Posted by Leonardo on January 24, 2001, at 5:42:05
In reply to Re: Sources of Ritalin - Adderall easier?, posted by Shell on January 23, 2001, at 22:25:23
>I'm in the States and the law requires Schedule II drugs (Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine and Concerta are all Schedule II) to have a written prescription (a doctor can not call it into the pharmacy). The prescription can also not have refills; you must pick up a new prescription from your doctor every month. This would make it difficult to order any of these drugs online from a US-based pharmacy, though I suppose it is possible to mail in your original prescription to the online pharmacy each month.
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> Even under the best circumstances, it isn't a convenient system. My doctor and pharmacy are both quite helpful and close to my home and I still find it to be a pain getting my prescription filled each month.
>
> Good luck in your search. I really hope you can find a physician that will prescribe the drugs you need. I'm not sure what the applicable British law is, but it I would be leery of ordering a Schedule II drug without a prescription as I'm not sure how legal that is. I have also heard too many stories of problems with overseas online pharmacies (lost orders, no phone number, unanswered emails, etc).
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> Shell
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> PS - Is it really impossible for adults to be prescribed stimulants for ADHD in England? Is there a law prohibiting it or is there some other reason (just curious)? It really isn't a big deal here. A psychologist diagnosed me with ADHD and mentioned that I might want to try medication. She also sent a written report to my family doctor (probably equivalent to a British GP). The next time I saw my doctor, I asked her about it and she wrote me a prescription for Concerta (which I really like). I had no idea it was so much more difficult elsewhere.
-------Hi Shell! Thanks for your help.
My situation is that I am being treated for depression (including seasonal affective disorder), but the possibility that I have ADHD too is a new one I've only recently started discussing with my psychiatrist. The drugs Ritalin and Dexedrine can be prescribed in the UK, haven't checked about Adderall and Concerta yet. According to the British National Formulary, Ritalin is only prescribed for childhood ADHD, similar for Dexedrine. They are specifically excluded for treating depression. So it looks like you need an ADHD diagnosis to get the prescription. Unfortunately, ADHD isn't officially recognised in adults yet in the UK, so adults getting stimulants prescribed is more difficult. I need to do more research to see if any adults in the UK are getting stimulants offically for ADHD, I don't know yet.
I think my Pdoc may eventually let me try stimulants, but only if he is convinced that my concentration/attention/memeory problems can't be explained just by the depression. I will need to try some different antidepressants and show that I can be free of depression, but still have ADHD symptoms..... Unfortunately, this process will take several months at least, as I have not yet found a really successful cure for my depression. A quick trial of Ritalin etc would give me a good idea of whether I really do have ADHD or not, though of course my Pdoc can't support this.
I have ordered drugs from 2 online pharmacies successfully so far, but they were recommended by people who had already used them. So I was hoping to get a recommendation from here!
Leonardo
poster:Leonardo
thread:52294
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010122/msgs/52382.html