Drugs That Can Cause Fever of Unknown Origin

 

Drugs commonly associated with fever:

(1) amphotericin B

(2) antihistamines

(3) asparaginase

(4) barbiturates

(5) bleomycin sulfate

(6) interferon

(7) methyldopa

(8) phenytoin

(9) procainamide

(10) quinidine

(11) salicylates, aspirin

(12) sulfonamides

 

Other drugs include:

(1) 6-mercaptopurine

(2) acyclovir

(3) allopurinol

(4) amphetamines

(5) azathrioprine

(6) carbamazepine

(7) cephalosporin

(8) chlorambucil

(9) chloramphenicol

(10) chlorpromazine

(11) cimetidine

(12) clindamycin

(13) clofibrate

(14) cocaine or its derivatives

(15) cytosine

(16) digitalis

(17) diltiazem

(18) doxepin

(19) fluoroquinone

(20) fluoxetine

(21) folic acid

(22) furosemide

(23) ganciclovir

(24) glucocorticoids

(25) haloperidol

(26) heparin

(27) hydralazine

(28) hydroxyurea

(29) iminpenem

(30) insulin

(31) iodide

(32) isoniazid

(33) LSD

(34) macrolide antibiotics

(35) maprotiline

(36) mebendazole

(37) methotrexate

(38) metoclopramide

(39) nifedipine

(40) nitrofurantoin

(41) NSAIDS

(42) PAS (para-aminosalicylic acid)

(43) penicillins

(44) procarbazine

(45) propafenone

(46) propylthiouracil

(47) quinine

(48) ranitidine

(49) rifampin

(50) stavudine

(51) streptokinase (unlikely to present as an FUO because of usage patterns)

(52) streptomycin

(53) strepozocin

(54) teicoplanin

(55) tetracyclines

(56) trazadone

(57) triamterene

(58) tricyclic antidepressants

(59) vancomycin

 

Many of these drugs are given for conditions that can cause FUO. To implicate the drug:

(1) the patient becomes febrile while taking the drug, or a new pattern develops

(2) the fever disappears on discontinuing the drug

(3) the fever reappears on re-exposure

(4) no other explanation for the fever is identified