Olanzaran

Package Leaflet: Information for the User

Olanzaran, 5 mg, tablets

Olanzaran, 10 mg, tablets

Olanzapine

Read the package leaflet carefully before taking the medicine, as it contains important information for the patient.

• Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
• If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, please inform your doctor or pharmacist. See section 4.

Table of Contents of the Leaflet

• 1. What is Olanzaran and what is it used for
• 2. Important information before taking Olanzaran
• 3. How to take Olanzaran
• 4. Possible side effects
• 5. How to store Olanzaran
• 6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What is Olanzaran and what is it used for

Olanzaran contains the active substance olanzapine. Olanzaran belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotics and is used to treat the following diseases:

• Schizophrenia, a disease characterized by hearing, seeing, or feeling things that do not exist in reality, having beliefs that are contrary to reality, being overly suspicious, and withdrawing from contact with others. Patients with this disease may also experience depression, anxiety, or tension;
• Moderate to severe manic episodes, i.e., a state in which the patient feels excited or euphoric.

In patients with bipolar disorder, who had manic episodes that disappeared after taking Olanzaran, the use of the medicine also prevented their recurrence.

2. Important information before taking Olanzaran

When not to take Olanzaran:

• If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to olanzapine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). An allergic reaction may manifest as a rash, itching, swelling of the face, lip swelling, or shortness of breath. If an allergic reaction occurs, inform your doctor;
• If you have previously been diagnosed with eye diseases, including certain types of glaucoma (increased eye pressure).

Warnings and precautions

Before starting to take Olanzaran, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist.

• Olanzaran is not recommended for use in elderly patients with dementia, as the medicine may have serious side effects in this group of patients.
• Medicines of this type may cause abnormal movements, especially in the face or tongue. If such a symptom occurs after taking Olanzaran, inform your doctor.
• Medicines of this type very rarely cause a syndrome of symptoms including fever, rapid breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness, and drowsiness or sleepiness. If such symptoms occur, contact your doctor immediately.
• In patients taking Olanzaran, an increase in body weight has been observed. Therefore, when taking Olanzaran, it is recommended to regularly monitor body weight. Consider visiting a dietitian or using a diet if necessary.
• In patients taking olanzapine, an increase in glucose and fat (triglycerides and cholesterol) levels in the blood has been observed. Your doctor will recommend a blood test to control glucose levels and some fats before starting treatment and regularly during treatment with Olanzaran.
• Inform your doctor if you or a family member have had blood clots, as taking this type of medicine has been associated with the formation of blood clots.

If you have any of the following diseases, inform your doctor as soon as possible:

• stroke or "mini" stroke (transient stroke symptoms)
• Parkinson's disease
• prostate disorders
• intestinal obstruction (paralytic ileus)
• liver or kidney disease
• blood diseases
• heart disease
• diabetes
• seizures

If you have dementia and have ever had a stroke or "mini" stroke, you or your caregiver/relative should inform your doctor.
In people over 65 years of age, the doctor may check blood pressure as a precautionary measure.

Children and adolescents

Olanzaran is not intended for use in patients under 18 years of age.

Olanzaran and other medicines

While taking Olanzaran, you can take other medicines only with your doctor's consent. You may feel drowsy when Olanzaran is used in combination with antidepressants or medicines used for anxiety, or medicines that help you fall asleep (sedatives).
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking now or have taken recently, as well as the medicines you plan to take.
In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking:

• medicines for Parkinson's disease;
• carbamazepine (an antiepileptic and mood stabilizer), fluvoxamine (an antidepressant), or ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic), as a dose adjustment of Olanzaran may be necessary.

Taking Olanzaran with alcohol

Do not drink alcohol while taking Olanzaran, as olanzapine in combination with alcohol may cause drowsiness.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a child, consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
Do not take the medicine during breastfeeding, as small amounts of olanzapine may pass into breast milk.
In newborns whose mothers took Olanzaran in the last trimester of pregnancy (the last three months of pregnancy), the following symptoms may occur: trembling, muscle stiffness, and/or muscle weakness, drowsiness, agitation, difficulty breathing, and difficulty feeding. If any of the above side effects occur, the patient should contact their doctor.

Driving and using machines

There is a risk of drowsiness while taking Olanzaran. If this happens, do not drive or operate tools or machines. Inform your doctor.

Olanzaran contains lactose

Olanzaran contains lactose. If you have previously been diagnosed with intolerance to some sugars, you should contact your doctor before taking the medicine.

3. How to take Olanzaran

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Your doctor will decide how many Olanzaran tablets to take and for how long to take them.
The daily dose of Olanzaran is 5 mg to 20 mg. If symptoms recur, consult your doctor, but do not stop taking Olanzaran unless your doctor tells you to.
Take Olanzaran once a day, as directed by your doctor. If possible, take the tablets at the same time every day. The tablets can be taken with or without food.
Olanzaran is taken orally. Swallow the tablets whole with water.

Use in special patient groups

Use in children and adolescents

Olanzaran is not recommended for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Use in elderly patients

Elderly patients may require dose adjustment.
Before starting to take Olanzaran, discuss it with your doctor.

Use in patients with renal and/or hepatic impairment

Patients with renal and/or hepatic impairment may require dose adjustment.
Before starting to take Olanzaran, discuss it with your doctor.

Smokers

Smokers may require dose adjustment.
Before starting to take Olanzaran, discuss it with your doctor.

