Cannabis-induced Koro in Americans
by
Earleywine M.
Department of Psychology,
University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061, USA.
Addiction. 2001 Nov;96(11):1663-6.
ABSTRACTAIMS: Koro, an acute panic reaction related to the perception of penile retraction, was once considered limited to specific cultures. The disorder has appeared as part of a panic response to cannabis, but only in citizens of India. This study looked for cannabis-induced Koro in Americans. DESIGN: Given the relative rarity of cannabis-induced Koro, this work focused on individual case studies. PARTICIPANTS: Over 70 men responded by phone to report negative reactions to cannabis. Three of them (Caucasians aged 22-26 with years of experience with cannabis) spontaneously mentioned experiencing symptoms of Koro after smoking marijuana. FINDINGS: All three cases occurred after participants had heard about cannabis-induced Koro and used the drug in a novel setting or atypical way. Two of the men had body dysmorphia, which may have contributed to symptoms. All three decreased their cannabis consumption after the Koro experience. CONCLUSIONS: Koro, particularly cannabis-induced Koro, is not limited to Eastern cultures. Several factors may interact to create symptoms. These include previous knowledge of cannabis-induced Koro, the use of marijuana in a way that might heighten a panic reaction, and poor body image. In addition, these cases confirm previous work that shows that negative reactions to drugs can attenuate their use.Koro
Panic disorder
Stoned chocaholics?
Cannabis Abuse Disorder
Cannabis and schizophrenia
Cannabinoids/Parkinson's disease01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
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