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Amisulpride and symptomatic bradycardia: a case report.
Li-Chung Huang1, Li-Yen Huang2, Shih-Yen Tseng3
1Department of Psychiatry, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi City, Taiwan; Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan.
General Hospital Psychiatry
|July 12, 2015
Summary
This case report details a patient experiencing symptomatic bradycardia while taking amisulpride, an antipsychotic. The condition resolved after discontinuing amisulpride, highlighting a potential rare side effect.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Psychiatry
- Cardiology
Background:
- Amisulpride is a second-generation antipsychotic for schizophrenia.
- Bradycardia is a rare, poorly understood side effect of amisulpride.
- Only two prior cases of asymptomatic bradycardia linked to amisulpride exist.
Observation:
- A 45-year-old male developed symptomatic bradycardia during amisulpride treatment (400-800 mg/day).
- Bradycardia symptoms significantly improved upon complete amisulpride cessation.
- Psychiatric stability was maintained with risperidone (3 mg/day) without bradycardia.
Findings:
- This is the first reported case of symptomatic bradycardia associated with amisulpride.
- The Naranjo scale rated the association between amisulpride and bradycardia as "probable".
Implications:
- This case alerts clinicians to the potential for symptomatic bradycardia as an adverse effect of amisulpride.
- Further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms by which antipsychotics may induce symptomatic bradycardia.
- Physicians should monitor for bradycardia in patients prescribed amisulpride, particularly those with risk factors.
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