Dubai Telegraph - High doses of Adderall linked with heightened risk of psychosis and mania

EUR -
AED 3.865039
AFN 71.961868
ALL 97.885367
AMD 409.705534
ANG 1.898038
AOA 960.733931
ARS 1055.061215
AUD 1.613881
AWG 1.894109
AZN 1.787029
BAM 1.951539
BBD 2.126437
BDT 125.855234
BGN 1.956342
BHD 0.396578
BIF 3110.579445
BMD 1.052283
BND 1.414399
BOB 7.293078
BRL 6.086683
BSD 1.053191
BTN 88.848028
BWP 14.387453
BYN 3.446543
BYR 20624.740218
BZD 2.122845
CAD 1.469502
CDF 3014.78969
CHF 0.929776
CLF 0.037101
CLP 1023.776253
CNY 7.619996
CNH 7.625593
COP 4626.455438
CRC 534.824751
CUC 1.052283
CUP 27.885491
CVE 110.024795
CZK 25.350861
DJF 187.538784
DKK 7.458788
DOP 63.520417
DZD 140.573397
EGP 52.274979
ERN 15.78424
ETB 131.306162
FJD 2.388363
FKP 0.830585
GBP 0.832524
GEL 2.883571
GGP 0.830585
GHS 16.7185
GIP 0.830585
GMD 74.71233
GNF 9078.051459
GTQ 8.13025
GYD 220.338958
HKD 8.189863
HNL 26.613518
HRK 7.506205
HTG 138.346648
HUF 411.186809
IDR 16734.714279
ILS 3.929639
IMP 0.830585
INR 88.911049
IQD 1379.588093
IRR 44293.214291
ISK 145.520299
JEP 0.830585
JMD 166.933965
JOD 0.746386
JPY 162.676061
KES 136.007134
KGS 91.02957
KHR 4249.68174
KMF 491.94202
KPW 947.053999
KRW 1471.222726
KWD 0.323672
KYD 0.877684
KZT 523.167824
LAK 23125.51255
LBP 94319.785398
LKR 306.411046
LRD 190.622024
LSL 19.101997
LTL 3.107117
LVL 0.636515
LYD 5.138732
MAD 10.521031
MDL 19.167154
MGA 4930.189594
MKD 61.546561
MMK 3417.773046
MNT 3575.656436
MOP 8.443666
MRU 41.866002
MUR 48.839087
MVR 16.268296
MWK 1826.195708
MXN 21.380416
MYR 4.698412
MZN 67.293799
NAD 19.101997
NGN 1768.455747
NIO 38.755022
NOK 11.613586
NPR 142.154623
NZD 1.792324
OMR 0.40513
PAB 1.053101
PEN 3.996674
PGK 4.239684
PHP 62.126243
PKR 292.773138
PLN 4.342422
PYG 8247.914831
QAR 3.840515
RON 4.977085
RSD 117.020141
RUB 106.281009
RWF 1452.315514
SAR 3.95054
SBD 8.79238
SCR 14.332083
SDG 632.944958
SEK 11.610939
SGD 1.413951
SHP 0.830585
SLE 23.75528
SLL 22065.84631
SOS 601.88026
SRD 37.282669
STD 21780.126598
SVC 9.214882
SYP 2643.891613
SZL 19.091139
THB 36.458458
TJS 11.216013
TMT 3.682989
TND 3.324243
TOP 2.464553
TRY 36.27081
TTD 7.130433
TWD 34.270209
TZS 2791.031424
UAH 43.426878
UGX 3886.514989
USD 1.052283
UYU 45.021709
UZS 13526.469111
VES 48.861031
VND 26751.65603
VUV 124.929112
WST 2.937543
XAF 654.521833
XAG 0.033884
XAU 0.000395
XCD 2.843846
XDR 0.801343
XOF 654.521833
XPF 119.331742
YER 262.991742
ZAR 19.064031
ZMK 9471.810193
ZMW 29.146091
ZWL 338.834589
  • RBGPF

