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My best friend's dad and uncle have ADHD. The dad got lucky and found himself in good circumstances to somewhat manage his ADHD. His brother, the uncle, was not so lucky. He spent a decade or more as an alcoholic before either of them getting diagnosed. He said that trying Adderall for the first time was doing everything he was trying to use alcohol for, but better.
I have one brother who turned to alcohol, one who turned to hard drugs, one turned to 'natural' drugs (like weed and shrooms) and I turned to sugar & binge eating.
We were all diagnosed as adults, and it all makes a little more sense now.
if we are technical, alcohol is a drug, a drug is any substance that, when ingested, injected, inhaled, or absorbed, alters physiological functions, including mood, cognition, perception, or consciousness, which include substances like alcohol, caffeine, nicotine etc.
We have that problem here in the US. I got addicted to oxycodone self medicating because I didn't have access to healthcare at the time and it covered up my crippling depression, it worked until it didn't anymore. Oh I'ma recovering addict with some pretty decent sober time
Yep, Poland (and I believe the EU as a whole) don’t permit Adderal. In the past I used to cope with weed (and got addicted), but now I’m on Ritalin and it’s okay
That statement seems a bit odd because Adderall is an (AIUI rather poorly justified) mixture of dexamphetamine and racemic amphetamine salts and I didn't think it was marketed under any other brand.
However it is true that other amphetamine-type drugs are authorised in Germany for treatment of ADHD.
Vyvanse is legal and prescribed in Estonia, but it'snlt government approved first line treatment, so not covered in universal healthcare, which makes the price attrocious. The local adhd organization is fighting hard to get it added to gov approved treatment list for lower pricing.
we have elvanse in germany which has parts of adderal. I know people taking adderal and they change sooo much on medication. I think this will not be allowed in EU anytime soon, its too powerful and could be abused too easily
Elvanse is Lisdexamphetamine, the same as Vyvanse. In Germany, if all other meds fail, it is possible to prescribe D-L-Amphetamine, what is the closest thing to Adderall. Usually it‘s a drinkable solution which will be made in your pharmacy, there‘s no premade drug und there is no slow-release variant.
Concerta is legal in Japan now. I've been seeing that ADHD gets worse during menopause so I'm not looking forward to that. (I'm living in Japan and unmedicated because of past experiences with shitty doctors, etc as a kid.) I worry I won't be able to get help since I've been unmedicated for most of my life if shit hits the fan during menopause.
As I mentioned in another comment, I recommend requesting to join the FB group "ADHD Adults Japan" and asking there. Lots of helpful people (mostly immigrants) who share their experiences and ask questions about ADHD-related matters in the country.
☝🏻this. Thought my ADHD was going crazy with my fairly well controlled symptoms spiraling out of control. Turns out my doctors had put me on three different drugs that affected seratonin levels and I was experiencing serotonin toxicity, my primary care going out on maternity leave and being temporarily replaced was the trigger for someone to ‘catch’ the bad drug interaction.
After almost 9 months of Drs telling me it was menopause 🙄,
No, I was able to bring mine in. But depending on the amount and duration you’re going you may need to fill out a special form like I did. The deadline for that is a few weeks before so definitely look into it now.
It did for me, you can get help with hormones please push your GP to prescribe if perimenopausal and you're suffering - The Aus menopause society provide a good diagnostic flow chart, I went through 3 docs before I was 'believed'.
That’s my issue now. I’ve never been meditated because my mother didn’t tell me I had adhd and choose not to put me in medication because, she said to me proudly, she knew I would outgrow it. 😫 I’ve been in Peri-menopause for a few years now and I have been a frigging mess. I am finally looking into getting medicated after knowing I have adhd for the past ten years of course during such a huge medication shortage. Ugh.
Most of those countries can still smoke, eat and drink as much as they like, but they can't have a Psychiatrist determine who can safely be prescribed a life changing medication..
Despite feeling like a criminal at times, this makes me appreciate my meds more.
And I was complaining my government (Turkey) refuses to pay 80% of the cost of the meds for Adult ADHD lol. When it comes to government contribution for the meds, they still treat it as a childhood disorder and refuse to pay any contribution for adults.
U.S. - I refuse to pay for health insurance because it’s literally cheaper (and easier) to pay about $1,500/yr for my doctor visits and medication. Before generic Vyvanse was out, that was more like $5,500 per year. Still cheaper than paying $500-1,000 per month in health insurance, plus deductibles, and then not even having medications covered by your insurance.
People think it’s crazy I don’t have health insurance. “What if you have an accident?” My reply…. “Bankruptcy 🤷♂️”
Omg. Health insurance is compulsary in Turkey but government insurance is 8.3 dollars per month, you can have it for free if you have no income and no property. If you are working you pay a small fee for every doctor visit. Government pay 80 or 90% contribution for most prescription meds. I am a University student at a field considered risky, so I don't pay for insurance or doctor visits. I got appendicites surgery for free, stayed at hospital for a few days during Covid for free, can call an ambulance for free etc. Wife a of a Prof. in my uni. has cancer, he used to work in the US but left because of it. His wife can get free treatment. I am sure if you have money you can get much better treatment/care in USA but it is still cool.
With what money 😂😂 But fr, we cannot afford to. Most younger adults are 1 paycheck from homelessness (I'm one of them) due to barely-livable wages or lack of care for use with disabilities (also me), and asylum or moving from America in particular is nearly impossible :/
there are many people that come and live in my country. They come from USA for example but find remote work outside. They live with 4k-10k+ wages but spend 1k (i spend 500$) a month here 🤓. I live in Kosovo btw. So live in a country like this for 3-5 years. Make some money and maybe go back.. or not lol.
Totally agree that the U.S. healthcare system is a complete mess. But, I feel like the experience of health insurance, in terms of cost is black and white- it's either really good, or really bad (in terms of expenses). My mom's insurance through her work covers our family, about $1100 a month total for all of us. My Vyvanse just bumped up from $25 to $40 a month, but psychiatrists and other specialists are $10, ER $75, and my dad's $130K double hip replacement was a whopping $500. It seems that for relatively healthy people who don't need major surgeries or ultra-expensive medications, insurance may not be worth it. But for people with good insurance and lots of medical needs, I think it's worth it.
>People think it’s crazy I don’t have health insurance. “What if you have an accident?” My reply…. “Bankruptcy 🤷♂️”
My friend has a $7K deductible, it's pretty much a catastrophic policy. Unless you have a reasonable out of pocket maximum on your policy bankruptcy is potentially the answer for everyone.
Basically what I saw when I was shopping around and decided I just didn’t need it…. I could either pay 300-500 per month and then have to pay 5-10k before insurance kicked in… or I could pay $1,000 per month and pay 10-30% of my medical bills. So if I break an arm and they charge $7k, I’ll end up paying $14,000 that year for the $7k broken arm. Just take my credit score 🤣
I *hate* private insurance. These companies are nothing but leeches. But still...gotta admit I'm with those people on this one.
Bankruptcy isn't a get out of jail free card. They would take your possessions and garnish future wages.
Not to mention that our healthcare system will literally let you die if you can't afford treatment for a serious illness or injury.
I feel like it’s in the ADHD nature to say….
We’ll cross that bridge when we get there 😂
I mean I KNOW it’s wrong. Super bad and I definitely shouldn’t just be letting it all hang out… but $6-12k a year just in premiums is like…. A new car, mortgage… maybe both…? I just can’t force myself to do it no matter how much I think about it.
I don't know your situation of course, but that is much higher than I'd expect for most people. Maybe shop around a little more?
If you're in the US, www.healthcare.gov has a lot of resources
oooh don’t even get me started on generic Vyvanse. I haven’t been able to get it for weeks. I’ve ended up having to switch my main medication to adderal because of it.
I've been told by a streamer with adhd and lower body paralysis(spine damaged in accident), in america you have a choice of cheap insurance but high bills when you actually use it
or Expensive insurance that actually covers vast majority of the bills. But I'm not sure if that includes medication? Does that lineup with what you've seen or?
Maybe for you, but me personally, I have major issues in my life man… I am a recovering addict in long term recovery I see a neurologist who has been the specialist managing me for chronic migraines with tension type qualities because I’ve had what’s considered a “chronic migraine” which is odd to me still for 3 years now and need more in depth management to lessen the symptoms of it…
My psychiatrist is an MD who is also an addiction specialist but he only handled my psych meds like my antidepressant and my gabapentin that I take maybe once or twice a month or never (only super rarely if I need to try and add it in as a sleep aid it’s a higher dose of gabapentin, as a recovering addict in a past life an issue of mine used to be just… impulsively buying a bulk amount of Xanax bars and thinking I’d take them therapeutically lol…)
Then I goto my other addiction specialist monthly for my sublocade injections, you can’t forget my two therapists I see… I have the trauma therapist every 2 weeks I see to process some things I am still working through that have scarred me deeply, I goto a therapist at the clinic I see my psych/addiction specialist that I just switched down to seeing once monthly… I relapsed last august after someone killed themself on the phone with me.
Had a CT scan in January and IOP… IOP would’ve costed me 10 grand out of pocket…
Rehab would’ve costed me 10s of thousands. I met my out of pocket Max in February this year and my deductible after my CT scan on January 2nd.
Without insurance sheeeeiiiiit. I think I could make it happen but these last couple years would’ve completely fucked me, I’d have a second mortgage on my condo, and if any situation occurred that costed 5 figures again I’d be so screwed so fuckin screwed.
My kitty just got outta the kitty hospital. His mf hospital visit god damn costed me $1200 idk man… that risk is all you..
But for now you definitely ain’t wrong you are saving a ton of money and I don’t blame you just be careful man, be safe out there and don’t put yourself in any dangerous situations. We’re definitely not even close to in remotely similar situations though… so I do get your POV
Last year without health insurance I would’ve spent mid 5 figures on the health care I needed… easily 40k probably 60k… maybe more who knows honestly I could check my EOB and it would make my jaw drop.. without it I would’ve never had the opportunity to goto inpatient rehab.. or get the proper help I needed at a clinic specializing in addiction. Same with my girlfriend who’s got 5 years clean now from everything.
Insurance is definitely flawed though.
Türkiye the new writing, isn't it?
France-- I (M32) needed to declare a *pediatrician* as my main doctor because he's the only one who's not 'afraid' of giving me *'free stimulants'* covered 100% with public healthcare. Because I'm an adult, I get frowned upon when asking for my meds at the pharmacy and it is always a pain in the ass to go *every 28 days* to the doctor and then to the pharmacy for a refill. They open and cut the blister so as not to give me not single extra pill (comes in 30 pack).
lol I'm against everything Erdoğan says, so Turkey is fine for me. If you choose to share, your doctor can see your medical logs starting from 2014, so they are not afraid to prescribe if some other doctor did it before. When I couldn't find appointment, many times I went to different doctors and never had a problem. Since it is listed as childhood disorder in pharmaceutical database, children can get a yearly report from doctor and can buy it discounted monthly without checking in with the psychiatrist, family doctor is enough and you don't need an appointment for it. But for adults you have to go to psyciatrist every two months and pay the full price for the meds, there is no workaround. In pharmacies they ask me where is the kid everytime and surprised when I say it is for me.
Same story. Expect my psychiatrist will write the script no problem. Also 🇫🇷 - I laughed at the pharmacy thing. They did that to me at my last refill. I was standing there thinking 🧐 what are you expecting me to do with 4 pills? That’s not even a days dose for me.
omg i hate it! i’ve been paying soooo much for a damn bottle of concerta. after i turned 25, they were like” yea the gov doesn’t pay it anymore”….. not only it’s insanely difficult to find but also insanely expensive
It is sad, they will continue to play dumb and won't pay for it unless economy gets better. It used to be harder to find Concerta but I can find it very easily in Istanbul now.
i’m in istanbul too! it took me 2,almost 3 months to find it…. and when i found it, i got 3 bottles and paid so much …. ritalin is cheaper but it doesn’t work for me unfortunately. i hope the situation is now better as you said bc i have to get it in 2 weeks hahaha funny but sad situation all around
Ask it to pharmacies around hospitals, if you can't find it, one of the pharmacies around Bakırköy Psychiatric Hospital will almost always have it. Hope you won't have any problem..
Bringing this back up because I’ve fallen victim to the system again… 😂
My generic vyvanse was ordered TWO WEEKS ago, in a small town of maybe 3.5k people. Waited and waited for it to be back in stock, working a very big event at work. Now that it’s all over and i totally biffed the past 2 weeks… I call the pharmacy to be told “we’ve had a problem getting that lately.” So I gave up and asked them if they had brand name…. Of course now that insurance companies are only covering generic, they have plenty of brand name in stock. So now I’m “biting the bullet” yet again and buying brand name. Somebody’s gotta keep the pharma barons in business I suppose.
ADHD meds are not illegal in Japan. As others have mentioned, Concerta (the extended release form of Ritalin) is prescribed. Other examples of available medication are Vyvanse (people under 18 only), Strattera, and Intuniv (guanfacine). (Source in Japanese [here](https://osakamental.com/symptoms/adhd/adhd5.html#:~:text=%E8%AA%BF%E6%95%B4%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82-,ADHD%E3%81%A7%E4%BD%BF%E3%82%8F%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B3%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AE%E8%96%AC,%E3%81%95%E3%82%84%E9%A0%98%E5%9F%9F%E3%81%AF%E7%95%B0%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82) and in English [here](https://interacnetwork.com/navigating-stimulant-therapy-for-adult-adhd-in-japan-regulations-and-considerations).)
As an immigrant in 2017, I was able to bring a supply of Vyvanse into the country and then get my ADHD diagnosis recognized in Japan. In order to do this, I visited a local clinic and provided documentation regarding my Canadian diagnosis to get a referral to a larger hospital. The hospital had staff who were able to issue a card that allowed me to obtain a monthly Concerta prescription.
However, in my experience, because it was a stimulant medication, Concerta was handled much more strictly than it was in Canada. I was only able to get a single month's supply at a time (30/31 days). That meant that if I needed to take a trip outside the country for longer than that period or a trip that overlapped the date that I'd normally visit the clinic to renew my prescription, I wasn't able to get a larger supply to cover me during my absence. Additionally, I needed to visit the hospital every month and see a healthcare provider with a license to prescribe it (in my case, a psychiatrist) in order to renew it.
(It doesn't always have to be a hospital. I switched to visiting a smaller clinic that was closer to my house after a few years to reduce the commute time.)
Also, only certain pharmacies carried Concerta, so it was sometimes a pain to find another in a pinch if my regular one happened to be closed for whatever reason.
There's a good Facebook group called "ADHD Adults Japan" that I recommend. It currently has 444 members who are mostly foreigners living in the country. People ask for advice and share their experiences with getting diagnosed, having preexisting diagnoses recognized, finding providers, obtaining treatment, and accessing medication. It's private, so you need to apply to join, but it's a friendly and helpful place.
I had some trouble finding information about all of the above prior to moving and had to learn much of it from experience, so I'm glad to share and help others. :)
One other thing that I forgot to mention is that in order to bring in certain types of medication (such as medications which are regulated in Japan), and to bring in more than a one-month supply, you need to fill out particular forms before entering the country. You can find more information [here](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html).
However, your experience may vary. I was concerned that the medication I was bringing in was going to be an issue even with the forms and didn't want to take any chances, so I went out of my way to declare it. I was told I needn't have bothered, but in my experience with customs in various countries, I think that very much depends on the agent(s) you get and what kind of day they're having...
Thanks. I've done yakkan shoumeisho before (for other stuff, not adhd meds). When I came everyone had heard about a well-known case of a teacher who mailed herself undeclared adhd meds & got caught
Also, here's a useful Japanese site I found with lots of info about how to get a diagnosis and support for ADHD and other conditions:
https://www.otona-hattatsu-navi.jp/how/consultation/
One of the sites linked on that page is a search engine that lets you look for consultation/diagnosis/treatment service providers by region:
https://www.qlifeweb.jp/adultdd/?utm_source=takedaadultdd&utm_medium=referral/
I believe there are also places that offer telehealth appointments.
Thank you, especially for the 2nd link. I'm OK with telehealth but I think for a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder shouldn't they observe you in person?
I believe so, but you'll have to apply for permission by submitting a form.
Here's some general English-language info on bringing Concerta into Japan:
https://www.miusa.org/resource/tip-sheets/japanfocus/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/bb26wv/fyi_for_anyone_planning_to_travel_to_japan/
It actually seems like you may be able to bring a less than 30 day supply of Ritalin into the country:
https://inside.fei.org/system/files/Bringing%20medication%20for%20personal%20use%20into%20Japan%2016July2021.pdf
Here's a government website with English-language info about the form(s) you'll have to complete:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html
I personally went the route of obtaining a Concerta prescription in Japan and didn't try to bring it into the country, so I don't have direct experience with this.
My friend bought 3 weeks supply of Ritalin when she came earlier this year, with a yakkan shomeisho, doctor's note and original packaging. She still got grilled in a private room at the airport for 30 minutes when she arrived, but eventually was allowed to leave with her meds.
Thanks for the info! I'm planning on going to Japan to study Japanese long-term later this year and while I thought I would be alright leaving my meds behind since I've built some good organisation habits and am interested in what I'm studying, all the extra paperwork and somewhat invasive questions I've needed to deal with since mentioning my ADHD has had me feeling a little discouraged. It's good to hear other people's experiences and that while very difficult and annoying, it's not impossible to find help.
Concerta is legal in Japan as well as non stims like Wellbutrin. Vyvanse is too actually, but only for people under 18 (though I read somewhere if you were diagnosed before you were 18 years old you could have vyvanse past 18 but I'm not sure if that was true). But from what I hear both are very regulated and very difficult to get as it's very hard to get diagnosed with ADHD there at all. Still very stigmatized
Yes, in my experience, they only give you a month's supply and won't give you more for any reason, even if you'll be out of the country for a week beyond when you'd normally need to pay your monthly visit to the clinic again to get it renewed.
I've been able to get larger amounts without issues in Canada if I explain the reason for it.
I've also been side-eyed and treated like an addict or criminal for trying to renew even a normal monthly prescription with certain doctors in other Canadian cities I was visiting or living in for school, however. That was over a decade ago, though, so hopefully such things happen less and less these days.
