Carbamazepine drug reaction involving high fevers during the COVID-19 era

Ment Health Clin. 2021 Sep 24;11(5):287-291. doi: 10.9740/mhc.2021.09.287. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Carbamazepine has demonstrated anticonvulsant properties and is used for a variety of indications in psychiatry and neurology. Total daily doses typically range from 200 to 1200 mg/d, generally divided into 2 doses. Carbamazepine has a broad side-effect profile but is not typically thought to produce high fevers in the absence of a hypersensitivity syndrome. This is a case of a probable adverse drug reaction to carbamazepine consisting of fever without severe major organ involvement. In this instance, a patient in a manic episode with psychotic features was briefly transferred to a COVID-19 unit to rule out coronavirus infection before the fever resolved.

Keywords: COVID-19; adverse drug reaction; bipolar disorder; carbamazepine; case report; coronavirus.

Publication types

  • Case Reports