Haloperidol-induced hypoglycaemia in diabetic patients with organic brain disease: Normalization by bromocriptine

✍ Scribed by R. Fäldt; L. Minthon; G. Dalfelt

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 363 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.930020206

✦ Synopsis

Spontaneous hypoglycaemia was related to treatment with a commonly used neuroleptic drug (haloperidol) in two diabetic patients with organic brain disease. Hypoglycaemia disappeared when the drug was replaced by a dopamine agonist (bromocriptine). Impaired secretion of growth hormone (GH) was demonstrated in both of the patients during haloperidol medication, or a short time thereafter, and a normalized GH response was found when the patients were treated with bromocriptine. Cerebral ventricular dilatation and subnormal cerebral perfusion were demonstrated in both and a partially empty sella in one of the patients. Organic brain disease and possibly additional endocrine abnormalities might have contributed to hypoglycaemia in our patients. The significance of dopamine-related neuroendocrine reactions and of GH in counteracting hypoglycaeniic stimuli is discussed.