Li Lao Han is 67 years old and has been feeling uninterested in life lately, so he came to the hospital for consultation. The doctor inquired about his medical history and learned that Li had been diagnosed with hypertension a year ago when he visited a local hospital for dizziness and had his blood pressure measured at 145/90 mmHg. After that, the doctor instructed him to take two tablets of Lipiodol daily, one each in the morning and at noon. After taking the medication, Li’s symptoms such as dizziness quickly improved and his blood pressure stabilized at about 130/70mmHg. After taking the drug for a year, Li had difficulty sleeping, dreaming and waking up early, and in serious cases, he stayed awake all night, which made him frustrated, pessimistic and disappointed. After the doctor examined him, he was diagnosed with geriatric depression. So he stopped taking Risperdal and was given Nimodipine 20mg in the morning and Mirtazapine 30mg at night before bedtime for anti-anxiety and depression, as well as psychological counseling. Two months later, Li recovered completely.
It is believed that the pathogenesis of depression is mainly due to the imbalance of monoamine neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine in the synaptic gap of the brain, leading to abnormal mood and even depression. Risperdal is an anti-adrenergic antihypertensive drug that depletes neurotransmitters such as epinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the brain. Long-term application can cause depressive symptoms, such as insomnia, loss of appetite and libido, discouragement, sadness, depression, pessimism, disappointment, and even suicidal thoughts. Zhang Yuqi, Department of Psychiatry, Wuxi Mental Health Center
Lixin is an old drug that has been used for nearly a century, and its effect on blood pressure is definite: vasodilatation, slow and long-lasting hypotensive effect, and sedative and tranquilizing effect. However, some elderly patients may experience anxiety depression with long-term use of reserpine, and even a small dose of 0.25 mg of reserpine can cause depression. Therefore, elderly patients with hypertension must use reserpine with caution, and after taking reserpine for a period of time, they must return to the hospital for follow-up and switch to other antihypertensive drugs as prescribed.