Abstract
Several case reports and open label trials describe olanzapine in the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN). We report 5 adolescents with AN who received olanzapine in addition to psychotherapy for their eating disorder. Body mass index (BMI) of each case increased while on olanzapine. At doses of 5 mg per day and above, patients reported decreased anxiety around eating, improved sleep, and decreased rumination about food and body concerns. Morning sedation was the most commonly reported adverse effect. Olanzapine appeared to be useful in addition to psychotherapy for these adolescents. This report augments a limited literature on the treatment of this disorder, and an almost nonexistent literature specific to pharmacotherapy for adolescents with AN.
References
Walsh B.T., Kaplan A.S, Attia E., Carter J., Devlin M.J., Olmsted M., Pike K.M., Woodside B., Parides M.: Fluoxetine vs. Placebo to prevent relapse in anorexia nervosa: Primary outcome of drug on time to relapse in 93 weight restored subjects. Paper presented at the Eating Disorders Research Society, Toronto, September, 2005.
Vandereycken W.: Neuroleptics in the short-term treatment of anorexia nervosa: A double-blind placebo-controlled study with sulpiride. Br. J. Psychiatry, 144, 288–292, 1984.
Halmi K., Eckert E., LaDu T., Cohen J.: Anorexia nervosa: Treatment efficacy of cyproheptadine and amitriptyline. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 43, 177–181, 1986.
Kaye W.H., Weltzin T.E.: Serotonin activity in anorexia and bulimia nervosa: relationship to the modulation of feeding and mood. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 52, 41–48, 1991.
Frank G.K., Kaye W.H., Weltzin T.E., Perel J., Moss H., McConaha C, Pollice C: Altered response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in anorexia nervosa: support for a persistent alteration of serotonin activity after short-term weight restoration. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 30, 57–68, 2001.
Boachie A., Goldfield G.S., Spettigue W.: Olanzapine use as an adjunctive treatment for hospitalized children with anorexia nervosa. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 33, 98–103, 2003.
Attia E., Kaplan A.S., Schroeder L., Federici A., Staab R.: Atypical antipsychotic medication in anorexia nervosa. Paper presented at the Eating Disorders Research Society, Toronto, September, 2005.
Bosanac P., Norman T., Burrows G., Beumont P.: Serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in anorexia nervosa: a role for atypical antipsychotics? Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry, 39, 146–153, 2005.
LaVia M.C., Gray N, Kaye W.H.: Case reports of olanzapine treatment of anorexia nervosa. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 27, 363–366, 2000.
Mehler C., Wewetzer C., Schulze U., Warnke A., Theisen F., Dittmann R.W.: Olanzapine in children and adolescents with chronic anorexia nervosa. Eur. Child. Adolesc. Psychiatry, 10, 151–157, 2001.
Powers P., Santana C., Bannon Y.: Olanzapine in the treatment of anorexia nervosa: an open label trial. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 32, 146–152, 2002.
Mondraty N, Birmingham C.L., Touyz S., Sundakov V., Chapman L., Beaumont P.: Randomized controlled trial of olanzapine in the treatment of cognitions in anorexia nervosa. Aust. Psychiatry, 13, 72–75, 2005.
Beck A.T., Ward C.H., Mendelson M., Mock J., Erbaugh J.: An inventory for measuring depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 4, 561–571, 1961.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dennis, K., Le Grange, D. & Bremer, J. Olanzapine use in adolescent anorexia nervosa. Eat Weight Disord 11, e53–e56 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327760
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327760