Bugs, Worms, and Snakes Hallucinations involving insects, snakes, or worms were among the most commonly reported psychiatric events among children and teens, FDA medical epidemiologist and drug safety expert Bride Gelperin, MD, MPH, tells. The hallucination lasted several hours, recurred. And in more than nine out of 10 cases, the children had no reported history of psychiatric events. The investigation prompted federal officials to require new labeling on the drugs, including Ritalin LA, Concerta, Adderall XR, Focalin, Focalin XR, Metadate CD, Daytrana, and Strattera, warning of possible psychiatric side effects. In an earlier investigation, FDA researchers identified more than 850 separate incidences of hallucinations and other psychotic episodes among children taking stimulants used to treat ADHD. "Some children described feeling a sensation of bugs or worms crawling on their skin," she says. One gayelord detailed in the report involved a 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who said he saw roaches surrounding him two hours after taking an ADHD drug containing methylphenidate. Nearly half of the cases of hallucination and other psychiatric side effects revie by FDA researchers involved children younger than age 11.

An estimated 2.5 million children and teens take these and other stimulant-based medications to treat ADHD symptoms.