Constipation, Polyuria, Polydipsia, and Edema Associated with Orlistat

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1168-1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen A Packard ◽  
Richard L Wurdeman ◽  
Antonio P Reyes

OBJECTIVE: To report the occurrence of a novel group of adverse effects associated with initiation and rechallenge of orlistat. CASE SUMMARY: A 42-year-old white woman developed symptoms of constipation, polyuria, polydipsia, and increased lower-leg edema after 2 weeks of treatment with orlistat 120 mg 3 × daily. The drug was discontinued for 4 days and the symptoms resolved. On reinstitution of the orlistat treatment, the symptoms reappeared within 2 days. Thereafter, the medication was permanently discontinued. DISCUSSION: Common gastrointestinal adverse reactions associated with orlistat use include fecal urgency and abdominal pain and discomfort. Pedal edema has also been reported to occur, although less frequently. No reports were discovered documenting the occurrence of constipation, polydipsia, and polyuria associated with the use of orlistat. Despite careful consideration of other possible causes of these symptoms, the temporal association between initiation, discontinuation, and rechallenge of orlistat and the patient's symptoms suggest a medication-related adverse event. Based on the Naranjo probability scale, the likelihood that orlistat was the cause of this cluster of adverse effects is possible. CONCLUSIONS: It is important for the healthcare provider to be aware of these adverse effects to promptly evaluate and differentiate between possible causes of similar reactions.

2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge K Ruiz ◽  
Giorgio V Rossi ◽  
Humberto A Vallejos ◽  
Rosemarie W Brenet ◽  
Isabel B Lopez ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: To report 2 fatal cases of fulminant hepatic failure associated with propylthiouracil treatment against hyperthyroidism. CASE SUMMARY: Two women, 30 and 32 years old with no previous liver disease, were treated with propylthiouracil against Graves' disease. Both patients developed jaundice after a 4- and 5-month treatment period, respectively. The disease was similar to viral hepatitis, with a progressive course to severe liver dysfunction and death, along with multisystem organ failure despite extensive therapeutic measures. One of the patients was pregnant and subsequently miscarried. Neither patient had a history of alcoholism, drug abuse, blood transfusion, or exposure to hepatitis A, B, or C. Extrahepatic obstruction was ruled out with an abdominal ultrasonogram. Serologic studies and immunologic tests were negative. A submassive necrosis was shown in a postmortem histologic study. DISCUSSION: Naranjo probability scale criteria applied to both cases confirm the adverse reactions as probable. These cases fit the requirements of drug hepatotoxicity proposed by Hanson and the Council of the International Organization of Medical Sciences. Eight deaths associated to propylthiouracil were found in our review of the medical literature up to December 2000. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the widespread use of propylthiouracil, fulminant hepatitis with death is exceptionally rare; these 2 cases could be added to the fatal outcomes published to date.


2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 397-400
Author(s):  
Angela R. Thomason ◽  
Bruce A. Waldrop ◽  
Sherry O. Price

Objective To report a case of probable nortriptyline toxicity associated with a combination of telithromycin and nortriptyline. Case Summary A 50-year-old white woman was admitted to the hospital with new-onset palpitations after taking 5 days of telithromycin in combination with nortriptyline. On admission her electrocardiograph showed atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia. The patient was also hypotensive, with a blood pressure of 90/45 mm Hg. She had been taking nortriptyline 150 mg daily at bedtime for 10 years without complications. The final day of telithromycin therapy was completed, and nortriptyline was discontinued on admission. The tachycardia subsided with a dose of diltiazem. Discussion It is suspected that the cardiovascular symptoms observed in the patient are the result of nortriptyline toxicity caused by inhibition of CYP2D6 by telithromycin. Limited evidence shows that telithromycin may be an inhibitor of CYP2D6. An assessment of causation of the adverse effects using the Drug Interaction Probability Scale suggests a probable interaction between telithromycin and nortriptyline. Conclusion It is recommended that clinicians remain aware of possible interactions between telithromycin and known CYP2D6 substrates such as nortriptyline. Should telithromycin therapy be required, close monitoring of the potential adverse effects and/or plasma drug levels of patients taking interacting drugs is warranted.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 782
Author(s):  
Entaz Bahar ◽  
Hyonok Yoon

The most widely used medications in dentistry are local anesthetics (LA), especially lidocaine, and the number of recorded adverse allergic responses, particularly of hazardous responses, is quite low. However, allergic reactions can range from moderate to life-threatening, requiring rapid diagnosis and treatment. This article serves as a review to provide information on LA, their adverse reactions, causes, and management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1739.2-1739
Author(s):  
C. Hatzantonis

Background:Knee osteoarthritis has been a leading cause of chronic pain and disability in our increasingly aging population. Conservative management options of physiotherapy and oral analgesics offer some relief, but delivery of intra-articular injections such as corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid has increasingly become the mainstay of pain management of knee osteoarthritis. In a clinical setting, intra-articular injections offer a means to delay a total knee replacement. Despite the abundance of literature on corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid, there is no known percentage of infection rates or adverse effects that clinicians may use to inform patients prior to obtaining consent for the injection.Objectives:To determine a rate of adverse events and infection rates in patients undergoing intra-articular injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid.Methods:A systematic review of current literature including studies involving patients ranging from 45 patients (Carmona L, 2018) to Cochrane reviews of 1767 patients (Campbell Kirk, 2015). From these studies, the number of patients, adverse reactions (i.e. pain, erythema) and serious adverse reactions (infections) were calculated.Results:Within our study, there was a large variation of numbers of adverse effects of hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids amongst studies, with percentages as variable as 0-9.3%. Corticosteroids demonstrated 11-26% reduction of adverse events compared to hyaluronic acid. However, confidence intervals were found to not be statistically significant.Conclusion:Intra-articular injections of corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid, although deemed clinically effective, continue to demonstrate variable rates of adverse effects and infection amongst patients with progressive knee osteoarthritis.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-45
Author(s):  
Instiaty ◽  
I Gusti Agung Ayu Putu Sri Darmayani ◽  
Jefman Efendi Marzuki ◽  
Ferina Angelia ◽  
William ◽  
...  

