ADHD Medications Can Cause Hallucinations

Physicians already know that young people taking ADHD medications may suffer psychiatric side effects from the medication, like hallucinations, paranoia, hearing voices, and manic behavior. As of 2007, the FDA estimated the incidence of adverse psychological side effects from ADHD drugs at one in every 1,000 children.

However, a new study printed in a journal called Pediatrics indicates the risk of psychotic side effects at 1.48 for every one-hundred person-years. Scientists define a person-year as the overall number of years of medication treatment. For instance, one hundred children taking a medication 1 year translate into one-hundred person-years.

The report also demonstrated that psychiatric side effects were experienced even by children who were not elevated risks for manic behavior or psychosis, such as drug abusers or those with additional mental illnesses. Of the 8% of American children between ages four and seventeen who have a diagnosis of ADHD, over 50% are on meds for the illness.

With most children, the medication-induced hallucinations were tactile and/or visual, causing the sufferers to see or feel things like insects and snakes. The symptoms usually vanished once the children discontinued ADHD medication.