Journal of the Bahrain Medical Society

Year 2019, Volume 31, Issue 2, Pages 1-4

https://doi.org/10.26715/jbms.31_31012019

Case Report

Insomnia is a Prodromal Symptom for Psychosis

Mohamed A. Serageldin1*, Waiel Hikmet Salman Alani2

Author Affiliation

1Senior Resident, Psychiatric Unit, BDF Hospital, Bahrain; Specialist-Neuropsychiatrist, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt; Specialist-Psychiatrist, Al Abbaseya Psychiatric Hospital, MOH, Cairo Egypt.

2Consultant Psychiatrist, Bahrain Defense Force Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain.

*Corresponding author:

Mohamed A. Serageldin, Senior Resident, Psychiatric Unit, BDF Hospital, Bahrain; Specialist-Neuropsychiatrist, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt; Specialist-Psychiatrist, Al Abbaseya Psychiatric Hospital, MOH, Cairo Egypt, Tel: + 97334135982, E-mail: mserag5414@gmail.com

Received date: January  30, 2019; Accepted date: May 16, 2019; Published date: June 30, 2019


Abstract

A 23-year-old male patient, complaining of insomnia for the last two years, has been unresponsive to several trials of sedatives and hypnotics. Moreover, he has experienced multiple fluctuating symptoms of dysphoric mood, isolation, anhedonia, and easy provocation; accordingly, he was prescribed a dosage of escitalopram (20 mg/day) and quetiapine (50 mg/day), at night. Later, the symptoms were resolved, except for insomnia. Consequently, other trials of psychotropic medication were received, without any improvement till he presented with delusion of persecution, auditory hallucinations (second person with ordering type), television broadcasting, and depersonalization. At that time, olanzapine 20 md/day, in addition to depakine chrono (500 mg, BID) and risperidone (2 mg/day), were prescribed; but, he showed minimal improvement. This case indicates that a possibility of insomnia, to be the prodromal symptom for psychosis, should be given considerable attention in young patients, with resistant insomnia.

Keywords: Insomnia; Schizophrenia; Psychosis; Prodromal symptom; Polysomnogram