Zyprexa (olanzapine): experience so far
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Zyprexa (olanzapine): experience so far Hi Around 2-3 weeks ago I started taking Zyprexa (brand name for olanzapine: an atypical antipsychotic). The first 2-ish weeks 2,5mg/day, now 5mg/day. I showed my doc some studies on the effect antipsychotics can have on stuttering, and he immediatly prescribed it. 5mg is still a much lower dose than what bipolar people or those with schizophrenia get, so side effects should be very mild. The first week it didn't seem to do anything other than giving me a heavy feeling when I woke up (I felt like I'd slept for 200 years). But since I upped the dosage to 5mg I seem to be more fluent by the day. Last week I had a job interview yesterday, and it went extremely well. I still stuttered, but much less and didn't panic at all. Yesterday I helped a friend in his restaurant and I can't recall stuttering once (even though I was talking all the time). This seems quite in line with what research found: suppressing D2 dopamine receptors decreases stuttering. I especially noticed how I stop the 'forecasting' (about when and on which words I'll stutter) and just let it roll out - despite not using any 'technique'. Research also tell you have to take the medicine for longer time as the effects grows bigger in time. It seems that stuttering has a lot of similarities with tics and Tourette's syndrome and it might very well be the case that PWS think very differently about their speech - comparable on how people with traditional hallucinations (albeit in a very mild and 'innocent' way). Anyone else has (had) the same experience? Side effects seem ok, apart from being a bit more fatigued and sometimes difficulties to concentrate. But this might go away with persistent use.