Could Antipsychotic Drugs Help To Treat Refractory Pain?

Although not approved for the treatment of pain and not considered an analgesic, the antipsychotic drug olanzapine may help to ease refractory pain when added to a typical therapeutic regimen, according to a recent study.

To further explore this issue, researchers conducted a systematic review of 18 studies in which atypical antipsychotics were utilized in pain management regimens. In 10 of the studies, olanzapine was used.
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Overall, olanzapine showed preliminary and consistent efficacy in the treatment and allieviation of pain in patients with fibromyalgia and migraine. Other antipsychotics, including quetiapine, aripiprazole, risperidone, and ziprasidone, failed to demonstrate the same efficacy.

“Very few studies have been conducted as a whole to evaluate the analgesic effects of atypical antipsychotics. The collective findings of multiple studies evaluating olanzapine in pain syndromes suggest a high yet preliminary level of evidence of efficacy, warranting prospective studies in various pain syndrome contexts,“ they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Jimenez X. A review of atypical antipsychotics in pain management: olanzapine demonstrates potential. Paper presented at: American Academy of Pain Medicine 2016 Annual Meeting. February 19, 2016. Palm Springs, California.