Good morning,
All this talk abouT Descartes has got me crazy with the mind-body problem
again, so I was looking around for a good antipsychotic to help calm me
down. In the latest issue of the _Harvard Mental Health Letter_ (Vol. 15,
No. 7, Jan. 1999), ther is an article about a new antipsychotic that looked
perfect for this: ""Olanzipine preferred." The article mentions two large
controlled studies comparing olanzipine (Zypraxa) to haloperidol (2000
patients in 17 countries most of whom had been treated with traditional anti-
psychotics but had been resistant to such treatment). I will quote:
The new drug seemed superior by every measure. Fewer patients
taking olanzipine dropped out... (33% versus 53%). In both sexes,
olanzipine more effectively relieved both positive symptoms...
and negative symptoms.... Olanzipine was also a better antidepres-
sant, and its side effects on body movements were less serious.
It seemd to reduce akathisia...and acute dystonia.... The rate of
Parkinsonism...was 14% in patients taking olanzipine and 38% in
those taking haloperidol. Olanzipine had less tendency to raise
levels of the hormone prolactin.... More of the patients treated
with haloperidol had to take a drug to counteract side effects or
relieve remaining symptoms.
The drug has effects primarily on receptors for serotonin, acetylcholine,
glutamate, and dopamine receptors other than D2 (thus, it is an "atypical
antipsychotic").
This atypical antipsychotic sounds perfect for those long lonely nights spent
wracked with doubt. I had never heard about this drug before reading this
article. Can anyone shed more light on this? I am somewhat skeptical of the
glowing description in the article. Are there any serious side effects of this
drug? Any other information about it?
Thanks,
Jeff Rescartes
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale AZ
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
