How is olanzapine made

Open site search Open main navigation. View shareable links View Basket : 0 items. I got to a point of just wanting - or needing - to hand over control, to stop the noise in my head, pause the constant racing thoughts in my mind. Questions about mental health medication? Website by Element78 opens in new window. Close this dialog window Youngminds - fighting for young people's mental health.

Mental health support I am a young person Close this dialog window Youngminds - fighting for young people's mental health. My feelings Coping with life Mental health conditions Medications Supporting a friend Real stories Your guide to support I need urgent help Back to main menu. I am a parent Close this dialog window Youngminds - fighting for young people's mental health. Parents A-Z guide to support Parents survival guide Starting a conversation with your child Supporting your child during the coronavirus pandemic Blog Parents Helpline Back to main menu.

Search the YoungMinds website. Type some text to search the site: Search. Let's get you where you need to go Find the help and advice you need. You are not alone. If this happens, you may need to take a statin to help lower your cholesterol. Olanzapine helps to control your symptoms.

Do not stop taking olanzapine suddenly otherwise your symptoms may come back. If you need to stop taking olanzapine, your doctor will help you come off it by reducing your dose gradually. This will help prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Talk to your doctor first if you want to go onto a lower dose or to stop taking olanzapine. The antipsychotic medicine you are prescribed will depend on the type of symptoms you have, how bad your symptoms are, any other medical conditions you have and how well your medicine works for you. You may have to try a few before you find the antipsychotic medicine that is right for you.

It can take time to find the right type and dose to manage your symptoms. Different antipsychotic medicines have different side effects. Lithium is usually the first medicine used to treat bipolar disorder. Lithium is a mood stabiliser, which means it helps to balance your mood and control symptoms of mania as well as depression. Olanzapine also helps with symptoms of mania.

However, you will need to take it with another medicine to also manage your depression symptoms. You can discuss with your doctor which treatment will be best for you. It will depend on the type of symptoms you have, any other medical conditions you have and whether you might be more likely to have side effects with some medicines.

Your doctor will use other medicines as a first choice if you have anxiety. If you drink alcohol while taking olanzapine it may make you feel sleepy and unsteady on your feet. Drinking alcohol every day or in large amounts can make your symptoms worse. It also makes it harder for olanzapine to work properly.

You will not usually lose weight on olanzapine. It can make you feel more hungry than usual, so you may put on weight.

Try to eat a healthy balanced diet, without increasing your portion sizes. Do not snack on foods that contain a lot of calories, such as crisps, cakes, biscuits and sweets.

If you feel hungry between meals, eat fruit and vegetables and low-calorie foods. If you are worried about gaining or losing weight while taking olanzapine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Apart from limiting alcohol, you can eat and drink normally while taking olanzapine. If you have an increased appetite, try to eat a healthy balanced diet without increasing your portion sizes. Olanzapine will not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill or emergency contraception.

Olanzapine can affect your hormones and sometimes causes sexual problems, such as less interest in sex reduced libido in men or women, and problems getting an erection. It can also affect periods.

If you would like to start a family, then talk to your doctor if you have any of these problems or if you have any concerns. Olanzapine is a type of medicine called an antipsychotic.

Most antipsychotic medicines can cause sexual problems, but some are more likely to cause problems than others. If you feel you have a sexual problem of any kind while taking olanzapine, including less interest in sex reduced libido or problems getting an erection, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will be able to help you and may change your olanzapine treatment so that the sexual problems improve or go away. Olanzapine can make you feel sleepy.

If this happens to you, do not drive, ride a bike or use tools or machinery until you feel better. Some people find it hard to concentrate while they are taking olanzapine. When you first start taking it, it's a good idea to stop driving and cycling for the first few days until you know how the medicine makes you feel. Page last reviewed: 27 July Next review due: 27 July Olanzapine - Brand names: Zyprexa, Zentiva On this page About olanzapine Key facts Who can and cannot use olanzapine How and when to take olanzapine Side effects How to cope with side effects of olanzapine Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about olanzapine.

About olanzapine Olanzapine helps to manage symptoms of mental health conditions such as: seeing, hearing, feeling or believing things that others do not, feeling unusually suspicious or having muddled thoughts schizophrenia feeling agitated or hyperactive, very excited, elated, or impulsive mania symptoms of bipolar disorder If you have bipolar disorder, olanzapine can also stop your mania symptoms coming back.

Olanzapine is only available with a prescription. Olanzapine does not work straight away. It may take several days, or even weeks, for some of your symptoms to start improving. Soon after you first start taking olanzapine, before your other symptoms improve, it may make you feel more relaxed and calm. Common side effects include: feeling sleepy, feeling dizzy, and constipation. It works by affecting the naturally occurring chemical messengers in your brain neurotransmitters , like dopamine and serotonin.

Olanzapine can be taken by adults aged 18 years and over. Dosage and strength Olanzapine tablets come in different strengths: 2. How to take olanzapine Take olanzapine once a day, at the same time each day.

You can take it with or without food. How to take tablets Swallow your tablet whole with a drink of water. How to take tablets that dissolve in your mouth orodispersible Place the tablet on your tongue and let it dissolve. How to have injections Injections are given into the muscle of your buttock every 2 to 4 weeks by a doctor or nurse.

Will my dose go up or down? What if I forget to take it? Contact your doctor if you miss 2 or more doses. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to olanzapine.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription. It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital.

It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Olanzapine pronounced as oh lan' za peen. Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used? Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow? What special dietary instructions should I follow? What should I do if I forget a dose?

What side effects can this medication cause? What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication? Brand names Brand names of combination products. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of olanzapine and gradually increase your dose.

Other uses for this medicine. What special precautions should I follow? Before taking olanzapine, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to olanzapine or any other medications. Be sure to mention any of the following: antidepressants; antihistamines; carbamazepine Tegretol ; dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine Parlodel , cabergoline Dostinex , levodopa Dopar, Larodopa , pergolide Permax , and ropinirole Requip ; fluoroquinolone antibiotics including ciprofloxacin Cipro , gatifloxacin Tequin not available in the United States , levofloxacin Levaquin , norfloxacin Noroxin , ofloxacin Floxin , others; fluvoxamine Luvox ; ipratropium Atrovent ; medications for anxiety, high blood pressure, irritable bowel disease, mental illness, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, seizures, ulcers, or urinary problems; 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. Tell your doctor if you have constipation, severe vomiting or diarrhea or signs of dehydration now, or if you develop these symptoms at any time during your treatment.

Also tell your doctor if you have ever had to stop taking a medication for mental illness because of severe side effects.

If you become pregnant while taking olanzapine, call your doctor. Olanzapine may cause problems in newborns following delivery if it is taken during the last months of pregnancy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. Do not drink alcohol while taking olanzapine. Cigarette smoking may decrease the effectiveness of this medication.