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The term "mood disorders" refers to a group of illnesses that cause
persistent changes in mood and behavior serious enough to impair functioning.
Common mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder (manic-depressive
disorder).
Depression is an illness that consists of depressed
mood, fatigue, and a loss of interest in activities that usually are
pleasurable. Depression can rob a person of the joys of life, disrupt
relationships, and interfere with work and daily activities.
Mania may be loosely thought of as the opposite of
depression. It is characterized by very happy or irritable moods and increased
energy. A related condition called hypomania is a mild form of
mania. It is characterized by emotional highs, scattered thoughts, and
overactivity in the absence of dangerous, reckless or destructive behavior.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes
people to have episodes of serious mania and depression. The person's
moods swing from overly "high" and irritable (mania) to sad and
hopeless (depression), with periods of normal mood in between.
Certain drugs prescribed for various medical conditions have been found to
cause depression or mania in some people. But not all people who take these
drugs will experience mania or depression.
If you do experience these or other disturbing side effects, call your doctor
immediately. Do not stop taking the medicine unless directed to do so by your
doctor. In all cases, the risk of side effects must be balanced against the
risk and discomfort of not treating the disease.
What are some of the more commonly used drugs that can cause mania?
Mania can occur as the result of drug treatment for many medical problems,
especially in people already susceptible to mood disorders. The drugs that can
cause mania include:
Amphetamines -- Central nervous system stimulants used to
treat childhood hyperactivity, obesity, and narcolepsy. Examples include
Dexedrine, Ritalin, Adderall and their longer-acting counterparts, Concerta
and Metadate.
Anticholinergics -- A group of medicines used to relieve
cramps or spasms of the stomach, intestines, and bladder. Examples include
Anaspaz, Bentyl, Gastrosed, Levbid and Symax.
Benztropine -- A medicine used to treat Parkinson's
disease.
Bupropion -- A medicine used to treat depression.
Corticosteroids -- A group of medicines that decrease
inflammation (swelling) and reduce the activity of the immune system.
Corticosteroids may be topical (rubbed on the skin), oral (swallowed), or
inhaled through the nose or mouth. Topical steroids are used to treat various
skin problems such as poison ivy, and include Hydrocortisone, Clobetasol, and
Triamcinolone. Oral steroids are used to treat a variety of inflammation-based
diseases, including asthma and lupus, as well as to help prevent transplant
rejection. Examples include Prednisone and Methylprednisolone. Inhaled
steroids are used to reduce inflammation associated with asthma and nasal
allergies. Examples include Flonase, Nasocort, Nasonex, Flovent, and Azmacort.
Cyclosporine -- A drug used to suppress the immune system
to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.
Baclofen -- A muscle relaxant and antispastic agent often
used to treat multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.
Bromocriptine -- A drug used to treat Parkinson's disease.
Captopril -- A medicine used to treat high blood pressure.
Cimetidine (Tagamet) -- One of the histamine H2-receptor
antagonists, a group of medicines used to prevent and treat duodenal ulcers.
These medicines also are used to prevent and relieve heartburn, acid
indigestion, and sour stomach.
Disulfiram (Antabuse) --A medicine that produces
sensitivity to alcohol and results in a highly unpleasant reaction when the
person taking it drinks alcohol. It is used to treat alcoholism.
Hydralazine -- A medicine used to treat high blood
pressure.
Isoniazid -- A drug used to treat tuberculosis, or TB.
Levodopa (Dopar, Sinemet) -- A medicine used to treat
Parkinson's disease.
Levothyroxine (Synthroid) -- A drug commonly prescribed as
a thyroid hormone replacement. It is used to treat patients whose thyroid
glands are not producing enough hormones on their own.
MAOIs -- A group of medicines used to treat depression.
Examples include Nardil and Parnate.
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) --A mild central nervous system
stimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Metrizamide (Amipaque) -- A special medical dye used in
certain radiology tests. These dyes help doctors visualize blood vessels and
organs.
Opioids -- A class of narcotics used to relieve moderate
to severe pain. These drugs have a high potential for abuse and addiction.
Examples include Codeine, Demerol, Darvocet, Morphine, and Percodan.
Procarbazine -- An anticancer drug commonly used to treat
Hodgkin's disease and lymphomas.
Procyclidine -- A medicine used to treat Parkinson's
disease and adverse effects of anti-psychotics.
Trihexyphenidyl (Artane) -- A medicine used to treat
Parkinson's disease.
Yohimbine -- A drug used to treat male impotence.
What are some of the more commonly used drugs that can cause depression?
The following drugs have been reported to cause depression in some patients.
Elderly people are particularly at risk.
Acyclovir (Zovirax) -- An antiviral drug used to treat
shingles and herpes.
Alcohol
Anticonvulsants -- A drug used to control epileptic
seizures. Examples include Celontin and Zanontin.
