Oleanz Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Oleanz Tablet contains Olanzapine, an atypical second-generation antipsychotic from the thienobenzodiazepine class. It is used to treat serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by helping correct imbalances in brain chemicals, particularly dopamine and serotonin. It is available as a tablet and as an injection, and should always be used exactly as prescribed by a doctor.

What is Oleanz Tablet

Oleanz is an atypical antipsychotic medicine used to treat serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It works by helping correct imbalances in certain brain chemicals, particularly dopamine and serotonin, to reduce symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and mood instability.

Oleanz Tablet uses

• Schizophrenia in adults and adolescents (13-17 years), for acute treatment of symptoms and for long-term maintenance to prevent relapse
• Acute manic or mixed episodes of Bipolar I disorder, alone or combined with lithium or valproate
• Maintenance treatment of Bipolar I disorder
• Acute agitation linked to schizophrenia or Bipolar I mania (short-acting injection, where available)
• Combined with fluoxetine for depressive episodes of Bipolar I disorder and for depression that has not responded to other treatments
• Sometimes used off-label, under specialist supervision, for nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy and for agitation linked to delirium

Benefits of Oleanz Tablet

• Helps improve disturbed thinking, hallucinations, agitation, suspiciousness, sleep problems, and severe mood changes by balancing important brain chemicals
• Helps calm racing thoughts and restores emotional balance during manic episodes
• May reduce the risk of mood swings coming back when continued long-term

How Oleanz Tablet works

Oleanz works by blocking certain brain receptors for dopamine and serotonin, two chemicals involved in mood, thinking, behavior, sleep, and perception. By reducing excessive dopamine signaling and balancing serotonin activity, it helps control hallucinations, agitation, manic symptoms, and disturbed thoughts, while improving emotional stability and sleep quality.

Oleanz Tablet dosage

Standard tablets may be taken with or without food, generally once daily, preferably at the same time each day. Standard tablets should be swallowed whole with a glass of water and should not be crushed or chewed. Orally disintegrating (dispersible) tablets should be placed on the tongue, allowed to dissolve, and then swallowed with or without water; they should not be split or chewed. Dispersible tablets can also be dropped into a glass of water, allowed to dissolve, and the mixture drunk once fully dissolved.

It may take several weeks before the full benefit is seen, so continue taking it as prescribed. Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly without talking to your doctor, as this can cause withdrawal or rebound symptoms. If a dose is missed, take it as soon as you remember, but skip it if it is almost time for the next dose — do not double up. Lower starting doses are generally used in elderly patients and in adolescents compared with adults.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet
• Injection

Side effects of Oleanz Tablet

Common

• Sleepiness/sedation
• Weight gain and increased appetite
• Dizziness, especially on standing (orthostatic hypotension)
• Dry mouth, constipation
• Elevated blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol
• Mild, temporary rises in liver enzymes
• Tremor, restlessness, and other mild uncontrolled movements
• Swelling in hands, ankles, or feet
• Headache
• Increased levels of prolactin in the blood
• Rashes
• Loss of strength, extreme tiredness, feeling more hungry
• Fever, joint pain
• Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido
• Memory loss or forgetfulness
• Hair loss
• Changes in breasts, such as abnormal milk production or growth
• Running nose and cough
• Change in personality

Serious

• Seizures
• Significant high blood sugar, including rare diabetic ketoacidosis
• Low white blood cell counts (leukopenia, neutropenia, or rarely agranulocytosis)
• Blood clots in the veins (swelling, pain, redness in the leg) that may travel to the lungs causing chest pain and breathing difficulty
• Increased risk of death in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis, mainly from heart problems or infections like pneumonia

Warnings and precautions

• Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis who take antipsychotic drugs like Oleanz have a higher risk of death, mainly from heart problems or infections such as pneumonia. Oleanz is not approved for this use.
• Oleanz can cause major weight gain, high blood sugar (including new diabetes), and raised cholesterol and triglycerides, and these effects tend to be stronger than with several other antipsychotics. Weight, blood sugar, and lipid levels should be checked regularly.
• Oleanz can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure on standing, leading to dizziness, fast heartbeat, or fainting, particularly at the start of treatment or dose changes.
• A rare but potentially deadly reaction called neuroleptic malignant syndrome can occur, with high fever, muscle stiffness, confusion, and unstable blood pressure or heart rate. If this happens, Oleanz should be stopped right away and the person should get urgent medical care.
• Long-term use can cause a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia, with uncontrollable movements that may not go away even after stopping the medicine.
• People with a history of low white blood cell counts need frequent blood tests, especially in the first months of treatment, since Oleanz can further lower these counts.
• Oleanz should be used carefully in people with a history of seizures or conditions that make seizures more likely.
• When combined with fluoxetine for depression, there is an added risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, teens, and young adults up to age 24, so close monitoring is needed, especially early in treatment.
• Oleanz should not be stopped suddenly; the dose must be lowered gradually under medical supervision to avoid withdrawal or rebound symptoms.
• Oleanz should be used carefully in people with narrow-angle glaucoma, an enlarged prostate, bowel blockage, or significant liver problems.
• Oleanz should be used in pregnancy only if the benefits clearly outweigh the risks to the baby. Babies exposed in the last three months of pregnancy can have movement problems or withdrawal symptoms after birth, so this should always be discussed with a doctor.
• Oleanz passes into breast milk, so breastfeeding is generally not recommended during treatment unless a doctor decides the benefits outweigh the risks. If used, the baby should be watched for sleepiness, feeding problems, and irritability.
• Oleanz should be used carefully in people with kidney disease, although it is mostly removed from the body by other routes and generally does not need dose changes.
• Oleanz should be used with extra caution in people with liver problems, and liver function should be checked regularly; a lower starting dose may be needed.
• Avoid alcohol while taking Oleanz, as the combination can increase sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, and poor concentration, and may raise the risk of falls.
• Oleanz can cause drowsiness or dizziness, especially when starting treatment, so avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Store at room temperature (below 30°C), away from light and moisture
• Keep out of reach of children

When to see a doctor

• Get medical help right away for fever with muscle stiffness, uncontrolled movements, signs of high blood sugar such as unusual thirst or urination, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.
• Stop the medicine and contact your doctor immediately if you notice unusual movements of the face or tongue, signs of a blood clot (swelling, pain, redness in the leg, or sudden chest pain and breathing trouble), or fever with fast breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness and drowsiness.
• If someone takes too much Oleanz, get emergency medical help right away; do not try to manage an overdose at home.

Alternatives

• Olimelt
• Olan
• Olanex