    59.6900

    59.69

    +100%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0800

    6.61

    -1.21%

  • SCS

    -0.0200

    13.07

    -0.15%

  • BCC

    -0.7700

    137.41

    -0.56%

  • CMSD

    -0.0836

    24.26

    -0.34%

  • JRI

    -0.0300

    13.23

    -0.23%

  • BCE

    -0.3100

    27

    -1.15%

  • CMSC

    -0.0450

    24.52

    -0.18%

  • RIO

    -0.0400

    62.39

    -0.06%

  • NGG

    -0.3100

    63.27

    -0.49%

  • RELX

    -0.1800

    45.11

    -0.4%

  • GSK

    -0.1100

    33.35

    -0.33%

  • BTI

    0.1500

    37.08

    +0.4%

  • AZN

    -0.6000

    63.2

    -0.95%

  • VOD

    0.0200

    8.94

    +0.22%

  • BP

    -0.0100

    29.08

    -0.03%

High doses of Adderall linked with heightened risk of psychosis and mania
High doses of Adderall linked with heightened risk of psychosis and mania / Photo: - - AFP

High doses of Adderall linked with heightened risk of psychosis and mania

Adderall is an effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but a sharp rise in US prescriptions over the past two decades has sparked concerns among researchers about rare but serious side effects.

Text size:

In a striking new study published Thursday, a team led by psychiatrist Lauren Moran of Mass General Brigham in Boston found that individuals taking high doses of the stimulant face more than a fivefold increased risk of developing psychosis or mania.

Key factors include the lack of upper dosing guidelines and the notable increase in young adults using the medicine since the Covid-19 pandemic, driven in large part by the rise of telemedicine providers.

Moran told AFP her interest grew from her time at a hospital inpatient unit treating college students in the greater Boston area.

"We were just seeing a lot of people coming in without much of a psychiatric history, developing the first episode of psychosis or mania in the context of using prescription stimulants," she said.

When the Food and Drug Administration became aware of such cases in the 2000s, it added a warning to the drug's label -- but relatively little research had been done to quantify the rates of side effects or how they related to the dosage level.

For their investigation, Moran and colleagues reviewed the electronic health records of people aged 16 to 35 admitted at Mass General Brigham hospitals between 2005 and 2019. That is the typical onset ages for psychosis, or losing touch with reality.

The researchers identified 1,374 individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis or mania -- a disruptive state characterized by high energy, erratic behavior -- and compared them to 2,748 control patients who were hospitalized for other psychiatric conditions.

By analyzing Adderall use during the previous month and adjusting for other variables like substance use, they were able to specifically determine the impact of stimulants.

They found those who had taken Adderall were 2.68 times more likely to have been hospitalized with psychosis or mania compared to those who were not -- and this increased to 5.28 times more likely at higher doses of 40 milligrams and above.

A separate analysis found no increased risk with Ritalin, another stimulant prescribed for ADHD. Moran suggested this could be due to key differences in how the two drugs work.

- Telemedicine companies -

Both medications raise dopamine levels, a chemical messenger involved in the brain's reward system, motivation, and learning. However, while Adderall, an amphetamine, increases dopamine release, Ritalin works by blocking its reabsorption.

For Moran, a critical takeaway was the need for clear upper dose limits on labels. The current label recommends treating patients with 20 milligrams, but in practice, doctors vary widely in their prescriptions.

This variability partly stems from severe impairment in ADHD symptoms that require higher doses, but Moran has occasionally observed "carelessness in dose prescribing," while at other times, patients may "shop" for a doctor willing to prescribe what they want.

"People, including clinicians, might think they can eliminate all ADHD symptoms, but that's not a realistic expectation," she added.

Telemedicine companies, in particular, have come under scrutiny for allegedly overprescribing Adderall, contributing to shortages for those who genuinely need the medication.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, which had proposed revoking telehealth prescriptions for Adderall, extended them through the end of 2024 in response to significant public feedback.

X.Wong--DT