Tricyclic exacerbation of undiagnosed diabetic uropathy

A case of probable exacerbation of an undiagnosed diabetic uropathy by a tricyclic antidepressant in a 67-year-old man with hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and recurrent major depressive disorder is reported. The presumed mode of interaction is discussed and pertinent literature reviewed. It is emphasized that the clinician must be alert to the possibility of psychotropic drugs producing physiologic changes that can interact with or aggravate preexisting disorders.