Olanzapine/fluoxetine combination for bipolar depression and other mood disorders: a review.

Abstract

Patients with bipolar disorder tend to experience most of their illness in the depressed phase. Existing antidepressant therapies are effective in bipolar depression but carry a risk of treatment-emergent mania or increased phase cycling. Other therapies such as lithium may not be particularly effective, or may not currently be licensed for the acute phase, such as lamotrigine. A combination of the antipsychotic olanzapine and the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine has been investigated in both bipolar depression and other affective disorders such as psychotic depression and treatment-refractory depression. The combination's possible mode of action, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, clinical efficacy and safety and tolerability have been reviewed.

• Authors: Richard T Owen
• Journal: Drugs of today (Barcelona, Spain : 1998) (Drugs Today (Barc)) Vol. 42 Issue 3 Pg. 185-92 (Mar 2006) ISSN: 1699-3993 [Print] Spain
• PMID: 16628260 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright 2006 Prous Science.

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
• Fluoxetine
• Benzodiazepines
• Olanzapine

Topics

• Animals
• Antipsychotic Agents (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Benzodiazepines (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Fluoxetine (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Mood Disorders (drug therapy)
• Olanzapine
• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, therapeutic use)