As with other mental symptoms, the hallucinations and delusions that are characteristic of schizophrenia may be produced as side effects of a medical condition. When such a condition can be identified as the cause, schizophrenia is not diagnosed. If the hallucinations and/or delusions occur only during delirium or dementia, the diagnosis would be delirium or dementia rather than psychotic disorder. Many medical conditions can produce psychotic effects, among them epilepsy, liver or kidney disease, metabolic imbalances, and autoimmune disorders. The resolution of the psychosis in these cases obviously depends upon the resolution of the medical problem that underlies it. The possibility that psychotic symptoms might arise directly from medical problems is a powerful argument for a thorough medical examination before any anti-psychotic medication, or even psychotherapy, is brought into play.

                                                                                                                                Last updated  12/19/03