Drug interactions
Hydrocodone + Olanzapine
Severity: Moderate
Hydrocodone 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 sedating and can cause orthostatic hypotension, adding to opioid-related CNS and respiratory depression. Risk is higher in elderly patients and with higher doses.
What this interaction means in plain words
Hydrocodone 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.
Hydrocodone belongs to Musculoskeletal; Olanzapine belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression and hypotension from opioid agonism and antipsychotic receptor blockade.
What to do
Start with lower opioid doses and titrate cautiously. Monitor sedation, respiratory rate and blood pressure.
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?
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Other interactions of Hydrocodone
- Alvimopan + Hydrocodone Contraindicated
- Bupropion-naltrexone + Hydrocodone Contraindicated
- Hydrocodone + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Hydrocodone + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Hydrocodone + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Hydrocodone Major
Other interactions of Olanzapine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Hydrocodone with Olanzapine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Hydrocodone 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 sedating and can cause orthostatic hypotension, adding to opioid-related CNS and respiratory depression. Risk is higher in elderly patients and with higher doses.
How serious is the interaction between Hydrocodone 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: Start with lower opioid doses and titrate cautiously. Monitor sedation, respiratory rate and blood pressure.
What other medicines interact with Hydrocodone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Hydrocodone with, for example, Alvimopan, Bupropion-naltrexone, Isocarboxazid. The full list is on the Hydrocodone page.
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