Assessment of Medication and Recreational Drugs Associated with Fatigue

Fatigue is a prevalent condition that increases the risk of errors, contributes to accidents, and impairs quality of life. Causes of fatigue include various medications and recreational agents. With the ever-increasing list of medications approved for managing chronic medical conditions, it can be difficult to ascertain the role of the agents in provoking or exacerbating fatigue. This is especially true when the medical condition for which the agent is prescribed is itself associated with fatigue. A detailed history is a crucial process for establishing the causal relationship between a psychoactive substance and fatigue. The temporal relationship between initiation and/or administration of a medicine and the onset of fatigue represents the most important clue. Sometimes, removal of the presumed agent and close follow-up of a patient is needed to ascertain such a role. With that in mind, there are certain groups of agents that may cause fatigue. In this chapter, we review pharmacological and recreational agents associated with fatigue.