Olanzapine seems to preserve the normal structure of sleep and increase the amount of slow-wave sleep, which might be of additional benefit in treatment of schizophrenia.
It is usually recommended to take olanzapine at bedtime because it can cause sleepiness as a side effect. However, it is important to choose a time of day to take it that you can easily remember, which could be bedtime, a mealtime, or when you brush your teeth. You can take it before or after food.
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.
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.
Olanzapine is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) or atypical antipsychotic. Olanzapine rebalances dopamine and serotonin to improve thinking, mood, and behavior.
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).
you should know that olanzapine may cause fast or slow heartbeat, dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking olanzapine.
Olanzapine (OLZ), a second-generation antipsychotic, is efficacious in acute settings at dosages of 5 to 20 mg/d, and it can be considered a first-line treatment for patients with an acute episode of schizophrenia.
Olanzapine gave me that opportunity in a way. It gave me peace for the first time in months. It didn't stop the pain or the anxiety, but it gave me the ability to rest, sleep, and relax.
Olanzapine is well absorbed and reaches peak concentrations in approximately 6 hours following an oral dose. It is eliminated extensively by first pass metabolism, with approximately 40% of the dose metabolized before reaching the systemic circulation.
In functional studies, olanzapine was a potent antagonist at 5HT and D2 receptors, suggesting it might be useful as an antipsychotic agent.
Atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine, aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone have been shown to be helpful in addressing a range of anxiety and depressive symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, and have since been used in the treatment of a range of mood and anxiety disorders ...
The main study findings, from this population-wide head-to-head comparison of thirty-seven antipsychotics, is that zuclopenthixol showed the strongest association with sedation and somnolence while prochloperazine resulted in the weakest association.
Olanzapine (Zyprexa) is considered a mood stabilizer, along with lithium (Lithotabs), certain anticonvulsants (anti-seizure medications), and some other antipsychotics. Olanzapine (Zyprexa) can also help to treat depression when combined with fluoxetine (Prozac).
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.
Adults—At first, 5 to 10 milligrams (mg) once a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 20 mg per day. Children 13 to 17 years of age—At first, 2.5 or 5 mg once a day.
For neurological, neuropsychological, neurophysiological, and metabolic abnormalities of cerebral function, in fact, there is evidence suggesting that antipsychotic medications decrease the abnormalities and return the brain to more normal function.
Avoid stopping suddenly, if possible. If you come off too quickly you are much more likely to have a relapse of your psychotic symptoms. It may also increase your risk of developing tardive psychosis. Get support from people you trust.
Seroquel, Abilify, Geodon, Latuda, and Depakote are some olanzapine alternatives.
Olanzapine is considered moderately toxic in overdose, more toxic than quetiapine, aripiprazole, and the SSRIs, and less toxic than the monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants.
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.
They can cause movement disorders such as twitching and restlessness, sedation and weight gain, and lead to diabetes.
Of the atypical antipsychotics, risperidone is the weakest in terms of atypicality criteria.
These drugs are known as atypical antipsychotics. They include aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal), and others. The drugs often make people drowsy, but there is little evidence that they actually help you fall or stay asleep.