My son caught abusing meds---ritalin vs adderall?

[Karin3773Bob]

Although my 16-year-old son was monitored while taking his ritalin, he was caught snorting his medication. He has been on R for many years. The school nurse and his Doctor have suggested switching to adderall. Apparently the dose is usually given only once a day, reducing the potential of abuse and adderall is less popular with adolescents. We have locked our bedroom door to keep medication safe; however, dealing with an ADHD 16 year old locks don't help. What happens if he snorts Adderall? Is switching from R to A good? Also, what about SR Ritalin, states not to crush. Perhaps this is better than switching to Adderall. Confused and worried. Also, insurance does not pay for adderall---and it is very very expensive. I will pay for it if that is the solution to a serious problem. I don't want my son turning to street drugs to self-medicate. Can adderall be snorted? What happens if he snorts SR ritalin? He still can get meds from friends, I am sure. We, family and school nurse, watch him take his medication and in the past, we believe, he was keeping the meds in his mouth and later sniffing them with peers. Please help with suggestions. Thank you.

[alazay]

That is a serious problem. Adderall is sold on the streets to people who "abuse drugs" and that is how they usually tale it. Adderall works kind of like speed. When it is snorted it gets you high, kind of like snorting cocaine. These drugs are not meant to be snorted, thats abusing them.

[mlgable]

Since your son is abusing drugs already that is not a real good sign. Yes a once a day medication might help and there are many once a day medications available including long acting Ritalin. The thing is if you son is already abusing drugs I am wondering if some counseling might not be a wise suggestion? Abusing drugs is serious and who knows what else he might be abusing already or in the future. I also think you should sit down and talk to him about all of this. He needs to know that you are there for him. Also you may want to consider telling him that if he is not going to use the medications prescribed for him properly you will no longer get his prescriptions filled for him. If he no longer has the medication he will either have to get it elsewhere to abuse it and if his school work starts to suffer he will wind up making a choice the hard way.........either use the medication as it was intented and be able to handle school or sink because of no medication. At 16 years of age he is old enough to understand all this so give him the choice of using it properly or quit supplying him with the medication. Be sure to inform his doctor that he is misusing the medication and if he needs help with his substance abuse then offer to get him all the help he needs. Hope some of this helps.

[frzled]

If your son is abusing his meds take him off them. That simple. Sounds like the meds he is on aren't right for him. I'm also taking a long stretch by asking if he has anyone he can trust to talk about his add symptoms and drug reactions with? I'm 25, recently diagnosed and the drugs are really hard for me to deal with. I also have a hard time dealing with never being accepted as I am naturally since being diagnosed. Ask yourself how you would like it if someone told you that you had to take medicine to be acccepted (medicine that makes you not act like yourself) Then to just deal with that internally. It has been enought for me to visit the bar on occassion and if I was a kid - I'd abuse the meds too. Hope you could read between the lines - talk to your son without blaming him (even if you think he is to blame)

[P. Connell]

Can you elaborate on how your son is abusing his medications?

Many young people with ADD, ADHD, bipolar and other brain illnesses self medicate with booze, illegal drugs, and other substances in an attempt to find some level of clarity and normalcy.

Is it possible that the medication that you give your son is not at a high enough therapeutic level to be affective and this is why he is being abusive with it...trying to get it to work better by increasing it's effect or changing the way it is taken? It might be worth discussing with him, and I'd sure be letting his doctor know what is going on.

It may be time to consider inpatient treatment for your child, where his symptoms can be watched more closely in a controlled environment...and if he is abusing other substances he can be weaned off them under a doctors supervision.

Have you considered that your child might not have ADHD at all? Do some research. There are excellent websites for parents of children with conduct disorders where you can get information on the entire spectrum of behavioral and attentional disorders and do a comparison.