High Doses of Adderall May Increase Psychosis Risk

Patients taking a high dose of a prescription amphetamine face more than a five-fold increased risk for developing psychosis or mania, according to research out of McLean Hospital, a Harvard affiliate.

Often prescribed to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the risk was highest in those taking 30 mg or more of dextroamphetamine (which corresponds to 40 mg of Adderall), according to the study. Findings were published Thursday in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Previous studies have linked stimulants to psychosis and mania risk; however, information had been lacking on whether dosing impacted risk.

“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. “This is a rare but serious side effect that should be monitored by both patients and their doctors whenever these medications are prescribed.”