Levofloxacin-Related Delirium: Uncommon Psychiatric Manifestations in Throat Infection Treatment

Abstract

We report a case of a 55-year-old man who had a history of ischemic stroke 6 years back and was on follow-up medications. He got a throat infection for which he took levofloxacin 250mg BD as prescribed by the doctor. After taking levofloxacin, the patient developed delirium and symptoms of acute psychosis such as social withdrawal and suspiciousness within 12-24 hours. The symptoms subsided 1 day after the discontinuation of levofloxacin. It can therefore be suspected that Levofloxacin directly contributed to the episode of delirium and acute psychosis witnessed in the patient. This is one of the rare cases of levofloxacin-induced delirium and acute psychosis symptoms seen up till now since the use of levofloxacin by patients. We, therefore, recommend that levofloxacin should be carefully used in patients with underlying psychiatric disorders and patients on levofloxacin should be regularly followed up to notice any such case of levofloxacin-induced delirium and acute psychosis.