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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Olanzapine?
        
(Message started by: rumplestiltskin on Feb 9^th, 2003, 7:23am)

Title: Olanzapine?
Post by rumplestiltskin on Feb 9^th, 2003, 7:23am

Bob Johnson mentioned this as an abortive in a couple of previous threads. It had also been mentioned on the UKOUCH site by one person without much hoopla.

Always on the lookout for effective abortives.

I checked out the phamakology from RX sites and I might as well be reading chinese. Does anyone have any knowledge/experience with it?

Here is what Bob posted:

Quote:

Olanzapine as an Abortive Agent for Cluster Headache.

Rozen TD.

Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate olanzapine as a cluster headache abortive agent in an open-label trial. BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is the most painful headache syndrome known. There are very few recognized abortive therapies for cluster headache and fewer for patients who have contraindications to vasoconstrictive drugs. METHODS: Olanzapine was given as an abortive agent to five patients with cluster headache in an open-label trial. The initial olanzapine dose was 5 mg, and the dose was increased to 10 mg if there was no pain relief. The dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg if the 5-mg dose was effective but caused adverse effects. To be included in the study, each patient had to treat at least two attacks with either an effective dose or the highest tolerated dose. RESULTS: Five patients completed the investigation (four men, one woman; four with chronic cluster, one with episodic cluster). Olanzapine reduced cluster pain by at least 80% in four of five patients, and two patients became headache-free after taking the drug. Olanzapine typically alleviated pain within 20 minutes after oral dosing and treatment response was consistent across multiple treated attacks. The only adverse event was sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Olanzapine appears to be a good abortive agent for cluster headache. It alleviates pain quickly and has a consistent response across multiple treated attacks. It appears to work in both episodic and chronic cluster headache.

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Olanzapine has a brand name of "Zyprexa" and is a antipsychotic. Don't be put off by this primary usage. Several of the drugs used to treat CH are cross over applications, that is, drugs approved by the FDA for one purpose which are found to be effective with unrelated conditions--BJ.

love
den

Title: Re: Olanzapine?
Post by Karla on Feb 9^th, 2003, 8:47am

It is commonly used to treat schizophrenia or certain depression dissorders. I have taken a couple of different antiphycotics over the last couple of years but not this one in particular. They haven't helped me yet with ch so hmmm. I am anxious to try this one tho and see if it helps. Could take care of two problems at once. Would be nice.