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Salbutamol inhaler abuse and psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Paul A Cotter*
Affiliation:
Section of Metabolic Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, England

Abstract

A case is described in which a man with asthma and a history of alcohol dependence presented with a paranoid psychosis refractory to standard neuroleptic treatment. Symptomatic improvement was achieved when abuse of salbutamol (Ventolin®) metered dose inhaler was discovered and an alternative β2-agonist delivery system prescribed. A contribution by salbutamol to the psychosis is proposed. It is suggested that increased awareness regarding psychiatric morbidity is needed when metered dose salbutamol inhalers are prescribed.

Type
Case Reports
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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