Asterixis induced by carbamazepine therapy.
There are very few reports about asterixis as a side effect of treatment with psychopharmacologic agents. In this report we present four patients treated with a combination of different psychotropic drugs, in whom asterixis was triggered either by adding carbamazepine (CBZ) to a treatment regimen, or by increasing its dosage. Neither dosage nor serum levels of CBZ were in a higher range. We consider asterixis to be an easily overlooked sign of neurotoxicity, which may occur even at low or moderate dosage levels, if certain drugs as lithium or clozapine are used in combination with CBZ.
Rittmannsberger
H
H
Department of Psychiatry, Wagner-Jauregg-Krankenhaus, Linz, Austria.
Leblhuber
F
F
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004576:Electromyography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014202:Tremor / Q000139:chemically induced*
D002220:Carbamazepine