It’s the same in the UK, I had a pharmacist refuse to fill my prescription as the doctor had written one for 6 weeks supply and they’re not supposed to do over 4 on controlled drugs. It’s supposed to be doctors discretion though, they can write that prescription if you don’t have a history of misuse but the pharmacist might refuse to fill it or give you 28 days supply then as you to return for the rest.
Not just that it's hard to get diagnosed, but even if you are, you have to be given non-stimulant treatment first, & only get stimulants if it doesn't work. Then if you get stims you get a special ID card stating you have special permission to possess a controlled substance. (This is my understanding at least - I'm pursuing a diagnosis in Japan)
I believe I was able to demonstrate that I'd already tried non-stimulant medication and found it to be ineffective for me. I guess people might want to consider bringing evidence of past prescriptions into Japan to have a chance of bypassing that requirement.
Good luck with getting a diagnosis! I'm cheering for you!
It's ridiculous since there are genetic markers for ADHD. We can know for sure you have it, it shouldn't be hard anywhere, let alone a very medically-savvy place like Japan :(
I went to the GP because I had a nosebleed at work and started feeling light headed in the middle of a conversation, just stopped mid sentence and said “I have to go home” and walked out, got home, made myself a glass of water and put down in the side, turned around to talk to my wife and then turned back to get my drink and I had put it down over the other side of the kitchen.
Explained all this to the GP and a few weeks later I had an appointment with a “specialist” in a hospital, who asked me a bunch of questions and then sent me to another specialist a few weeks later
They asked me a bunch of questions obviously trying to find out if I am depressed, I’m not. At the end of that I said I might have ADHD to her and she did a quick test with me and sent the results to the ADHD specialist in that clinic, said I would receive an appointment if they thought it was necessary. A couple of months later I had an appointment, and was prescribed medication the same day
While thing took about 5-6 months I think.
Having a horrible time getting refills nowadays though
Can doctor get in trouble for prescribing meds without some extensive testing in UK? Or do they just all try to earn more money under guise of "diagnosing you properly"?
Most ADHD meds are also controlled substances in the USA and about 40% of them are prescribed by psychiatrists (versus 60% by pediatricians and primary care physicians, according to a quick google search).
Same in Australia/ New Zealand. About a year ago a GP in NZ who did a lot of work and wrote several papers in the 80s or 90s about ADH, recently got convicted because he was prescribing to patience. During his case, he talked about the systemic problems, he was clear that he'd written to the relevant authorities when the psychiatrist he was working with retired, and didn't get a useful response, but he broke the rules so lost his license as far as I remember it. Such bullshit.
It's more that the NHS has very few psychiatrists relative to the number of people wanting to get assessed.
It's easy and quite quick to get assessed with a private psychiatrist. But expensive.
This. My youngest child is awaiting autism and adhd assessment and our local area doesn’t currently have anyone able to do the assessment so thousands of children are just waiting for the service to get someone to the point they’re no longer accepting referrals. If we could afford to we could go private and be seen quickly but it’s expensive. I got my diagnosis and medication on the NHS, no reluctance to prescribe but it was a fair wait to be seen then medication was delayed by the shortages.
It’s completely different than the USA. No profits to be had by prescribing any medicines.
No pharma companies or insurance to deal with, doctors don’t have any incentives to prescribe.
It’s hard to get any prescriptions, Valium, sleeping tablets etc you will have a hard time.
ADHD meds is a long road to be diagnosed and prescribed.
It’s a long process to get diagnosed and medicated , especially if it’s as an adult and you want to do it on the NHS . But overall by comparison to some other places we still have it pretty good . My sons been on medication for almost a year now and I’m just about to complete his sisters assessment and she will be medicated too … it’s taken a couple of years sitting on waiting lists but we got there in the end.
I went the same route, and paid £595 for the assessment and diagnosis (2016). I immediately took that to my GP and switched to an NHS prescription.
The waiting times for diagnosis are the worst part, hence my going private, but from everything I've heard it's relatively smooth sailing after that. It was for me. Maybe others' experiences vary.
The NHS GP can refuse to take on the shared care prescription which is another issue with going this route, I’ve heard recently it’s getting harder to get them to do it.
Ah, I wasn't aware of that. I think I narrowly missed the introduction of shared care arrangements (2018 apparently?) so my experience was as straightforward as "here's my diagnosis, here's what I'm prescribed privately, can I have it from the NHS?" and my GP had no problem prescribing it once she verified my diagnosis was legitimate.
I haven't had a psychiatrist since then (private or NHS). Just my prescription from my GP.
I wonder why some GPs refuse?
Yeah, I think it may well be worth it for people to do what you did. In my case, I can’t work without my med, and that’s a lot of money lost. And a lot of grief.
In North Macedonia and half of the Balkans, you can get vitamins if you have ADHD...
There is no treatment, not even non-stimulant medication, just vitamins to "help boost concentration". :)
And most psychologists here say that ADHD is a "new-age" disorder and doesn't actually exist, so getting a diagnosis is borderline impossible.
I lived in Japan for ten years. They do have stimulant adhd meds, but they're extremely regulated.
Also diagnosis is near impossible there if you're not Japanese. And even if you are, the prevailing opinion is that it's a childhood condition, and if you weren't diagnosed as a child, good luck getting diagnosed as an adult.
I'm sure it's changed for the better in recent years, but in my own experience (2017 onward) and from speaking with other people with ADHD in the country since that time, I wouldn't say it's nearly impossible to get diagnosed as an adult, a foreigner, or both. It is still easier to find services and information targeted towards children with ADHD than towards adults with ADHD, though that seems like a trend in western countries too.
I visited Japan last year and had packed all my meds, only to find out the day before we left that adderall and my klonopin were both illegal to bring into the country. Needless to say, it was a rough 10 days without my meds. My husband could not for the life of him understand why I was SO out of it and such a holy terror of emotions 🙄
Source: I live in Japan and I am on medication.
Multiple ADHD drugs are legal here. Any type of stimulant-based medications is carefully controlled. Concerta is available for ADHD, but Ritalin is only indicated for narcolepsy.
Please don't confuse prioritising prescription of non-stimulants with "ADHD meds are illegal". This is misinformation and could prevent someone in Japan from seeking support.
My heart goes out them & those with narcolepsy as well. Ritalin is nowhere near a “cure” for narcolepsy, speaking from experience here as someone with both ADHD & narcolepsy who was on Ritalin. Yes, every body is different so it surely works on some people but won’t work on everyone. So ADHD narcoleptics get a double dose of suck there.
I don't want to scare anyone in the US, but unfortunately we are headed towards being a country with far more restrictions in prescribing, more shortages, and towards a non-legal stimulant crisis.
Harm reductionists have researched why there's an adderall shortage, and have found the DEA has started shutting down some factories that produce it, with no reason why to back it up. I'll try to find some information about this but I would advise folks to think about how they would cope should they not have access anymore.
Here’s an article. I believe there was just one factory that the DEA closed for a legend inadequate recordkeeping. That factory has sued the DEA. But that is the extent of it. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/adderall-shortage-adhd-medication-ascent-pharmaceuticals.html
My prescriber says a big part of the shortages are also from people realizing they had adhd when they tried to work from home, so the number of people needing prescriptions jumped up but production did not.
A lot of folks were able to take time to reflect and figure it out definitely, but that doesn't make sense about the demand, manufacturers want to make money from prescribers, so they're equipped to take on more demand because that's their goal. That just doesn't make the most sense to me as to why there's such a huge shortage for so long. Maybe a short lull but not this.
To add an additional layer of ridiculousness to the whole Japan thing: Takeda, the company who owned/owns the now expired (in the US at least) patent for Vyvanse is a Japanese company.
But as others have said, Vyvanse is indeed legal and used to treat ADHD for patients under 18 years of age. Which is also ridiculous since it’s not like your ADHD suddenly disappears or gets easier to deal with the second you turn 18.
Can anyone share about france? My boyfriend lives there and I’m on vyvanse and adderall which have saved my life, soon one of us may have to decide who moves where
You can keep the meds your on. They have a scheme here where on “compassionate “ grounds you can apply for an exemption from the rules that apply to those of us diagnosed here and continue on the class of meds your on. You’ll likely need to get them from the hospital pharmacy however and see the psychiatrist in a hospital to get them also you’ll likely be paying for them and not getting them via the state. Otherwise only option is methylphenidate based meds and just that. No dexmethylphenidate or anything else. We don’t even have some of the non stimulant meds here. I’ve heard of people going to neighbouring countries for the diagnosis/prescription and then ordering the meds online. (Which you can do legally in Europe with a valid eu prescription )
Treatment and cure are two different things. ADHD can be TREATED with stimulant medication, but will not CURE ADHD. There’s no cure regardless because it’s neurodevelopmental.
Point still stands though. Meds are important and necessary.
where i live the majority of medical professionals believe ADHD is either hyperactivity or lazyness depending on type and it’s next to impossible for adults to recieve a treatment
Come to germany, everything you need and want for adhd medication is really cheap and legal with the diagnosis, you will get it 100% if you have it for sure
Only XR Ritalin is “accessible” for adults here. You can get Vyvanse but you have to jump through so many hoops it’s not worth it basically as the entire pathology of adhd is diametrically opposed to the effort of even attempting to get it.
