title: Adverse psychiatric reactions to modern medication.
abstract: From this survey it will be apparent that many psychiatric reactions to drugs are largely caused by their direct toxic actions or from combinations of drugs. As such, they are often dose related, although age and slow speed of detoxification will increase the risk of patients developing delirium, hallucinations, sleep disturbances, anxiety etc. Similar toxic reactions can also occur when drugs to which a patient has developed some measure of tolerance are abruptly withdrawn. In this context the effects of drugs upon patterns of sleep may be important determinants of adverse withdrawal symptoms. In contrast are the reactions which resemble one or other of the functional psychoses. In these patients it appears that a past history of an affective or schizophrenic psychosis is the best predictor of a similar illness being precipitated by a particular drug. Nonetheless, with substances like reserpine and cycloserine there is good reason for thinking that, given a sufficient quantity, practically any patient can develop an adverse psychiatric reaction.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000139:chemically induced; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000209:etiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D013256:Steroids / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D013256:Steroids