Posted by JohnL on September 24, 2000, at 6:09:36
In reply to ritalin turning an old friend into a total schmuck, posted by paul on September 23, 2000, at 22:57:58
> adam and i had known each other for twenty years. then he starts taking ritalin for supposed ADD, and when we would talk we'd argue and that was it. no laughter, no enjoyment, just this guy i used to know making it plain that while it was fine for me to make the 40-mile drive to visit with him, he simply couldn't be bothered. this was NOT the person i knew. i didn't know WHO the hell it was. as an experiment, i left it up to him to pick a time and place to meet for dinner and never heard a word for six months. he probably doesn't know-or care-that i've moved out of state. anyone else lose an old friend to ritalin?
> p(c(l))Paul,
Sorry to hear about this. I can relate.
Since all psychiatric medications influence brain chemistry, they are all capable of changing a person's behavior, thinking patterns, and perception. The idea is to influence brain chemistry in such a way as to result in 'normal' behaviors, thinking patterns, and perceptions. Obviously Ritalin did not do that in your friend's brain. It would appear to be the wrong choice for him.
Ritalin is not to blame. Ritalin restores normal function to many people's brains. But not your friend's. The real one to blame is the physician, for failing to pick up on the change of behavior. He/she should have asked more questions. And your friend is partially to blame as well, for perhaps not being open and honest with the phsycian. But then again, sometimes the patient is not aware of their behavior change. Other people notice, but sometimes not the patient. It's the doctors job to followup, ask enough questions, ask the right questions, and such. And though you are not at all to blame, you might consider contacting the phsycian personally to let him/her know of the negative behavior change resulting from Ritalin. The doctor might be totally unaware until someone speaks up. They wouldn't be able to do anything based on your phone call, but at least perhaps your comments would be entered into the patient's records for future reference, and who knows, someday it might come into play and be seen as relevant.
I have serious misgivings about the way our psychiatric community is trained to make a diagnosis and then prescribe a medication that fits that diagnosis. In ADD for example, the common medication choice is Ritalin. But I have case studies right here in front of me proving that other people experienced total recovery from ADD with a serotonin antidepressant, a norepinephrine antidepressant, a dopamine antidepressant, an antipsychotic, Lithium, Depakote, and others. These complete cures were discovered quite by accident when the patients were trying these medications for other purposes. It just goes to show that underlying brain chemistry can vary dramatically, yet result in the same symptoms. Only by trying, or 'comparing', a variety of medications from different medication classes can we truly pinpoint the patient's unique chemistry causing the symptoms. To simply say ADD = Ritalin is in my mind totally completely wrong. Yet it is accepted as fact. I can only shake my head.
John
poster:JohnL
thread:45162
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000905/msgs/45173.html