Posts by Erik Messamore, MD, PhD
Can Ibuprofen cause psychosis?
Aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Alleve) are the best-known examples of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs). There are more than 20 different NSAID medications that can be used in clinical practice. NSAIDs are also widely prescribed, accounting for five to ten percent of all drug prescriptions in the U.S. They are usually prescribed as pain…
Read MoreConnections between celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and psychosis
Connections between grain consumption and psychosis have been known for the last 80 years. Although it has never been well investigated in large clinical trials, several smaller studies suggest that grain-free diets can help reduce symptoms of psychosis. There have also been reports of symptoms identical to schizophrenia that turned out to be the initial…
Read MorePsychiatric Side Effects from a Common Asthma Treatment
The latest video posted to 15-Minute Pharmacology is a lecture by Dr. Sara Dugan about the psychiatric side effects of a popular asthma and allergy medicine. What is Montelukast? Montelukast is the generic name for a medicine that’s also sold under the brand name, Singulair. It’s usually prescribed to treat asthma. It can also be…
Read MoreHow Can We Reverse the Stigma and Culture of Pessimism about Schizophrenia
This article will discuss the stigma that surrounds the diagnosis of schizophrenia. I will argue that much of the stigma about schizophrenia is directly attributable to the way that the psychiatric profession framed it more than a century ago, and how the profession has responded to it since that time. I will also argue that…
Read MoreHashimoto’s encephalopathy: How a thyroid disease can cause psychosis
Psychosis has many causes, and more than 50 different medical conditions are known to cause psychosis. In many cases, psychosis might be the first sign of a medical illness or its most prominent symptom. Sometimes psychosis is the only noticeable symptom. In this article, I’ll discuss one of the many medical illnesses that can cause…
Read MoreWhat is emotion regulation and how do we do it?
Why is emotion regulation important? Emotions are intertwined with almost all our thoughts and actions, but most of us were never taught how emotions work. And we tend to underestimate our ability to control them. When our emotional responses are working well, they add depth and richness to our lives. But outsized or inappropriate emotional…
Read MoreIs Marijuana Good For Depression?
A natural question Marijuana can provide a sense of happiness and relaxation for many users, so some people with depression may consider marijuana a way to treat their depression symptoms (Cuttler et al., 2018). Research has shown that marijuana use is twice as prevalent in people with depression (Pacek et al., 2017), and as many…
Read MoreFree Course About Clozapine
Consider yourself cordially invited to a live, online (and totally free) course where we will explain why and how to use clozapine. Even though it’s far and away the most effective treatment for schizophrenia, a lot of mental health care providers have questions about it. We will try to answer them in this course. There…
Read MoreHallucinations
Hallucinations are very common. In fact, nearly 1 in 10 people will experience a hallucination during their lives. Hallucinations are also extremely common in psychosis, and in illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality syndrome, and even major depression. Auditory hallucinations are the most common type of hallucination. And among auditory hallucinations, hearing voices…
Read MoreIt’s time to pay people to self-quarantine
It’s a devastating fact: More than a million Americans could die from the novel coronavirus. But we can prevent this catastrophe through simple measures like sleeve sneezing, washing our hands and staying home when we’re sick. Problem is, nearly everyone goes to work when they’re sick. We need to fix that. Consider this scenario, which…
Read More