Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T08:51:58.258Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

New onset multimodal hallucinations associated with mirtazapine: a case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2010

Kalpana P. Padala ,
Prasad R. Padala ,
Timothy Malloy  and
William J. Burke
Kalpana P. Padala*
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
Prasad R. Padala
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
Timothy Malloy
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
William J. Burke
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Kalpana P. Padala, Department of Family Medicine, 983075 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3075, U.S.A. Phone: +1 402-559-8069, Fax: +1 402-559-6501. Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Mirtazapine, a commonly used antidepressant, has a relatively safe side effect profile and is commonly used in the elderly for treatment of depression. It has been proposed as being particularly suitable for patients with depression associated with insomnia and weight loss. Although mental status changes and perceptual abnormalities secondary to its use are rare, special care needs to be taken, especially while starting treatment or while increasing the dose. We report three cases of auditory, musical and visual hallucinations associated with the use of mirtazapine.

Keywords

mirtazapinehallucinationsantidepressantdopamine
Type
Case Report
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , August 2010 , pp. 837 - 839
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bailer, U., Fischer, P., Kufferle, B., Stastny, J. and Kasper, S. (2000). Occurrence of mirtazapine-induced delirium in organic brain disorder. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 15, 239–243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Boer, T. (1995). The effects of mirtazapine on central noradrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 10, 19–23.Google Scholar
Devoto, P., Flore, G., Pira, L., Longu, G. and Gessa, G. L. (2004). Mirtazapine-induced corelease of dopamine and noradrenaline from noradrenergic neurons in the medial prefrontal and occipital cortex. European Journal of Pharmacology, 487, 105–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Millan, M. J. et al. (2000). Mirtazapine enhances frontocortical dopaminergic and corticolimbic adrenergic, but not serotonergic, transmission by blockade of alpha2-adrenergic and serotonin2C receptors: a comparison with citalopram. European Journal of Neuroscience, 12, 1079–1095.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakayama, K., Sakurai, T. and Katsu, H. (2004). Mirtazapine increases dopamine release in prefrontal cortex by 5-HT1A receptor activation. Brain Research Bulletin, 63, 237–241.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Naranjo, C. A. et al. (1981). A method for estimating the probability of adverse drug reactions, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 30, 239–245.Google Scholar
Normann, C., Hesslinger, B., Frauenknecht, S., Berger, M. and Walden, J. (1997). Psychosis during chronic levodopa therapy triggered by the new antidepressive drug mirtazapine. Pharmacopsychiatry, 30, 263–265.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rogoz, Z., Wrobel, A., Dlaboga, D. and Dziedzicka-Wasylewska, M. (2002). Effect of repeated treatment with mirtazapine on the central dopaminergic D2/D3 receptors. Polish Journal of Pharmacology, 54, 381–389.Google ScholarPubMed
Stimmel, G. L., Dopheide, J. A. and Stahl, S. M. (1997). Mirtazapine: an antidepressant with noradrenergic and specific serotonergic effects. Pharmacotherapy, 17, 10–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed