Acne

Can psychosis be kick-started by taking certain prescription medications? We all know that recreational drug use can bring on psychosis, so why not prescription meds?

When Chris was about sixteen, he had severe acne. This, according to Dr. Abram Hoffer, is also a sign of pellagra (vitamin B deficiency). He noticed that many of his schizophrenic patients reported having severe acne as a teenager, therefore he concluded that vitamin B deficiency is associated with schizophrenia.

Not thinking much about it at the time, and on my friend's suggestion, Chris started taking a certain acne drug. It cleared up his acne in no time, but it also was so strong that it caused the skin on his lips to literally flake off. After taking it for a couple of months, he stopped. About a year later (or was it only six months? I can't exactly remember), he started showing early signs of psychosis.

Maybe there is no connection to taking the drug and his later psychosis. One can really never know for sure about this things. Many young men who aren't taking medication begin to develop psychosis around the age of 18. Still, it is a powerful drug. So is angel dust, and marijuana, and cocaine and . . .