Overdose - Toxic Psychosis from Ritalin overdose

[concertaritalinadderall]

Five years ago SWIM started taking Ritalin at very high doses such as 30 , 10mg pillls a day snorting and orally . After several days of this kind of abuse SWIM began to behave abnormally obvious to everyone around SWIM but NOT to SWIM. Then SWIM began to hallucinate. A Psychiatrist had to go to SWIMS home with antipsychotic medication administer it and had SWIMS mother fill the prescription for a month (antipsychotic - seroquel) SWIM hallucinated for one week straight, was plain out of it and had to be kept in the house until SWIM's brain was back to normal.

SWIMs first question is - has anyone else had a similar experience and if it was a long time ago do you have any after effects still?

Second question is if you did experience Toxic Psychosis have you experimented with ritalin or even concerta since ....and then started to have any effects like when you were expriencing the toxic psychosis before? Such as return of hallucinations etc....

SWIM also wants to say toxic psychosis is no joke ... and being on antipsychotics for up to a year later made SWIM gain 60 lbs.

Today SWIM is fine but has been experimenting with concerta for school work purposes but is afraid of falling into psychosis again even on a low dose.

[samsa]

While SWIM is no doctor, he says you should be fine at low doses.

He has experienced temporary psychosis in the past from methamphetamine. The delusions quit, and SWIM presumed himself to be back to normal. Less then a year later, he started taking small amounts of ritilan and adderall for academic purposes with the only results being decent grades.

[Panthers007]

Bongo's ex-girlfriend went down Ritalin Road and suffered about what SWIM describes. She was also pulling knives on people and trying to stab them for what she thought they had said to her. The problem was - she enjoyed her psychotic state and her mother didn't lift a finger.

From Ritalin she graduated to heroin and prostitution. She is now a junkie-whore with AIDS. Spends half her time in jail.

Good thing SWIM put a stop to it. And SWIM is wise to be concerned of a relapse with another CNS stimulant such as Concerta. Just be damned careful, SWIM. Talk it through with SWIM's doctor regards concerns of amphetamine-psychosis. Damn right it's for real. And real not-pretty.

[concertaritalinadderall]

Swim Says thanks for the info

[superwoman]

After reading all of your posts, threads, and your profile, Swim is wondering what Swiy is looking to get out of the responses to your questions (which are eerily similar).

Swim is not here to judge a fellow D-Fer for using to get high, for medical treatment, or even for making stupid mistakes because Swim does all 3 on a very regular basis

BUT... don't make the same mistake and expect different results. If you fell into psychosis before from abusing Methylphenidate it will probably happen again.

... and the responses you get from us willl be similar to the similar question you posted last week...

[humdroid]

true, however, some readers of this forum may be the type with addictive natures, and addictions to the very substances which make them ill. Reading this thread, however, may help them with their struggles against the drug of choice, the illness, and their outlook.

SWIM knows loads of boozers with bad livers, who carry on drinking.
SWIM themself, has personally experienced psychotic episodes from amphetamine sulphate, (stimulant psychosis is possibly similar for all types of stims) and alas, has a liking for this blasted stuff.
SWIM is not on it at the moment, but is under no illusion that the struggle is over, despite being clean of it.
SWIM does not think punishing oneself is the way to go, when a psychotic episode descends. That's if SWIM realises they are in a psychotic state, given its sneaky nature.
Although SWIM is not on speed at the moment, SWIM has used psychosis prevention measures during the times SWIM fell back into addiction. The obvious ones, such coming down, when the comedown comes, and not re-dosing. Eating heartily and decent food (surprisingly easy on speed) Vitamin B complex and vitamin C. It's the lack of sleep and forgetting to eat, which contributed mostly to SWIM slipping into psychosis.
Lastly, resist the temptation to "trip" off the comedown strange feelings.

[johnthomas1190]

Swim wants to add IMPORTANT adjunctive question: What is the SAFEST way to take ritalin medication to MINIMIZE risk of psychosis? Is it safer, i.e. less likely to cause psychosis to take ritalin medication everyday as prescribed, or more sparingly, i.e. only for a few days at a time as when the medication is most needed for studying? Swim has heard that the latter, aka "episodic" use of ritalin medication is MORE likely to cause psychosis but looking for clarification/additional information.

[Omen4u]

I have experienced the same thing. However, I was just at 120 MG a day, it build up over time and I started hallucinating. I lost everything, I lost my house, my wife, had to move back in with family members. The Psychosis lasted close to 1 year cause I refused to take my anti-psychotic medicine Risperdal the first year or so.
I also became Bi-Polar.
Please be very careful with Ritalin, most people have no idea at the potential abuse of this drug and the devastating effects it can have on people. (In my case the onset of hallucinations where terrible, I was convinced someone wanted to kill me and I started seeing faces of people in every image i looked at, including tv's magazines, computer screens.
The great news in this story is when I stopped taking the Ritalin, within 2 weeks, the psychosis was 98% gone and when I started taking Risperdal it really helped to balance my brain.
I really dont think there is a safe dosage for ritalin or any similar stimulant when you have suffered an episode like that.
People might start at just 10MG and say thats all and its only for work, school, project, but the truth is, with the passing of time, they will keep increasing it and find themselves back in hell. It is not worth it.
I mean imagine if someone was doing this to you, what would you think of them? dont be your own worst enemy.