Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T04:03:57.652Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Organic Affective Psychosis Associated with the Routine Use of Non-prescription Cold Preparations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Terry M. Brown ,
Robert N. Golden  and
Dwight L. Evans
Terry M. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine
Robert N. Golden*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Campus Box 7160, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Dwight L. Evans
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine
*
∗Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A patient experienced an organic affective psychosis on three separate occasions after taking recommended doses of non-prescription cold/sinus preparations. The possible underlying pharmacological mechanisms of this clinical reaction lend support to the cholinergic-adrenergic balance hypothesis of affective disorders. Recognition of this acute drug-induced state can lead to appropriate short-term pharmacotherapy and can prevent misdiagnosis of a major affective disorder or schizophrenia.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 156 , Issue 4 , April 1990 , pp. 572 - 575
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Climko, R. P. (1987) Depression and decongestants. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1376–1377.Google Scholar
Climko, R. P., Morales, A. & Huertas, E. (1988) A case of secondary mania. Psychosomatics, 29, 142.Google Scholar
Coblentz, J. M., Mattis, S., Zingesser, L. H., et al (1973) Presenile dementia; clinical aspects and evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics. Archives of Neurology, 29, 299–308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cornelius, J. R., Soloff, P. H. & Reynolds, C. F. (1984) Paranoia, homicidal behavior, and seizures associated with phenylpropanolamine. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 120–121.Google Scholar
Dilsaver, S. C. (1986) Pharmacologic induction of cholinergic system up-regulation and supersensitivity in affective disorders research. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 6, 65–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Filloux, F. (1986) Toxic encephalopathy caused by topically applied diphenhydramine. Journal of Pediatrics, 108, 1018–1020.Google Scholar
Hall, R. C., Beresford, M. D., Stickney, R. N., et al (1985) Psychiatric reactions produced by respiratory drugs. Psychosomatics, 26, 605–615.Google Scholar
Herridge, C. F. & A'Brook, M. G. (1968) Ephedrine psychosis. British Medical Journal, ii, 160.Google Scholar
Janowsky, D. S., El-Yousef, M. K., Davis, J. M., et al (1972) A cholinergic–adrenergic hypothesis of mania and depression. Lancet, ii, 632–635.Google Scholar
Kane, F. J. & Florenzano, R. (1971) Psychosis accompanying use of bronchodilator compound. Journal of the American Medical Association, 215, 2116.Google Scholar
Lambert, M. T. (1987) Paranoid psychoses after abuse of proprietary cold remedies. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 548–550.Google Scholar
Paykel, E. S., Flemincer, R. & Watson, J. P. (1982) Psychiatric side effects of antihypertensive drugs other than reserpine. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2, 14–39.Google Scholar
Whitehouse, A. M. & Duncan, J. M. (1987) Ephedrine psychosis rediscovered. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 258–261.Google Scholar
Wood, K. A., Harris, M. J., Morreale, A., et al (1988) Drug-induced psychosis and depression in the elderly. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 11, 167–193.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.