title: The effect of famotidine addition on olanzapine-induced weight gain in first-episode schizophrenia patients: a double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study.
abstract: Olanzapine treatment is associated with substantial weight gain. In this double-blind placebo-controlled study we evaluated whether the H2 antagonist famotidine may prevent/attenuate olanzapine-induced weight gain. Fourteen first-episode DSM-IV schizophrenia patients were randomly allocated to receive either famotidine (40 mg/day, n=7) or placebo (n=7) in addition to olanzapine (10 mg/day) for 6 weeks. All patients completed the trial. Patients in both groups showed a similar increase in body weight (olanzapine/famotidine: 4.8 (3.2) kg and olanzapine/placebo: 4.9 (1.6) kg, respectively; a between-group difference of 0.14 (1.3) kg). Four of seven (57.1%) patients in the olanzapine/famotidine group and three of seven (42.9%) in the olanzapine/placebo group gained at least 7% of their initial body weight, a cut-off for clinically significant weight gain. Famotidine addition was safe and well tolerated and did not interfere with olanzapine's therapeutic effect. In conclusion, famotidine (40 mg/day for 6 weeks) is not effective in preventing/attenuating weight gain in olanzapine-treated first-episode schizophrenia patients.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Tirat Carmel Mental Health Center, 9 Eshkol Street, 30200 Tirat Carmel, Israel. tyrmichael@matat.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poyurovsky
authors.forename: Vered
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tal
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maayan
authors.forename: Irit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gil-Ad
authors.forename: Camil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004347:Drug Interactions; D015738:Famotidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000077152:Olanzapine; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D015738:Famotidine; D000077152:Olanzapine