Olanzapine for intractable nausea in palliative care patients.
Nausea is a common problem among palliative care patients, which is often undertreated. Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, possesses a unique neurotransmitter binding profile that is similar to methotrimeprazine, an anti-emetic widely used in Europe for recalcitrant nausea. We report a case series of six patients who suffered nausea which was resistant to initial treatment with traditional antiemetics; each patient exhibited marked improvement when treated with olanzapine.
Jackson
W Clay
WC
Department of Family Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38104, USA. wcjackson@utmen.edu
Tavernier
Laura
L
D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077152:Olanzapine; D010166:Palliative Care; D010890:Pirenzepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
D000932:Antiemetics; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D010890:Pirenzepine; D000077152:Olanzapine