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019 in China, has become a pandemic in March 2020. Repurposing old and relatively safe drugs becomes an advantageous option to obtain the urgently needed effective treatment. Repurposing chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, oseltamivir, lopinavir/ritonavir, andfavipiravir, and the use of investigational drug remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19, are reviewed from the clinical pharmacology perspective, particularly its efficacy and safety. Limited clinical studies of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, and remdesivir showed some efficacy in COVID-19 treatment with tolerable adverse effects. Potential serious adverse effect of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine is cardiac arrhythmia. Oseltamivir has no documented activity against SARS-CoV-2, while lopinavir/ritonavir showed limited efficacy in COVID-19. Currently, there is no sufficient evidence to recommend any specific anti-COVID-19 treatment. The decision to use these drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic must be based on careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks to the patient.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-66
Author(s):  
Nana Tomova ◽  
Ami Hale ◽  
Michelle Kruschandl

Half of the UK population take at least one prescribed medicine, while a quarter take three or more. Polypharmacy has become increasingly common, with the average number of items prescribed per person per year in England having increased by 53.8% in the last decade. Patients are prescribed, and may continue taking, medicines that cause adverse effects and where the harm of the medicine outweighs the benefit. Adverse reactions to medicines are connected to 6.5% of hospital admissions. Patients admitted with one drug side effect are more than twice as likely to be admitted with another. Deprescribing is the optimisation of medication and is a vital part of improving outcomes, managing chronic conditions, and avoiding adverse effects. The goal of deprescribing is to lessen medication burden and enhance quality of life. This article presents case studies from clinical practice in a mental health service, and highlights the merits of specialist pharmacist-led interventions with respects to medication reviews and deprescribing.


Author(s):  
Tomasz Bajorek ◽  
Jonathan Hafferty

Adverse reactions to medication represent a major issue in inpatient psychiatry. This chapter systematically explores the most relevant, concerning, and problematic adverse effects routinely encountered in an inpatient setting. It describes the typical presentation, pathophysiology, incidence, and practical management of these problems. Extrapyramidal side effects including acute dystonia, drug-induced parkinsonism, akathisia, and tardive dyskinesia are considered before the chapter explores the rare but potentially life-threatening condition of neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Other adverse effects common to antipsychotics that are described include hyperprolactinaemia and psychotropic-induced arrhythmias including QTc prolongation. Sexual dysfunction is an under-recognized and undertreated adverse effect common to several classes of psychotropic medication and is also considered. Focusing on antidepressants, the chapter reviews the frequently encountered issue of hyponatraemia as well as serotonin syndrome and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced bleeding risk. Finally, the chapter addresses perinatal considerations for psychotropic drugs.


Author(s):  
Erlania do Carmo Freitas ◽  
Geslaney Reis da Silva ◽  
Rudval Souza da Silva ◽  
Rita Narriman Silva de Oliveira Boery ◽  
Maria Patricia Milagres

OBJECTIVE: The study’s purpose has been to address the state of the art in investigations such as clinical trials, systematic reviews with meta-analysis and case studies, which report how to minimize opioid-induced constipation in patients undergoing palliative care. METHODS: This is an exploratory study through an integrative review of four databases addressing published articles from 2013 to 2017. RESULTS: A total of 117 publications were presented, which 17 presented the inclusion criteria. The studies describe the prevalence of constipation rates induced by the use of opioids. CONCLUSION: Although these drugs alleviate pain, the adverse reactions may generate discomfort and loss of the patient’s life quality. There are limited data on the treatment of constipation. It was observed that few authors mentioned diet as a helper on this situation, emphasizing the use of medications. Further studies should be encouraged aiming to find the balance between analgesia and reduction of adverse effects.


2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 944-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leisa L Marshall

OBJECTIVE: To report the probable association of angioedema with aspirin therapy and the selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor rofecoxib. CASE SUMMARY: A 44-year-old white woman, previously tolerant to aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), developed angioedema of the lips after ingesting two 325-mg aspirin tablets during one day. The reaction occurred 3 hours after taking the second aspirin and resolved within 3 hours. Two weeks later, the patient took a 25-mg rofecoxib tablet for a sore throat, and she developed angioedema 51/2 hours later. Although the woman took 50 mg of diphenhydramine, the swelling did not subside. She repeated the diphenhydramine dose in the evening and, by noon the next day, 261/2 hours after the angioedema began, it was resolved. The patient's internist prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector and advised her to consult an allergist. With skin testing and oral rechallenge with aspirin, but not rofecoxib, the allergist determined the cause of the reactions to be aspirin-induced angioedema and selective COX-2 inhibitor intolerance. The Naranjo probability scale indicated that aspirin was a highly probable cause and rofecoxib was a probable cause of this patient's angioedema. DISCUSSION: Aspirin-induced angioedema and NSAID intolerance have been well documented. There are reports of both tolerance and intolerance to selective COX-2 inhibitors in patients with documented allergy-like reactions to aspirin and NSAIDs. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with aspirin and NSAID intolerance may develop intolerance to COX-2 inhibitors, especially with repeated exposure.


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