Taking a higher dose of Olanzaran than recommended

In patients who took a higher dose of Olanzaran than recommended, the following symptoms occurred: rapid heartbeat, agitation or aggressive behavior, difficulty speaking, abnormal movements (especially of the face or tongue), and decreased consciousness. Other possible symptoms include: acute confusion, impaired consciousness, seizures (epilepsy), coma, simultaneous occurrence of fever, rapid breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness, and drowsiness or sleepiness, decreased respiratory rate, choking, high or low blood pressure, arrhythmias. Contact your doctor immediately or go to the hospital if any of the above symptoms occur. Show your doctor the package of tablets.

Missing a dose of Olanzaran

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take two doses in one day.

Stopping treatment with Olanzaran

Do not stop taking the tablets due to improved well-being. It is important to continue taking Olanzaran for as long as your doctor has prescribed.
If you suddenly stop taking Olanzaran, you may experience symptoms such as: sweating, insomnia, tremors, anxiety, or nausea and vomiting. Your doctor may recommend gradually reducing the dose before ending therapy.
If you have any further questions about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, Olanzaran can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Inform your doctor immediatelyif you experience any of the following symptoms:

• abnormal movements, especially of the face or tongue (a common side effect that may affect up to 1 in 10 people);
• blood clots in the veins, especially in the legs (symptoms are: swelling, pain, and redness of the legs), which can move through the bloodstream to the lungs and cause chest pain and difficulty breathing (an uncommon side effect that may affect up to 1 in 100 people). If you notice such symptoms, contact your doctor as soon as possible;
• a syndrome of symptoms including fever, rapid breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness, and drowsiness or sleepiness (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data).

Very common side effects(may affect more than 1 in 10 people) include:
weight gain, drowsiness, and increased prolactin levels in the blood.
At the beginning of treatment, some patients may experience dizziness or fainting (bradycardia), especially when standing up from a lying or sitting position.
These symptoms usually go away on their own, but if they persist, inform your doctor.
Common side effects(may affect up to 1 in 10 people) include:
changes in the number of certain blood cells, changes in lipid levels in the blood, and transient increases in liver enzyme activity at the beginning of treatment, increased glucose levels in the blood and urine, increased uric acid levels and creatine phosphokinase activity in the blood, increased appetite, dizziness, restlessness, tremors, movement disorders (dyskinesias), constipation, dry mouth, rash, weakness, extreme fatigue, water retention in the body causing swelling of the hands, feet, or ankles, fever, joint pain, and sexual disorders, such as decreased libido in men and women or erectile dysfunction in men.
Uncommon side effects(may affect up to 1 in 100 people) include:
hypersensitivity (e.g., swelling in the mouth and throat, itching, rash), diabetes or worsening of its course, rarely with ketoacidosis (presence of ketone bodies in the blood and urine) or coma, seizures, usually in patients who have had seizures (epilepsy) before, muscle stiffness or spasms (including eye movements), restless legs syndrome, speech disorders, slow heart rate, blood clots with embolism, sensitivity to sunlight, nosebleeds, bloating, drooling, increased bilirubin levels, memory loss or amnesia, incontinence, difficulty urinating, hair loss, absence or decrease of menstrual periods, changes in the breasts in men and women, such as milk secretion outside of breastfeeding or unusual breast enlargement.
Rare side effects(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) include:
decreased body temperature, arrhythmias, sudden death from an unknown cause, pancreatitis causing severe abdominal pain, fever, and nausea, liver disease manifesting as a change in skin and white eye color to yellow, muscle disease manifesting as unexplained muscle pain and weakness, prolonged and/or painful erections.
Very rare side effects(may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people) include:
severe allergic reactions, such as drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). In DRESS, initial symptoms are flu-like with a rash on the face, followed by a widespread rash, high fever, swollen lymph nodes, elevated liver enzyme activity, and increased eosinophil counts.
During treatment with olanzapine in elderly patients with dementia, the following have been reported: stroke, pneumonia (often), incontinence (often), falls (very often), extreme fatigue, visual hallucinations (often), elevated body temperature (often), redness of the skin, and walking disorders (very often). In this group of patients, several cases of death have been reported.
In patients with Parkinson's disease, taking Olanzaran may worsen the symptoms of the disease.

Reporting side effects

If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, inform your doctor or pharmacist, or nurse. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Drug Safety Monitoring of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products:
Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw, tel.: 22 49-21-301, fax: 22 49-21-309,
website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl
Side effects can also be reported to the marketing authorization holder.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. How to store Olanzaran

Keep the medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of the month stated.
The medicine does not require special storage conditions.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

What Olanzaran contains

• The active substance of Olanzaran is olanzapine. Each tablet contains 5 mg or 10 mg of the active substance.
• The other ingredients are: lactose anhydrous, microcrystalline cellulose, low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, magnesium stearate.

What Olanzaran looks like and contents of the pack

Olanzaran, 5 mg: yellow or light yellow tablets, slightly speckled, round, biconvex with the inscription "O5" on one side and smooth on the other.
Olanzaran, 10 mg: yellow or light yellow tablets, slightly speckled, round, biconvex with the inscription "O7" on one side and smooth on the other.
Olanzaran is available in packs of 28 tablets.

Marketing authorization holder:

Aristo Pharma Sp. z o.o.
ul. Baletowa 30
02-867 Warsaw

Manufacturer:

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Europe B.V.
Polarisavenue 87
2132JH Hoofddorp
Netherlands
Terapia S.A.,
124 Fabricii Street
400 632 Cluj Napoca
Romania
For more detailed information on this medicine, contact the marketing authorization holder.
Date of last revision of the leaflet:April 2020