Olanzapine is commonly utilized in palliative care for the treatment of nausea, and a known side effect of olanzapine is increased appetite. Olanzapine is also known to cause re-emergence of eating disorders (EDs) in patients utilizing olanzapine for its antipsychotic effects. It is unclear to what extent this may also occur in patients with serious/life-limiting illness.
Methods and Results:
We present a case of a 70-year-old female with recurrent ovarian cancer and a history of bulimia nervosa (BN) that developed resurgence of her BN after initiation of olanzapine for cancer-associated nausea. Her BN resolved with reducing the dose of olanzapine.
Conclusion:
It is important to recognize that recurrence of EDs can occur when using olanzapine in the palliative care setting.
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