Journal of Clinical Case Reports

Oral Hydrocodone Induced Acute Psychosis in an Adult Male: A CaseReport.

Abstract

Andleeb Rasheed, Regina Baronia, Pravesh Sharma, Terry McMahon and Saira Mushtaq

Hydrocodone is an opioid derived from codeine, which has been used for many years as a short-acting analgesic
combined with acetaminophen (or less commonly ibuprofen). Common and severe psychiatric side effects included
include mental depression, mood changes, hallucination, delirium, somnolence, agitation, and dysphoria. This is
a report of a particular case that resulted in acute psychosis after immediately starting on Hydrocodone because
of back pain in a 35 year old male, with no past psychiatrist history. The patient returned to his baseline mental
status after the hydrocodone was discontinued. Earlier research was published about these symptoms are the
ones where hydrocodone was used in combination with other drugs, but in this unique case the patient was not any
other medication except the hydrocodone. This unique case showed an association between the short term use of
hydrocodone and development of psychiatric symptoms. Recognition of these uncommon psychiatric side effects of
hydrocodone usage will allow for early recognition of their etiology, symptoms and treatment. Psychotic symptoms
induce by analgesics are not a common condition but they still remain under diagnosed and untreated.