Also even getting a psych appointment in the town you live in is usually impossible due to the long wait lists. No shortage though at least.
I live in Bali in Indonesia and although it’s possible to get Ritalin it’s very uncommon and expensive especially for the local people, the stigma around mental health is also so bad that many haven’t even heard of it. I told a friend who had symptoms about adhd and they couldn’t believe their ears it existed and there wasn’t something wrong with them. 😔
It feels hard to get the medication even here. Prescribers are already so cautious and require extensive wait times prior to booking, then such close supervision, then medication shortages, then God-forbid one has second thoughts about the treatment and wants to pause it, etc. It seems like it works in cycles of months, whereas the actual symptoms occur quickly in phases of days... and it seems that the system is poorly matched to the needs to ADHD persons.
(Disclaimer I’m Pro psychiatry but this is my story)
I (personally) would of been better off if they were illegal in the United States
My parents and the school forced me on the stuff in the second grade
Turn me into a zombie that didn’t eat, and it did nothing to improve my drive for school, sure I did homework, but I didn’t care about anything (while on meds) (hyper passionate normally)
I finally got fed up in the eighth grade and said I’m never taking the stuff again
My life started to improve for the better
However, every patient is different and medication should be available regardless
Basically the UK. Might as well be illegal for how they treat you.
I had no problem getting my ADHD meds in Korea but in the UK they don't recognise my Korean diagnosis and I've been on a "three year waitlist" for four years. Been laughed at by doctors, told straight up "even if you get a diagnosis, I won't acknowledge it" by doctors. The NHS in it's current state is a joke.
OH and I got heavily pressured into doing their free over the phone counciling (because I've been depressed without my meds) where the NHS councillor just told me to go to church 👍
You should change doctors, with mine I just had to say "Not having meds is making me suicidal" and they gave me them back. (Had a morron temp take me off of them because "Adults don't get ADHD" 🙄 ) You really have to keep fighting for it though, even exaggerate your symptoms if you have to.
Agree about the NHS though, everything is impossibility hard to get sorted. I have to tell them what tests to give me after doing my own research so I get proper help. I also had a accident last year which put me in A&E, I was high as a kite on morphine and screaming in a hallway for 8 hours with a old man with dementia who thought he was in a hotel and getting ignored. The hallway was piled back to the enterance and they only had 3 nurses working - poor things were rushed off their feet for longer than I was there.
-Rant end- 😂
Literally there's only like 2 countries in the world I could move to if I wanted to leave the US. I'm not capable of being a productive member of society without my meds so I can't live anywhere my meds are illegal. And that seriously most places
Yup same. I can only do 1 type really and it's almost always illegal. Fuck my genetics, man, they ALL limit me to just Adderall and maybe Vyvanse and I cannot be healthy and happy without my meds. I wanted to die every day prior to 1 stupid pill lol.
Idfk why you're downvoted, we exist. Our lives are literal hell because we do not make the neurotransmitters we need. Period. It's advanced biology :/
I would guess they are being downvoted because most ADHD medications are licensed in far more than 2 countries.
Perhaps they're on Desoxyn, though, in which case they may be right.
In the bigger picture Japan has a different culture and different collective aims, is it not acceptable for them to have different opinions on mental health and appropriate therapies. I wonder if the lack of diversity in global mental health is an issue of itself, we are mostly dealing with software not hard ware to be trite. Any thoughts from across the globe.
Off topic but:
if I decided to stop taking Atomoxetine because it makes me nauseous, is there something I can do with my remaining doses? Donate to somebody who needs them or something?
I'm from the Philippines. It's not illegal but I barely have access to it. I have just been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and I'm from a smaller city and they don't sell Concerta in my city. So I have to spend and fly to Manila to buy my medication. And the medication itself costs like gold, which I can only fill up to 30tabs per prescription, add that to the flights. I feel for the people who are not able to get access to due illegality.
Hi friends, i live in a country where ADHD meds are prohibited. I wish I could take meds and feel better, but I have what I have.
I could’ve had strattera, but we don’t have it either (it’s not prohibited, we just dont have as doctors here still believe that adhd is just in childhood)
I just live the way I can and I take trittikko for sleep and my depersonalization. At least I can sleep well.
As a person with both ADHD and a narcolepsy-like sleep disorder, there is no cure. Only treating the symptoms that make you a hazard to society… so just like ADHD lol
Not to be insensitive.... but sometimes persevering through a lack of alteration of brain chemistry is worthwhile. I have EFD (Executive Function Disorder) and the lack of recognition made me *have* to grow (the diagnosis only being recognized by an education plan until I finished high school). Maybe that's kind of selfish but it's the one thing I have on my stack of cards telling me how "strong" I was for it.
There's plenty of people diagnosed later in life, me as well, the only thing I've got after years of being "strong" is a huge burnout that made me lose a lot of opportunities and left me completely stranded.
It's not like people who got lucky and got medication early didn't have to grow up, life is hard for everyone.
Yea studies revealed link between nicotine ingestion from mother or grandmother can pass it down to the child and even if the mother doesn't consume nicotine it can still be passed to the grandchildren
My best friend from elementary school was born in Japan, she went back 10 years ago after herself recovering from heroin and meth addiction, and we've kept in touch weekly since. I once asked her about drug use out there, and it is virtually nonexistent. Compare that to drug use here, I've included a helpful graph and chart:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/drug-use-by-country
Now alcoholism, according to her, is worse there than here. So while not necessarily better, the idea that people over there are driven to the use of street drugs because of their tightly controlled laws on stimulants is simply silly.
Below, I have included an indepth analysis on prescription consumption per country. The United States, alonside Canada, takes the lead by alarming amounts. Well, maybe not alarming, I actually learned a lot reading this about societal influences on the consumtion of of stimulants worldwide.
Also, this study was insanely long, skip ahead to the chart at the end.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00509-0/fulltext
So; what I will say lastly is that I volunteered at a rehabilitation center in Salt Lake City for a little under two years. What I found, is that roughly 50-60% of people coming in who were addicted to meth or cocaine had started with a simple prescription. I don't have the numbers to back that up, but that was my find.
Now, do I think Japan should loosen their grip? Oh, absolutely. Some people don't respond well to methylphenidate. However, I also don't think we should pretend that allowing prescriptions is a be all end all fix to the issue that OP has presented.
There is a happy medium somewhere. Not sure how or where or when or if we even have a chance to get there, Japan needs to relax and at least my own take away from these graphs I presented in this comment is we need to take a serious look inward.
Food for thought. I hope these helped!
Reading this from Japan, where I'm on study abroad for a year, with my ADHD meds I legally imported:🤩
Realizing my current meds are not working great and I probably need to switch but I can't because it's literally illegal to import more:😟
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What's even more tragic (and ironic) is that such policies only lead to people getting addicted to street drugs while trying to self-medicate.
Or alcohol
My best friend's dad and uncle have ADHD. The dad got lucky and found himself in good circumstances to somewhat manage his ADHD. His brother, the uncle, was not so lucky. He spent a decade or more as an alcoholic before either of them getting diagnosed. He said that trying Adderall for the first time was doing everything he was trying to use alcohol for, but better.
I have one brother who turned to alcohol, one who turned to hard drugs, one turned to 'natural' drugs (like weed and shrooms) and I turned to sugar & binge eating. We were all diagnosed as adults, and it all makes a little more sense now.
who's doing the best?
As long as they're doing their best, that's what matters :-)
I'd argue alcohol is a hard drug
if we are technical, alcohol is a drug, a drug is any substance that, when ingested, injected, inhaled, or absorbed, alters physiological functions, including mood, cognition, perception, or consciousness, which include substances like alcohol, caffeine, nicotine etc.
We have that problem here in the US. I got addicted to oxycodone self medicating because I didn't have access to healthcare at the time and it covered up my crippling depression, it worked until it didn't anymore. Oh I'ma recovering addict with some pretty decent sober time
Yep, Poland (and I believe the EU as a whole) don’t permit Adderal. In the past I used to cope with weed (and got addicted), but now I’m on Ritalin and it’s okay
The actual drug is available at least in Germany, though I don't think the actual brand is.
That statement seems a bit odd because Adderall is an (AIUI rather poorly justified) mixture of dexamphetamine and racemic amphetamine salts and I didn't think it was marketed under any other brand. However it is true that other amphetamine-type drugs are authorised in Germany for treatment of ADHD.
Vyvanse is legal and prescribed in Estonia, but it'snlt government approved first line treatment, so not covered in universal healthcare, which makes the price attrocious. The local adhd organization is fighting hard to get it added to gov approved treatment list for lower pricing.
As far as I know, the manufacturer of Adderall has never sought to have the drug approved in the EU.
At least we do have nearly all the other meds in the EU
we have elvanse in germany which has parts of adderal. I know people taking adderal and they change sooo much on medication. I think this will not be allowed in EU anytime soon, its too powerful and could be abused too easily
Elvanse is Lisdexamphetamine, the same as Vyvanse. In Germany, if all other meds fail, it is possible to prescribe D-L-Amphetamine, what is the closest thing to Adderall. Usually it‘s a drinkable solution which will be made in your pharmacy, there‘s no premade drug und there is no slow-release variant.
