Updated

Updated · Capitol City Now · Jul 2

Springfield Clinician Links Extreme Heat to ER Visits as Crisis Team Took Several Patients

Updated

Updated · Capitol City Now · Jul 2

Springfield Clinician Links Extreme Heat to ER Visits as Crisis Team Took Several Patients

Q: As psychiatric drugs can amplify heatstroke risk, what crucial safety advice is being overlooked?

The key missing advice is that people taking psychiatric medications should not rely on feeling hot or thirsty to judge danger, and they should make a heat-safety plan with their prescriber before a heat wave. That matters because many psychiatric drugs, including antipsychotics, some antidepressants, benzodiazepines, stimulants and lithium, can impair sweating, blunt thirst, disrupt the body’s temperature control and, in some cases, make dehydration trigger drug toxicity. Experts warn that this can cause heat exhaustion or heatstroke to develop faster and be harder to recognize. Early symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea and confusion can also be mistaken for medication side effects. The practical advice that often gets missed goes beyond “drink water and stay cool.” Patients should ask their clinician whether their specific medicines raise heat risk, whether doses or monitoring need adjustment during extreme heat, and whether electrolyte balance matters. That is especially important for lithium users, because dehydration can quickly raise lithium to dangerous levels. People should not stop psychiatric medication on their own. The safest approach is proactive hydration, access to air conditioning or cooling centers, avoiding peak heat and strenuous activity, and checking for warning signs such as confusion, hot dry skin, fainting or a temperature above 103°F. If those appear, emergency care is needed immediately.

1 articles · Updated · Capitol City Now · Jul 2

Several people were taken to the ER on Wednesday for heat-related illnesses, Barbara Wheatley of Memorial Behavioral Health said during a WTAX interview on Springfield’s extreme heat warning.
Wheatley said environmental stressors such as excessive heat can worsen mental health, adding that staying hydrated, keeping cool and taking medications as scheduled can reduce stress.
The comments came after a week of intense heat in Springfield, where local officials and providers are focusing on how physical heat exposure can also strain emotional well-being.