Interaction between atypical antipsychotics and other medication (Present day, USA)

[merle_p]

Hello, and thank you in advance for your help! (And apologies to the mods for screwing up the submission before

Comments

[elenbarathi]

Answer to your question is yes, that would be realistic. So-called 'antipsychotics' are only symptomatic relief at best; they don't actually cure anything - more information about that here.

I've had acute pneumonia, and it doesn't leave a person with even the mental energy to be confused, because all one's attention is focused on drawing the next breath. After one gets past the crisis, one lays there flat as a pancake for days, appreciating the wonder of being able to breathe without having to fight for it. Lucidity seems likely, since being crazy takes a lot of energy, and pneumonia doesn't leave any to spare.

[squidgiepdx]

But it also depends on how far along the pneumonia has progressed. People can have walking pneumonia and not do anything but cough & feel tired. Untreated, it can progress to what you experienced.

[elenbarathi]

Ah... the question specified "would require her to be transferred to a 'regular' hospital." Walking pneumonia would not require that; she'd stay where she was and be given antibiotics.

My pneumonia wasn't 'untreated'; I went from catching a cold to being in the hospital in about a week.

[merle_p]

Thank you so much for pointing that out - I'll have to remember that there are different ways pneumonia can progress.

[squidgiepdx]

Pharmacy technician by trade here, so I can help you out with some of this stuff

[merle_p]

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all this - it's really super helpful.

I'm glad you are pointing out that a doctor would be aware of the drug interaction properties - this is definitely something I'll have to think about, because the character's main psychiatrist at the clinic is portrayed as experienced and competent, so I'd have to think about why this would even happen on his watch.

I'm also grateful that you mention the side effects of certain antibiotics - you are of course absolutely right, being on antibiotics always totally messes with my brain as well! I think that might be a good way for me to explain the character's confusion - not primarily as an interaction with the antipsychotics, but rather a side effect of the antibiotics. Thank you!

[squidgiepdx]

Re: the psychiatrist. If the patient was admitted to a regular hospital, the lead physician treating the pneumonia would NOT be the psychiatrist. They would be consulting, but the pneumonia would be treated by another doctor. When you are admitted, you can have multiple physicians, because a psychiatrist wouldn't be expected to treat pneumonia any more than a pulmonologist would be expected to treat an antipsychotic episode.

[merle_p]

Thank you for clarifying! Yes, I guess I was thinking about the psychiatrist consulting with the physician at the hospital, but of course it's still two different systems operating fairly independently ...

[carlyinrome]

As someone with a mental illness, I can tell you that as soon as a drug has a serious side effect (like pneumonia), the psychiatrist in charge of your medication will want you off that medication as soon as you can safely be taken off it. So it's very likely that your character will be switched to a different antipsychotic.

[merle_p]

Thank you so much, I'm glad you pointed that out! This is definitely something I'll have to think about more closely, because the character's main psychiatrist is portrayed as very experienced and competent, so he'd probably be aware of side effects and interaction properties.