How does Zyprexa cause diabetes?

On July 1, 2002, Duke University issued a Press Release about the most recent finding that links the new anti-psychotics to early onset diabetes. The team of researchers--Elizabeth A. Koller, M.D. from the FDA, and Murali Doraiswamy, M.D. from Duke-- analyzed FDA's adverse drug report database, MedWatch (which receives 10% of adverse drug reports). They identified 289 cases of diabetes in patients who had been prescribed olanzapine (a.k.a. Zyprexa), Eli Lilly's most profitable drug.

The researchers reported:"Of the 289 cases of diabetes linked to the use of olanzapine, 225 were newly diagnosed cases. One hundred patients developed ketosis (a serious complication of diabetes), and 22 people developed pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, which is a life-threatening condition. There were 23 deaths, including that of a 15-year-old adolescent who died of necrotizing pancreatitis, a condition where the pancreas breaks down and dies. Most cases (71 percent) occurred within six months of starting the drug and many cases were associated with moderate weight gain."
End of Duke PR

So,it's "possible" that Zyprexa and the other atypicals may actually damage the pancreatic cells directly?

Scary thought!

I work on these pharmaceutical  cases all the time, please stay away from any  new drug that has not been on the market for more than five years (especially anti- arthritic medications) unless the benefit outweighs the risk for you personally. Also, read the labels, i.e. any thing that says " in some cases this drug may have severe reactions, etc."  Read that stuff! 

Aleve is safer than all of them for arthritis if you eat before you take it and don't have ulcers. Forget about all the new stuff that is coming out to quickly replace Vioxx, Celebrex, etc. They are just trying to cover their lost profits from taking those drugs off the market.

The drug companies don't give a darn about your health are are only trying to make a buck. They pay big bucks to doctors for clinical trials, grants, and lavish them with perks.  It's not the doctors fault either, most of these big companies conceal this information from the medical community as long as possible and manipulate the studies.  If something is already an over- the- counter medication, it is typically safe, unless you have a specific medical condition or allergy. I am not a doctor, but this has been my overall experience, having seen some of these cases first hand. Doctors are not God, and they only know what the pharmaceutical companies tell them until a new drug has been reviewed by the AJM and several independent studies. The FDA are push-overs, and only really react after the fact, when the new drug has already done the damage.  Again they are typically relying on studies published by the company that is pushing the drug.

Find a doctor that you can trust, and always discuss your options,don't  assume that the first medication prescribed for you, is the best one for you, it may not be. I apologize in advance for making my comment anonymous, but I have to in this instance.