People who are taking high doses of Adderall face an increased risk for developing psychosis or mania, according to a new Mass General Brigham study.
The researchers from McLean Hospital, a psychiatric teaching hospital, found that high doses of the prescription amphetamine were linked to a five-fold elevated risk of new-onset psychosis or mania.
The psychosis and mania risk was highest in those taking 30 mg or more of dextroamphetamine, which corresponds to 40 mg of Adderall.
“Stimulant medications don’t have an upper dose limit on their labels, and our results show that it is clear that dose is a factor in psychosis risk and should be a chief consideration when prescribing stimulants,” said lead study author Lauren Moran, a pharmacoepidemiology researcher at McLean Hospital.
Moran said the study was motivated by her past clinical observations as an inpatient psychiatrist. She and her McLean colleagues regularly saw patients experiencing first episodes of psychosis, and their medical records revealed they were prescribed high doses of stimulants by their doctors.
The researchers looked at nearly 15 years of emergency department admissions across Mass General Brigham hospitals.
Read more at Bostonherald.com
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