What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
-Blockage in your bowels
-Constipation
-Dementia
-Diabetes
-Difficulty swallowing
-Glaucoma
-Have trouble controlling your muscles
-Heart disease
-High cholesterol
-High levels of prolactin
-History of breast cancer
-History of substance use disorder
-History of stroke
-Irregular heartbeat or rhythm
-Liver disease
-Low blood pressure
-Low white blood cell levels
-Prostate disease
-Seizures
-Suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempt by you or a family member
-Trouble passing urine
-An unusual or allergic reaction to olanzapine, samidorphan, other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives
-Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
-Breast-feeding
What may interact with this medication?
Do not take this medication with any of the following:
-Cisapride
-Dronedarone
-Opioids
-Pimozide
-Thioridazine
This medication may also interact with the following:
-Alcohol
-Antihistamines
-Atropine
-Benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam
-Certain medications for depression, such as amitriptyline, fluvoxamine, trazodone
-Certain medications for seizures, such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital, primidone
-Certain medications for bladder problems, such as oxybutynin or tolterodine
-Certain medications for fungal infections, such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole
-Certain medications for Parkinson disease, such as benztropine or trihexyphenidyl
-Certain medications for stomach problems, such as dicyclomine or hyoscyamine
-Certain medications for travel sickness, such as scopolamine
-Ipratropium
-Medications for blood pressure
-Medications that cause drowsiness before a procedure, such as propofol
-Medications that help you fall asleep
-Medications that relax muscles
-Other medications that cause heart rhythm changes
-Phenothiazines, such as chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, thioridazine
-Rifampin
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medication?
Visit your care team for regular checks on your progress. Tell your care team if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse. Do not suddenly stop taking this medication. You may develop a severe reaction. Your care team will tell you how much medication to take. If your care team wants you to stop the medication, the dose may be slowly lowered over time to avoid any side effects.
Do not take this medication with narcotics. This can cause severe problems including death. Also, you may be more sensitive to lower doses of narcotics after you stop taking this medication.
This medication may cause serious skin reactions. They can happen weeks to months after starting the medication. Contact your care team right away if you notice fevers or flu-like symptoms with a rash. The rash may be red or purple and then turn into blisters or peeling of the skin. Or, you might notice a red rash with swelling of the face, lips or lymph nodes in your neck or under your arms.
You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medication affects you. Do not stand up or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Alcohol may interfere with the effect of this medication. Avoid alcoholic drinks.
Your mouth may get dry. Chewing sugarless gum or sucking hard candy and drinking plenty of water may help. Contact your care team if the problem does not go away or is severe.
This medication can cause problems with controlling your body temperature. It can lower the response of your body to cold temperatures. If possible, stay indoors during cold weather. If you must go outdoors, wear warm clothes. It can also lower the response of your body to heat. Do not overheat. Do not over-exercise. Stay out of the sun when possible. If you must be in the sun, wear cool clothing. Drink plenty of water. If you have trouble controlling your body temperature, call your care team right away.
This medication may increase blood sugar. Ask your care team if changes in diet or medications are needed if you have diabetes.
If you smoke, tell your care team if you notice this medication is not working well for you. Talk to your care team if you are a smoker or if you decide to stop smoking.
What are the most serious risks of this medication?
This medication should not be used to treat mood and behavior changes caused by dementia. It may increase the risk of death in older adults with dementia.