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Published on: October 4, 2021
Pisa syndrome due to donepezil: pharmacokinetic interactions to blame?
David Pollock1, Emma Cunningham2, Bernadette McGuinness2
1Elderly Care Unit, Belfast Health and Social Care trust, 51 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AB, UK.
Abstract:
We report a case of Pisa syndrome (PS) due to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil which may have been precipitated by pharmacokinetic interactions with commonly used medications. PS is defined as a reversible lateral bending of the trunk with a tendency to lean to one side. This is a rare but very distressing complication with this commonly used medication which was not initially recognised, leading to increasing disability for the patient and significant carer stress. Cessation of donepezil and modulation of potential interacting medications resulted in complete resolution.
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