Mood stabilizer therapy and pravastatin: higher risk for adverse skin reactions?
We report on a serious side effect in a severely depressed 55-year-old woman, who presented an erythematous pigmented skin rash on the whole body under combination treatment with antidepressants, atypical antipsychotic drugs, the mood stabilizer lithium and the lipid-lowering drug pravastatin. The skin rash effect was most probably due, in first line, to olanzapine, but the cutaneous skin condition was triggered and aggravated by pravastatin, a 3-hydoxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A-(HMG-CoA)-reductase inhibitor, and lithium medication. The allergic reaction started to develop after co-administration of pravastatin. Therefore, the combination of atypical antipsychotics with statins should be carefully monitored and the benefits and disadvantages should be balanced.
Walder
Alice
A
Psychiatric Hospital Sanatorium Kilchberg, Alte Landstrasse 70-84, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland. a.walder@sanatorium-kilchberg.ch
Baumann
Pierre
P
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D017035:Pravastatin; D000077152:Olanzapine