Toxic psychosis following use of quinacrine

Toxic psychosis due to quinacrine treatment represents an infrequent, but serious psychiatric complication. Psychiatrists should be familiar with this side effect as quinacrine continues to be used as an antimalarial, as an antihelmintic and as an antineoplastic agent. A case of a young male is presented who developed an acute toxic psychosis which necessitated psychiatric hospitalization. The case is discussed in light of previously published clinical reports and experimental studies. It appears that quinacrine acts as a cortical stimulant, but the exact mechanism of its action on the CNS is not clear at this point.