The Role of Olanzapine in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Preliminary evidence supports the use of olanzapine for treatment of anorexia nervosa by demonstrating that olanzapine 2.5-15 mg daily promotes weight gain and has positive effects on associated psychological symptoms. Limitations of the reported data include small sample size, low completion rate in clinical trials, and open-label trial design. Although olanzapine appears to have a potential role in the treatment of anorexia nervosa that has been unresponsive to other therapy, randomized, placebo-controlled studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to establish its role in therapy.

Heat reversal of activity‐based anorexia: Implications for the treatment of anorexia nervosa

“…36 In this context, the beneficial effects of warming ABA rats both for the prevention 25 and reversal of full-blown ABA outstrips those attained by other treatments such as fluoxetine, 37 and the atypical antipsychotic, olanzapine, 35 which have been shown to date to be largely unsuccessful in improving the human disorder. [38][39][40] Other pharmacological agents, such as AgRP, and leptin have not yet been tested in AN patients. However, in the case of leptin, its utility as a potential therapeutic agent in AN has led to some concern 41 because of its negative impact on food intake.…”

Comparative (Q)SAR analysis of benzodiazepine derivatives with different biological activity

“…Other pharmacological applications of benzodiazepines were also studied and many proven biological effects of BZD can be named. In addition to their established anxiolytic activities, BZD also demonstrate activities as antiarrhythmic agents [2e6]; antagonists of cholecystokinin receptors [7e10]; non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase [11e16]; partial agonists of a 1 -adrenergic receptor [17], and a 2 -adrenoceptor antagonists [18]; compounds with k-opioid [19e22] and muscarinic [23] receptors activity; compounds affecting the hunger center [24,25]; inhibitors of cholesterol absorption [26]; antibacterial and antifungal [27], antimalarial [28], anticancer [29,30], anti-inflammatory [31] agents. These compounds are active within the central nervous system (CNS) or outside of it.…”

Anorexia Nervosa as an Adverse Effect of Medication in a Case of Chronic Schizophrenia

“…(11,12) The reason for weight gain in our patient would probably be the antipsychotic, resperidone and sodium valproate which is often implicated as the adverse effect of these medications. (13,14) There have been some rare case reports of patients of Anorexia Nervosa doing better with Olanzapine. (15) Keeping in mind our patient's primary diagnosis and the obvious need for weight gain, Olanzapine was considered as a favourable drug of treatment.…”