Overzealous recommendation of ADD meds?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:57:13 -0800

My partner just went to the doctor for a urinary tract infection and came out with a referral to a psychiatrist and a recommendation to be put on dexamphetamine! This doctor also insists it is important she meets me as well. Is this normal? Background hist:

My partner is 32 years old. In his early twenties he had been diagnosed with depression and trialed on every drug imaginable (none of which worked). Eventually he self-diagnosed as ADD, and spoke about this with a psychiatrist, who agreed and put him on dexamphetamine. I don't think he took it as directed.

I met him when he was 28. From the ages of about 26-30 he was moderately using street drugs and so he stopped going to the psychiatrist for dexamphetamine. Speed was generally his drug of choice and he eventually injected it for around one year, stopping when he was 30. That was when we moved interstate. So one year of extreme, almost daily drug use. Context: he was in the music industry.

Since moving, life is completely different. We're clean living, we dont smoke, we study and work full-time, we do normal people things, and we're happy and functional. We've been this way for 2 years. Neither of us can imagine going back. And it is for this reason, that I am a little iffy about this doctor's recommendation for stimulant drugs to treat his ADD.

I am open to having my opinion changed, if his psychiatrist truly believes he is a "textbook case", just as this doctor seems to. But to my mind, he is functional, calm, perhaps a little vague sometimes, but that is just his personality. In short, there is nothing wrong with him. I concede that he has no concentration for reading, I don't think he has ever read a full book, even though he wishes he could. But I had always put that down to him not developing a love of reading in childhood.

He is doing well at his job, he eats well, sleeps well; it is just baffling me how a doctor could take one look at him and go, YOU NEED MEDICATION! Especially when he was just requesting antibiotics for a UTI.

My partner says she asked for his medical history, which could account for this mystery, because he has always felt extremely comfortable with doctors and is very candid with them. He comes across as very thoughtful and trustworthy but I still have doubts about a doctor who doesn't see his past drug use as a red flag? Am I wrong?

2 years isn't that long ago, is it? Is this woman just some sort of over-prescriber? Even that makes no sense though, because she has to refer him to a shrink. By the way, I asked him if he felt he was "edging" the conversation towards wanting treatment for ADD, and he swears he was not.

I would appreciate any opinion on what is going on here. To what extent should we trust the doctor? I am happy for my partner to try the medication and see if it improves his lifestyle, but I am very concerned that I don't want someone tweaked out in my household! But am I correct in my understanding that if he truly does have ADD, it should just calm him down?

FWIW, he also shares my concerns and he said that he will probably try the medication but discontinue use in the case of adverse changes in personality.

Sorry so long. Any questions, direct them to this throwaway account: dexamWHYaphine@gmail.com

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Overzealous recommendation of ADD meds?