Past Issues
Another Case of Ziprasidone-associated Hypomania in
Schizophrenia
Chun-Lin Chen, M.D., M.A., I-Chih Cheng, M.D., Jung Feng, M.D.
To the editor:
In his case report, Chen [1] described a rare
condition where a 37-year-old schizophrenic patient
developed hypomania after ziprasidone treatment.
We present another case of ziprasidone-associated
hypomania in a schizophrenic patient.
This additional information may enlighten us further
with respect to the pattern of possible side effects
associated with ziprasidone treatment in patients
with schizophrenia and affective disorder.
Our 17-year-old female patient had a threemonth
history of restricted affect, psychomotor retardation,
delusions of persecution and reference,
commentary auditory hallucinations, and negative
symptoms leading to social withdrawal. Her
prominent psychotic symptoms and also retrospectively
considering the whole course post
treatment confirm the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
She had been treated with sulpiride and ziprasidone,
each for about one week, however, drug
compliance is doubtful. Olanzapine and risperidone
were subsequently used successively under
our supervision during her hospitalization. Her
psychotic symptoms remained unresponsive to
these two second-generation antipsychotics.
Ziprasidone 40 mg/d was then added to the
treatment regimen while the risperidone was tapered.
The initial ziprasidone dosage was then increased
to 80 mg/d. Her auditory hallucinations
and persecutory delusions were resolved within
approximately two weeks. However, hypomanic
symptoms-like elated mood, pressured speech and
sexual disinhibition, appeared within one week.
These mood symptoms were resolved on cessation
of the ziprasidone and commencement of
zotepine and valproate (Figure 1). [2] After more
than two years of follow up, no more mood disturbances
had been diagnosed and the patient was
more active, although occupational capacity remained
poor.
Based on the above evidence, it appears reasonable
to suggest that the presented case is another
example of ziprasidone-associated hypomania
in a Taiwanese schizophrenic patient. In
comparison with the two other reports of ziprasidone-
associated mania/hypomania in schizophrenia
[3,4], our case involved the lowest dose of
ziprasidone before the occurrence of mania/hypomania
(80 mg/d vs. 160 mg/d in the other three
cases). In bipolar disorder, however, mania/hypomania
may be triggered at dosages as low as 40
mg/d [5].
With reference to these four cases, we make
the following observations:
1. There is a risk of mania/hypomania in both
schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients treated with ziprasidone. This exaggerated mood may occur
in both sexes and from adolescence to middle
age.
2. Ziprasidone associated mania/hypomania
generally occurs within days of drug commencement,
and resolves soon after discontinuation.
3. Apart from warning us of the potential for
this side effect, this phenomenon may also shed
new light on treating depression and negative
symptoms in schizophrenia through further elaboration
of the mechanism of action of ziprasidone
and related safety considerations.
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