![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Kyle on June 18, 2001, at 21:00:58
I can't find much info on zyprexa. Can anyone tell me what they know about prescribing this med for a 15 yr-old? She is also taking 150mg of zoloft.
At www.mentalhealth.com it says, "The safety and efficacy of olanzapine in children under the age of 18 years have not been established."
So, why would a doc put her on it?? Any input would be appreciated.
Kyle
Posted by Sulpicia on June 18, 2001, at 21:58:19
In reply to zyprexa/olanzapine, posted by Kyle on June 18, 2001, at 21:00:58
> I can't find much info on zyprexa. Can anyone tell me what they know about prescribing this med for a 15 yr-old? She is also taking 150mg of zoloft.
>
> At www.mentalhealth.com it says, "The safety and efficacy of olanzapine in children under the age of 18 years have not been established."
>
> So, why would a doc put her on it?? Any input would be appreciated.
>
> Kyle
Hi Kyle:
it says the same thing about nearly every med [no safety etc under age X] -- all it means is that
there are no large scale studies of children taking the med, and the simple reason is that
studies on children are not done like those on adults -- it's fine for instance to study 3 or 4
dosages with adults but the consensus is that it's not ok for kids.
You will get data in time but it's culled from other sources. The best example is the MTA Study on methylphenidate
and ADHD. This didn't study dosage per se [rather effectiveness] but the combined weight of studies like this and others
will eventually create a determination of safety and efficacy for a given age group. With methylphenidate, it's age 6+FWIW, my daughter takes lamictal for bipolar II: it's not safe or approved for kids below 16 yet toddlers as young as 18 months
take it for seizures. The docs learn the dosages from colleagues in the field and small publications and discussions.What is your child's diagnosis? Sometimes the best web site is specific to the disorder. Perhaps I can suggest a few if I'm familiar
with the disorder?
NAMI has good info on meds.
DrKoop.com
NIMH
did you check Dr. Bob's searchable psychopharmacology tips -- link above?
S.
Posted by SalArmy4me on June 20, 2001, at 9:16:03
In reply to zyprexa/olanzapine, posted by Kyle on June 18, 2001, at 21:00:58
Well-designed studies investigating how pediatric or adolescent patients with mental disorders respond to and metabolize the newer antipsychotic drugs do exist. Clinicians should not have difficulty designing appropriate dosage regimens for patients in these age groups.
Grothe, Dale R. PharmD. "Olanzapine Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Inpatients With Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia." Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. April 2000:
"...The determination of the initial olanzapine dose for adolescent patients should take into consideration factors such as the patient's size. In general, however, the usual dose recommendation of 5 to 10 mg once daily with a target dose of 10 mg/day is likely a good clinical guideline for most adolescent patients on the basis of our pharmacokinetics results..."
Horrigan, Joseph P. MD et al. "Olanzapine in PDD." Journal of Amer. Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 36(9):1166-1167, Spt 1997:
"...In each case the olanzapine was well tolerated and was associated with a near-immediate improvement in the cluster of target behaviors. The effective dose range appeared to be similar to that demonstrated in adult populations, and the apparently benign side effect profile is consistent with the initial reports from the adult literature (Baldwin and Montgomery, 1995). These findings suggest that there may be a role for olanzapine in children with accompanying difficulties in mood and behavior..."
Posted by grapebubblegum on June 25, 2001, at 5:39:35
In reply to Re: zyprexa/olanzapine » Kyle, posted by SalArmy4me on June 20, 2001, at 9:16:03
Also, you can just go up the page or click on this link to see the discussion we've been having about zyprexa: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/child/20000813/msgs/114.html
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Parents | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.