Psychiatric side effects of medications prescribed in internal medicine

Several pharmacological treatments used in internal medicine can induce psychiatric side effects (PSEs) that mimic diagnoses seen in psychiatry. PSEs may occur upon withdrawal or intoxication, and also at usual therapeutic doses. Drugs that may lead to depressive, anxious, or psychotic syndromes include corticosteroids, isotretinoin, levo-dopar mefloquine, interferon-a, and anabolic steroids, as well as some over-the-counter medications. PSEs are often difficult to diagnose and can be very harmful to patients. PSEs are discussed in this review, as well as diagnostic clues to facilitate their identification.