Citation

Oldani L, Dragogna F, Buoli M, Altamura AC. F1000Res. 2014; 3.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, F1000 Research)

DOI

10.12688/f1000research.3-21.v1

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The use of novel recreational drugs is becoming of public interest, especially after recent international alerts about their cardiovascular and neurological toxicity. Additionally, little is known about the psychiatric consequences of the long-term use of these compounds. Case presentation: We describe a case of severe psychotic episode likely induced by chronic use of a combination of new recreational drugs (methylenedioxypyrovalerone, mephedrone, butylone and alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone). The patient had no psychiatric history and showed poor response to conventional antipsychotic treatment (haloperidol).

CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the potential negative effects of recreational drugs that cannot be limited to an acute psychotic episode but might determine a condition of prolonged paranoid psychosis. Although the use of these compounds is currently increasing, such molecules might often pass undetected in patients accessing the emergency room, leading to misdiagnosis (e.g. schizophrenic episode) and lack of appropriate treatment. © 2014 Dragogna F et al.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; male; case report; insomnia; drug use; suicide attempt; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; vomiting; blood sampling; clinical feature; unclassified drug; middle aged; drowsiness; haloperidol; delusion; drug urine level; drug efficacy; hepatitis C; urinalysis; zolpidem; drug response; glucose metabolism; Article; causal attribution; haloperidol decanoate; recreational drug; methylenedioxypyrovalerone; 4' methylmethcathinone; butylone; alpha pyrrolidinopentiophenon; Gilbert disease; normochromic normocytic anemia