The New York Times (11/16, Blum) reports, “In October, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed…a nationwide shortage of Adderall” (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine), a shortage that is still ongoing. Patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) who suddenly discontinue the medication and go into withdrawal “may grapple with mood swings, irritability, appetite suppression and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts.” Others may also “experience headaches, jitteriness, intense fatigue and gastrointestinal distress, said” Anish Dube, MD, “chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Children, Adolescents and Their Families.” Besides “withdrawal, Dr. Dube said the” AD/HD “that prompted patients to start medication in the first place can become even more severe when they stop medication abruptly.”
Related Links:
— “Amid the Adderall Shortage, People With A.D.H.D. Face Withdrawal and Despair “Dani Blum, The New York Times, November 16, 2022