Zoleptil

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Dry mouth
- Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)
- Depression
- Impotence
- Confusion
- Sweating
- Blood disorders
- Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
- Abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias)
- Chills
- Dizziness
- Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg tremor, twitching, rigidity (extrapyramidal effects)
- Changes in blood pressure
- Sleepiness (somnolence)
- Weakness or loss of strength (asthenia)
- Inflammation of the lining of the nose (rhinitis) causing a blocked or runny nose
- Increased appetite and weight gain
- Anxiety and agitation
- High blood prolactin (milk producing hormone) level (hyperprolactinaemia). Rarely this may lead to symptoms such as breast enlargement, production of milk and menstrual disturbances.

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

This medicine should not be used with high doses of other antipsychotic medicines as this may carry a risk of causing seizures. There may be an increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms (prolonged QT interval on the heart monitoring trace or ECG) if zotepine is taken with any of the following medicines: - antiarrhythmics, eg amiodarone, procainamide, disopyramide, sotalol - antidepressants, eg amitriptyline, imipramine, maprotiline - the anthistamines astemizole or terfenadine - antimalarials, eg halofantrine, chloroquine, quinine - antipsychotics, eg thioridazine, chlorpromazine, sertindole, haloperidol - intravenous erythromycin or pentamidine - cisapride. There may also be an increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms if blood potassium levels fall. The following medicines can lower blood potassium levels: - thiazide diuretics, eg bendrofluazide - loop diuretics, eg frusemide - stimulant laxatives, eg bisacodyl - corticosteroids, eg prednisolone. There may be an increased risk of drowsiness and sedation if this medicine is taken with any of the following (which can also cause drowsiness): - alcohol - tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline - opioid painkillers, eg morphine, codeine, dihydrocodeine - benzodiazepines, eg diazepam - sedating antihistamines, eg chlorpheniramine - sleeping tablets. There may be an increased risk of a drop in blood pressure that causes dizziness if this medicine is taken with medicines that reduce blood pressure, for example antihypertensives. The following medicines may increase the blood level of amisulpride: - diazepam - fluoxetine.

Other medicines containing the same active ingredients

Zotepine

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