Greetings

My father died year ago and our family was crushed. My mother has been "ok" about it, and managed to continue her life untill now. She was diagnosed with ADHD, and got drugs for it. Now, shes taking them and there has been a drastic turn around in her behaviour.

Yesterday she called me and told me she has nothing to live for, nothing in her life because father is gone. She has been up for 24 hours and is calling everyone in family and friends. It's a cry for help and i have been talking with her about many issues in her life, but at the time she seems to be in some kinda frenzy, she tryes to sleep, but then takes a phone and starts to call people.

When i talked with her last night, she said now she feels better and goes to sleep, but today i find out she didnt and she is still calling people. Now i called her and said "Mother, this has gone too far, you will go to sleep NOW, stop calling people you need rest or you lose your sanity, i will come by tomorrow morning, and now you go to sleep". I really hope she went to bed, because if she didnt i will go there right now and put her to sleep. She lives 30km away, so it would take some time, and its 9pm.

I'm really worried that the ADHD drugs are effecting her in a bad way, she has never been like this, not even after fathers death. Shes not acting like she normally is, and i'm really worried. I'm going to go there tomorrow, or this night if she is refusing to sleep.

Could it be the drugs? Or could these be just a normal feelings, i don't want to go into detail about the things we talked about. She does speak like normal person and does not feel delusional in anyway, but shes not sleeping and is in a frenzy state of mind calling everyone.

She told me that she is feeling lonely for the first time, but some how i feel the problem is also the drugs, not only life issues. The frenzy could come from the drugs.

So does anyone have any experience about ADHD drugs, please share.

FaxMachine

I can speak a little about this, my son died 5 years ago and I am just starting to feel normal again. The first couple years are very hard.

I would talk to her about the prescriptions, I listened to my doc after my son passed and took the drugs and after a year or so on them I was closer to losing my mind that I was right after he died. Once I got off the prescriptions (anti-depressants) I found I hadn't dealt with my emotions at all, I'd just numbed them and avoided them with the pills.

Grieving can have a strange effect on supposedly "safe" pharmaceuticals I have found. Be patient and understanding, the anniversaries are hard and bring up many memories, but please discuss the pills, that is worrisome.

Here in the UK we do not normally prescribe amphetamine analogues (methylphenidate) for depression or antidepressants for ADHD alone.

The last thing anyone with a frenzy going on in their mind needs is methylphenidate.

The last thing that anyone with ADHD alone needs is antidepressants of any sort. Antidepressants are considered second-line therapy to be used in patients that have ADHD with depression or when the stimulants are not working.

Usually the tuppence a bucket tricyclic antidepressants are used and they are or can be deadly. (imiprimine)

Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant, less potent than amphetamine but more potent than caffeine.

If those prescriptions are correct I would check the diagnosis first. Usually ADHD with depression has the antidepressant prescription, but only as second line therapy.

I would check with the quack and see what he / she says is the reason for the prescription.

Tricyclic antidepressants are bad news at any time.

I won't put here how they can be abused but believe me thay can be and very easily.