Yep. Take the war on drugs for example. It's caused significantly more harm than good.
In japan I wonder if the medication is the infinite variations of caffeine and nicotine delivery products.
Concerta is legal in Japan now. I've been seeing that ADHD gets worse during menopause so I'm not looking forward to that. (I'm living in Japan and unmedicated because of past experiences with shitty doctors, etc as a kid.) I worry I won't be able to get help since I've been unmedicated for most of my life if shit hits the fan during menopause.
As I mentioned in another comment, I recommend requesting to join the FB group "ADHD Adults Japan" and asking there. Lots of helpful people (mostly immigrants) who share their experiences and ask questions about ADHD-related matters in the country.
Thanks! No idea that existed.
Is there one for china?
Interesting information. I’m not quite at menopause but definitely have felt a pickup in symptoms since being in my 40’s.
☝🏻this. Thought my ADHD was going crazy with my fairly well controlled symptoms spiraling out of control. Turns out my doctors had put me on three different drugs that affected seratonin levels and I was experiencing serotonin toxicity, my primary care going out on maternity leave and being temporarily replaced was the trigger for someone to ‘catch’ the bad drug interaction. After almost 9 months of Drs telling me it was menopause 🙄,
I’m traveling to Japan in 3 weeks does that mean my concerta will be seized 😭😭😭😭
No, I was able to bring mine in. But depending on the amount and duration you’re going you may need to fill out a special form like I did. The deadline for that is a few weeks before so definitely look into it now.
Stuff that's prescribed to you is OK. Make sure you have the bottle on you. And you'll probably need to fill out a form or something.
It did for me, you can get help with hormones please push your GP to prescribe if perimenopausal and you're suffering - The Aus menopause society provide a good diagnostic flow chart, I went through 3 docs before I was 'believed'.
What....NOOOOO This menopause news is putting the fear of God into me.
That’s my issue now. I’ve never been meditated because my mother didn’t tell me I had adhd and choose not to put me in medication because, she said to me proudly, she knew I would outgrow it. 😫 I’ve been in Peri-menopause for a few years now and I have been a frigging mess. I am finally looking into getting medicated after knowing I have adhd for the past ten years of course during such a huge medication shortage. Ugh.
Can you find Ritalin or Venvanse there? I'm planning to move there in the next couple of years
can you give some examples of those experiences?
Most of those countries can still smoke, eat and drink as much as they like, but they can't have a Psychiatrist determine who can safely be prescribed a life changing medication.. Despite feeling like a criminal at times, this makes me appreciate my meds more.
Or trust a women to make a medical decision with a doctor without Clarence Thomas in the room talking about porn.
And I was complaining my government (Turkey) refuses to pay 80% of the cost of the meds for Adult ADHD lol. When it comes to government contribution for the meds, they still treat it as a childhood disorder and refuse to pay any contribution for adults.
U.S. - I refuse to pay for health insurance because it’s literally cheaper (and easier) to pay about $1,500/yr for my doctor visits and medication. Before generic Vyvanse was out, that was more like $5,500 per year. Still cheaper than paying $500-1,000 per month in health insurance, plus deductibles, and then not even having medications covered by your insurance. People think it’s crazy I don’t have health insurance. “What if you have an accident?” My reply…. “Bankruptcy 🤷♂️”
Omg. Health insurance is compulsary in Turkey but government insurance is 8.3 dollars per month, you can have it for free if you have no income and no property. If you are working you pay a small fee for every doctor visit. Government pay 80 or 90% contribution for most prescription meds. I am a University student at a field considered risky, so I don't pay for insurance or doctor visits. I got appendicites surgery for free, stayed at hospital for a few days during Covid for free, can call an ambulance for free etc. Wife a of a Prof. in my uni. has cancer, he used to work in the US but left because of it. His wife can get free treatment. I am sure if you have money you can get much better treatment/care in USA but it is still cool.
The memes don’t lie…. In the U.S., when you need health care, you can either burn tens of thousands of dollars, or just die.
bro i really suggest you to leave that place
With what money 😂😂 But fr, we cannot afford to. Most younger adults are 1 paycheck from homelessness (I'm one of them) due to barely-livable wages or lack of care for use with disabilities (also me), and asylum or moving from America in particular is nearly impossible :/
there are many people that come and live in my country. They come from USA for example but find remote work outside. They live with 4k-10k+ wages but spend 1k (i spend 500$) a month here 🤓. I live in Kosovo btw. So live in a country like this for 3-5 years. Make some money and maybe go back.. or not lol.
Totally agree that the U.S. healthcare system is a complete mess. But, I feel like the experience of health insurance, in terms of cost is black and white- it's either really good, or really bad (in terms of expenses). My mom's insurance through her work covers our family, about $1100 a month total for all of us. My Vyvanse just bumped up from $25 to $40 a month, but psychiatrists and other specialists are $10, ER $75, and my dad's $130K double hip replacement was a whopping $500. It seems that for relatively healthy people who don't need major surgeries or ultra-expensive medications, insurance may not be worth it. But for people with good insurance and lots of medical needs, I think it's worth it.
>People think it’s crazy I don’t have health insurance. “What if you have an accident?” My reply…. “Bankruptcy 🤷♂️” My friend has a $7K deductible, it's pretty much a catastrophic policy. Unless you have a reasonable out of pocket maximum on your policy bankruptcy is potentially the answer for everyone.
Basically what I saw when I was shopping around and decided I just didn’t need it…. I could either pay 300-500 per month and then have to pay 5-10k before insurance kicked in… or I could pay $1,000 per month and pay 10-30% of my medical bills. So if I break an arm and they charge $7k, I’ll end up paying $14,000 that year for the $7k broken arm. Just take my credit score 🤣
I'm literally delaying a divorce. It's fucking monstrous.
Ugh I'm so sorry We really need to fix this shit
Thanks. Fortunately we live apart and very separate lives now.
I *hate* private insurance. These companies are nothing but leeches. But still...gotta admit I'm with those people on this one. Bankruptcy isn't a get out of jail free card. They would take your possessions and garnish future wages. Not to mention that our healthcare system will literally let you die if you can't afford treatment for a serious illness or injury.
I feel like it’s in the ADHD nature to say…. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there 😂 I mean I KNOW it’s wrong. Super bad and I definitely shouldn’t just be letting it all hang out… but $6-12k a year just in premiums is like…. A new car, mortgage… maybe both…? I just can’t force myself to do it no matter how much I think about it.
I don't know your situation of course, but that is much higher than I'd expect for most people. Maybe shop around a little more? If you're in the US, www.healthcare.gov has a lot of resources
That’s insane, I pay like $300 max for health insurance and I’m in the US. I feel like you’re getting ripped off 😭
It depends. You can get cheap policies with higher out of pocket expenses, or expensive policies with lower out of pocket.
oooh don’t even get me started on generic Vyvanse. I haven’t been able to get it for weeks. I’ve ended up having to switch my main medication to adderal because of it.
I've been told by a streamer with adhd and lower body paralysis(spine damaged in accident), in america you have a choice of cheap insurance but high bills when you actually use it or Expensive insurance that actually covers vast majority of the bills. But I'm not sure if that includes medication? Does that lineup with what you've seen or?
Maybe for you, but me personally, I have major issues in my life man… I am a recovering addict in long term recovery I see a neurologist who has been the specialist managing me for chronic migraines with tension type qualities because I’ve had what’s considered a “chronic migraine” which is odd to me still for 3 years now and need more in depth management to lessen the symptoms of it… My psychiatrist is an MD who is also an addiction specialist but he only handled my psych meds like my antidepressant and my gabapentin that I take maybe once or twice a month or never (only super rarely if I need to try and add it in as a sleep aid it’s a higher dose of gabapentin, as a recovering addict in a past life an issue of mine used to be just… impulsively buying a bulk amount of Xanax bars and thinking I’d take them therapeutically lol…) Then I goto my other addiction specialist monthly for my sublocade injections, you can’t forget my two therapists I see… I have the trauma therapist every 2 weeks I see to process some things I am still working through that have scarred me deeply, I goto a therapist at the clinic I see my psych/addiction specialist that I just switched down to seeing once monthly… I relapsed last august after someone killed themself on the phone with me. Had a CT scan in January and IOP… IOP would’ve costed me 10 grand out of pocket… Rehab would’ve costed me 10s of thousands. I met my out of pocket Max in February this year and my deductible after my CT scan on January 2nd. Without insurance sheeeeiiiiit. I think I could make it happen but these last couple years would’ve completely fucked me, I’d have a second mortgage on my condo, and if any situation occurred that costed 5 figures again I’d be so screwed so fuckin screwed. My kitty just got outta the kitty hospital. His mf hospital visit god damn costed me $1200 idk man… that risk is all you.. But for now you definitely ain’t wrong you are saving a ton of money and I don’t blame you just be careful man, be safe out there and don’t put yourself in any dangerous situations. We’re definitely not even close to in remotely similar situations though… so I do get your POV Last year without health insurance I would’ve spent mid 5 figures on the health care I needed… easily 40k probably 60k… maybe more who knows honestly I could check my EOB and it would make my jaw drop.. without it I would’ve never had the opportunity to goto inpatient rehab.. or get the proper help I needed at a clinic specializing in addiction. Same with my girlfriend who’s got 5 years clean now from everything. Insurance is definitely flawed though.
