Olanzapine

CAUTION:
Studies have shown that older adults with dementia (significant loss of intellectual abilities, such as memory, severe enough to affect social or occupational functioning) who take antipsychotic medications such as olanzapine to treat behavioral problems have an increased chance of death.

General Information and Indications:

Olanzapine is used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia.(a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions). It is also used to treat episodes of mania (frenzied, abnormally excited or irritated mood) or mixed episodes (symptoms of mania and depression that happen together) in patients with bipolar I disorder (manic depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods). Olanzapine is in a class of medications called atypical antipsychotics. It works by changing the activity of certain natural substances in the brain.

Information For Users:

Olanzapine comes as a tablet and an orally disintegrating tablet (tablet that dissolves quickly in the mouth) to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day. Take olanzapine at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label, ask your doctor or pharmacist If you have any questions. Take olanzapine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your health care provider.

To take the orally disintegrating tablet, use dry hands to peel back the foil packaging. Immediately take out the tablet and place it in your mouth. The tablet will quickly dissolve and can be swallowed with saliva. No water is needed to swallow disintegrating tablets.

Olanzapine helps treat schizophrenia but does not cure it. It may take several weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of olanzapine. Continue taking olanzapine even if you feel well. Do not discontinue taking olanzapine without informing your doctor, especially if you have taken large doses for a long time. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually.
Other uses for this medicine

Special precautions:

o Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have allergy to olanzapine or any other medications.
o Inform your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: acetaminophen (Tylenol, others); antidepressants; antihistamines; atazanavir (Reyataz); carbamazepine (Tegretol); cholesterol-lowering medications (statins); cimetidine (Tagamet); dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine (Parlodel), cabergoline (Dostinex), levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa), pergolide (Permax), and ropinirole (Requip); fluoroquinolone antibiotics including ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gatifloxacin (Tequin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), others; fluvoxamine (Luvox); ipratropium (Atrovent); iron products; isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); medications for anxiety, hypertension, irritable bowel disease, mental illness, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, seizures, ulcers, or urinary problems; methotrexate (Rheumatrex); niacin (nicotinic acid); omeprazole (Prilosec); rifampin (Rifadin); sedatives; sleeping pills; ticlopidine (Ticlid); and tranquilizers. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
o inform your doctor if you are breast-feeding a stroke, ministroke, heart disease or a heart attack, seizures, Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer, any condition that makes it difficult for you to swallow, high or low blood pressure, liver or prostate disease, paralytic ileus (food is unable to move through the intestine); glaucoma, or if you or anyone in your family has or has ever had diabetes. Also Inform your doctor if you have ever had to stop taking a medication for mental illness because of severe side effects.
o Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking olanzapine, call your doctor. Do not breastfeed if you are taking olanzapine.
o if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, Inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking olanzapine.
o you should know that olanzapine may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
o remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication. Do not drink alcohol while taking olanzapine
o Inform your doctor if you use tobacco products. Cigarette smoking may decrease the effectiveness of this medication.
o you should know that you may have increases in your blood sugar (hyperglycemia) while you are taking this medication, even if you do not already have diabetes. If you have schizophrenia, you are more likely to develop diabetes than people who do not have schizophrenia, and taking olanzapine or similar medications may increase this risk. Inform your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms while you are taking olanzapine: extreme thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, blurred vision (Impaired vision), or weakness. It is very important to call your doctor as soon as you have any of these symptoms, because high blood sugar can cause more serious symptoms, such as dry mouth, upset stomach and vomiting, shortness of breath, breath that smells fruity, or decreased consciousness, and may become life-threatening if it is not treated at an early stage.
o you should know that olanzapine may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking olanzapine. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.
o you should know that olanzapine may make it harder for your body to cool down when it gets very hot. Inform your doctor if you plan to do vigorous exercise or be exposed to extreme heat.
o if you have phenylketonuria (PKU, an inherited condition in which a special diet must be followed to prevent mental retardation), you should know that the orally disintegrating tablets contain phenylalanine.

Possible Adverse Effects:

Olanzapine may cause adverse effects. Inform your doctor if any of the following symptoms are severe or do not go away:

o drowsiness
o dizziness
o restlessness
o unusual behavior
o depression
o difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
o weakness
o difficulty walking
o constipation
o weight gain
o dry mouth
o pain in arms, legs, back, or joints
o diarrhea

Some adverse effects could be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS section, call your doctor without delay:

o seizures
o fainting
o shaking of hands that you can not control
o changes in vision
o uncontrollable movements of your arms, legs, tongue, face, or lips
o fever
o very stiff muscles
o excess sweating
o fast or irregular heartbeat
o unusual bruising or bleeding
o loss of appetite (anorexia)
o upset stomach
o yellowness of the skin or eyes
o pain in the upper right part of the stomach
o flu-like symptoms
o lack of energy
 

Possible Symptoms of Overdose:

o drowsiness
o slurred speech
o agitation
o fast heartbeat
o sudden movements that you can not control
o coma

Brand Name(s):

o Zyprexa®
o Zyprexa®
o Zydis®

Other Name(s): o Symbyax® containing Olanzapine and Fluoxetine Hydrochloride