Olanzapine, Alcohol and Cannabis: Safe?

[pinokio]

Hello people,

SWIM (Somene who isn't me at all) is going to have a party with some alc. and prolly also some pot included. He has a question if there are any possible dangers about combining alc or/and weed with let's say 5 - 10mg of Olanzapine (Zyprexa)?

From what he has read, the combo with weed is very plesaurable and potentiate the weed much, yet he has no idea about the alcohol and it's possible dangers.

SWIM is very aware, that antipsychotics are not toys, and should not be used recreationaly, yet he is still interested and would like to see the answer.

Thanks.

pinokio added 56 Minutes and 36 Seconds later...

Also, SWiM'd like to know is it save to insufflate the Olanzapine?

[RaverHippie]

I did some quick research and this note came up interestingly "Olanzapine displays linear kinetics. Its elimination half-life ranges from 21 to 54 hours. Steady state plasma concentrations are achieved in about a week. Olanzapine undergoes extensive first pass metabolism and bioavailability is not affected by food."

if SWIY has any history with olanzapine but only orally, if he attempted to insuflate it, then the drug would hit monumentally harder in comparison. Sublingual ingestion would do the same trick albeit in a less painful manner. Take that as a warning if any attempt is made. I have no experience with this personally and only now learned about it by doing the search for you, so take my advice as you will.

EDIT: Forgot to mention there was a warning that cigarette smoking amplifies the effect of this drug so pot may or may not follow the same pattern.

[pinokio]

Thank you for your feedback.


SWiM has also done a _lot_ of research and more or less has found the same infos.

SWiM is thankful for the answer and looking forward for more, hopefully also from someone with some personal experience.

[Beeblbrox]

My cat wishes to inform SWIM that since he knows a long term Olanzapine user that occasionally takes cannabis and regularly uses alcohol his views might be of some use to him.

For the user that my cat knows the combination of the two/three is not particularly enhancing, and views olanzapine as actually detrimental to the experience of alcohol or cannabis since long term olanzapine has induced (he believes) a more or less semi-permanent deadening/lethargy effect overall in the first place. Hence the 'relaxation' effects (mental and physical) that were previously enjoyed are vastly reduced. However my cats friend apparently still enjoys these other two anyway, possibly out of perverse stubborness.

My cat wishes also to point out that the reports he hears from his friend must be taken with a pinch of salt as the exposure to Olanzapine has been for such a duration he is very unsure as to what life is like without it.

Dangers - physiologically, as yet, none reported. But you really never can tell can you.

If this has been of any use to you a few tins of tuna are much appreciated :-)

[cybergenesis]

There should be no major interactions between olanzapine and alcohol or marijuana. It might somewhat increase the effects of alcohol. Smoking cigarettes apparently clears the drug quicker from your system

[toe]

Actually, it's not a very good idea at all to combine two potent CNS-depressants. The marijuana, however, is a personal judgement call.

[cybergenesis]

Actually, it's not a very good idea at all to combine two potent CNS-depressants. The marijuana, however, is a personal judgement call.

Olanzapine isn't really potent, and 5-10 mg is a small dose. When Swim was on a dose like that, it only made me somewhat tired, but the effect wears off after a few days. It doesn't slow down your CNS, like decrease heart rate or those sorts of things. Its NOTHING compared to say something like haliparidol

Swim has known lots of people on the stuff who also drink, and Swim got drunk on Olanzapine many times. Certainly theoertically its not the best to drink on it, but Swim is sure if you ask any GP about drinking on Olanzapine they will say that while theoretically its better not to, that it wont kill you to do so... Its not like combining Benzo's and alcohol which can definitely be dangerous. Its more an issue if your judgement might become somewhat more impaired than normal when drinking with that combination than having severe CNS depression resulting in dangerous symptoms.

