Olanzapine appears haematologically safe in patients who developed blood dyscrasia on clozapine and risperidone

We report a 2-year experience with olanzapine treatment (20 mg daily) in a 65-year-old male patient with treatment-resistant paranoid schizophrenia, w ho had previously developed leucopenia and neutropenia first on clozapine a nd, subsequently, also on risperidone. Olanzapine seems to be safe in this patient, since no major decreases of haematological parameters were observe d. The only exception was a brief decrease of leucocyte and neutrophil (but not erythrocyte or platelet) counts during influenza-like viral infection, However, the control of psychotic symptoms on olanzapine is not as good as on clozapine. Int clin Psychopharmacol 15:237-238 (C) 2000 Lippincott Will iams & Wilkins.