Medications That Cause Hallucinations

Symptoms > Emotional Ailments > Drug Hallucinations

Alternative to Meds Center is a licensed residential treatment center in Sedona, Arizona. Our goal is to provide transformation to drug-free mental health, or in some cases, less reliance on medications that have troubling side effects. We approach each client as an individual, treating the whole person and meeting you or your loved one where you are in your journey.

About Drug-Induced Hallucinations

Many drugs are notorious for creating hallucinations during active use, particularly hallucinogenic drugs like psilocybin, DMT, LSD, PCP, and peyote. However, many other substances are capable of creating hallucinations even after they are discontinued – especially after long-term or heavy use. Drugs like methamphetamines and especially marijuana can cause lingering hallucinations or delusions for months after discontinuing the drug, a situation known as drug-induced psychosis. ⁸

Unfortunately, the very medications used to address these mental health symptoms can create additional mental health symptoms of their own. Among the most concerning are medication-induced hallucinations, another form of drug-induced psychosis. These powerful and overwhelming hallucinations can be frightening, but there is a way out; eliminating reliance on detrimental medications and replacing them with positive, holistic methods can help individuals experience a life free from psychosis.

Learn more about hallucinations, what causes them, when you should be concerned about your loved one, and how you can find relief.

Hallucinations as a Side Effect of Medication

The term “hallucination” is defined as sensing something via sight, smell, taste, sound, or feeling that is not really there. Experiencing hallucinations is a serious matter and can have extremely detrimental effects on a person’s mental health and ability to function properly. While hallucinations can be caused by a variety of things, such as Schizophrenia, depression, postpartum disorders, Alzheimer’s, and more, they can also be caused by chemical substances. ¹

As mentioned, hallucinogenic drugs are commonly found to cause hallucinations, but one source that many may overlook is pharmaceutical medications. This is why it is important to know and understand the side effects of any medication before taking it. If hallucinations are manifesting as a result of taking a medication, it is crucial to speak with a treatment professional about tapering away from that medication.

What Medications Can Cause Hallucinations?

There are many mental health medications that have the potential to cause hallucinations. Medications that may cause hallucinations include: ²

Psychiatric Syndrome Medications

People who have been diagnosed with Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are frequently encouraged to begin taking medication for relief. However, these medications can often cause hallucinations to become worse instead of better. These medications may include haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and quetiapine (Seroquel).

Sedative-Hypnotics

These types of medications are generally prescribed to people who suffer from insomnia. Hallucinations are a side effect of some of these medications, including zolpidem (Ambien) and eszopiclone (Lunesta).

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepine medications are used to treat a variety of ailments, from panic disorder and seizures to issues with sleeping. One of the many side effects of such medications is hallucinations. Common benzodiazepines include lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium), and clonazepam (Klonopin).

These are just a few of the medications that could produce a hallucinogenic side effect. There are many more in various classes, including pain reliever opioids like fentanyl, morphine, and Percocet. As you can see, pharmaceutical medications may be designed to help people feel better but, in many cases, cause more harm. ³

Types of Hallucinations

Hallucinations that are related to drug use can affect any of the five main senses, including sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Someone who is experiencing a hallucination may have one or all five of their senses affected at any given time. To someone experiencing a hallucination, it is extremely difficult to understand that what they are sensing is not real, and these hallucinations can differ depending on the senses involved.

Types of hallucinations a person could experience include: ¹

Medication-Related Visual Hallucinations

Visual hallucinations can be described simply as seeing something that is not there. Sometimes, this presents as objects tinted with different shades of color or dimensions that are skewed. However, it can also be as dramatic as seeing objects or people that do not exist or experiencing scenes being played out that are not really happening.

Medication-Related Auditory Hallucinations

Auditory hallucinations occur when an individual hears something inside their head that is not an actual sound that is being picked up by the ears. This is often described as “hearing voices” in the mind. For some people, these voices can be critical and even scary, whereas, for others, they can be neutral or even take on a kind or friendly personification. Auditory hallucinations can also go beyond being a voice and can include music and other sounds not made up of words.

Medication-Related Gustatory Hallucinations

Gustatory hallucinations refer to the feeling of having a taste in the mouth that is not the effect of any actual substance. This can sometimes be described as a metallic or iron-like taste. It can also be described as the feeling of a total loss of the ability to taste. This type of hallucination tends to be less common but can still be disturbing.

Medication-Related Tactile Hallucinations

Tactile hallucinations refer to hallucinations involving the sense of touch. Because this is such a broad sense, people who experience these kinds of hallucinations may feel a wide array of effects. This type of hallucination can be as simple as the sensation of being touched but can be as disturbing as the feeling of being repeatedly stung, bitten, or crawled on by insects.

Medication-Related Olfactory Hallucinations

Olfactory hallucinations, or hallucinations that affect the sense of smell, are fairly rare for most people who experience medication-related hallucinations. These types of hallucinations are most often caused by the illicit use of certain psychoactive substances, such as LSD. ⁴ People who experience olfactory hallucinations may think they are smelling something that is not there, which may either be a pleasant smell or an unpleasant one.

