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Is
Efavirenz Use Linked to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms?:
Two Case Reports
Some antiretrovirals have been reported to cause a wide range
of psychiatric
symptoms. However, reappearance of post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has not been described in
relation to these medications.
The current report concerns 2 case reports from the Boston
Medical Center, a tertiary care academic center.
Results
Two HIV-infected refugees re-experienced symptoms of PTSD after
starting therapy with efavirenz/ EFV (Sustiva)
and zidovudine/ ZDV
(Retrovir).
The two patients had no typical factors present to account
for the PTSD exacerbation. In both patients, the symptoms of PTSD
gradually subsided to baseline within the first 4 weeks of antiretroviral
treatment.
Conclusions
The authors conclude, “We believe that EFV, a non-nucleoside
reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), with ZDV, may be manifesting
its known neuropsychiatric
toxicities in a heretofore unreported presentation
of PTSD exacerbation.”
The Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights, The Boston University
School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
09/22/04
Reference
A Moreno and others. Recurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder
symptoms after initiation of antiretrovirals including efavirenz:
a report of two cases. HIV Medicine 4(3): 302-304. July 2003.
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