Davor Moravek 

Addiction and psychotic effects in intoxication and abstinence syndrome

Co morbidity of addiction disease with psychotic syndromes is common. Question of diagnosis – is psychic problem caused by addiction, during abstinence syndrome or caused by intoxication, or there are two different problem, and how to make a treatment?

Possible approaches to treatment:

1. 1st treat addiction disease, and after that psychiatric problem
2. Parallel treatment of addiction with co morbid diseases

Differential diagnosis

 - Psychosis or depression where is symptomatic addictive abuse try to self – medicate, so addiction is symptomatic
- Addiction caused during the intoxication or abstinence syndrome psychotic syndromes, depressive syndromes or other conditions

 - Borderline disorder could have acute psychotic symptoms, or distimic and depression. Abuse of drugs is one of diagnostic criteria for Borderline disorder.

 - Chronic hepatitis or AIDS and other conditions caused by infections are secondary disease in addicts, and could cause fatigue, depression or psychotic symptoms in addicted persons

Ecstasy and psycho stimulative drugs

 - Psycho stimulative drugs and ecstasy could during the abstinence syndrome cause severe depression that could lead in to suicide. During the intermittent abuse of Ecstasy, it is possible that depression is induced few days (up to 5) after the abuse, and it could be manifested like euphoria or depressive syndrome, or frequent change of mood.

Psycho depressive drugs and psychotic syndrome

 - Bensodiasepine could during the abstinence syndrome caused severe depression in short (few hours) after the last dose. Also is possible that depression is manifested days, even weeks after a last dose. Patients must be monitored for a long period. Especially potent and short acting drugs like alprazolame, lorazepame could cause severe depression. 

Other problems:

 - Feeling of guilt and low self- esteem during the abstinence of alcohol or try to stay “sober” from socially unacceptable drugs, could look like depressive syndrome, but do not need medication. 

Addictive drugs as self – medication of depressive symptoms:
 - Alcohol
Bensodiazepines, especially high potent
Psychostimulans (ecstasy, cocaine, amphetamines)
Opiates

Therapeutic plan:

Parallel treatment of addiction, priority to psychotic of depressive symptoms, or priority to stop drug abuse before other treatment?
Use of other, less damaging drug that have anti depresive and / or anti – depressive or anti – psychotic effect?
Medication with drugs without severe side effects if combined with drug of addiction?

Alcoholism and psychosis or depression:

Priority is start of abstinence. 
Psychotic or delirium could be started during the abstinence syndrome
Abstinence syndrome and depression could be treated with bensodiazepine (like diazepam) – as less dangerous drug
1st choices of antidepressant drug are SSRI or other that do not have complication combined with alcohol

Addiction on bensodiazepine and psychotic or depressive syndrome:

Detoxication could last for long period, antidepressive and antipsychotic therapy could be started during the reducing of drug dose. 
Abstinence syndrome could cause delirium, depression or severe anxiety.
1st choices of antidepressive medications are SSRI without interference with metabolism of BZD,
High – potent antypsichotic could be used if needed during the intoxication 

Addiction to opiates and depression  /psychotic syndrome:

Detoxication could last for a long time, if substitution drug like methadone is used, depressive and mild psychotic symptoms could be treated with increasing the dose
Depression or psychotic syndrome could be caused by abstinence syndrome.
SSRI antidepressive drugs could interfere with metabolism of opiates (fluoxetine), if those drugs are combined; usually effective dose is higher than usual (40 – 60mg instead of 20 mg fluoxetine)

Psycho stimulative drugs and depression / psychotic syndrome:

Abstinence is a must, because amphetamines and cocaine could intense mood disorder from euphoria toward depression
Depression is possible during the abstinence syndrome.
Dually addicts become addicted to bensodiazepines and sometimes to opiates, as self – medication for depressive and psychological problems caused by BZD, and that could cause dual addictive disorder (polytoxicomania)

Hallucinogenic (Mushrooms, LSD)

Induced psychosis is usually with productive symptoms, short acting during intoxication
Basic care is needed
Treatment of agitation, aggression as needed with potential antipsychotic as haloperidol, but medical care is a must.
For prolonged symptoms, use of new anti psychotic as risperidone or olanzepine could shorten period needed for remission with less cognitive deficit 

Cannabis and psychotic syndrome

Cannabis could induce severe psychotic symptoms, from paranoia in intoxication to schizophrenia – like psychosis. 
Intoxication psychosis could last up to 2 months
Mostly with productive symptoms, but must be monitored for longer period
Differential diagnosis: in the stage of early (prodrome) symptoms of psychotic disorders, or schizophrenia, co morbid abuse of cannabis could be common.

Politoxicomania (different drug abuse) and depressive / psychotic syndrome:

Parallel addiction to opiates and bensodiazepines could cause abstinence syndrome or mild psychotic syndrome when bensodiazepines are stopped.
Parallel abuse of opiates and cocaine could potentate mood disorders
Higher risk of overdose
Higher suicidal risk
Therapeutic plan is more complex to define

Medication

Bensodiasepines could be used for delirium and abstinence syndrome of alcohol. Combine it with potent antipsychotic for a start, if there is severe agitation (haloperidol)
For opiate abstinence syndrome, use of agonist therapy (methadone, buprenorphine) could lower psychotic or depressive symptoms

Newer anti - psychotic drug 

Risperidone could lower agitation and hallucinations, but it is less potent than haloperidol in acute state of intoxication, nevertheless, addicts could accept it better for long-term therapy.
Olanzepine is found out to be very acceptable as drug for lower abstinence symptoms, depressive symptoms in dually diagnosed patients.
Carbamazepine could be helpful in bensodiasepine abstinence syndrome, and lower agitation.

Conclusion:

It is hard to give final diagnosis of depression or psychosis where are co morbid with addiction 
 As a common problem of depressive disorder, it is important to educate patients about potential dangerous if they use addictive substances. 
When possible, try to stop using of addictive substance or harm reduction with less severe drugs, which do not induce psychotic symptoms

Contact adress: 

e-mail: dr@moravek.net
Web: http://www.moravek.net
Davor Moravek, M.D. M.Sc.

University Hospital “Sisters of Charity”
Psychiatric Clinic
Vinogradska c. 29, 
10000 Zagreb, Croatia
http://www.kbsm.hr

About the Author:

Davor Moravek

Publications:

-	Editor in chief of magazine «Ovisnosti» (Addiction) published in Croatian.
-	Editor of Internet edition of magazine «Alkoholoski Glasnik» (7 years)
-	Author of textbook of Psychiatry for nursing school
-	Author and editor of medical information program on the Internet:
-	www.moravek.net and www.ovisnosti.com
-	Author of several books and articles, continuos scientific interest in field of alcoholism and drug dependence

Work experiance:

-	Work in the field of addiction medicine as psychiatrist in ward and outpatient treatment for 8 years, with more than 2000 addicts in treatment
-	Court expert
-	Master of science in the field of medical genetic