No Unexpected Adverse Events and Biochemical Side Effects of Olanzapine as Adjunct Treatment in Adolescent Girls with Eating Disorders

OBJECTIVE: Olanzapine has been recently tried to relieve anxiety and hyperactivity in adolescents with eating disorders (EDs). Presently, the side effects of the drug have been evaluated. METHOD: Forty-seven adolescents with EDs were followed up by repeated blood sampling before, during, and at 3 months after medication with olanzapine. RESULTS: Olanzapine medication was discontinued in three patients because of galactorrhea, seizures, and raised liver enzyme activities, respectively. There was a normalization of glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles during treatment, which was related to weight gain and resumption of menstruations but not to medication. Increases in thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin were related to olanzapine medication and comedication with selective serotonine reuptake inhibitors. Three months after discontinuing medication, there were no persisting biochemical effects. CONCLUSION: The side effects observed were those previously described for olanzapine. Most biochemical changes were related to weight (change) and amenorrhea and not to medication. Placebo-controlled studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of olanzapine in adolescents with EDs.