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Absinthe and suicidality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Naveed Rizvi ,
Marie Whitty  and
Robert Daly
Naveed Rizvi*
Affiliation:
Tralee General Adult Psychiatry, Tralee, Co Kerry, Ireland
Marie Whitty
Affiliation:
Cuan Mhuire, Miltown, Athy, Co.Kildare, Ireland
Robert Daly
Affiliation:
St Ita's Hospital, Portrane, Dublin, Department of Psychiatry RCSI, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
*
*Correspondence E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Absinthe is an alcoholic drink which is becoming more widely consumed after being banned for many decades. An association between absinthe use and psychiatric symptoms, ranging from impairment of concentration to marked hallucinations and seizures, has been suggested, but evidence remains unclear. Thujone, identified as a possible psychoactive ingredient, has recently been implicated in absinthe's putative neuropsychiatric effects. This report presents a case where acute suicidality emerged during absinthe consumption; possible neurobiological aetiological mechanisms and the history of absinthe use and associated adverse effects are reviewed.

Keywords

AbsintheSuicideAlcohol case report
Type
Case Reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 1 , March 2010 , pp. 44 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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