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Antibiomania, also known as antibiotic-induced mania or antimicrobial-induced mania, is a rare but serious idiosyncratic adverse reaction in which antibiotic therapy induces mania or hypomania.[1][2] It has been documented most commonly with clarithromycin, followed by other antibiotics including fluoroquinolones and isoniazid, among others.[1][3] Psychosis and other symptoms may occur in addition to or instead of mania.[1][4] Antibiomania is treated by discontinuation of the causative antibiotic, usually resulting in rapid and dramatic improvement, and/or with psychiatric drugs like mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines.[1][2] The mechanisms responsible for antibiomania are unknown, but may be due to off-target central nervous system activities of certain antibiotics or due to disruption of the gut microbiome and gut–brain axis.[1][2][5] Elevated cortisol levels have also been observed in antibiomania.[2][1] More than 100 cases of antibiomania were identified in a major 2002 literature review.[2][5][1] The term antibiomania was introduced in this same 2002 review.[2][1] Psychiatric adverse effects were first associated with antibiotics like penicillin as early as 1948.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Abouesh A, Stone C, Hobbs WR (February 2002). “Antimicrobial-induced mania (antibiomania): a review of spontaneous reports”. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 22 (1): 71–81. doi:10.1097/00004714-200202000-00012. PMID 11799346.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lambrichts S, Van Oudenhove L, Sienaert P (September 2017). “Antibiotics and mania: A systematic review”. J Affect Disord. 219: 149–156. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.029. PMID 28550767.
  3. ^ Marković T, Todorović A, Stojković M, Popović S, Baskić D, Matić S (2026). “Antibiomania: A Systematic Review of Clarithromycin-Associated Manic Episodes”. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 46 (1): 82–92. doi:10.1097/JCP.0000000000002089. PMID 41017117.
  4. ^ Zareifopoulos N, Panayiotakopoulos G (May 2017). “Neuropsychiatric Effects of Antimicrobial Agents”. Clin Drug Investig. 37 (5): 423–437. doi:10.1007/s40261-017-0498-z. PMID 28197902.
  5. ^ a b c Parker G, Russo N (October 2025). “Antibiomania: An update”. Australas Psychiatry. 33 (5): 797–799. doi:10.1177/10398562251370946. PMC 12528788. PMID 40848192.
  6. ^ Kline CL, Highsmith LS (May 1948). “Toxic psychosis resulting from penicillin”. Ann Intern Med. 28 (5): 1057. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-28-5-1057. PMID 18858406.