Asparaginase (Elspar) -- An anticancer drug.
Baclofen (Lioresal) -- A muscle relaxant and antispastic
agent often used to treat multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.
Barbiturates -- A group of central nervous system
depressants that slow down brain function. These medicines have been used to
treat anxiety and to prevent epileptic seizures. They are commonly abused.
Examples are phenobarbitol and secobarbitol.
Benzodiazepines -- A group of central nervous system
depressants often used to treat anxiety and insomnia, and relax muscles.
Examples include Ativan, Dalmane, Halcion, Klonopin, Librium, Valium, Xanax
and Restoril.
Beta-adrenergic blockers -- Also known as beta-blockers,
these medicines are used in the treatment of various heart problems, including
high blood pressure, chest pain caused by angina, and certain abnormal heart
rhythms. They may also be used to treat migraine headaches. Examples include
acebutolol, atenolol, propanolol, bisoprolol, metoprolol, nadolol, and timolol.
Bromocriptine (Parlodel) -- A medicine used to treat
Parkinson's disease.
Calcium-channel blockers -- A group of medicines that slow
the heart rate and relax blood vessels. Calcium channel blockers are used to
treat high blood pressure, chest pain, congestive heart failure, and certain
abnormal heart rhythms. Examples include verapamil, diltiazem, and nifedipine.
Corticosteroids -- A group of medicines that decrease
inflammation (swelling) and reduce the activity of the immune system.
Corticosteroids may be topical (rubbed on the skin), oral (swallowed), or
inhaled through the nose or mouth. Topical steroids are used to treat various
skin disorders, including poison ivy, and include Hydrocortisone, Clobetasol,
and Triamcinolone. Oral steroids are used to treat a variety of
inflammation-based diseases, including asthma and lupus, as well as to help
prevent transplant rejection. Examples include Prednisone and
Methylprednisolone. Inhaled steroids are used to reduce inflammation
associated with asthma and nasal allergies. Examples include Flonase, Nasocort,
Nasonex, Flovent, and Azmacort.
Cycloserine (Seromycin) -- An antibiotic used primarily to
treat tuberculosis, or TB.
Dapsone -- An antibacterial/anti-infection medicine used
to prevent and treat a type of pneumonia called PCP pneumonia. Dapsone also is
used to treat leprosy and a skin problem called dermatitis
herpetiformis.
Disopyramide (Norpace) -- A drug used to treat abnormal
heart rhythms, or arrhythmias.
Disulfiram (Antabuse) --A medicine that produces
sensitivity to alcohol and results in a highly unpleasant reaction when the
person taking it drinks alcohol. It is used to treat alcoholism.
Estrogens -- A class of female hormones often used in
hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause symptoms and to prevent
or treat osteoporosis. Examples include Premarin and Prempro.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics --A class of antibiotics used
to treat respiratory tract infections, including chronic bronchitis,
pneumonia, and bacterial sinusitis. Levaquin is one example of fluoroquinolone
antibiotics.
Histamine H2-receptor antagonists -- Medicines used to
prevent and treat duodenal ulcers. These medicines also are used to prevent
and relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach. Examples include
Axid, Mylanta, Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantac.
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) -- A group of
medicines used to lower cholesterol, protect against damage from coronary
artery disease and prevent heart attacks. Examples include Mevacor, Zocor,
Pravachol, Lescol, and Lipitor.
Interferon alfa (Roferon-A) -- A highly purified protein
used to treat certain cancers and chronic, active hepatitis B.
Isotretinoin (Accutane) -- A drug used to treat severe
acne.
Mefloquine (Lariam) -- A medicine used to prevent or treat
malaria.
Methyldopa (Aldomet) -- A drug used to treat high blood
pressure.
Metoclopramide (Reglan) --A medicine that increases the
contractions of the stomach. It is used to help diagnose certain disorders of
the stomach and/or intestines. It also is used to prevent nausea and vomiting
that may occur after treatment with anticancer drugs.
Metrizamide (Amipaque) -- A special medical dye used in
certain radiology tests. These dyes help doctors visualize blood vessels and
organs.
Metronidazole (Flagyl) -- An antibacterial agent used to
treat infections.
Narcotics -- A group of drugs used to relieve intense pain
and suppress coughs. These drugs have a high potential for abuse and
addiction. Examples include Codeine, Demerol, Darvocet, Morphine, and Percodan.
Progestins, implanted (Norplant) -- Medicines used for
birth control.
Sulfonamides -- A group of drugs used to prevent and treat
infections.
When a medicine produces symptoms of depression, mania, or both, your doctor
may recommend discontinuing the drug or reducing the dosage (if possible). If
this is not possible, your doctor may treat the manic or depressive symptoms
with other drugs.
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