Medication phobia:  a new cause of drug noncompliance in Parkinson disease.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a new form of anxiety in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 100 consecutive charts of patients with PD to identify those who did not adhere to their medication schedule owing to irrational fear of taking their medication. Information pertaining to their PD and comorbid medical conditions was collected.


RESULTS
We identified 6 patients with PD who had severe disability, yet anxiety from taking the medication caused avoidance of taking appropriate oral medication. This avoidance persisted in the face of reassurance that the medication is not dangerous and that taking the medication would improve their disability.


CONCLUSIONS
This study describes a new form of anxiety in patients with PD. We propose the term ``medication phobia'' to describe these patients.
Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Technion Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel. i_schles@rambam.health.gov.il
Ilana
I
Schlesinger
David
D
Rabinowitz
D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents