Hallucinations side effects

The Class I agents have many similar side effects and toxicities. The anticholinergic side effects include dry mouth, constipation, and urinary hesitancy and retention. Common gastrointestinal (GI) side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia. Cardiovascular adverse effects are hypotension, tachycardia, arrhythmias, and myocardial depression, especially in patients with congestive heart failure. Common central nervous system (CNS) side effects are headache, dizziness, mental confusion, hallucinations, CNS stimulation, paraesthesias, and convulsions. 

Toxic effects of propranolol are related to its blocking P-adrenoceptor blocking actions. They include cardiac failure, hypotension, hypoglycemia, and bronchospasm. Propranolol is lipophilic and crosses the blood—brain barrier. Complaints of fatigue, lethargy, mental depression, nightmares, hallucinations, and insomnia have been reported. GI side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation (1,2). 

Antipsychotics are not indicated for the treatment of withdrawal, except when hallucinations or severe agitation are present (Naranjo and Sellers 1986), in which case they should be added to a benzodiazepine. In addition to their potential to produce extrapyramidal side effects, antipsychotics lower the threshold for seizures, which is particularly problematic during alcohol withdrawal. 

Side effects include dyskinesias, orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, sleep attacks, pathologic gambling, discoloration of urine/sweat, and psychiatric effects (confusion, hallucinations, nightmares, and altered behavior). Dyskinesias caused by adding other PD drugs to levodopa may be improved by decreasing the levodopa dose. Motor complications occur in about 40% of patients within 4 to 6 years of starting levodopa.1,8,24,25,37... 

Side effects may be as mild and rare as headache, nausea, and stomach upset for saw palmetto [23,24], However, some supplements may have serious side effects. Hypertension, euphoria, restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, skin eruptions, edema, and diarrhea were reported in 22 patients following long-term ginseng use at an average dose of 3 g of ginseng root daily [38]. Side effects reported with valerian use include headaches, hangover, excitability, insomnia, uneasiness, and cardiac disturbances. Valerian toxicity including ataxia, decreased sensibility, hypothermia, hallucinations, and increased muscle relaxation have been reported [39]. 

The side effects of amphetamine are related to its stimulant effects, especially at high doses and with long-term use. Side effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, seizures, and aggressiveness. Amphetamines cause irreversible destruction of blood vessels in the brain, which can cause stroke—even in young people. These drugs also cause the potentially lethal side effects of increased heart rate, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure. 

Methysergide is best tolerated when taken with meals. Side effects other than GI intolerance are many and include insomnia, vivid dreams, hallucinations, claudication, and muscle cramps. The labeling should be consulted for additional side effects and contraindications. 

Adverse effects include sedation, vivid dreams, dry mouth, depression, hallucinations, anxiety, dizziness, psychosis, and confusion. Livedo reticularis (a diffuse mottling of the skin in upper or lower extremities) is a common but reversible side effect. 

Common side effects of dopamine agonists are nausea, confusion, hallucinations, lightheadedness, lower-extremity edema, postural hypotension, sedation, and vivid dreams. Less common are compulsive behaviors, psychosis, and sleep attacks. Hallucinations and delusions can be managed using a stepwise approach (Table 55-4). When added to L-dopa, dopamine agonists may worsen dyskinesias. 

It is usually well tolerated, and side effects include constipation, confusion, dizziness, hallucinations, headache, cough, and hypertension. 

Sodium oxybate (yhydroxybutyrate a potent sedative-hypnotic) improves excessive daytime sleepiness and decreases episodes of sleep paralysis, cataplexy, and hypnagogic hallucinations. It is taken at bedtime and repeated 2.5 to 4 hours later. Side effects include nausea, somnolence, confusion, dizziness, and incontinence. 

Here is one last word about L-dopa. It delivers dopamine to the entire brain, not just the nigrostriatal pathway. We know from our previous discussion that excess dopamine activity is associated with schizophrenia. It should not surprise you then that a rather common side effect of L-dopa is some of the symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations. 

L-DOPA can be initiated at 50 mg taken at bedtime and increased stepwise over a few weeks until the symptoms are relieved. Bromocriptine can be initiated at 7.5 mg at bedtime, pramipexole is often dosed at 0.125-0.375 mg at night, and ropinirole, which has an indication for RLS, is typically administered at 0.25-3 mg at bedtime. These medications are not without side effects. They may cause nausea and, over time, insomnia. Less commonly, these medications can cause hallucinations or involuntary movements called dyskinesias. These side effects usually resolve rapidly upon discontinuing the medication. 

Increasing dopaminergic neurotransmission can cause several side effects including insomnia, irritability, decreased appetite, and nausea. On rare occasions, increasing dopamine tone can trigger paranoia, hallucinations, or involuntary movements known as tics. There has also been some concern that prolonged use of stimulants to treat childhood ADHD can retard growth. 

Drugs that are successful in treating the disease act as dopamine receptor blockers and are known as antipsychot-ics or neuroleptics (e.g. chlorpromazine, haloperidol). Antipsychotic drags reduce some of the symptoms, especially the delusions and hallucinations. A side-effect of the drugs is that they can result in symptoms similar to those seen in patients with Parkinson s disease. This is not surprising, since the hypothesis to explain Parkinson s disease is too low a concentration of dopamine in a specific area of the brain (see below). 

Sodium chloride 0.9% is safe and effective in relieving rhinorrhoea. It is safer to use in children than topical nasal decongestants (xylometazoline), which are to be avoided in children under 6 years as the latter are more likely are cause side-effects (such as effects on sleep or hallucinations). Budesonide spray is used for allergic conditions and is not normally used in paediatric patients. Benzydamine spray is a throat spray intended to relieve pain in the throat. Mupirocin is indicated for staphylococcal infections. 

Benzodiazepines with a short half-life are excreted more rapidly than benzodiazepines with a long half-life and hence the risk of severe withdrawal side-effects is higher. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, depression, insomnia, headache and hallucinations. 

Because of sensory neuropathy, deep pain is often experienced by patients given vincristine. Through involvement of the glossopharyngeal nerve, throat pain may occur, as may deep pain of almost any other area of the body (31,32). Neuropathic changes are not always peripheral. Hallucinations and overall mental status changes, such as depression and/or psychosis, are also rarely reported (31,32). Another CNS effect is the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, which is a well-characterized side effect of vincristine (31,32). 

Central Motor restlessness, progressing to maniacal agitation, psychic disturbances, disorientation, and hallucinations. Elderly subjects are more sensitive to such central effects, in this context, the diversity of drugs producing atropine-like side effects should be borne in mind e.g., tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptics, antihistamines, antiarrhythmics, antiparkinsonian agents. 

Nalorphine was the first compound used for narcotic (heroin in particular) overdose treatment however, it exhibits a number of side effects such as visual hallucinations, and therefore its use is prohibited in some countries. The most popular synonym for this drug is narkan. 

Hallucinations Dopaminergic therapy in Parkinson s disease patients has been associated with hallucinations. In clinical trials, hallucinations developed in approximately 4% of patients treated with 200 mg entacapone or placebo. Dyskinesia Entacapone may potentiate the dopaminergic side effects of levodopa and may cause or exacerbate pre-existing dyskinesia. 

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