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New onset multimodal hallucinations associated with mirtazapine: a case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2010

Kalpana P. Padala ,
Prasad R. Padala ,
Timothy Malloy  and
William J. Burke
Kalpana P. Padala*
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
Prasad R. Padala
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
Timothy Malloy
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
William J. Burke
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Kalpana P. Padala, Department of Family Medicine, 983075 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3075, U.S.A. Phone: +1 402-559-8069, Fax: +1 402-559-6501. Email: kpadala@unmc.edu.
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Abstract

Mirtazapine, a commonly used antidepressant, has a relatively safe side effect profile and is commonly used in the elderly for treatment of depression. It has been proposed as being particularly suitable for patients with depression associated with insomnia and weight loss. Although mental status changes and perceptual abnormalities secondary to its use are rare, special care needs to be taken, especially while starting treatment or while increasing the dose. We report three cases of auditory, musical and visual hallucinations associated with the use of mirtazapine.

Keywords

mirtazapinehallucinationsantidepressantdopamine
Type
Case Report
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , August 2010 , pp. 837 - 839
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2010

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