What is it and how is it used?
ZYPREXA belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotics.
ZYPREXA Injection is used to treat quickly symptoms of agitation and distressing behaviour that may occur in diseases with symptoms such as:
- hearing, seeing or sensing things which are not there, mistaken beliefs, unusual suspiciousness, and becoming withdrawn. People with this disease may also feel depressed, anxious or tense. - feeling "high", having excessive amounts of energy, needing much less sleep than usual, talking very quickly with racing ideas and sometimes severe irritability.
ZYPREXA Injection is given when treatment with ZYPREXA tablets is not appropriate. Your doctor will change your treatment to ZYPREXA tablets, as soon as appropriate.
What do you have to consider before using it?
You should not be given ZYPREXA
- if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to olanzapine or any of the other ingredients of ZYPREXA.An allergic reaction may be recognised as a rash, itching, a swollen face, swollen lips or shortness of breath. If this has happened to you, tell your doctor.
- if you have been previously diagnosed with eye problems such as certain kinds of glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye).
Take special care with ZYPREXA Powder for Solution for Injection
- Tell the doctor or nurse if you feel dizzy or faint after the injection. You will probably need to lie down until you feel better. The doctor may also want to measure your blood pressure and pulse. - Medicines of this type may cause unusual movements mainly of the face or tongue. If this happens after you have been given ZYPREXA, talk to your doctor.
- Very rarely, medicines of this type cause a combination of fever, faster breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness and drowsiness or sleepiness. If this happens, contact your doctor at once. No more injections will be given to you.
- The use of ZYPREXA in elderly patients with dementia is not recommended as it may have serious side effects.
If you suffer from dementia, you or your carer/relative should tell your doctor if you have ever had a stroke or “mini” stroke.
ZYPREXA is not for patients who are under 18 years.
As a routine precaution, if you are over 65 years your doctor may monitor your blood pressure.
Taking other medicines
A combination of ZYPREXA with the following medicines might make you feel drowsy: medicines taken for anxiety or to help you sleep (tranquillisers, including benzodiazpines),and antidepressants. Only take other medicines while you are on ZYPREXA if your doctor tells you that you can.
Please tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. Especially tell your doctor if you are taking medicines for Parkinson’s disease.
Taking ZYPREXA with food and drink
Do not drink any alcohol if you have been given ZYPREXA as ZYPREXA and alcohol together may make you feel drowsy.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. You should not be given this medicine when breast-feeding, as small amounts of ZYPREXA can pass into breast milk.
Driving and using machines
There is a risk of feeling drowsy when you are given ZYPREXA. If this happens do not drive or operate any tools or machines. Tell your doctor.
How is it used?
Information on reconstitution and administration is provided in a detachable section at the end of this leaflet.
Your doctor will decide how much ZYPREXA you need and how long you need it for. The dose is usually 10 mg in for the first injection, but it may be less than this. Up to 20 mg in 24 hours may be given. The dose for patients aged over 65 years is 2.5 or 5 mg.
ZYPREXA comes as a powder. Your doctor or nurse will make it up into a solution. ZYPREXA Injection is for intramuscular use. The correct amount of solution will be injected into your muscle.
If you are given more ZYPREXA than you think you should be
Patients who have been given more ZYPREXA than they should, have experienced the following symptoms: rapid beating of the heart, agitation/aggressiveness, problems with speech, unusual movements (especially of the face or tongue) and reduced level of consciousness. Other symptoms may be: acute confusion, seizures (epilepsy), coma, a combination of fever, faster breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness and drowsiness or sleepiness, slowing of the breathing rate, aspiration, high blood pressure or low blood pressure, abnormal rhythms of the heart. Tell your doctor or nurse of your concern.
Only a few doses ofZYPREXA Injection are needed. Your doctor will decide when you need a dose of ZYPREXA Injection.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor.
What are possible side effects?
Like all medicines, ZYPREXA Injection can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Common side effects with ZYPREXA Injection: affect 1 to 10 users in 100
- Slower or faster heart rate.
- Sleepiness.
- Low blood pressure.
- Discomfort at the site of injection.
- Some people may feel dizzy or faint (with a slow heart rate) after injection, especially when getting up from a lying or sitting position. This will usually pass on its own but if it does not, tell your doctor or a nurse as soon as possible.
Uncommon side effects: affect 1 to 10 users in 1,000
- Breathing more slowly.
- Abnormal rhythms of the heart, which can be serious.
In addition, the following side effects have been seen after patients have taken ZYPREXA orally.
Very common side effects: affect 1 user in 10
- Weight gain.
- Sleepiness.
- Increases in the levels of prolactin in the blood.
Common side effects: affect 1 to 10 users in 100
- Changes in the levels of some blood cells and circulating fats.
- Increases in the level of sugars in the blood and urine.
- Feeling more hungry.
- Dizziness.
- Restlessness.
- Tremor.
- Muscle stiffness or spasm (including eye movements).
- Problems with speech.
- Unusual movement (especially of the face or tongue).
- Constipation.
- Dry mouth.
- Rash.
- Loss of strength.
- Extreme tiredness.
- Water retention leading to swelling of the hands, ankles or feet.
- In the early stages of treatment, some people may feel dizzy or faint (with a slow heart rate), especially when getting up from a lying or sitting position. This will usually pass on its own but if it does not, tell your doctor.
- Sexual dysfunctions such as decreased libido in males and females or erectile dysfunction in males.
Uncommon side effects: affect 1 to 10 users in 1,000
- Slow heart rate.
- Make you sensitive to sunlight.
- Urinary incontinence.
- Hair loss.
- Absence or decrease in menstrual periods.
- Changes in breasts in males and females such as an abnormal production of breast milk or abnormal growth.
Other possible side effects: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data. - Allergic reaction (e.g. swelling in the mouth and throat, itching, rash).
- Diabetes or the worsening of diabetes, occasionally associated with ketoacidosis (ketones in the blood and urine) or coma.
- Lowering of normal body temperature.
- Seizures, usually associated with a history of seizures (epilepsy).
- Combination of fever, faster breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness and drowsiness or sleepiness. - Spasms of the muscle of the eye causing rolling movement of the eye.
- Abnormal rhythms of the heart.
- Sudden unexplained death.
- Blood clots such as deep venous thrombosis of the leg or blood clot on the lung. - Inflammation of the pancreas causing severe stomach pain, fever and sickness. - Liver disease appearing as yellowing of the skin and white parts of the eyes. - Muscle disease presenting as unexplained aches and pains.
- Difficulty in passing urine.
- Prolonged and/or painful erection.
While taking olanzapine, elderly patients with dementia may suffer from stroke, pneumonia, urinary incontinence, falls, extreme tiredness, visual hallucinations, a rise in body temperature, redness of the skin and have trouble walking. Some fatal cases have been reported in this particular group of patients.
In patients with Parkinson's disease ZYPREXA may worsen the symptoms.
Rarely women taking medicines of this type for a long time have started to secrete milk and have missed periods or had irregular periods. If this persists tell your doctor as soon as possible. Very rarely babies born to mothers who have taken ZYPREXA in the last stage of pregnancy (3 rd trimester) may have tremors, be sleepy or drowsy.
If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor.
How should it be stored?
Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
Do not use ZYPREXA Injection after the expiry date, which is stated on the carton.
Do not store above 25-C. Store in original package in order to protect from light.
After ZYPREXA Injection is made into a solution, use within one hour. Do not freeze after reconstitution.
Discard any unused contents.
