A Man Chopped Off His Penis With Scissors in a Fit of Cannabis-Induced Psychosis, Doctors Say

A person in Thailand’s bong session went disastrously improper, in response to his medical doctors. In a brand new case report, they describe how he “completely amputated his penis” utilizing scissors, apparently on account of a uncommon episode of cannabis-induced psychosis. Though the person’s delusional signs light after being admitted to the hospital and his accidents have been handled, medical doctors weren’t in a position to reattach the misplaced appendage.

The weird harm was detailed in a paper published over the weekend within the Journal of Medical Case Reports by medical doctors from Chiang Mai University in Thailand.

The 23-year-old man had reportedly been a daily hashish person for the previous two years however had stopped for the previous three months. He then acquired again into his behavior by smoking two bongs of hashish, equal to 2 grams value, in response to the paper. Two hours later, he started to expertise an undesirable erection, together with a extreme and chronic sharp ache in his penis; he additionally reported that his glans (the tip of the penis) seemed “distorted” to him. In an try to cease the ache, he determined to seize a pair of scissors and to “trim the penile skin several times.” Eventually, he severed his penis clear off, abandoning an inch-long stump.

Unsurprisingly, the house surgical procedure induced the person to bleed out. He was admitted to the hospital two hours after the amputation and instantly handled with antibiotics and a tetanus booster. Emergency surgical procedure stopped the person’s bleeding and cleaned his wounds, whereas he underwent a process to create a brand new opening so he might nonetheless urinate via his urethra. Unfortunately, although the penis was recovered, it was deemed too soiled and fragile to be reconstructed and reattached. By the time medical doctors noticed the person, his amputated member had even been left crawling with ants (Yes, there are photos of the penis and stump within the paper, however I wouldn’t suggest viewing them if in case you have a weak abdomen).

Given the person’s habits, he was psychologically evaluated as effectively. Upon admission, he reported experiencing visible and auditory hallucinations, which included seeing transferring shadows and listening to birds and bugs. But he was in any other case coherent, not suicidal, and denied having a household or private historical past of melancholy, self hurt, and every other points associated to his prior drug use. The man was hospitalized for 2 weeks and given antipsychotics. And by the point he was discharged, he now not reported any delusional signs.

Because the person’s signs occurred quickly after he ingested hashish and went away after a month of not taking the drug—together with no different seemingly rationalization—the medical doctors identified him with substance-induced psychotic dysfunction. Cases of individuals self-amputating their penis throughout a drug-induced psychosis aren’t extraordinary, although they’re hardly ever reported. Even rarer is a case seemingly introduced on by cannabis-induced psychosis, they wrote.

Many research have shown a hyperlink between hashish use and an elevated threat of acute schizophrenia-like signs, although it’s much less clear whether or not hashish truly will increase the danger of schizophrenia itself. And whereas this threat is uncommon typically, attainable elements embody being younger and ingesting hashish excessive in THC, the first ingredient accountable for making you are feeling excessive. The sharp and chronic ache within the man’s penis that prompted his amputation could have been a subjective sensation introduced on by his delusion, nevertheless it additionally might have been the results of a real undesirable erection attributable to the hashish—it’s merely not attainable to inform both approach, the medical doctors concluded.

“In summary, cannabis-induced psychosis is an adverse effect of cannabis, which may lead to impaired judgement and unexpected self-harm,” they wrote.

As for the person himself, the medical doctors did plan to carry out one other surgical procedure that might have lengthened and reconstructed his penis additional. But the affected person apparently relocated and so they’ve since misplaced contact with him.