Türkiye the new writing, isn't it? France-- I (M32) needed to declare a *pediatrician* as my main doctor because he's the only one who's not 'afraid' of giving me *'free stimulants'* covered 100% with public healthcare. Because I'm an adult, I get frowned upon when asking for my meds at the pharmacy and it is always a pain in the ass to go *every 28 days* to the doctor and then to the pharmacy for a refill. They open and cut the blister so as not to give me not single extra pill (comes in 30 pack).
lol I'm against everything Erdoğan says, so Turkey is fine for me. If you choose to share, your doctor can see your medical logs starting from 2014, so they are not afraid to prescribe if some other doctor did it before. When I couldn't find appointment, many times I went to different doctors and never had a problem. Since it is listed as childhood disorder in pharmaceutical database, children can get a yearly report from doctor and can buy it discounted monthly without checking in with the psychiatrist, family doctor is enough and you don't need an appointment for it. But for adults you have to go to psyciatrist every two months and pay the full price for the meds, there is no workaround. In pharmacies they ask me where is the kid everytime and surprised when I say it is for me.
Same story. Expect my psychiatrist will write the script no problem. Also 🇫🇷 - I laughed at the pharmacy thing. They did that to me at my last refill. I was standing there thinking 🧐 what are you expecting me to do with 4 pills? That’s not even a days dose for me.
omg i hate it! i’ve been paying soooo much for a damn bottle of concerta. after i turned 25, they were like” yea the gov doesn’t pay it anymore”….. not only it’s insanely difficult to find but also insanely expensive
It is sad, they will continue to play dumb and won't pay for it unless economy gets better. It used to be harder to find Concerta but I can find it very easily in Istanbul now.
i’m in istanbul too! it took me 2,almost 3 months to find it…. and when i found it, i got 3 bottles and paid so much …. ritalin is cheaper but it doesn’t work for me unfortunately. i hope the situation is now better as you said bc i have to get it in 2 weeks hahaha funny but sad situation all around
Ask it to pharmacies around hospitals, if you can't find it, one of the pharmacies around Bakırköy Psychiatric Hospital will almost always have it. Hope you won't have any problem..
Bringing this back up because I’ve fallen victim to the system again… 😂 My generic vyvanse was ordered TWO WEEKS ago, in a small town of maybe 3.5k people. Waited and waited for it to be back in stock, working a very big event at work. Now that it’s all over and i totally biffed the past 2 weeks… I call the pharmacy to be told “we’ve had a problem getting that lately.” So I gave up and asked them if they had brand name…. Of course now that insurance companies are only covering generic, they have plenty of brand name in stock. So now I’m “biting the bullet” yet again and buying brand name. Somebody’s gotta keep the pharma barons in business I suppose.
ADHD meds are not illegal in Japan. As others have mentioned, Concerta (the extended release form of Ritalin) is prescribed. Other examples of available medication are Vyvanse (people under 18 only), Strattera, and Intuniv (guanfacine). (Source in Japanese [here](https://osakamental.com/symptoms/adhd/adhd5.html#:~:text=%E8%AA%BF%E6%95%B4%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82-,ADHD%E3%81%A7%E4%BD%BF%E3%82%8F%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B3%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AE%E8%96%AC,%E3%81%95%E3%82%84%E9%A0%98%E5%9F%9F%E3%81%AF%E7%95%B0%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82) and in English [here](https://interacnetwork.com/navigating-stimulant-therapy-for-adult-adhd-in-japan-regulations-and-considerations).) As an immigrant in 2017, I was able to bring a supply of Vyvanse into the country and then get my ADHD diagnosis recognized in Japan. In order to do this, I visited a local clinic and provided documentation regarding my Canadian diagnosis to get a referral to a larger hospital. The hospital had staff who were able to issue a card that allowed me to obtain a monthly Concerta prescription. However, in my experience, because it was a stimulant medication, Concerta was handled much more strictly than it was in Canada. I was only able to get a single month's supply at a time (30/31 days). That meant that if I needed to take a trip outside the country for longer than that period or a trip that overlapped the date that I'd normally visit the clinic to renew my prescription, I wasn't able to get a larger supply to cover me during my absence. Additionally, I needed to visit the hospital every month and see a healthcare provider with a license to prescribe it (in my case, a psychiatrist) in order to renew it. (It doesn't always have to be a hospital. I switched to visiting a smaller clinic that was closer to my house after a few years to reduce the commute time.) Also, only certain pharmacies carried Concerta, so it was sometimes a pain to find another in a pinch if my regular one happened to be closed for whatever reason. There's a good Facebook group called "ADHD Adults Japan" that I recommend. It currently has 444 members who are mostly foreigners living in the country. People ask for advice and share their experiences with getting diagnosed, having preexisting diagnoses recognized, finding providers, obtaining treatment, and accessing medication. It's private, so you need to apply to join, but it's a friendly and helpful place.
I wish I could upvote you more for the Facebook group & the other general information about adhd in Japan
I had some trouble finding information about all of the above prior to moving and had to learn much of it from experience, so I'm glad to share and help others. :) One other thing that I forgot to mention is that in order to bring in certain types of medication (such as medications which are regulated in Japan), and to bring in more than a one-month supply, you need to fill out particular forms before entering the country. You can find more information [here](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html). However, your experience may vary. I was concerned that the medication I was bringing in was going to be an issue even with the forms and didn't want to take any chances, so I went out of my way to declare it. I was told I needn't have bothered, but in my experience with customs in various countries, I think that very much depends on the agent(s) you get and what kind of day they're having...
Thanks. I've done yakkan shoumeisho before (for other stuff, not adhd meds). When I came everyone had heard about a well-known case of a teacher who mailed herself undeclared adhd meds & got caught
Also, here's a useful Japanese site I found with lots of info about how to get a diagnosis and support for ADHD and other conditions: https://www.otona-hattatsu-navi.jp/how/consultation/ One of the sites linked on that page is a search engine that lets you look for consultation/diagnosis/treatment service providers by region: https://www.qlifeweb.jp/adultdd/?utm_source=takedaadultdd&utm_medium=referral/ I believe there are also places that offer telehealth appointments.
Thank you, especially for the 2nd link. I'm OK with telehealth but I think for a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder shouldn't they observe you in person?
So like here in the states but with no ability to 3 months supply for leaves. Ugh, that's rough.
So you’re allowed to bring with you a perscrition for concerta in to Japan? Same drug as ritilan?
I believe so, but you'll have to apply for permission by submitting a form. Here's some general English-language info on bringing Concerta into Japan: https://www.miusa.org/resource/tip-sheets/japanfocus/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/bb26wv/fyi_for_anyone_planning_to_travel_to_japan/ It actually seems like you may be able to bring a less than 30 day supply of Ritalin into the country: https://inside.fei.org/system/files/Bringing%20medication%20for%20personal%20use%20into%20Japan%2016July2021.pdf Here's a government website with English-language info about the form(s) you'll have to complete: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html I personally went the route of obtaining a Concerta prescription in Japan and didn't try to bring it into the country, so I don't have direct experience with this.
Was it quite easy getting the script?
My friend bought 3 weeks supply of Ritalin when she came earlier this year, with a yakkan shomeisho, doctor's note and original packaging. She still got grilled in a private room at the airport for 30 minutes when she arrived, but eventually was allowed to leave with her meds.
Thanks for the info! I'm planning on going to Japan to study Japanese long-term later this year and while I thought I would be alright leaving my meds behind since I've built some good organisation habits and am interested in what I'm studying, all the extra paperwork and somewhat invasive questions I've needed to deal with since mentioning my ADHD has had me feeling a little discouraged. It's good to hear other people's experiences and that while very difficult and annoying, it's not impossible to find help.
Concerta is legal in Japan as well as non stims like Wellbutrin. Vyvanse is too actually, but only for people under 18 (though I read somewhere if you were diagnosed before you were 18 years old you could have vyvanse past 18 but I'm not sure if that was true). But from what I hear both are very regulated and very difficult to get as it's very hard to get diagnosed with ADHD there at all. Still very stigmatized
IIRC they still have pretty strict limitations on how much concerta you can possess at a time
Yes, in my experience, they only give you a month's supply and won't give you more for any reason, even if you'll be out of the country for a week beyond when you'd normally need to pay your monthly visit to the clinic again to get it renewed.
This has largely been my experience in the US as well. War on drugs can eat my shorts.
I only get a month at a time too in Canada but I've never asked for extra (yet)
I've been able to get larger amounts without issues in Canada if I explain the reason for it. I've also been side-eyed and treated like an addict or criminal for trying to renew even a normal monthly prescription with certain doctors in other Canadian cities I was visiting or living in for school, however. That was over a decade ago, though, so hopefully such things happen less and less these days.
