Can "steroid switching" improve steroid-induced musical hallucinations in a patient with terminal cancer?

Seitetsu Kanemura1, Hitoshi Tanimukai, Satoru Tsuneto

  • 1Hospice, Gratia Hospital, Mino, Osaka 562-8567, Japan. k.seitetsu@gmail.com

The patient was a 57-year-old woman with malignant pleural mesothelioma. She had a past history of anxiety neurosis but not had any history of otological diseases. On admission to our hospice (day 1), she complained of dyspnea and wheezing associated with the progression of her underlying disease. After we started oral betamethasone (2 mg/d), dyspnea was alleviated and the frequency of wheezing was reduced. On day 3, she began to experience musical hallucinations that were manifested in opera/piano concert music and a child's voice. The episodes of musical hallucinations occurred approximately 10 times a day and disappeared spontaneously within several minutes. She had not experienced these symptoms before. We reduced the dose of betamethasone to 1 mg/d, but the musical hallucinations continued. Then on day 11, we switched betamethasone (1 mg/d) to prednisolone (10 mg/d) and we then gradually tapered off prednisolone. The frequency of musical hallucinations decreased and she ceased to experience musical hallucinations on day 29. However, on day 40, her dyspnea was aggravated again, so we started treatment with prednisolone (5 mg/d). Dyspnea was alleviated and no musical hallucinations occurred. On Day 51, dyspnea was worsened and we switched prednisolone to betamethasone (4 mg/d), which she hoped to use. The betamethasone alleviated the dyspnea but she developed musical hallucinations that were similar to the previous episodes. The musical hallucinations disappeared spontaneously 4-5 days later without changing the betamethasone. Musical hallucinations never occurred thereafter. She later died due to the exacerbation of disease.

Related Concept Videos

Drug Therapy01:28

Drug Therapy

The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy01:26

Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation. For...
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Cannabinoids01:21

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Cannabinoids

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a phytocannabinoid that primarily interacts with the CB1 receptor, a type of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) predominantly in and around the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) and emetic center. THC also blocks the serotonin receptor activity in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) by inhibiting serotonin release. THC exerts its anti-emetic effects through these interactions, which are beneficial for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Two synthetic agonists of THC,...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents01:29

Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder marked by chronic inflammation of the GI tract. Various treatment strategies for Crohn's disease are employed, such as immunomodulatory agents, glucocorticoids, and biologics or anti-TNF therapy. Azathioprine (Imuran), a commonly used immunomodulatory drug for Crohn's disease, is converted in the body to mercaptopurine, which inhibits purine biosynthesis and cell proliferation. Both are utilized in severe cases of Inflammatory Bowel Disease...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids01:21

Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids, a class of anti-inflammatory drugs, are pivotal in treating moderate to severe Crohn's disease by inducing remission. They exhibit their anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, and chemokines like IL-8. In addition, they reduce the expression of inflammatory cell adhesion molecules and inhibit gene transcription of nitric oxide synthase, phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2),...
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview01:28

Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview

The term "psychosis" refers to a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. It can manifest as mood disorders, dementia, delirium with psychotic features, substance-induced psychosis with psychotic features, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Among all these disorders, schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, affecting 1% of the worldwide population. Psychotic symptoms in all...