Psychopharmacology Tips

Concern about type 2 diabetes has lead to baseline screening and ongoing monitoring recommendations for people prescribed second generation antipsychotics. Consensus development conference of American Diabetes Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and North American Association for the Study of Obesity recommended checking plasma glucose before and three months after initiation of a second-generation antipsychotic, followed by annual checks. A glucose level greater than 300 mg/dl or less than 60 mg/dl as well as symptoms of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia should lead to an immediate referral. Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis, such as rapid onset of polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, rapid respiration, clouding of sensorium, or coma, constitute an acute emergency (Cimpean, et al., 2005).

Ref: -

American Diabetes Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, North American Association for the Study of Obesity. Consensus development conference on antipsychotic drugs and obesity and diabetes (2004). Diabetes Care, 27, 2, 596-601.

Cimpean, D., Torrey, W.C., Green, A.I. (2005) Schizophrenia and co-occurring general medical illness. Psychiatric Annals, 35, 1, 71-81.