Mania is a rare complication of prescribed drug use in elderly persons
. The drugs most likely to produce mania include corticosteroids and d
opamine agonists. It is uncertain if antidepressants cause mania or on
ly increase the propensity for latent bipolar mania to be expressed, D
rug-induced mania may promote poor judgment, risk-taking behaviours an
d medical noncompliance. The majority of episodes of drug-induced mani
a are short-lived and respond to discontinuation of the drug. Antipsyc
hotic agents may hasten resolution of this psychiatric syndrome. Lithi
um may prevent corticosteroid-induced mania, but the role of lithium i
n the treatment of other drug-induced manic episodes has not been stud
ied adequately.