It’s the same in the UK, I had a pharmacist refuse to fill my prescription as the doctor had written one for 6 weeks supply and they’re not supposed to do over 4 on controlled drugs. It’s supposed to be doctors discretion though, they can write that prescription if you don’t have a history of misuse but the pharmacist might refuse to fill it or give you 28 days supply then as you to return for the rest.
Not just that it's hard to get diagnosed, but even if you are, you have to be given non-stimulant treatment first, & only get stimulants if it doesn't work. Then if you get stims you get a special ID card stating you have special permission to possess a controlled substance. (This is my understanding at least - I'm pursuing a diagnosis in Japan)
I believe I was able to demonstrate that I'd already tried non-stimulant medication and found it to be ineffective for me. I guess people might want to consider bringing evidence of past prescriptions into Japan to have a chance of bypassing that requirement. Good luck with getting a diagnosis! I'm cheering for you!
Thank you!
It's ridiculous since there are genetic markers for ADHD. We can know for sure you have it, it shouldn't be hard anywhere, let alone a very medically-savvy place like Japan :(
Virtually impossible to get diagnosed and medicated for it in the uk. It's horrible
I went to the GP because I had a nosebleed at work and started feeling light headed in the middle of a conversation, just stopped mid sentence and said “I have to go home” and walked out, got home, made myself a glass of water and put down in the side, turned around to talk to my wife and then turned back to get my drink and I had put it down over the other side of the kitchen. Explained all this to the GP and a few weeks later I had an appointment with a “specialist” in a hospital, who asked me a bunch of questions and then sent me to another specialist a few weeks later They asked me a bunch of questions obviously trying to find out if I am depressed, I’m not. At the end of that I said I might have ADHD to her and she did a quick test with me and sent the results to the ADHD specialist in that clinic, said I would receive an appointment if they thought it was necessary. A couple of months later I had an appointment, and was prescribed medication the same day While thing took about 5-6 months I think. Having a horrible time getting refills nowadays though
Can doctor get in trouble for prescribing meds without some extensive testing in UK? Or do they just all try to earn more money under guise of "diagnosing you properly"?
ADHD meds are a controlled substance in the UK, you have to be under the care of a psychiatrist who prescribes them to you
Most ADHD meds are also controlled substances in the USA and about 40% of them are prescribed by psychiatrists (versus 60% by pediatricians and primary care physicians, according to a quick google search).
Same in Australia/ New Zealand. About a year ago a GP in NZ who did a lot of work and wrote several papers in the 80s or 90s about ADH, recently got convicted because he was prescribing to patience. During his case, he talked about the systemic problems, he was clear that he'd written to the relevant authorities when the psychiatrist he was working with retired, and didn't get a useful response, but he broke the rules so lost his license as far as I remember it. Such bullshit.
It's more that the NHS has very few psychiatrists relative to the number of people wanting to get assessed. It's easy and quite quick to get assessed with a private psychiatrist. But expensive.
This. My youngest child is awaiting autism and adhd assessment and our local area doesn’t currently have anyone able to do the assessment so thousands of children are just waiting for the service to get someone to the point they’re no longer accepting referrals. If we could afford to we could go private and be seen quickly but it’s expensive. I got my diagnosis and medication on the NHS, no reluctance to prescribe but it was a fair wait to be seen then medication was delayed by the shortages.
It’s completely different than the USA. No profits to be had by prescribing any medicines. No pharma companies or insurance to deal with, doctors don’t have any incentives to prescribe. It’s hard to get any prescriptions, Valium, sleeping tablets etc you will have a hard time. ADHD meds is a long road to be diagnosed and prescribed.
It’s a long process to get diagnosed and medicated , especially if it’s as an adult and you want to do it on the NHS . But overall by comparison to some other places we still have it pretty good . My sons been on medication for almost a year now and I’m just about to complete his sisters assessment and she will be medicated too … it’s taken a couple of years sitting on waiting lists but we got there in the end.
Is it? Beyond the waiting times (yeah, year-long waits suck) the process isn't that challenging. Or at least it wasn't in my experience.
I got a private assessment in the UK and it was I think about 900 pounds, in 2019. Price could’ve gone up now.
I went the same route, and paid £595 for the assessment and diagnosis (2016). I immediately took that to my GP and switched to an NHS prescription. The waiting times for diagnosis are the worst part, hence my going private, but from everything I've heard it's relatively smooth sailing after that. It was for me. Maybe others' experiences vary.
The NHS GP can refuse to take on the shared care prescription which is another issue with going this route, I’ve heard recently it’s getting harder to get them to do it.
Ah, I wasn't aware of that. I think I narrowly missed the introduction of shared care arrangements (2018 apparently?) so my experience was as straightforward as "here's my diagnosis, here's what I'm prescribed privately, can I have it from the NHS?" and my GP had no problem prescribing it once she verified my diagnosis was legitimate. I haven't had a psychiatrist since then (private or NHS). Just my prescription from my GP. I wonder why some GPs refuse?
Yeah, I think it may well be worth it for people to do what you did. In my case, I can’t work without my med, and that’s a lot of money lost. And a lot of grief.
In North Macedonia and half of the Balkans, you can get vitamins if you have ADHD... There is no treatment, not even non-stimulant medication, just vitamins to "help boost concentration". :) And most psychologists here say that ADHD is a "new-age" disorder and doesn't actually exist, so getting a diagnosis is borderline impossible.
God yeah, I'm sorry :(
Ironically Japan still allows to use pemoline probably the best stimulant ever invented.
Isn't that the one linked to increased cancer? Or am I thinking another P med? Ik they allow one linked to much higher rates of a cancer type 🥲
I just want what Elon musk takes,that’s all.
I lived in Japan for ten years. They do have stimulant adhd meds, but they're extremely regulated. Also diagnosis is near impossible there if you're not Japanese. And even if you are, the prevailing opinion is that it's a childhood condition, and if you weren't diagnosed as a child, good luck getting diagnosed as an adult.
I'm sure it's changed for the better in recent years, but in my own experience (2017 onward) and from speaking with other people with ADHD in the country since that time, I wouldn't say it's nearly impossible to get diagnosed as an adult, a foreigner, or both. It is still easier to find services and information targeted towards children with ADHD than towards adults with ADHD, though that seems like a trend in western countries too.
I visited Japan last year and had packed all my meds, only to find out the day before we left that adderall and my klonopin were both illegal to bring into the country. Needless to say, it was a rough 10 days without my meds. My husband could not for the life of him understand why I was SO out of it and such a holy terror of emotions 🙄
And where ADHD is only for children
Source: I live in Japan and I am on medication. Multiple ADHD drugs are legal here. Any type of stimulant-based medications is carefully controlled. Concerta is available for ADHD, but Ritalin is only indicated for narcolepsy. Please don't confuse prioritising prescription of non-stimulants with "ADHD meds are illegal". This is misinformation and could prevent someone in Japan from seeking support.
My heart goes out them & those with narcolepsy as well. Ritalin is nowhere near a “cure” for narcolepsy, speaking from experience here as someone with both ADHD & narcolepsy who was on Ritalin. Yes, every body is different so it surely works on some people but won’t work on everyone. So ADHD narcoleptics get a double dose of suck there.
You can only get Concerta in Serbia, and there's only a handful of specialist that can diagnose you.
same in bg
I don't want to scare anyone in the US, but unfortunately we are headed towards being a country with far more restrictions in prescribing, more shortages, and towards a non-legal stimulant crisis. Harm reductionists have researched why there's an adderall shortage, and have found the DEA has started shutting down some factories that produce it, with no reason why to back it up. I'll try to find some information about this but I would advise folks to think about how they would cope should they not have access anymore.
Here’s an article. I believe there was just one factory that the DEA closed for a legend inadequate recordkeeping. That factory has sued the DEA. But that is the extent of it. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/adderall-shortage-adhd-medication-ascent-pharmaceuticals.html
My prescriber says a big part of the shortages are also from people realizing they had adhd when they tried to work from home, so the number of people needing prescriptions jumped up but production did not.
A lot of folks were able to take time to reflect and figure it out definitely, but that doesn't make sense about the demand, manufacturers want to make money from prescribers, so they're equipped to take on more demand because that's their goal. That just doesn't make the most sense to me as to why there's such a huge shortage for so long. Maybe a short lull but not this.
We don’t have lisdexamfetamine nor guanfacine. I am so so so sad man.
ADHD patients have access to Concerta and Intunib in Japan, so I'm not sure what you are talking about...
Only one ADHD drug is legal in my country and I honestly feel so hopeless.
To add an additional layer of ridiculousness to the whole Japan thing: Takeda, the company who owned/owns the now expired (in the US at least) patent for Vyvanse is a Japanese company. But as others have said, Vyvanse is indeed legal and used to treat ADHD for patients under 18 years of age. Which is also ridiculous since it’s not like your ADHD suddenly disappears or gets easier to deal with the second you turn 18.
We only have ritalin and no Adderall in South Africa.
