Decongestant & mental health meds

Hi Kath,

Worth double-checking one thing: guaifenesin on its own is an expectorant, not a decongestant, and by itself it usually isn't flagged with olanzapine. The warnings often come from combination products, since a lot of boxes with guaifenesin also contain pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, dextromethorphan, or an antihistamine. Turning the box over and reading the full active ingredients list may explain what you're seeing.

The two cautions people usually raise are that oral decongestants can raise heart rate and blood pressure and cause restlessness, and that sedating antihistamines like diphenhydramine can add to the drowsiness and dry mouth olanzapine can already cause.

Easiest next step is taking the actual box to a pharmacist. They can check it against your full medication list in a few minutes, no appointment needed. And if this has been going on for weeks rather than days, mention it to your doctor, since long-running congestion sometimes has a cause a decongestant won't fix.

Hope you get some relief soon!

I think it is worth being careful about how different medications can affect the body, especially when someone is already taking medication for mental health. Decongestants can sometimes cause symptoms such as increased heart rate, palpitations, changes in blood pressure, nervousness, or difficulty sleeping, and those effects can be confusing if someone is already experiencing anxiety or other symptoms.

If symptoms such as dizziness, unusual heart-rate changes, fainting, blood-pressure fluctuations, or palpitations continue even after reviewing medications with a doctor, it may be useful to look beyond the medication itself and consider whether there could be an underlying autonomic nervous system issue. Autonomic nervous system testing can help clinicians evaluate how the body regulates functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. For anyone interested in understanding what this type of testing involves, this may be a useful resource: anstest.com

Of course, medication changes should be discussed with the prescribing doctor rather than stopped or adjusted independently.

Hi, !

You can definitely ask your doctor or pharmacist about contrindications and what you can take with Olanzapine. That said, most of the information I found about taking decongestants or antihistamines with Olanzapine was cautioning that Olanzapine can cause an increase in decongestant/antihistimine side effects, like drowsiness, dizziness, etc.

Again, your best bet is talking to a pharmacist or your doctor, who knows your full medical history and can offer safe advice.

Best, Erin, Team Member.