A number of drugs can cause a fever. Such a drug taken long term can present as a fever of unknown origin (FUO).
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
Specialty: Immunology/Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, Hematology Oncology
ICD-10: ,