psych it's pretty wel known that most of the Antipsychotic medications have the side effect of weight gain and also the development of diabetes.
That this can add to the healthcare cost of patients on medicare is unfortunate. Also many patients will tell you the main reason they stop taking their meds is because they don't want to get fat. Still from what I have observed the lives of patients who stay on their medication is so greatly improved that many don't mind if they gain weight as a result. You have to truely see how miserable the lives of people who suffer from recurrent psychosis to understand this.

hppy

[TammySue]

which is why some people like abilify so much. less of those side effects.

from what i've seen, zyprexa and seroquel are the worst offenders among the antipsychotics for weight gain. geodon and abilify have the least risk of this problem. just anecdotal from seeing lots of people on these meds.

( just realized how old this thread is. this area must not be too active ...)

[cougarnurse]

Tammy, thanks for bumping the thread up the chain! I think it important.

Abilify and Geodon are good, but Public Aid here is quite anal about paying for some meds.

[TammySue]

true. i work in corrections, and the only new antipsychotics on our formulary are risperdal and geodon, and they discourage geodon unless nothing else works. all about the cost.