$600 a Month More But Not Better

Newer drugs for treating schizophrenia cost a lot more than their older counterparts-despite the fact that they don't do any more good.

[Sorrowful]

It's not just expense that makes Zyprexa a worse choice than the older antipsychotics: It's side effects.

Lilly was made in the Spring of 2002 by Japan and the UK to put a warning on its label for diabetes, hyperglycemia, and death. Of course, neither Lilly or the FDA required this warning on the label in the U.S. so no one knew about it. In the Fall of 2002, my son died from this drug, falling into a coma and dying of profound hyperglycemia. After three front page news articles, the FDA finally acted, but not just against Lilly. Not wanting to target market share of Zyprexa, then the best seller, it made all the drugs in this class place an equivalent warning. In 2004! 2004!

The CATIE showed that Zyprexa had the WORST side effects of all the drugs in its class. The drug has fallen from first place to third. While the frontrunners, Risperidal and Seroquel, also cause diabetes, the volume of injury and death is not nearly as great as what Zyprexa has done.

I can only pray that it will fade away, to be replaced by generics that do not make you die.

[Sorrowful]

Old antipsychotics - cheaper, main side effect risk tardive dyskinisia

New antipsychotics (such as the atypical Zyprexa)- more expensive,main side effect risks lethal: diabetes (thousands have gotten it), hyperglycemia and DEATH. Lilly was required to place a warning on the drug in 2002 by two other countries, Japan and the UK. Of course they didn't tell Americans. If they had my son would be alive. And of course the FDA did nothing about it for two years. If one or the other had acted immediately, my son would still be alive.

One of my oldest friends is taking Zyprexa and has been for several years. Now she not only has diabetes but the drug has failed and she is in the hospital, psychotic. She has manic depression.

I hope the older drug begins to be used. It is safer, cheaper (a generic) and has never hidden its dark secrets.