Citation

Sahin SK, Gumuslu A, Kaya D, Elboga G, Altindaǧ A. Dusunen Adam J. Psychiatry Neurol. Sci. 2019; 32(3): 281-282.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Yerkure Tanitim ve Yayincilik Hizmetleri)

DOI

10.14744/DAJPNS.2019.00040

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Drugs being abused may be benzodiazepines from the group of psychotropics or rarely antidepressants and antipsychotics. There are also rare cases of abuse of medicines containing ephedrine/pseudoephedrine or pheniramine, which are not only prescribed by psychiatrists. Pheniramine is an H1 histamine antagonist with low sedative activity. In this article, we present a 35-year-old woman who started to use pheniramine due to depressive symptoms and insomnia but developed dependence and was hospitalized in a psychiatry clinic. According to her medical history, she had been taking venlafaxine 150mg per day for major depression for one year. The patient was treated with 7 ECT sessions combined with pharmacotherapy in our clinic for 21 days. Risks and possible mechanisms that may contribute to the development of pheniramine dependence in this patient are discussed under 3 headings: Being a health care professional, self-medication of psychiatric problems, and the mechanism of action of pheniramine as an H1 histamine antagonist. © 2019 Yerkure Tanitim ve Yayincilik Hizmetleri A.S.. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; social interaction; female; case report; insomnia; suicide attempt; major depression; hospitalization; neuroimaging; hopelessness; clinical article; mirtazapine; venlafaxine; intravenous drug abuse; quetiapine; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; electroconvulsive therapy; diazepam; psychopharmacotherapy; drug dependence; mental hospital; health practitioner; withdrawal syndrome; self medication; job performance; nausea and vomiting; psychosocial withdrawal; anhedonia; dizziness; add on therapy; Article; Dependence; medical history; treatment duration; weakness; pheniramine; Histamine antagonist; Pheniramine; pheniramine dependence