High doses of ADHD drugs linked to a greater risk of psychosis
Taking a high dose of ADHD drugs is linked to more than five times greater risk of developing psychosis or mania, according to a new study published Thursday in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Taking a high dose of ADHD drugs is linked to more than five times greater risk of developing psychosis or mania, according to a new study published Thursday in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
The research is among the first to find a relationship between escalating doses of the drugs — amphetamines, in particular — and a greater likelihood of psychotic symptoms.
The drugs include Adderall, Vyvanse and generic amphetamines, such as dextroamphetamine.
The link between amphetamines and psychosis isn’t new. Amphetamines increase levels of dopamine in the brain. The neurotransmitter plays a number of roles in the body, including in memory, motivation and mood, but it’s also implicated in psychosis.
Adderall XR capsules on Feb. 24, 2023.Jenny Kane / APThe drugs “can flood the brain with dopamine, and when you flood the brain with dopamine you potentially can cause psychosis,” said Dr. Jacob Ballon, a psychiatrist and co-director of the INSPIRE Clinic at Stanford Medicine, a clinic specializing in patients with psychosis.
Rating: 5