What You Should Know About The Drug Olanzapine

The drug olanzapine belongs to the family of atypical antipsychotics. Doctors prescribe it for the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as for treating depressive crises associated with bipolar disorder and manic episodes.

The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company was responsible for the production and distribution of olanzapine formulations. However, the patent for this drug expired in 2011. Thus, it is now generic worldwide.

Learning about schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by distorted thoughts, hallucinations and even delusions. These three symptoms are clinically known as “positive” symptoms. However, a patient may also suffer from what doctors refer to as “negative” symptoms. Among them:

• Social isolation
• Apathy
• Decreased emotional response

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness that manifests itself as distorted thoughts, hallucinations and social isolation, among others.

As for the causes that trigger schizophrenia, some people have a predisposition for it due to a number of factors. Some of the most important are:

• Biochemical changes in the brain. People with this disease usually have altered levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
• Genetic factors. The presence of this disease in a parent or other close relative increases the likelihood of a child.

• Problems during pregnancy. Certain complications such as anoxia, along with certain infections and traumas during this period, can affect a baby. Unfortunately, it often leads to the onset of this mental illness and other problems.

Structure and mechanism of action: How does the drug olanzapine work?

This antipsychotic has a chemical structure related to benzodiazepines. In particular, it is structurally related to quetiapine and clozapine. Its antipsychotic activity is due to the interaction with serotonin receptors. More specifically, it blocks serotonin receptors in the 5-HT2 part of the brain.

In addition, it also interacts with dopamine D1 and D2 receptors, but moderately. It also has an association with muscarinic cholinergic receptors, alpha-adrenergic and histamine H1.

Due to all these interactions, it can trigger some negative effects. We will discuss them in more detail below. Olanzapine may improve both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia due to its high affinity for these receptors.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that there is also an extended action formulation of this substance.

Pharmacokinetics – How does the body process the drug olanzapine?

Pharmacokinetics include the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination that a drug undergoes when administered. As such, olanzapine is rapidly absorbed after oral administration.

Once absorbed, it reaches its maximum plasma concentration after 6 hours. You must keep in mind that the presence of food does not affect absorption, and that this does not happen with all medications.

The bioavailability of this drug, the maximum concentration of the drug in the blood that is available at the time of performing the action, is not very high.

A strong first-pass liver metabolism is the reason for this. Thus, only 40% of the administered dose reaches systemic circulation.

The metabolism, which is the set of chemical reactions that a drug undergoes in the body to become more soluble and thus easy elimination, occurs in the liver.

Once metabolized, the resulting substances, known as metabolites, can possibly trigger an effect on the body. In this case, metabolites have no pharmacological activity due to the chemical reactions undergone by olanzapine.

After metabolism, both the metabolites and the resulting drug leave the body – 30% with the urine and about 55% with the stool.

Side effects of the drug olanzapine

Finally, the most common side effects of this drug are:

• Weight gain
• Drowsiness
• Increase in prolactin levels

• Elevation of C levels cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides
• Dizziness
• Orthostatic hypotension
• Constipation
• Akathisia and dyskinesia

Conclusion

Olanzapine is a widely used drug in the treatment of schizophrenia. Due to the powerful effect on the body, it is only available with medical prescription. Therefore, you should not use it unless it is prescribed by your doctor. Always follow their instructions and ask them any questions you may have.