Question

A patient with a known diagnosis of bipolar I disorder presents to your clinic complaining of manic symptoms and insomnia. Your patient has been stable on lithium for the past six months To determine if a medication change or increase is warranted, it is important to gather more information. You suspect a possible medication-induced manic episode when the patient endorses what?

a. She was recently placed on a beta blocker for anxiety.
b. She was recently prescribed a benzo
c. She recently had a flare up of her rheumatoid arthritis and received treatment for one week (aka a steroid)
d. She recently began a new retroviral agent for hepatitis

Answer 1

One clue that a medication-induced manic episode may be occurring in a patient with bipolar disorder is if the patient recently began a new retroviral agent for hepatitis.

Step-by-step explanation:

When determining if a medication change or increase is warranted in a patient with known bipolar I disorder, it is important to gather more information. In this case, you suspect a possible medication-induced manic episode. One clue that could support this suspicion is if the patient recently began a new retroviral agent for hepatitis. Medications for hepatitis, such as antiretroviral agents, have been known to trigger manic symptoms in some individuals with bipolar disorder.