Psychosis with Stimulant usage?

[Kstar524]

Just a random thought but has anyone experienced psychosis (or their child rather) after having taken stimulants for a few years? It seems like the older my son gets (he’s 9) he’s getting more delusional and irrational. He talks nonsense in the evenings (like the devil is in him and he’s evil and he shouldn’t be allowed to live, he’s a horrible person, deserves to die, worthless, etc) then doesn’t speak a word of it the next day. He also gets into these “zones” when he’s angry where he talks aggressively, gets this blank look in his eyes, swears, yells, all of the above. Then it passes and he will usually say he’s sorry. Not sure how to help him with his “anger episodes” as that’s his first response when he doesn’t get his way. I’m reading about psychosis and worried maybe he has it. Mental I’ll eas doesn’t run in family and he usually takes the lowest or lower dose of any stimulant he has been prescribed. Lastly, anyone on a stimulant and a antipsychotic drug? They seem to be counter intuitive. Sorry for all the questions...

[EJsMom]

Sounds like you should get him immediately to a doctor or psych.

Some of the meds you have to taper off of, so I wouldn’t say abruptly stop.

But in my mind that is pretty close to sounding like wanting to harm himself.

In answer to psychosis. My son had the same reaction but his was about a week after starting stimulants. He can’t take any of them.

(I’m not a doctor but I’m worried for your kiddo)

[EJsMom in reply to EJsMom]

PS. Lots of kids take ‘antipsychotic’ meds. They can help with the anger issues that go along with ADHD and autism. Example: Risperidone

[LuckyMonkey]

This must be an especially scary, difficult and harrowing time for you and your family. You're not alone. Our 8 year old had a very similar reaction to adderall and ritalin-causing him to become extremely aggressive, violent, irrational, explosive and spoke of hurting himself and his family. The reaction happened within the first two weeks of taking them, and we pulled him off of them immediately. I recommend getting in touch with his psychiatrist immediately, and seeking out alternative methods to deal with his issues. For our family, we decided we were much more willing to deal with his disruptive classroom behavior, inability to focus or take directions at home and his general ADHD behavior while we sorted out the chemical cocktail that would best alleviate his difficulties. He has been on a half tablet of wellbutrin and 2 Vayarin (a food supplement high in omega 3 fatty acids) and has made incredible strides in his day to day life. It's not perfect, but we have more of our sweet, funny, silly little boy than the angry beast we had before. Reaching out for help is the first step, you're not alone nor should you be dismissed for your concern. Stick with it, finding the right combination of therapy, strategies, medication, diet and environment is a long, winding path, one that often finds us taking one step forward and two steps back. Stay the course, keep connected with others who understand how difficult and taxing it is, and give yourself the patience and kindness you deserve. It's a lot, and finding a community & family to support you will help you along your journey.