The parent of a Hickory High School student who developed stroke-like symptoms a day after he took an anti-psychotic drug said the boy thought he was taking a pill that would give him a high.

"Another boy was selling it for $2 a pill, and saying, 'It'll relax you,' " the parent said. "That couldn't have been further from the truth."

After the boy took the purple pill, he was scared, his parent added.

The 15-year-old could not keep his neck from falling to the side or his jaw from dropping, his parent said.

Those muscular problems are referred to as tardive dyskinesia, a condition shown by those who take the drug Haldol or one of its many generic counterparts. The drug and the generic brands come in six strengths, according to a local pharmacist.

The boy likely took a generic and one of the most powerful doses, the pharmacist said.

Haldol and its generic brands are often prescribed for those who hear voices or are thinking delusionally. It also was routinely given to senior citizens at nursing homes years ago to keep them quiet, the pharmacist said.

At least three Hermitage teen-agers were treated at the hospital of Sharon Regional Health System after they took the drug, city police said Wednesday morning. As of this morning, police had not reported any arrests.

The parent who called The Herald said the boy -- who took the pill Monday and was treated at the hospital Tuesday -- was given a prescription to help get the drug out of his system; he is starting to regain his strength.