Orally disintegrating olanzapine for the treatment of psychotic and behavioral disturbances associated with dementia

• Published in: Southern medical journal (Birmingham, Ala.) Vol. 96; no. 7; pp. 699 - 701
• Main Authors: REEVES, Roy R, TORRES, Rafael A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.07.2003
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - blood; Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy; Antipsychotic Agents - administration & dosage; Antipsychotic Agents - pharmacokinetics; Benzodiazepines; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Availability; Brain Injury, Chronic - blood; Brain Injury, Chronic - drug therapy; Dementia - blood; Dementia - drug therapy; Dementia, Vascular - blood; Dementia, Vascular - drug therapy; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Therapy, Combination; General aspects; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - blood; Mental Disorders - drug therapy; Mental Status Schedule; Pirenzepine - administration & dosage; Pirenzepine - analogs & derivatives; Pirenzepine - pharmacokinetics; Psychotic Disorders - blood; Psychotic Disorders - drug therapy; Treatment Outcome; Olanzapine; Dopamine receptor; Neuroleptic; Psychotropic; Dopamine antagonist; Serotonin antagonist; Oral administration; Serotonine receptor; Medicine; Association; Treatment; Behavior; Dementia
• ISSN: 0038-4348; 1541-8243
• DOI: 10.1097/01.SMJ.0000051066.55838.0A

Orally disintegrating olanzapine is a recently marketed form of olanzapine that dissolves rapidly on contact with saliva. We describe six demented patients resistant to treatment with common oral antipsychotic medications who were successfully treated with the formulation. The importance of these case reports is to make physicians aware that orally disintegrating olanzapine may be useful for the management of psychobehavioral disturbances in demented patients who resist or have difficulty taking standard oral medications.