olanzapine and Sialorrhea

Olanzapine is a thienobenzodiazepine class antipsychotic that strongly antagonises the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, but acute poisonings are reported rarely. Symptoms of an overdose include disorder of consciousness, hypersalivation, myosis, and coma. Serum concentration higher than 0.1 mg/L is toxic, while concentration above 1 mg/L can be fatal. Here we report key data about 61 patients admitted to the National Poison Control Centre in Belgrade, Serbia over olanzapine poisoning in 2017 and 2018. The ingested doses ranged from 35 to 1680 mg, and time from ingestion to determination from two to 24 hours. In 34 patients olanzapine serum concentrations were in the therapeutic range and in 27 in the toxic range. In five patients they were higher than fatal, but only one patient died. The most common symptoms of poisoning were depressed consciousness (fluctuating from somnolence to coma), tachycardia, hypersalivation, hypotension, myosis, and high creatine kinase. All patients but one recovered fully after nonspecific detoxification and symptomatic and supportive therapy.. Olanzapin je antipsihotik koji pripada grupi tienobenzodiazepina. Kao i drugi atipični antipsihotici, olanzapin je jak antagonist 5-HT2A serotoninskih receptora. Akutna trovanja olanzapinom su rijetka. Simptomi predoziranja uključuju duboki ili fluktuirajući poremećaj stanja svijesti s hipersalivacijom i miozom, kao i komu i smrt u slučaju ingestije velikih doza. Koncentracije olanzapina u serumu veće od 0,1 mg/L smatraju se toksičnima, a letalnima veće od 1 mg/L. U radu su prikazana akutna trovanja olanzapinom zabilježena u Nacionalnom centru za kontrolu trovanja u Beogradu tijekom dvije godine. Koncentracije olanzapina u serumu pacijenata akutno otrovanih olanzapinom određene su pouzdanom metodom tekuće kromatografije s masenom spektrometrijom. Registriran je 61 pacijent s predoziranjem olanzapinom: u njih 34 koncentracije olanzapina bile su u terapijskom opsegu, a u njih 27 zabilježene su toksične koncentracije. Pet pacijenata imalo je koncentracije veće od letalnih, a zabilježen je i jedan smrtni ishod. Najčešći simptomi trovanja bili su hipotenzija, tahikardija i povećanje aktivnosti enzima kreatin kinaze. Nakon primjene nespecifičnog detoksikacijskog simptomatskog i potpornog liječenja svi pacijenti osim jednog su se potpuno oporavili.

Topics: Benzodiazepines; Coma; Humans; Olanzapine; Poison Control Centers; Serbia; Sialorrhea

The second generation antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine frequently induce weight gain. Randomized studies investigating abnormal eating behavior (food craving, binge eating) possibly associated with weight gain are lacking. Thirty patients with schizophrenia, schizophreniform, or schizoaffective disorder were included in this randomized, double-blind, parallel study comparing abnormal eating behavior using a standardized scale, clinical efficacy using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale 0-6 and Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale, and tolerability of clozapine and olanzapine. In both treatment groups, the number of patients reporting food craving, binge eating, or both increased over time. The likelihood to experience food craving at any time during drug treatment showed a trend (P = 0.068) to be higher in the olanzapine group (48.9%) compared with the clozapine group (23.3%). The likelihood to experience binge eating at any time during drug treatment was numerically but not statistically significantly higher in the olanzapine group (16.7%) than in the clozapine group (8.9%). In both groups, significant baseline-to-end point improvements of clinical symptoms (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale 0-6: clozapine, 36.6 +/- 8.8 to 15.9 +/- 13.7; olanzapine, 36.7 +/- 9.9 to 19.1 +/- 13.8) and severity of illness (Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale: clozapine, 4.7 +/- 0.6 to 2.5 +/- 1.5; olanzapine, 4.5 +/- 0.6 to 2.3 +/- 1.2) were observed. These improvements did not differ significantly between groups. Olanzapine was more tolerable than clozapine; adverse events occurred significantly (P < 0.01) less frequently than in the clozapine group. These results suggest that both clozapine and olanzapine can induce food craving and binge eating, however, olanzapine possibly to a greater extent. Findings on clinical efficacy and safety are in accordance with previous reports.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antipsychotic Agents; Appetite; Benzodiazepines; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Bulimia; Clozapine; Dizziness; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Fatigue; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Olanzapine; Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia; Sialorrhea; Treatment Outcome; Weight Gain

The clinical records of 190 patients with schizophrenia who discontinued clozapine between 1990 and 2012 in the county of Northamptonshire were examined, in an attempt to answer the following questions. Why do patients stop clozapine? What do physicians prescribe as an alternative? What is the mortality in this patient group?. Patients' data were extracted using their electronic records, then analysed using descriptive statistical methods.. Non-compliance with treatment, or with the mandatory white blood cell monitoring, was the most common reason (55.3%) for clozapine cessation, followed by neutropaenia and other adverse effects (25.2%). Death (mean age 48 years) was the third most common reason (10%), with respiratory infections accounting for more than a quarter of the deaths. 13% of the patients had died (mean age 49 years) at some point following clozapine discontinuation. In terms of the alternative antipsychotic prescribing, olanzapine was the most commonly prescribed (37.1%) drug in patients who were still under the care of the local psychiatric service (n=121), at the time of data extraction. Clozapine had been reinstated in 19% of these patients.. Our findings are generally consistent with previous studies, and they demonstrate the need for physicians to address their patients' concerns regarding clozapine treatment, and to effectively manage any adverse effects. Sialorrhea and constipation seem to be particularly of concern, as they may be linked to clozapine- related mortality. Olanzapine was the most commonly prescribed alternative to clozapine, which suggests that it may possibly have a role in refractory schizophrenia.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Clozapine; Constipation; Electronic Health Records; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Olanzapine; Prescription Drugs; Retrospective Studies; Schizophrenia; Sialorrhea

Hypersalivation has been reported as a side effect of atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine and olanzapine. As it is very common for antipsychotics to cause dry mouth due to anticholinergic effects, hypersalivation seems to be paradoxical. We present the case of a 34-year-old Japanese man with delusional disorder, somatic type (DSM-IV). He had chronic neck pain as well as somatic hallucination with hypochondriacal delusion for 4 years. Since combination therapy with atypical antipsychotics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been introduced in the treatment of refractory psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, olanzapine (10 mg/day) was added to fluvoxamine treatment (200 mg/day) in this case. Subsequently, hypersalivation was induced without any extrapyramidal symptoms. It is suggested that hypersalivation was an adverse effect of olanzapine. Possible interaction olanzapine with fluvoxamine might increase the risk of the adverse effect. When combination therapy of atypical antipsychotics and SSRI is introduced, it should be used cautiously with careful observation. Underlying pharmacological and clinical problems will be discussed.

Topics: Adult; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Fluvoxamine; Humans; Male; Olanzapine; Psychotic Disorders; Sialorrhea

Topics: Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Female; Humans; Olanzapine; Pirenzepine; Schizophrenia; Sialorrhea