Clozapine and olanzapine are associated with food craving and binge eating: results from a randomized double-blind...

The second generation antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine frequently induce weight gain. Randomized studies investigating abnormal eating behavior (food craving, binge eating) possibly associated with weight gain are lacking. Thirty patients with schizophrenia, schizophreniform, or schizoaffective disorder were included in this randomized, double-blind, parallel study comparing abnormal eating behavior using a standardized scale, clinical efficacy using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale 0-6 and Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale, and tolerability of clozapine and olanzapine. In both treatment groups, the number of patients reporting food craving, binge eating, or both increased over time. The likelihood to experience food craving at any time during drug treatment showed a trend (P = 0.068) to be higher in the olanzapine group (48.9%) compared with the clozapine group (23.3%). The likelihood to experience binge eating at any time during drug treatment was numerically but not statistically significantly higher in the olanzapine group (16.7%) than in the clozapine group (8.9%). In both groups, significant baseline-to-end point improvements of clinical symptoms (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale 0-6: clozapine, 36.6 +/- 8.8 to 15.9 +/- 13.7; olanzapine, 36.7 +/- 9.9 to 19.1 +/- 13.8) and severity of illness (Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale: clozapine, 4.7 +/- 0.6 to 2.5 +/- 1.5; olanzapine, 4.5 +/- 0.6 to 2.3 +/- 1.2) were observed. These improvements did not differ significantly between groups. Olanzapine was more tolerable than clozapine; adverse events occurred significantly (P < 0.01) less frequently than in the clozapine group. These results suggest that both clozapine and olanzapine can induce food craving and binge eating, however, olanzapine possibly to a greater extent. Findings on clinical efficacy and safety are in accordance with previous reports.