Zyprexa Side Effects & Lawsuits
Zyprexa (olanzapine), was developed in the early 1990’s as part of the next generation of anti-psychotic drugs called ‘atypicals’. These drugs were created to treat severe psychological disorders like schizophrenia with less side-effects than the previous generation of anti-psychotics (like Thorazine).
Zyprexa, made by Eli Lilly and Company, was approved to treat schizophrenia by the FDA in 1996 and was approved as a treatment for bi-polar disorder in 2000. In the last few years, Zyprexa has been increasingly prescribed for ‘off-label’ uses that it was never intended for, including treating non-severe depression and sedating the elderly in nursing homes. These additional uses have helped Zyprexa become one of Eli Lilly’s most popular drugs with revenues of over 4 billion dollars a year.
In the last few years an increasing number of Zyprexa users have reported a variety of dangerous, and in some cases, deadly side effects. Zyprexa appears to interfere with the body’s ability to process sugar and causes elevated blood sugar levels, leading to side effects such as:
- Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus)
- Hyperglycemia
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
- Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS)
- Diabetic Coma
- Pancreatitis
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
Although England, Japan and Australia have issued warnings about the link between Zyprexa and diabetes, it is only recently that the FDA has forced Eli Lilly to create Zyprexa warning labels that list some of the potential side effects. Unfortunately, these disclosures come too late for thousands of Zyprexa users who are only now discovering that the drug they trusted to help them has been affecting them in dangerous ways.
If you or a loved one have experienced any serious side effects from the defective drug Zyrexa, please call us at (800) 411-0520 or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation.