Each one of these types can pose a serious threat to not only the person experiencing them but also those around them. When a person has a hallucination, they are unable to discern reality from fantasy and may respond to either in a harmful or dangerous way. That’s why it is so important to help your loved one reach out to a professional if you believe they are experiencing symptoms of psychosis.

What To Do If You or Your Loved One Are Experiencing Hallucinations

If you are currently taking a drug or pharmaceutical medication that has a side effect of hallucinations, it is important to evaluate the risks and benefits of ceasing the use of the drug. At Alternative to Meds Center, we are well-versed in the many natural ways to address the issues that you may be currently attempting to treat with medications. These alternative methods can be long-term options that will continue to help for years to come.

Similarly, if your loved one is experiencing hallucinations or drug-induced psychosis – whether as a result of pharmaceutical medication or the lingering effects of taking or ceasing to take a street drug – it is crucial to reach out to a holistic treatment professional as soon as possible. Your loved one needs direction and guidance regarding their treatment, and you may benefit from education and family counseling so you know what you can expect as they begin to navigate this mental health journey.

While psychiatric medications may help address some pain and symptoms, they often come with a long string of side effects that can be just as detrimental as the original symptoms. Some, including hallucinations, can have a profound negative effect on mental health. Fortunately, there are other options.

The experienced and skilled team at Alternative to Meds Center performs a full assessment of each individual’s condition and then builds a personalized treatment plan that implements a unique assortment of research-based alternative and adjunctive therapies.

How Alternative To Meds Center Can Help

Alternative to Meds Center has eighteen years of experience helping individuals break free of their dependency on illicit drugs, alcohol, and medications. We are a state-licensed residential treatment facility that offers a wide array of alternative, healthy options for our patients. We offer a fully residential treatment plan in order to ensure that no outside issues impede the road to recovery.

There are many services offered at Alternative to Meds Center, including:

Medication tapering
IV and NAD therapy
Lab testing
Environmental medicine
Neurotoxin removal
Neurotransmitter rehabilitation
Orthomolecular medicine
Colon Hydrotherapy
Equine therapy
Therapeutic counseling

Yoga
Pain management
Dual diagnosis
Holistic detoxification
Acupuncture
Art therapy
Peer support
Qi Gong
Spa services

We will begin by performing a full slate of lab testing to explore the root causes of any issues and symptoms. Depending on the results, we will build a custom program of healthy, holistic practices that will benefit clients long after the medications have left the system.

Alternatives to Medication That Will Not Cause Hallucinations

At Alternative to Meds Center, we have many treatment options available that offer alternatives to whatever type of medication you are taking. In addition to the various services that are listed above, we offer specific treatments related to the unique effects caused by medications or illicit drugs. It is important to us that we meet you where you are in your journey. While this is not an easy or fast process, it is a much healthier long-term option than medication, with no side effects.

No matter what type of medication you may be using that is causing your hallucinatory side effects, ATMC can help.

About Discontinuation Syndrome and Hallucinations

Abrupt withdrawal from benzodiazepines and alcohol can cause hallucinations and psychosis as a part of discontinuation syndrome. In some instances, this discontinuation syndrome can be dangerous or fatal if unaddressed, even in cases of a lower, “therapeutic” dose of benzodiazepines. In fact, psychosis has been noted to occur while patients are still receiving acute care in the hospital, particularly after repeated doses of neuroleptic medications. Researchers note that the resulting hallucinations or psychosis often begins about two weeks after cessation of the drug or medication but can occur even years later.

However, when medications are tapered safely, the process of withdrawal is better than a lifetime of dependency on such medications. ^6,7 Thus, it is extremely important that the withdrawal process is well thought out and managed by a professional.

At Alternative to Meds Center, we specialize in the process of safe tapering to avoid discontinuation-induced hallucinations, psychosis, mania, and other undesirable outcomes.

Struggling with Drug Side Effects? Get Help Today

At Alternative to Meds Center, our treatment program isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach; instead, we work with both potential clients and their loved ones to evaluate and address personal circumstances. Then, we develop a recovery program to address lingering drug- or medication-induced hallucinations, psychosis, or other mental health issues in healthy, holistic ways that promote the recovery of natural mental health.

Contact us today to request information about how you, your child, or your spouse can become free from the lingering effects of medication and drug use and pursue a life without hallucinations.

References

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Sobule R. Is It Real: Understanding Psychosis. Physician Assistant Clinics, 6(3), 495-503. 2021. [Cited Oct 8, 2024]
Harvard Health Publishing. What causes depression? Harvard Health. 2022. [Cited Oct 8, 2024]
Greenberg, M. Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: Potentially Fatal, Commonly Missed. Emergency Medicine News 23(12). 2001. [Cited Oct 8, 2024]
Fruensgaard K. Withdrawal psychosis: a study of 30 consecutive cases. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1976 Feb;53(2):105-18. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1976.tb00065.x. PMID: 3091. [Cited Oct 8, 2024]
Paparelli A., Di Forti M., Morrison PD & Murray RM. Drug-induced psychosis: how to avoid star gazing in schizophrenia research by looking at more obvious sources of light. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 5(1). 2011. [Cited Oct 8, 2024]

Medical Disclaimer:
Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided on the website is intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. Always consult with your doctor before altering your medications. Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision.