Mood-elevating effects of opioid analgesics in patients with bipolar disorder.
Opioids can have mood-elevating effects in healthy subjects and have been used successfully to treat refractory depressed patients. A few case reports indicate that opioid analgesics can induce mania. The authors investigated the mood reaction of opioid analgesics in patients with bipolar disorder. Nine (27%) of 33 patients who took opioid analgesics for medical reasons experienced a significant hypomanic/manic reaction, and two other patients reported an antidepressant effect. None of the comparison subjects reported a significant mood reaction from opioid analgesics. These results indicate that opioid analgesics can have an important mood-altering effect on patients with known bipolar disorder.
Schaffer
Charles B
CB
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA. schafferpsych@sbcglobal.net
Nordahl
Thomas E
TE
Schaffer
Linda C
LC
Howe
Jeanne
J
D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid