Olanzapine – What You Need To Know

Olanzapine is a medicine that belongs to the family of second-generation antipsychotics. Doctors prescribe it for the treatment of schizophrenia as well as for the treatment of depressive crises associated with bipolar disorder and manic episodes.

The pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Company, was responsible for the production and distribution of Olanzapine. However, their patent for this medicine expired in 2011. Therefore, it is now available generically all over the world.

Learning about schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by distorted thoughts, hallucinations, and even delusions. These three symptoms are clinically known as “positive” symptoms. However, a patient may also suffer from what doctors refer to as “negative” symptoms. Among them:

• Social isolation
• Apathy
• Decreased emotional response

As for the causes that trigger schizophrenia, some people have a predisposition for it due to a number of factors. Some of the most important are:

• Biochemical changes in the brain. People with this disease usually have altered levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
• Genetic factors. The presence of this disease in a parent or other close family member increases its likelihood in a child.
• Problems during pregnancy. Certain complications such as lack of oxygen along with certain infections and trauma during this period can affect a baby. Unfortunately, this often leads to the onset of this mental illness and other problems.

Also read: Ten warning signs of mental illness

Structure and mechanism of action: How does Olanzapine work?

This antipsychotic has a chemical structure related to benzodiazepines. Specifically, it is structurally related to quetiapine and clozapine. Its antipsychotic activity is due to its interaction with serotonin receptors. More specifically, it blocks serotonin receptors in the 5-HT2 part of the brain.

In addition, it also interacts with dopamine D1 and D2 receptors, albeit moderately. It also has an affinity for muscarinic cholinergic receptors, alpha-adrenergic and histamine H1.

Because of all these interactions, it can trigger some side effects. We discuss them in more detail below. Olanzapine can significantly improve both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia due to its high affinity for these receptors.

As a last resort, it is worth mentioning that there is also an extended action formulation by this substance.

Pharmacokinetics – How does the body process Olanzapine?

Pharmacokinetics includes the processes of uptake, distribution, transformation and elimination that a drug undergoes when administered. In this sense, Olanzapine is taken quickly after oral administration.

Once absorbed, it reaches maximum plasma concentrations after 6 hours. You need to remember that the presence of food does not affect the absorption and this does not apply with all kinds of medications.

The bioavailability of this drug, the maximum concentration of the drug in the available blood at the time of the action, is not very high.

A strong first-pass liver metabolism is the reason for this. Thus, only 40% of the administered dose reaches systemic circulation.

Also read: 14 strange and unusual psychological disorders

The transformation, which is the set of chemical reactions that a drug undergoes in the body to become more soluble and thus facilitate its elimination, occurs in the liver.

Once the transformation has taken place, the resulting substances, known as metabolites, may trigger an effect on the body. In this case, the metabolites resulting from the chemical reactions that Olanzapine has undergone have no pharmacological activity.

After the conversion, both the metabolites and the resulting drug leave the body – 30% with the urine and approx. 55% with stool.

Side effects of Olanzapine

Lastly, the most common side effects of this medicine are:

• Weight gain
• Drowsiness
• Increase in prolactin levels
• Elevation of cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides
• Dizziness
• Orthostatic hypotension
• Constipation
• Akathisia and dyskinesia

Conclusion

Olanzapine is a widely used drug for the treatment of schizophrenia. Due to its powerful effects on the body, it is only available with a medical prescription. Therefore, you should not use it unless prescribed by your doctor. Always follow their instructions and ask them any questions you may have.