ABSTRACT
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a common disorder causing sleep impairment. Antipsychotics particularly belonging to the first generation are a common cause of RLS. Whereas, RLS induced by olanzapine is rare, there are only a few cases reported earlier. We report a 38-year-old lady suffering from persistent delusional disorder who was prescribed olanzapine. She developed RLS after initiation of olanzapine which improved when switched over to risperidone. This report will caution clinicians about this side effect of a very commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug.
Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents/adverse effects , Benzodiazepines/adverse effects , Restless Legs Syndrome/chemically induced , Adult , Antipsychotic Agents/administration & dosage , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Benzodiazepines/administration & dosage , Benzodiazepines/therapeutic use , Delusions/drug therapy , Delusions/psychology , Humans , Olanzapine , Restless Legs Syndrome/diagnosis , Restless Legs Syndrome/drug therapy , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
We report a rare case of paranoid schizophrenia presenting with continuous mutism for about three years. This 26-year-old woman with multiple Schneiderian first-rank symptoms ['Schneiderian' refers to those symptoms established by the German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider for the diagnosis of schizophrenia] did not have any catatonic features, and she would fluently communicate by gesturing or writing. Since there was serious impairment in biological functions not readily correctable by antipsychotics, she was started on electroconvulsive therapy. She responded well to 14 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy along with oral haloperidol. We also discuss the cultural implications of prolonged mutism. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of mutism in noncatatonic paranoid schizophrenia that responded well to electroconvulsive therapy described in the literature.
