Acute dystonia resulting from abrupt bupropion discontinuation

Wang HY, Chou WJ, Huang TY, Hung CF.

Kai-Suan Psychiatric Hospital, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital - Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123, Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan, ROC

Case report

Acute dystonia is commonly associated with high-potency antipsychotics. Some cases of acute dystonia had been reported to be associated with antidepressant. However, only few reported cases are related to bupropion.

As reported herein, the patient with major depression suffered from acute dystonia twice, which resulted from abrupt bupropion discontinuation. The first episode occurred when medicament was shifted from bupropion to duloxetine abruptly. The patient was requested with nothing per mouth (NPO) due to panendoscopic examination. Therefore, the second one emerged after the patient was suspended from two doses of bupropion.

The symptoms of dysphagia, trismus and torticollis in these two episodes were resolved after bupropion reinstitution or biperiden injection.

(Text has been reformatted for clarity; ed.)