will one month s treatment be enough for my dad s temper flares?
Patient: My dad (82) showed sudden temper flares, mood swings and aggressive behaviour. Psychiatrist prescribed oleanz rapitab 2.5 initially once a day. That did not change his behaviour. After 4 days he was taken to the doctor again. Dosage was increased to 5mg twice daily. Now after 5 more days of increased dosage, he is his usual calm and quiet self. How long should he take the medication? Will one month s treatment be enough? He doesn t have diabetes or hypertension. Will taking this drug increase the risk of diabetes or hypertension? Doctor: Hi,I read your query. Before I go on to answer, I would like to mention that I would have wanted to know if your father is suffering from any forgetfulness too. That would be important because in that case it would be important to treat him accordingly  with some anti-dementia medication.  Currently, it would be difficult to say how long he would need olanzapine. It would be required to review him periodically and take a decision accordingly. Olanzapine doesn't increase the risk of hypertension although  long term intake can lead to dyslipidemia and increased risk of diabetes. However, regular monitoring will help in taking care of that. Hope this information was helpful. Best wishes.