Zyprexa Relprevv

Zyprexa Relprevv is a prescription medication used to treat schizophrenia. Zyprexa Relprevv belongs to a group of drugs called atypical antipsychotics, which work by altering the activity and levels of certain natural chemicals in the brain.

Zyprexa Relprevv is available as a long acting injection and is to be given directly into the muscle every 2 or 4 weeks depending on the dose given. 

Common side effects of Zyprexa Relprevv include headache, dry mouth, increased appetite, and somnolence (feeling tired).

Zyprexa Relprevv is a prescription medicine used to treat schizophrenia.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Eli Lilly and Company

Serious side effects may happen when you take Zyprexa Relprevv. See Zyprexa Relprevv Precautions.

Common side effects of Zyprexa Relprevv include: 

• headache
• sedation
• increased appetite
• weight gain
• cough
• diarrhea
• back pain
• nausea
• somnolence (feeling tired)
• dry mouth
• nasopharyngitis
• vomiting

Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects with Zyprexa Relprevv. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• diazepam (Valium)
• alcohol
• carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• fluvoxamine (Luvox)
• fluoxetine (Prozac, Symbax)
• levodopa
• lorazepam
• antidepressants
• antihistamines
• medicines for anxiety
• medicines for high blood pressure

This is not a complete list of Zyprexa Relprevv drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Zyprexa Relprevv may cause serious side effects, including:

Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis: Increased risk of death and increased incidence of cerebrovascular adverse events (e.g. stroke, transient ischemic attack)

Suicide: The possibility of a suicide attempt is inherent in schizophrenia, and close supervision of high-risk patients should accompany drug therapy.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS): NMS is a rare but very serious condition that can happen in people who take antipsychotic medicines, including Zyprexa Relprevv. NMS can cause death and must be treated in a hospital. Call your doctor right away if you become severely ill and have any of these symptoms:

• high fever
• excessive sweating
• rigid muscles
• confusion
• changes in your breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure.

Metabolic Changes: Atypical antipsychotic drugs have been associated with metabolic changes including high blood sugar , dyslipidemia (high fat levels in your blood), and weight gain.

1. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia). High blood sugar can happen if you have diabetes already or if you have never had diabetes. High blood sugar could lead to:

• a build up of acid in your blood due to ketones (ketoacidosis)
• coma
• death

Your doctor should do tests to check your blood sugar before you start receiving Zyprexa Relprevv and during treatment. In people who do not have diabetes, sometimes high blood sugar goes away when Zyprexa Relprevv is stopped. People with diabetes and some people who did not have diabetes before receiving Zyprexa Relprevv need to take medicine for high blood sugar even after they stop receiving Zyprexa Relprevv.

If you have diabetes, follow your doctor's instructions about how often to check your blood sugar while receiving Zyprexa Relprevv.

Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) while receiving Zyprexa Relprevv:

• feel very thirsty
• need to urinate more than usual
• feel very hungry
• feel weak or tired
• feel sick to your stomach
• feel confused or your breath smells fruity

2. High fat levels in your blood (increased cholesterol and triglycerides), especially in teenagers age 13 to 17. High fat levels may happen in people treated with Zyprexa Relprevv, especially in teenagers (13 to 17 years old). You may not have any symptoms, so your doctor should do blood tests to check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels before you start receiving Zyprexa Relprevv and during treatment.

3. Weight gain, especially in teenagers age 13 to 17. Weight gain is very common in people who receive Zyprexa Relprevv. Teenagers (13 to 17 years old) are more likely to gain weight and to gain more weight than adults. Some people may gain a lot of weight while receiving Zyprexa Relprevv, so you and your doctor should check your weight regularly. Talk to your doctor about ways to control weight gain, such as eating a healthy, balanced diet, and exercising.

Tardive Dyskinesia: This condition causes body movements that keep happening and that you can not control. These movements usually affect the face and tongue. Tardive dyskinesia may not go away, even if you stop taking Zyprexa Relprevv. It may also start after you stop taking Zyprexa Relprevv. Tell your doctor if you get any body movements that you can not control.

Decreased blood pressure when you change positions, with symptoms of dizziness, fast or slow heartbeat, or fainting.

Changes in Blood counts. Patients with a history of a clinically significant low white blood cell count (WBC) or drug induced leukopenia/neutropenia should have their complete blood count (CBC) monitored frequently during the first few months of therapy.

Seizures: Tell your doctor if you have a seizure during treatment with Zyprexa Relprevv.

Potential for Cognitive and Motor Impairment: Has potential to impair judgment, thinking, and motor skills. Use caution when operating machinery.

Elevated prolactin levels. Zyprexa Relprevv may elevate prolactin levels.

Do NOT drink alcohol while receiving Zyprexa Relprevv.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Zyprexa Relprevv, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before Zyprexa Relprevv, tell your doctor if you have or had:

• heart problems
• seizures
• diabetes or high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
• high cholesterol or triglyceride levels in your blood
• liver problems
• low or high blood pressure
• strokes or “mini-strokes” also called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)
• Alzheimer's disease
• narrow-angle glaucoma
• enlarged prostate in men
• bowel obstruction
• breast cancer
• thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself
• any other medical condition

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor if you exercise a lot or are in hot places often.

The symptoms of schizophrenia may include thoughts of suicide or of hurting yourself or others. If you have these thoughts at any time, tell your doctor or go to an emergency room right away.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines that you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Zyprexa Relprevv and some medicines may interact with each other and may not work as well, or cause possible serious side effects. Your doctor can tell you if it is safe to receive Zyprexa Relprevv with your other medicines. Do not start or stop any medicine while receiving Zyprexa Relprevv without talking to your doctor first.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Zyprexa Relprevv will harm your unborn baby. Zyprexa Relprevv should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Zyprexa (olanzapine) may be excreted in human breast milk. It is recommended women receiving Zyprexa Relprevv should not breastfeed.

• Take Zyprexa Relprevv exactly as prescribed. Your doctor may need to change (adjust) the dose of Zyprexa Relprevv until it is right for you.

• Zyprexa Relprevv is available as a long acting injection and is to be given directly into the muscle every 2 or 4 weeks depending on the dose given. 
• It is not to be injected intravenously (vein) or subcutaneously (under the skin).

Call your doctor if you do not think you are getting better or have any concerns about your condition while receiving Zyprexa Relprevv.

Take Zyprexa Relprevv exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you, after weighing a number of factors including:

• condition, and severity of condition being treated
• your age
• your other medical conditions
• other medicines you currently take. 

The recommended dose range for Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine) is 150 mg to 300 mg administered every 2 weeks and 405 mg administered every 4 weeks.

Since Zyprexa Relprevv is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention

If you miss a dose of Zyprexa Relprevv, make sure to make a follow up appointment immediately. 

Patients are at risk for severe sedation (including coma) and/or delirium after each injection and must be observed for at least 3 hours in a registered facility with ready access to emergency response services. Because of this risk, ZYPREXA RELPREVV is available only through a restricted distribution program called Zyprexa Relprevv Patient Care Program and requires prescriber, healthcare facility, patient, and pharmacy enrollment.

 Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Zyprexa Relprevv is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.