Olanzapine treatment in anorexia nervosa: case report

A 15 year old patient suffering from psychiatric disturbances looked for psychiatric help but refused hospital admission. Following an ambulatory treatment, the patient was diagnosed with Anorexia nervosa. The patient, a girl, was 175 centimeters tall, weighting only 39 kilos. Within the clinical picture, there were few dominant disorders present; anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, fear of feminization, with recurrent psychotic episodes. By the implementation of an intensive psychotherapeutic treatment, without the use of psychopharmacs, the weight was kept stable. In accordance with the girl's mother, a psychopharmacotherapy was commenced, a combination of olanzapine and paroxetine (the choice of psychopharmacs was lead by the side effects known). At the end of a 24-month period of a psychological treatment which was combined with psychopharmacotherapy, the patient exhibited no symptomatology and a stable clinical remission of the illness was achieved.