|
veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
|
Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations
#7440355 - 09/22/07 12:22 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Study Says Pfizer Anti-fungus Drug Can Induce Hallucinations September 22, 2007 - theday.com
CHICAGO - Physicians, nurses and other health care providers should be aware that patients receiving intravenous treatment with the antifungal drug voriconazole may develop a range of neurological side effects, including auditory and visual hallucinations, according to a report presented at the 47th annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Voriconazole, sold under the trade name Vfend, is a relatively new drug used to treat serious fungus infections, such as invasive mold infections and invasive candidiasis. Many of these patients are extremely ill and are receiving several different drugs, which makes it difficult to distinguish the side effects of specific drugs from the symptoms of the underlying illness.
To estimate the frequency and seriousness of voriconazole side effects, Dr. Dimitrios Zonios and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, evaluated patients in an ongoing prospective study that was assessing voriconazole toxicity. The researchers focused on side effects of the central nervous system, which are not well characterized for the drug.
Between March 2006 and June 2007, the researchers evaluated 66 cancer patients who were being treated with intravenous voriconazole at their institution. Careful interviews and toxicity evaluations were conducted for each patient.
Zonios's group identified eight patients who experienced hallucinations. All of these patients had visual hallucinations and four also had auditory hallucinations. In six patients the hallucinations began within 24 hours of receiving the drug, and after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment in the other two patients.
The hallucinations quickly disappeared after the drug was stopped in six patients and after the dosage was reduced in the other two. No residual effects were noted.
The visual hallucinations frequently consisted of seeing people or scenes. One patient reported seeing flying objects, another saw scenes of Montana and New York City, and a third patient saw a giant "Wookie" from the movie Star Wars bending over his bed.
The auditory hallucinations often consisted of hearing voices and music, and one patient reported hearing TV commercials.
All of the patients remained oriented, alert, and understood that the hallucinations were not real.
The researchers were not able to identify any other drugs that were likely to have caused the hallucinations and none of the other drugs interacted voriconazole to cause an increase in blood levels of the antifungal drug. Drug levels were within the dose recommendations in all eight patients when symptoms began.
Other neurological effects seen in the group as a whole included visual disturbances, such as blurry vision, in 15 patients; sensitivity to light in 10; and a decreased ability to concentrate in 2 patients. Another 5 developed signs of liver damage.
Zonios and colleagues conclude that visual and auditory hallucinations are "not uncommon" side effects of voriconazole and suggest that health care professionals offer reassurance to patients, should this complication occur.
The possible association between voriconazole-related hallucinations and high blood levels of the drug is currently being investigated, the investigators added.
|
Skeeblix
Dave Thomas



Registered: 01/28/07
Posts: 1,745
Loc: Wendy's
Last seen: 8 years, 3 months
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: veggie]
#7440390 - 09/22/07 12:40 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Oh no! You might see something that isn't! there! Quick, pull it from the shelves before someone enjoys it or jumps out a window, or something! 
The only thing I see wrong with this medicine is the liver damage it's possibly at the root of.
-------------------- This post approved by:
Premedman1 said:
I just shat my pants.
|
TurricaN
Grasshopper
Registered: 03/17/05
Posts: 823
Loc: Amersfoort, Netherlands
Last seen: 8 months, 10 days
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: Skeeblix]
#7440456 - 09/22/07 01:05 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
It depends on whether they're speaking of real hallucinations (the kind that datura causes) or pseudo-hallucinations (the kind that psilocybin and LSD cause).
If it's the former (and by the sound of the article, it is), then I would agree with the article that there is reason to be concerned about the drug.
|
THEBats
FuturePsychopharmacologist


Registered: 03/18/05
Posts: 1,268
Loc: Florida
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: TurricaN]
#7440496 - 09/22/07 01:18 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
TurricaN said: It depends on whether they're speaking of real hallucinations (the kind that datura causes) or pseudo-hallucinations (the kind that psilocybin and LSD cause).
If it's the former (and by the sound of the article, it is), then I would agree with the article that there is reason to be concerned about the drug.
Well gee what else would you call seeing a wookie bending over your bed?
|
ArcofaJourney
Internaltransportationdevice


Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 582
Loc: your imagination
Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: THEBats]
#7440594 - 09/22/07 01:51 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
THEBats said:
Quote:
TurricaN said: It depends on whether they're speaking of real hallucinations (the kind that datura causes) or pseudo-hallucinations (the kind that psilocybin and LSD cause).
If it's the former (and by the sound of the article, it is), then I would agree with the article that there is reason to be concerned about the drug.
Well gee what else would you call seeing a wookie bending over your bed?
i call that Saturday night.
|
Ganzig
It's for the street cred



Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 8,206
Loc: Oregon
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: TurricaN]
#7440764 - 09/22/07 02:56 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
TurricaN said: It depends on whether they're speaking of real hallucinations (the kind that datura causes) or pseudo-hallucinations (the kind that psilocybin and LSD cause).
If it's the former (and by the sound of the article, it is), then I would agree with the article that there is reason to be concerned about the drug.
yeah, what the hell does that mean? I have never consumed the loco weed as they call it from my hood, but what is real and what is pseudo?
--------------------
I must keep reminding myself of this. I must keep reminding myself of this. I must keep reminding myself of this. I must keep reminding myself of this.
|
Littleman

Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 446
Last seen: 9 months, 17 days
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: Ganzig]
#7440788 - 09/22/07 03:07 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
reall hallucinations is straight up seeing things, objects etc. that arent there. lsd and mush produce visuals, which are more like a distortion of reality.
-------------------- "Well Right after the 4th hit he was so far gone he puked all over him self. He had no clue that he threw up on him self and was finger painting in it on his stomach." - Mudnpool NZ Psilocybe Hitlist:
Subaeruginosa-Weraroa-Semilanceata -Subsecotioid - Angulospora - Tasmaniana - Alutacea
|
TTT
Cultivate the inside


Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 4,340
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: Littleman]
#7440807 - 09/22/07 03:15 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I always thought that hallucinations are when you see and hear things that you believe to be there, but arent.
Pseudo-hallucinations are when youre aware that the things youre seeing/hearing arent real.
|
dirtworshipper
Sitting in the heart cave



Registered: 05/12/07
Posts: 2,060
Loc: at The Guru's lotus feet
Last seen: 3 years, 3 months
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: ArcofaJourney]
#7441179 - 09/22/07 05:20 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
ArcofaJourney said:
Quote:
THEBats said:
Quote:
TurricaN said: It depends on whether they're speaking of real hallucinations (the kind that datura causes) or pseudo-hallucinations (the kind that psilocybin and LSD cause).
If it's the former (and by the sound of the article, it is), then I would agree with the article that there is reason to be concerned about the drug.
Well gee what else would you call seeing a wookie bending over your bed?
i call that Saturday night.
--------------------
“You've got as many lives as you like, and more, even ones you don't want.” - George Harrison
|
monkeyheaven



Registered: 07/09/07
Posts: 964
Loc: yonder
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: THEBats]
#7441611 - 09/22/07 07:37 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Well gee what else would you call seeing a wookie bending over your bed?
time to buy the wife a razor?
|
TurricaN
Grasshopper
Registered: 03/17/05
Posts: 823
Loc: Amersfoort, Netherlands
Last seen: 8 months, 10 days
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: Ganzig]
#7442843 - 09/23/07 03:57 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Ganzig said:yeah, what the hell does that mean? I have never consumed the loco weed as they call it from my hood, but what is real and what is pseudo?
If you believe that the hallucination is real, then it's a real hallucination, otherwise it's a pseudo-hallucination.
Consider the difference between normal and lucid dreaming.
|
John0809
Sporehut King


Registered: 01/28/06
Posts: 183
Last seen: 16 years, 18 days
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: TurricaN]
#7443777 - 09/23/07 11:11 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Ahh the difference is eaither tripping and knowing it or tripping and going to the hospitol jumping out a window and such because whatever it is that is making you trip also makes you forgot you ate it or makes you think it has nothing to do with the effects your feeling
-------------------- Check out my Site!
|
emit
Trippy 70'sSci-Fi Movie




Registered: 06/20/07
Posts: 131
Loc: my place ;)
Last seen: 1 year, 5 months
|
Re: Anti-fungus Drug Induces Hallucinations [Re: John0809]
#7445286 - 09/23/07 07:09 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
it can get scary if you dont know you are tripping
-------------------- yes...
|
|