Olanzapine

You can drink alcohol while taking olanzapine, but it could make you very sleepy and make you fall over

• If you drink alcohol, you can continue to drink some alcohol while taking olanzapine, but having the two together might make you very sleepy or make you fall over.
• If you drink a lot of alcohol, these effects will be much more serious.
• Alcohol can also make the symptoms of your condition worse.
• So, during the first few days, it might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.
• If you want to drink alcohol, remember that you might be sleepy and make sure you can get home safely.

Do not drive a car or ride a bike just after you start taking olanzapine

• Taking olanzapine may make you feel tired or dizzy when you start taking it.
• This could affect you if you drive a car, ride a bike, or do anything else that needs a lot of focus. It might be best to stop doing these things for the first few days, until you know how it affects you.
• Do not worry - most people drive as normal while taking olanzapine.

Try not to take olanzapine for the first time just before your exams.

• Olanzapine can make you feel tired and dizzy, and can affect your memory.
• You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting olanzapine.
• You might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them.
• You might find that it is better, however, to start olanzapine to improve your symptoms and your ability to study and do the exams.
• You could take your olanzapine at night (if you do not do that already) to see if that is better for you.
• Do not worry - most people do exams as normal while taking olanzapine.

Olanzapine is not a banned substance in sport

• Olanzapine is not a banned substance in sport.
• It can, however, make you feel tired or dizzy, so this might affect your performance in sports that need a lot of focus.
• You need to see how it affects you.
• Do not worry - most people do sports as normal while taking olanzapine.

Your weight can be affected by olanzapine.

• A common side-effect of olanzapine is weight gain.
• You need to have your weight checked regularly while you are taking it.
• Talk to your doctor about this if it worries you.
• It is thought that one of the reasons olanzapine causes weight gain is increased appetite, meaning that you eat more.
• Making sure to do enough exercise and eat a healthy diet (with vegetables and fibre) can help you to avoid putting on weight.

Let your family and friends know you are taking olanzapine so they can support you and help you look out for side effects.

• The side-effects of olanzapine might put a strain on your friendships and relationships, especially in the first few days of taking it.
• You might feel very tired, and your memory might be affected.
• These side-effects should get better after a few days.
• You should then be getting the good effects of olanzapine, and that should improve your relationships in itself.
• It might actually be a great idea to choose a good friend to tell about your medicine when you start taking it. (Or - even better - to take one with you to the doctor before you start taking it!)
• They could look at the medicine leaflet, or at this website.
• They could help you to understand whether the medicine changes your behaviour, or gives you side-effects (sometimes it is hard for us to see it ourselves).

Olanzapine can have side-effects that might affect your sex life, but they should not last for long.

The good effects of olanzapine may have a good effect on your sex life as your symptoms settle and you can concentrate on your relationships.

There are some side-effects that include:

• Feeling less interested in sex.
• For women, very occasionally periods might stop, breasts might grow, and in very rare instances, some milk might flow.
• For men, very occasionally breasts might grow, and they may have difficulty getting an erection.
• If you gain weight, or get a rash, you may not feel as sexy.

Some of these effects should pass after the first couple of weeks. If they do not, and this is a problem for you, go back to the doctor and see what else you could try.

Olanzapine is unlikely to affect fertility, but you should talk to your doctor if you are planning to get pregnant.

• Olanzapine may increase the level of a hormone called prolactin in the body for a short time when you start taking it, but not to a very high level.
• If prolactin levels do rise for a short time after starting olanzapine, then women may find it more difficult to get pregnant, and men may find it more difficult to get their partner pregnant.
• However, this is not a common problem for people who take olanzapine.
• Men who take olanzapine and are having difficulties with sex or fertility should speak to their doctor about this.
• Women who take olanzapine and want to become pregnant should talk to their doctor and also see below for more information about taking olanzapine during pregnancy.

Is it safe to take olanzapine in pregnancy?

There is no yes or no answer to this question. When deciding whether or not to take olanzapine during pregnancy it is important to weigh up how necessary olanzapine is to your health against the possible risks to you or your baby, some of which will depend on how many weeks pregnant you are.

Remaining well is particularly important during pregnancy and while caring for a baby. For some women treatment with olanzapine in pregnancy may be necessary.

Please consult the UK Teratology Information Service’s Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (Bumps) website for more information, including specific information on olanzapine in pregnancy

Can I breastfeed if I am taking olanzapine?

• Olanzapine gets into breast milk, but only in small amounts (around 1%).
• There is a risk of the baby becoming very drowsy if breastfed when the mother is taking olanzapine.
• For this reason, breastfeeding whilst taking olanzapine is not usually recommended. However, some mothers breastfeed with no problems while taking olanzapine.
• You should talk to the doctor if you are taking olanzapine and thinking of breastfeeding after you give birth to your baby.
• Remember that it is important for you to stay well whilst you are bonding with and looking after your baby. This means that you may need to take olanzapine or another medicine for your mental health when breastfeeding.
• You may also need to consider bottle feeding with formula milk if there are any problems with breastfeeding whilst taking medicines.
• Talk to your doctor or midwife about your feeding options.
• Taking the olanzapine just before your baby’s longest period of sleep will help to reduce the amount of olanzapine passed to the baby through your breast milk.
• Make sure that your doctor, nurse, or health visitor checks your baby for any side effects. These can include:

o   Being extra sleepy

o   Having colic

o   Feeding problems

o   Being floppy

o   Poor weight gain

• If there any problems, the doctor may need to reduce your olanzapine dose or switch to an alternative medicine.
• The second half of the feed (also known as “hind milk”) may contain more olanzapine than the first half.
• If your baby was premature or has health problems, then you will need to be extra careful about taking medicines whilst breastfeeding. Discuss this with your doctor.

If you start or stop smoking while you are taking olanzapine, you may have to change your dose.

• Cigarette smoke affects the amount of olanzapine in your body.
• If you smoke, you will probably need a higher dose of olanzapine than someone who does not smoke.
• Tell your doctor if you smoke, so that you get the right dose for you.
• If you stop smoking, the body olanzapine level rises and you might need to reduce your dose of olanzapine slowly over one week
• If you (re)start smoking, you will probably need to increase it again
• Go to your doctor for advice if you stop or start smoking.

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