Four years ago i was diagnosed with ADD,
and prescribed Adderall. I was originaly
on the XR, but found it to be too strong
and felt that the standard release
(generic actually) were just fine. My
current prescription is for 60mg per day.
I typically only take 30mg-45mg per day as
ive been gradually stepping down as I feel
I need it less and I ususally don't take
much on the weekends. The only reason I
hadn't brought the "padding" in my dosage
to my doctor's attn is that sometimes I
get busy and can't make an appointment and
it gives me a buffer in between if I ever
need it.
Over the last year, I had noticed that
even though I was taking less than my RX
dosage I seemed to run out, right at the
end of the month, and I could never figure
out why. My days are usually quite
fast-paced and I never really had an
orderly system to monitor pills and dosage
so i never really invedtigated it further.
Very recently I started paying closer
attention to how much I took and how much
I had, and I began to suspect that someone
was stealing pills from me. The person i
suspected the most was my girlfriend.
We've been living together for almost
three years, and she was the person with
the most access to my bottle of pills.
Unfortunately yesterday morning, I caught
her in the act and she finally fessed-up.
At first i thought it was a recent thing,
and that she was only taking a few here
and there,...what I came to find out was
that she had basically been taking my
medication on a very regular basis for a
year or longer.
Yesterday also happened to be the day that
I was down to 1/2 of a 30mg tablet and had
not yet scheduled an appt. My last
prescription really seemed to go down
fast. While I was angry that she would
not only steal from me, but also lied
about it for so long, I was more comcerned
for her than anything.
It seemed to do her some good to get
everything off her chest, as she hadnt
told anyone about this at all.
Even when I first suspected she might have
ben sneaking some here and there, I didnt
think much of it. She never seemed
jittery, spacey, or overly
euphoric....she's never had any trouble
eating or sleeping. She explained that she
took it because it helped he feel like she
could think straight, do her job better,
and basically listed all of the same
reasons that I take it. The only
difference here is, I went to an ADD
clinic and got tested.
I have not yet obtained a new
prescription, so she is without "her
medication" as well. She definitley seems
to have formed an addiction to the drug.
She broke down last night and said how
hard it is for her to work without it now
and that she feels like she needs it.
I have no idea what to do or what to tell
her....
If she truly has ADD or ADHD which she
very well may, I guess she should go get
tested....
If she doesn't have ADD or ADHD, from what
I'm reading, she has a tough road ahead of
her in terms of recovery.
I would like to talk to my psychiatrist
about this, but am terribly apprehensive
to do so.
Having seen many who do not have ADD/ADHD
abuse adderall recreationally and how they
act it does not seem to be the case with
her. Personaly I dont know how anyone who
isnt "supposed to" take it, could stand
to take it every day.
I would appreciate any help or guidance
that you can offer, as I am not sure what
to do to help her. She does not have a
psychiatrist and her relastionship with
her PCP bears little rapport. I need to
talk to someone who knows what she needs
to do...
Thank you in advance for your feedback,
Jason
|
CarolDiane
Moderator
Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 2221 Location: Finally a picture to a name,
Thanks: 87
Thanked:125
Posted: 03-22-08 00:32am
Jason,
You are right when you say she has a hard
road to recovery. This drug is one of the
most addicting drug I have see in my
health care career. In fact, it is so bad
that they have banned it altoghter in
Canada. It is the rage now. There is a
chance she may be able to go through this
one her own depending on how much she has
taken over a peroid of time. I doubt she
is going to be able to. She needs to get
to a drug rehab facility as soon as
possible. The withdrawl it far worse then
any I have seen in a long time and I have
seen many. When I work Addiction and
Recovery, I could tell you some horror
stories. When I was in my late 20s I was
addicted to antiphycotic's and any downers
I could get my hands on. I was able to
stop myself. I my perscription said take
one, I took two. Then reality hit and let
me know how dangerous drug addiction can
really be. When I saw the horrific seen of
a patient going through withdrawl. Get her
to rehab if she gets really bad and darn
it, hide those pills. I commend you on you
caution in you doseing. You have will
power. Please keep it that way.
Best of luck,
Carrie
|
BunkID13
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 2
to Carrie Posted: 03-22-08 09:09am
Thanks for weighing in here, but just out
of curiosity......what if she actually has
the same thing I have?
Shouldn't she get tested? (and go on the
medication properly?)
And not to seem like I'm slighting
anything, but people always bring up the
Canada thing.....it is still used in
Canada....THe Adderall XR was briefly
banned in Canada around 2005, then within
the same year it lifted the ban. Check
Wikipedia....
Anyway....she has obviously formed an
addiction to the drug, and there is no way
to hide the pills from her.....she'll find
them.......if I want to get the pills away
from her Id have to move out...
As far as I can tell.....shes got the same
thing I have, so she's planning on getting
tested and letting the Doc prescibe
whatever they see fit....hope this is the
right move.
|
CarolDiane
Moderator
Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 2221 Location: Finally a picture to a name,
Thanks: 87
Thanked:125
Posted: 03-22-08 09:41am
Absolutly Jason. She sould be have an
affermative diagnosis on what is wrong. If
she is manic/Bipolar, Anxiety/Stress or
ADD at least then she can be put on the
medication that well work for her. Ya have
to get her to go first. That is the hard
part. It is when she comes to reality that
there is something wrong and is concerned,
is when she will be out of denial and go.
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