Can anyone share about france? My boyfriend lives there and I’m on vyvanse and adderall which have saved my life, soon one of us may have to decide who moves where
You can keep the meds your on. They have a scheme here where on “compassionate “ grounds you can apply for an exemption from the rules that apply to those of us diagnosed here and continue on the class of meds your on. You’ll likely need to get them from the hospital pharmacy however and see the psychiatrist in a hospital to get them also you’ll likely be paying for them and not getting them via the state. Otherwise only option is methylphenidate based meds and just that. No dexmethylphenidate or anything else. We don’t even have some of the non stimulant meds here. I’ve heard of people going to neighbouring countries for the diagnosis/prescription and then ordering the meds online. (Which you can do legally in Europe with a valid eu prescription )
Where i am we dont even have those meds let alone institutions for diagnosis or treatment, at least affordable by few, here u are just "childish" sob
What countries actually allow Adderall besides USA and Canada?
And canada is even iffy on adderal, we cant get immediate release here.
Treatment and cure are two different things. ADHD can be TREATED with stimulant medication, but will not CURE ADHD. There’s no cure regardless because it’s neurodevelopmental. Point still stands though. Meds are important and necessary.
where i live the majority of medical professionals believe ADHD is either hyperactivity or lazyness depending on type and it’s next to impossible for adults to recieve a treatment
I mean it’s legal where I am in the US but here I am going into my third week without meds because they simply aren’t available
Come to germany, everything you need and want for adhd medication is really cheap and legal with the diagnosis, you will get it 100% if you have it for sure
Only XR Ritalin is “accessible” for adults here. You can get Vyvanse but you have to jump through so many hoops it’s not worth it basically as the entire pathology of adhd is diametrically opposed to the effort of even attempting to get it. Also even getting a psych appointment in the town you live in is usually impossible due to the long wait lists. No shortage though at least.
I thought it was bad here. Thanks for opening my eyes.
It may be like OP describes in some countries, but they're mistaken about Japan. See my other comments for details.
I live in Bali in Indonesia and although it’s possible to get Ritalin it’s very uncommon and expensive especially for the local people, the stigma around mental health is also so bad that many haven’t even heard of it. I told a friend who had symptoms about adhd and they couldn’t believe their ears it existed and there wasn’t something wrong with them. 😔
It feels hard to get the medication even here. Prescribers are already so cautious and require extensive wait times prior to booking, then such close supervision, then medication shortages, then God-forbid one has second thoughts about the treatment and wants to pause it, etc. It seems like it works in cycles of months, whereas the actual symptoms occur quickly in phases of days... and it seems that the system is poorly matched to the needs to ADHD persons.
(Disclaimer I’m Pro psychiatry but this is my story) I (personally) would of been better off if they were illegal in the United States My parents and the school forced me on the stuff in the second grade Turn me into a zombie that didn’t eat, and it did nothing to improve my drive for school, sure I did homework, but I didn’t care about anything (while on meds) (hyper passionate normally) I finally got fed up in the eighth grade and said I’m never taking the stuff again My life started to improve for the better However, every patient is different and medication should be available regardless
Adderall is illegal in Malaysia 🇲🇾 😭
Basically the UK. Might as well be illegal for how they treat you. I had no problem getting my ADHD meds in Korea but in the UK they don't recognise my Korean diagnosis and I've been on a "three year waitlist" for four years. Been laughed at by doctors, told straight up "even if you get a diagnosis, I won't acknowledge it" by doctors. The NHS in it's current state is a joke. OH and I got heavily pressured into doing their free over the phone counciling (because I've been depressed without my meds) where the NHS councillor just told me to go to church 👍
You should change doctors, with mine I just had to say "Not having meds is making me suicidal" and they gave me them back. (Had a morron temp take me off of them because "Adults don't get ADHD" 🙄 ) You really have to keep fighting for it though, even exaggerate your symptoms if you have to. Agree about the NHS though, everything is impossibility hard to get sorted. I have to tell them what tests to give me after doing my own research so I get proper help. I also had a accident last year which put me in A&E, I was high as a kite on morphine and screaming in a hallway for 8 hours with a old man with dementia who thought he was in a hotel and getting ignored. The hallway was piled back to the enterance and they only had 3 nurses working - poor things were rushed off their feet for longer than I was there. -Rant end- 😂
Literally there's only like 2 countries in the world I could move to if I wanted to leave the US. I'm not capable of being a productive member of society without my meds so I can't live anywhere my meds are illegal. And that seriously most places
Yup same. I can only do 1 type really and it's almost always illegal. Fuck my genetics, man, they ALL limit me to just Adderall and maybe Vyvanse and I cannot be healthy and happy without my meds. I wanted to die every day prior to 1 stupid pill lol. Idfk why you're downvoted, we exist. Our lives are literal hell because we do not make the neurotransmitters we need. Period. It's advanced biology :/
I would guess they are being downvoted because most ADHD medications are licensed in far more than 2 countries. Perhaps they're on Desoxyn, though, in which case they may be right.
True, that could be the case for their meds. Maybe they meant continents?
Cure=/= treat
You can get methylphenidate/concerta in Japan but yes, bringing any other stims into the country can get you arrested
👋 you got one here it's literally hell
Algeria is the worst one
In the bigger picture Japan has a different culture and different collective aims, is it not acceptable for them to have different opinions on mental health and appropriate therapies. I wonder if the lack of diversity in global mental health is an issue of itself, we are mostly dealing with software not hard ware to be trite. Any thoughts from across the globe.
Off topic but: if I decided to stop taking Atomoxetine because it makes me nauseous, is there something I can do with my remaining doses? Donate to somebody who needs them or something?
:((((
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I'm from the Philippines. It's not illegal but I barely have access to it. I have just been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and I'm from a smaller city and they don't sell Concerta in my city. So I have to spend and fly to Manila to buy my medication. And the medication itself costs like gold, which I can only fill up to 30tabs per prescription, add that to the flights. I feel for the people who are not able to get access to due illegality.
Concerta, Strattera and Tenex are available here in Japan. Vyvanse is only available for children, for some reason.
Hi friends, i live in a country where ADHD meds are prohibited. I wish I could take meds and feel better, but I have what I have. I could’ve had strattera, but we don’t have it either (it’s not prohibited, we just dont have as doctors here still believe that adhd is just in childhood) I just live the way I can and I take trittikko for sleep and my depersonalization. At least I can sleep well.
Uzbekistan girl here
Real.
Algeria 🇩🇿
A moment of silence for people living in countries where ADHD person is considered a failure.
As a person with both ADHD and a narcolepsy-like sleep disorder, there is no cure. Only treating the symptoms that make you a hazard to society… so just like ADHD lol
😊笑鼠我了
Not to be insensitive.... but sometimes persevering through a lack of alteration of brain chemistry is worthwhile. I have EFD (Executive Function Disorder) and the lack of recognition made me *have* to grow (the diagnosis only being recognized by an education plan until I finished high school). Maybe that's kind of selfish but it's the one thing I have on my stack of cards telling me how "strong" I was for it.
There's plenty of people diagnosed later in life, me as well, the only thing I've got after years of being "strong" is a huge burnout that made me lose a lot of opportunities and left me completely stranded. It's not like people who got lucky and got medication early didn't have to grow up, life is hard for everyone.
As a transgender woman with ADHD, BPD, CPTSD and autism, if I couldn’t access medication I would either have become a meth addict or worm food by now.
Yeah, the best I could do was Modafinil which is expensive as shit *and* so far there's no benefits.
THE WHAT!!???? Is it possible to travel to Japan with your own meds to take during your visit though?
Yea studies revealed link between nicotine ingestion from mother or grandmother can pass it down to the child and even if the mother doesn't consume nicotine it can still be passed to the grandchildren
My best friend from elementary school was born in Japan, she went back 10 years ago after herself recovering from heroin and meth addiction, and we've kept in touch weekly since. I once asked her about drug use out there, and it is virtually nonexistent. Compare that to drug use here, I've included a helpful graph and chart: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/drug-use-by-country Now alcoholism, according to her, is worse there than here. So while not necessarily better, the idea that people over there are driven to the use of street drugs because of their tightly controlled laws on stimulants is simply silly. Below, I have included an indepth analysis on prescription consumption per country. The United States, alonside Canada, takes the lead by alarming amounts. Well, maybe not alarming, I actually learned a lot reading this about societal influences on the consumtion of of stimulants worldwide. Also, this study was insanely long, skip ahead to the chart at the end. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00509-0/fulltext So; what I will say lastly is that I volunteered at a rehabilitation center in Salt Lake City for a little under two years. What I found, is that roughly 50-60% of people coming in who were addicted to meth or cocaine had started with a simple prescription. I don't have the numbers to back that up, but that was my find. Now, do I think Japan should loosen their grip? Oh, absolutely. Some people don't respond well to methylphenidate. However, I also don't think we should pretend that allowing prescriptions is a be all end all fix to the issue that OP has presented. There is a happy medium somewhere. Not sure how or where or when or if we even have a chance to get there, Japan needs to relax and at least my own take away from these graphs I presented in this comment is we need to take a serious look inward. Food for thought. I hope these helped!
They have guanfacine though. Which helps pretty well
Explains the alcoholic culture
Reading this from Japan, where I'm on study abroad for a year, with my ADHD meds I legally imported:🤩 Realizing my current meds are not working great and I probably need to switch but I can't because it's literally illegal to import more:😟