Edit: Swim will also add that if you are planning on using Olanzapine to potentiate the effects of drugs that the idea is not a good one. Swim was more thinking if you were already prescribed olanzapine that it shouldn't be physically dangerous to combine it with alcohol, but Swim would never deliberately add Olanzapine to alcohol, Olanzapine is not a drug useful to potentate alcohol or pot.

[toe]

Olanzapine isn't really potent, and 5-10 mg is a small dose. When Swim was on a dose like that, it only made me somewhat tired, but the effect wears off after a few days. It doesn't slow down your CNS, like decrease heart rate or those sorts of things. Its NOTHING compared to say something like haliparidol

Swim has known lots of people on the stuff who also drink, and Swim got drunk on Olanzapine many times. Certainly theoertically its not the best to drink on it, but Swim is sure if you ask any GP about drinking on Olanzapine they will say that while theoretically its better not to, that it wont kill you to do so... Its not like combining Benzo's and alcohol which can definitely be dangerous. Its more an issue if your judgement might become somewhat more impaired than normal when drinking with that combination than having severe CNS depression resulting in dangerous symptoms.

Edit: Swim will also add that if you are planning on using Olanzapine to potentiate the effects of drugs that the idea is not a good one. Swim was more thinking if you were already prescribed olanzapine that it shouldn't be physically dangerous to combine it with alcohol, but Swim would never deliberately add Olanzapine to alcohol, Olanzapine is not a drug useful to potentate alcohol or pot.

The minimum single dosage unit of olanzapine is 2.5mg and hypotension is a noted side effect. 5-10mg will initially knock just about any patient not conditioned to APs on their duff for the better part of a day.

Let's not get into histrionics here; adding one drink to just about any one pill is not going to kill you (unless perhaps you get behind the wheel of a car). But adding a drink to this pill *will* incite/increase objective signs of impairment exponentially, not additively. It's simply irresponsible to state that there is no interaction between olanzapine and alcohol.

[cybergenesis]

Swim doesn't know that he would agree that alcohol will impair judgment "exponentially" while on Zyprexa, but thats your opinion fine.

It does say on rxlist.com

Ethanol (45 mg/70 kg single dose) did not have an effect on olanzapine pharmacokinetics.

Here (http://schizophrenia.emedtv.com/zyprexa/alcohol-and-zyprexa.html) it says

"it is generally recommended that you avoid alcohol while taking this drug"

"Drinking alcohol may increase your risk of certain Zyprexa side effects, such as drowsiness or low blood pressure (http://blood-pressure.emedtv.com/blood-pressure/blood-pressure.html) (when sitting or standing up)."

Neither of which are catastrophic side effects. Swim doesn't believe Zyprexa and Alcohol specifically interact which each other, but that alcohol may simply aggravate somewhat certain side effects. However from Swims personal experience taking this combination, and from Swim seeing other people take Olanzapine and alcohol, this is not especially problematic. If a person is not used to olanzapine, and they drink alcohol, they will probably just feel tired and want to go to sleep, potentially reducing how much alcohol they will actually consume.

Swim was just offering his opinion, Swim can't see that anything he said was "irresponsible". Swim does not specifically recommended combining alcohol and olanzapine but suggests in the "real world" it is not likely to lead to catastrophic consequences :) So swims says "don't combine them if you can" but if you do Swim isn't going to be too concerned :)

Edit: Swim will state he found there has been recent research testing the use of olanzapine to REDUCE drinking in full blown alcoholics. Suchas here: http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v28/n10/full/1300264a.html

Swim suggests that such research wouldn't be likely if the interaction between alcohol and zyprexa(olanzapine) was especially problematic :) Swims own psychiatrist often prescribes zyprexa to help with the symptoms of alcohol withdrawl, a situation where obviously there is significant chance the person may relapse into drinking while on the medication.

[pinokio]

Swim thanks for all the answers. Must say again, he loves these forums. Gives a lot of help in every way. I've just found a great article about opiates addiction recovery and it will (swim hopes so) greatly help to one of swim's friend.

Swim has now decided that he will DONATE for sure.