Addicts seek out the calming and hallucinogenic effects caused by quetiapine and olanzapine. Oftentimes, they are even combined with cocaine or heroin to get a euphoric and hallucinogenic effect, or combined with opiates and benzodiazepines for an enhanced sedative and calming effect.
What happens if a normal person takes olanzapine? Olanzapine is prescribed for people who have chronic schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In ordinary people, intake of olanzapine increases weight by at least 2–3 kgs over six weeks. Other side effects include dry mouth, tremors, restlessness, and muscle contractions.
On a side note, olanzapine was the only other atypical antipsychotic that emerged in this study as a drug with street value.
Quetiapine abuse is relatively common, and is abused far more often than any other second-generation antipsychotic. Emergency physicians should be aware of the clinical effects that may occur after second-generation antipsychotic abuse.
The most common symptoms that arise as a result of olanzapine overdose include central nervous system (CNS) depression with somnolence, blurred vision, low blood pressure, respiratory depression, extrapyramidal and anticholinergic effects, as well as exceptionally high fever.
If abused often, it can become addictive. Second-generation antipsychotics, such as quetiapine and olanzapine, are often abuse for their sedative and anxiolytic effects. Addicts seek out the calming and hallucinogenic effects caused by quetiapine and olanzapine.
About olanzapine
feeling agitated or hyperactive, very excited, elated, or impulsive (mania symptoms of bipolar disorder)
They can cause movement disorders such as twitching and restlessness, sedation and weight gain, and lead to diabetes. Because of these side effects, antipsychotic drugs are usually only used to treat severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
People who abuse antipsychotic drugs can show any of the side effects these drugs are known to have, most often shaking and depression or disturbed sleep. Because Seroquel is used in conjunction with other drugs, the symptoms of those drugs can easily mask the presence of the antipsychotic agent that's also present.
Street names for quetiapine include “quell,” “Susie-Q,” and “baby heroin,” and “Q-ball” refers to a combination of cocaine and quetiapine. Quetiapine tablets have a street value of $3 to $8 for doses ranging from 25 mg to 100 mg.
In functional studies, olanzapine was a potent antagonist at 5HT and D2 receptors, suggesting it might be useful as an antipsychotic agent.
Here, we report that the atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine, widely available in various formulations, is a potent agonist of the human M4 muscarinic receptor-based DREADD, facilitating clinical translation of chemogenetics to treat central nervous system diseases.
A study by Richelson and Souder7 of the binding profiles of antipsychotic medications found that olanzapine has the highest affinity for the histamine H1 receptors, followed by clozapine (Figure 1). This may explain why olanzapine has a relatively large sedative effect even though it is a high-potency medication.
Although hypersexuality has been acknowledged as a possible side effect of antipsychotic treatment with partial dopamine agonists, including aripiprazole, only very few cases of olanzapine-associated hypersexuality have been reported in the literature.
Olanzapine is used to treat schizophrenia. It may also be used alone or with other medicines (eg, lithium or valproate) to treat mania or mixed episodes that is part of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness).
McGurk et al. (2004) reported significant improvements in nine of 19 cognitive tests, including measures of selective attention, verbal learning and memory, and fluency in schizophrenia patients. Notably, olanzapine treatment did not worsen performance on any cognitive test.
Drugs that are addictive produce a feeling of euphoria, a strong desire to continue using the drug, and a need to increase the amount used to achieve the same effect. Antipsychotics do not have these effects.
It's an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depressions, but it's also known among inmates for its sleep-causing effects. Referred to as “baby heroin,” “Suzie Q” and other names, quetiapine can be crushed and snorted.
Due to the ways in which alcohol and antipsychotics both affect neurotransmitters, alcohol use can minimize the effectiveness of antipsychotics. This means that hallucinations or delusions can return, as well as states of mania.
Antipsychotics can cause the very symptoms they relieve, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, poorer cognition, agitation, mania, insomnia, and abnormal movements.
Clozapine, which has the strongest antipsychotic effect, can cause neutropenia. A problem in the treatment of schizophrenia is poor patient compliance leading to the recurrence of psychotic symptoms.
Some people need to keep taking it long term. If you have only had one psychotic episode and you have recovered well, you would normally need to continue treatment for 1–2 years after recovery. If you have another psychotic episode, you may need to take antipsychotic medication for longer, up to 5 years.
Similar analyses in male C57BL/6 mice found that olanzapine treatment led to a similar increase in energy expenditure and a decrease in physical activity.
OLANZapine food
Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of OLANZapine such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with OLANZapine.
Additionally, clozapine and olanzapine are benzodiazepines that are excluded from the CDSA but are regulated as prescription drugs under the Food and Drug Regulations.