Corticosteroid-Induced Psychosis: A Report of Three Cases
Anil Bachu, V. A. Davis, Mouad Abdulrahim, Lauren Harbaugh, Sakshi Prasad, Vijaya Padma Kotapati, Sushma Srinivas
Abstract
Corticosteroids are commonly used for pain management and inflammatory conditions but can cause neuropsychiatric complications ranging from anxiety to severe mood and psychotic symptoms. These complications can occur shortly after steroid treatment begins or at any point during therapy, and even after treatment has stopped. We present three cases of corticosteroid-induced psychosis in patients being treated for pain. The mechanism behind these complications is not fully understood, but stress on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is thought to play a role. Clinicians should be cautious and regularly evaluate patients to minimize the risk of complications. More research is needed to understand the underlying pathophysiology.