Hallucinations, delusional infestations, and hair pulling have all been connected to the misuse and abuse of stimulant medicines.

 Researchers highlight the negative and hazardous adverse effects of taking/abusing stimulant drugs that help with ADHD symptoms in a recent review study issued in the scientific publication Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft. Hallucinations and delusional infestation were more common in ADHD participants who took stimulant medicines. The symptoms went away after the medicine was reduced or stopped, however antipsychotic treatment was required for a few of the patients.

Ritalin, Concentra, Vyvanse, and Adderall are common stimulant medications used to manage symptoms of ADHD, narcolepsy, and binge eating disorder. Because stimulant prescriptions are extremely addictive and raise dopamine and norepinephrine levels, they are frequently abused. Reduced appetite, anxiety, diarrhoea, dry mouth, sleeplessness, and tachycardia are all common side effects (a heart rate over 100 beats per minute). Cardiovascular events, hypertension, peripheral vasculopathy, serotonin syndrome, and mental reactions such as mania or psychosis are among the more serious side effects.

Cameron Moattari and Katlein Franca wanted to look into cases of trichotillomania (a psychiatric disorder characterised by hair pulling to relieve conscious or unconscious impulses), tactile hallucinations, and delusional infestation (the mistaken notion that a person's skin and/or body are contaminated with foreign pathogens) as adverse effects of stimulant use or abuse.

Moattari and Franca looked at 22 case studies that had been peer-reviewed. Methamphetamine-related papers were excluded, however articles on amphetamine, lisdezamfetamine, and methylphenidate were included. There were eight incidences of trichotillomania (hair pulling) among the 22 cases, and the patients were all diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, all but one of the patients were men.

Amphetamine, lisdezamfetamine, and methylphenidate all caused hair pulling, which started several days to months after commencing or increasing the dosage. One case involved a patient who had trichotillomania and hallucinations and needed to be hospitalised. Almost all of the symptoms went away after the medicine was stopped.

Moattari and Franca discovered eight cases of tactile hallucinations without delusions, all of whom were male and aged 7 to 12. When the stimulant prescription was withdrawn, all symptoms went away. Three male and three female patients were found to have stimulant-induced delusional infestation. Three patients claimed to have abused or misused prescribed stimulants. All six of these patients claimed they were infested with bugs, mites, scabies, or worms, with one case being a patient who saw bugs on a newborn. Two of the patients necessitated hospitalisation, while three of the cases needed antipsychotic medication. After lowering or quitting stimulant medication, all cases recovered within days to a month.

The use of case studies, which are a weaker source of data than research with higher sample sizes, is a drawback of this study. Another problem is that no causal association can be deduced because the patient's symptoms did not return when the stimulant medicine was taken again. Finally, stimulant medication side effects are likely underreported, and individuals who reported unpleasant psychocutaneous effects may have been taking other medications or had other conditions.