Health Issues Associated with Zyprexa

Health Issues Associated with the Use of Zyprexa

            In 2005, the FDA issued a public health advisory to alert health care providers, patients and patient caregivers to safety information concerns.  These concerns centered on the use of certain drugs called "atypical antipsychotic drugs."  Zyprexa falls into this category.  Although antipsychotics like Zyprexa were originally approved by the FDA for the treatment of schizophrenia and mania, these drugs are also used on elderly patients, in order to treat dementia.  This health warning was issued afte! r clinical studies were conducted on these drugs. The findings were startling.  They showed that elderly patients with dementia who were treated with antipsychotics have a higher death rate (when compared to patients who received a placebo).