The Collateral Damage of A.D.H.D. Drug Shortages | Hacker News Reader

The Collateral Damage of A.D.H.D. Drug Shortages

nytimes.com

30 pointsclockworksoul68 comments

I was started on atomoxetine in February after 48 years of getting by, and it's been absolutely life changing - I'm finishing projects and clearing stuff off my desk that would in the past have been 90% complete with me having to be interrupted to clean up.

There's a shortage of atomoxetine, my pharmacist has ordered extra so I should be ok, and I have a stash of lower dosage capsules just in case.

The worry is that the side effects between 40mg and 60mg were awful, and I don't really want to go through that again.

Yeah ED on straterra is something else.

That and headaches after the deed (in case you got past the ED).

I take propranolol alongside atomoxetine as I get regular headaches, perhaps something to look into?

I did have ED for a while when I first started, that and the disconnected / painful orgasms. After 6 months though it's all back to normal and working better than it was tbh.

I tried atomoxetine for awhile. I was on a fairly low dosage, somewhere between 10 and 25mg. It was a very weird experience tbh. I felt very muted, like someone took my personality and affect and replaced it with a greyed out version of me. It was so noticeable that my girlfriend noticed and asked if there was something wrong. Anyways, it sucks that getting ADHD drugs is hard these days. I've considered going back to them as stress at work ramps up, but I'm worried even if I do I won't be able to get any. Oh well.

No shame in exaggerating symptoms to get an adderall prescription imo. Startups require energy, no different to getting your daily caffeine.

Right, and a good project manager should mandate microdosing.

Only for creatives. The drones stick to amphetamine.

Macrodosing is a good screening technique, just apply it to the executive suite first.

Onsite interview at Burning Man

Yes, this is how 'upstanding members of society' get their opiates and amphetamines. It's also why drug testing isn't part of the job application process for Party members (see Orwell).

Weird ethics. No shame in bypassing the meter and stealing electricity. Start ups require energy.

What are the ethics for preventing a mentally stable, tax paying adult from consuming whatever mind altering chemical they want?

Generally speaking, harm reduction.

With full knowledge of what could happen (because effects are often not uniform), and with the right care and support I would think it can be done ethically.

Look at the trials of using LSD/mushrooms/MDMA to help people work through serious trauma. Done well it looks to be positively life changing, done poorly and it seems to be horrifying.

Harm reduction, at what cost?

Fine, so print warnings on the bottle and make me sign a disclaimer. Isn’t it more harmful to create a black market with no quality controls? Isn’t it more harmful to ruin countless lives with felony convictions?

Not analogous at all. At this point, I would say what are the ethics on preventing someone from doing what they want to themselves if it does not hurt someone else.

Stimulants don’t have the same effect on everyone, and this attitude is incredibly dismissive of those who need these medications to function.

They’re a controlled drug for a reason, abusing them can have negative long term effects especially if you don’t need them.

Yes–startups require energy, but stimulants are prescribed to those who need executive functioning support, not energy.

If it means that people who genuinely need it for their daily routines to operate as human beings face difficulties with getting their prescriptions, then nope, 100% shame and to hell with your bullshit startup.

There are studies out there which show that ADHD medications can negatively impact the cognitive functioning of neurotypical individuals.[1]

Anecdotally, as someone with ADHD as diagnosed by a psychiatrist who specializes in the area, taking Vyvanse makes me feel calm. I have seen people taking ADHD meds for exams/assignments become completely wired as a result of taking the drugs. YMMV and all that.

[1] https://www.additudemag.com/prescription-stimulants-methylph...

The DEA should be abolished -- medication should be the business of the patient and the health care providers. Period.

Yes, with strict regulation from medical boards that doctors are actually operating in their patients' best interest. We don't need more Texas-style "Doctor Death"s.

We need to ensure there are not incentives to over-medicate or over-prescribe, but ultimately the patient should be the final arbiter of their health care regimen.

Subscription free link?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com