Posted on Feb 18, 2023
Adderall shortage forces some patients to scramble, ration or go without
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/02/18/ [login to see] /adderall-shortage-forces-some-patients-to-scramble-ration-or-go-without
Kristina Yiaras tends to be hesitant about her kids taking too many medications.
But when her 8-year-old started on Adderall, she couldn't deny that his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — ADHD — symptoms got better right away.
"He was super excited because he wasn't the trouble kid anymore," she says. "He was actually getting rewarded."
Then earlier this year, Yiaras went to the pharmacy to refill his prescription, but the medicine was out of stock. She went down a list of pharmacies within 50 miles of her home in Kingsland, Georgia. Her mom made calls, too. They couldn't find it anywhere.
"The minute we ran out of it, he was back to getting in trouble every day, getting up out of his seat," Yiaras says. "The teachers immediately noticed that he was off of it."
Kristina Yiaras tends to be hesitant about her kids taking too many medications.
But when her 8-year-old started on Adderall, she couldn't deny that his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — ADHD — symptoms got better right away.
"He was super excited because he wasn't the trouble kid anymore," she says. "He was actually getting rewarded."
Then earlier this year, Yiaras went to the pharmacy to refill his prescription, but the medicine was out of stock. She went down a list of pharmacies within 50 miles of her home in Kingsland, Georgia. Her mom made calls, too. They couldn't find it anywhere.
"The minute we ran out of it, he was back to getting in trouble every day, getting up out of his seat," Yiaras says. "The teachers immediately noticed that he was off of it."
Adderall shortage forces some patients to scramble, ration or go without
Posted from npr.org
Medical
Health
Drugs
Pharmaceuticals
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 3
The good news is that there are many alternatives to Adderall (Focalin, Ritalin, Methylin, and other generics of those drugs).
The bad news - everyone reacts differently and someone will do fine with Adderall but not with Focalin (for example). In many cases, you will have try a hit-and-miss with the dosage and medication to get a proper reaction.
Of course, the shortage isn't just a "supply" thing, it's a "demand" thing as well - the rate of an ADHD diagnosis has had a marked increase in the last two years. While there's been no definitive study showing as such, there are many in the medical community that are concerned it's being over diagnosed rather than an actual increase due to correctly diagnosing unreported cases (could go either way).
The bad news - everyone reacts differently and someone will do fine with Adderall but not with Focalin (for example). In many cases, you will have try a hit-and-miss with the dosage and medication to get a proper reaction.
Of course, the shortage isn't just a "supply" thing, it's a "demand" thing as well - the rate of an ADHD diagnosis has had a marked increase in the last two years. While there's been no definitive study showing as such, there are many in the medical community that are concerned it's being over diagnosed rather than an actual increase due to correctly diagnosing unreported cases (could go either way).
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."For now, she plans to ration her pills, but she's worried. She depends on Adderall to help keep her on track, and is reminded of what it felt like to be a kid in school who couldn't sit still.
"And now in my adulthood that's part of the panic, too," she says. "It's like, am I going to start slipping, you know, in my career? Am I going to start going backwards?"
She hopes the shortage will end soon. Before her pills run out."
..."For now, she plans to ration her pills, but she's worried. She depends on Adderall to help keep her on track, and is reminded of what it felt like to be a kid in school who couldn't sit still.
"And now in my adulthood that's part of the panic, too," she says. "It's like, am I going to start slipping, you know, in my career? Am I going to start going backwards?"
She hopes the shortage will end soon. Before her pills run out."
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