A Drug For ADHD - Problems And Solutions

If you are taking a drug for ADHD, you will probably have noticed that supplies tend to be somewhat erratic. These problems surfaced during last year and there were massive shortages of the most popular drug, Adderall. Then other drugs began to be in short supply too.

I know that many doctors have switched their ADHD patients to the more expensive Vyvanse but that was not a popular choice with many parents and kids. The reason for the shortage is that the actual raw material is an amphetamine which is, of course, a controlled substance. So, supplies to the manufacturers are going to be limited anyway.

The same problems are occurring with the generic drugs. One solution to the problem when you are taking a drug for ADHD which is suffering from a shortage is to call pharmacies in your area to find out which of the ADHD drugs are available.

Then, you can ask the doctor to change the script accordingly although there may be problems in changing medication. But sometimes, the equivalent is just as effective.

You could also ask your doctor to call local pharmacies so that he knows what is in stock and can prescribe accordingly. This is no guarantee that you may find the drug there because they could have sold out in the meantime. Doctors are not allowed to call in prescriptions and reserve supplies of medicines for us, unfortunately.

We should also be very wary about trying to buy these meds online. There are risks that many fake ADHD drugs exist and they are nothing more than painkillers!

Actually, the whole question about a drug for ADHD should make us sit up and think about how effective these really are. Many parents are happy to note that their kids are reporting improvements in the following areas:-

• better focus
• longer attention span
• improved grades at school
• less restless and able to do homework much better than before.

The key issue here is that after thousands of parents were surveyed in the Consumer Reports on the effectiveness of these meds, the majority noted that as for behavior and social skills, there was very little difference and they felt at sea.

But we should also be looking the long term effects and asking ourselves if medication is really the answer to ADHD. In fact, it is only a partial answer and we should be absolutely certain that other measures are in place such as:-

• limits on behavior are clearly set and explained
• our homes are organised so that kids are helped, not hindered
• we are aware that dietary changes can affect behavior
• media time is limited
• green time activities are regularly planned.

So, the next time you dash to the pharmacy hoping to find your favourite drug for ADHD, think about all the other things we should be organising. The above suggestions are real long term solutions.