Oral Aripiprazole-Induced Severe Hypoglycemia

Abstract

This case report highlights a very rare adverse drug reaction caused by oral aripiprazole resulting in severe hypoglycemia. A 72-year-old-male patient suffering from Parkinson disease on prolonged carbidopa plus levodopa combination therapy (carbidopa 25 mg plus levodopa 100 mg, thrice daily) for 1.3 years was recently diagnosed with psychosis and was initiated 10 mg/day oral aripiprazole. After 10 days of aripiprazole therapy, the patient experienced symptoms of hypoglycemia and on the 21st day, he was hospitalized for severe hypoglycemia. Other long-term concomitant medications taken by this patient were oral losartan (25 mg/day) and rosuvastatin (40 mg/day). Dechallenge and rechallenge with aripiprazole revealed that there is a "definite" (according to Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale) relationship between administration of aripiprazole and onset of hypoglycemic events.