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Drug interactions

Esketamine + Olanzapine

Severity: Moderate

Esketamine and Olanzapine: moderate interaction.

Last updated

For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.

Summary

Olanzapine is a sedating atypical antipsychotic that can cause somnolence and orthostatic hypotension. With esketamine it may add to sedation and impair alertness after dosing.

What this interaction means in plain words

Esketamine and Olanzapine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.

Esketamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Olanzapine belongs to Central Nervous System.

Evidence level: Low

Why it happens

Additive CNS depression from antipsychotic receptor blockade and esketamine sedation.

What to do

Monitor sedation and blood pressure during post-dose observation. Review the olanzapine dose if excessive sedation occurs.

What to ask your pharmacist

  • Should I take them at different times of day?
  • Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
  • Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?

Bring a full list of your medicines, including over-the-counter products, supplements and herbal remedies, to every pharmacy visit.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I take Esketamine with Olanzapine?

MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Esketamine and Olanzapine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Olanzapine is a sedating atypical antipsychotic that can cause somnolence and orthostatic hypotension. With esketamine it may add to sedation and impair alertness after dosing.

How serious is the interaction between Esketamine and Olanzapine?

MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor sedation and blood pressure during post-dose observation. Review the olanzapine dose if excessive sedation occurs.

What other medicines interact with Esketamine?

MediHelp also lists interactions of Esketamine with, for example, Alfentanil, Amobarbital, Belladonna and opium. The full list is on the Esketamine page.

Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app

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