Olanzapine/fluoxetine combination for bipolar depression and other mood disorders: a review.
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.
Owen
Richard T
RT
Medical Information Department, Prous Science, Barcelona, Spain. journals@prous.com
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077152:Olanzapine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D005473:Fluoxetine; D000077152:Olanzapine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors