ABSTRACT
Carbon monoxide poisoning—CO is the product of incomplete oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels—causes changes in mental status ranging from mild to dramatic and in sufficient concentrations can quickly lead to death. Before diagnosing a psychiatric illness of the 4th domain, medical conditions that can cause psychotic symptoms must be considered, and, when possible, ruled out. A number of medical conditions can directly cause anxiety. Anxiety is a primary symptom in Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder that leads to enlargement of the thyroid gland and the overproduction of the thyroid hormones T4 and T3, which are essential to metabolism. Many prescribed medications can induce depression by acting directly on the brain. Corticosteroids are notorious for causing depression, paranoia and psychosis. Drugs used to treat depression can also cause depression through the brain "chemical imbalance" these agents surely induce.
