The patient had been taking Ativan of 3-4 mg q.d. for anxiety for the past two months and abruptly stopped taking it on March 1995 after which she started to have feelings of disorientation, and had been taking chloral hydrate 500 to 1000 mg q.h.s. for five days and Compazine with one dose. CURRENT MEDICATIONS: At home, patient took insulin NPH 25 units in the morning with Regular 10 units in the morning, aspirin 81 mg q.d., Lopressor 25 mg b.i.d., Compazine 5 mg q.6h. p.r.n. anxiety of which she took only one dose, and chloral hydrate 500 to 1000 mg q.h.s. for five days. On admission, her laboratory examination was significant for BUN of 17, creatinine of 1.0, glucose was 364, liver function tests were within normal limits, white count was 7.2, hematocrit was 36, and platelet count was 266. Neurology consultation was obtained who felt that patient's peripheral neuropathy was probably secondary to longstanding diabetes but felt that some of her symptomatology could be consistent with porphyria. Psychiatry felt that this episode was consistent with generalized anxiety disorder separated by post dysthymia and suggested phenothiazines which are proven to be safe in porphyria for treatment. She was started on Trilafon 2 to 4 mg p.o. p.r.n. q.6h. for anxiety and Keflex 500 mg p.o. t.i.d. for treatment. The patient was also seen to be orthostatic which was felt to be secondary to dehydration secondary to poor p.o. intake prior to admission and was treated with normal saline boluses and her orthostasis improved. Her Lopressor was also held with this episode of orthostasis. The Watson-Schwartz test done by Dr. Mohar on patient very early in the admission was negative which made an acute porphyria attack very unlikely. These episodes were felt to be secondary to a combination of anxiety attack and rapid taper of Ativan which she had been taking at moderately high doses for the last two months. Patient also developed urinary tract infection symptoms and her urine culture showed greater than 100,000 colonies of E. coli which were pansensitive. She was discharged to home on August in good condition on medications Aspirin 81 mg p.o. q.d., insulin NPH 25 units subcutaneously q.a.m., insulin regular 10 units subcutaneously q.a.m., Trilafon 2 mg p.o. q.6h., and Keflex 500 mg p.o. t.i.d. Follow-up will be with Dr. Dario Rodriquz.
Has the pt. ever been on regular before
the morning with Regular 10 units in the morning,