.. to think access to ADHD medication for adults should be simpler?

[PenguinTime]

My DP was diagnosed with ADHD when he was a child- he’s been given a copy of his diagnosis letter and all of his previous prescriptions for medication etc are on his NHS record.

However, as he stopped taking his medication in his 20’s, he’s fallen into a gap where nobody will start the process of diagnosis (as he’s previously diagnosed) but won’t take the diagnosis he already has (and the evidence of this) as it ‘isn’t something the NHS can deal with’- a direct quote from his GP.

He has reached a stage where he feels like medication would be beneficial to him (and acknowledges he should never have stopped taking it in the first place) as he recognises the cues from when he was younger, but it seems that nobody, be it NHS or private (we’ve tried various private doctors and mental health specialists) want to help him.

AIBU to think it shouldn’t be this difficult for him?

It seems bizarre. Why would it be something NHS doesn't deal with. He has a diagnosis, he should be referred to neuropsychiatry for medication review. What do NICE guidelines say about that? May be worth a read.
To be perfectly honest, a lot of people have been without meds since last year due to shortages so this could also be why the GP is not keen to start the process.
Recommendations | Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE

ETA: 1.5 says "ensure continuity of care" so print it out, highlight, take it to the GP and ask them what is their complaints procedure. Write to CQC (do they govern GPs?). This is a clear breach of best practice guidance.

Totally right. I got diagnosed and I'm in the same black hole. I'm on a waiting list for medication titration which could be 3-5 years. I had a brief period where i tried it last year and it was life changing. I couldnt afford to keep payibg privately. The government want more people with ADHD in work - diagnosing and treating people with medication and/or therapy would get more people into work.

The same goes for any mental health condition to be honest.

I think the problem is that because he's been off the medication for so long he would have to re start the process. So if you want nhs, he would have to get referred again to a physiatrist for a diagnosis then a psychologist to discuss if medication is the right course of action because they have already done the assessment once their be reluctant to do it again as funding is a issue. If you go private again he would need to start again and see Physiatrist first. Once confirmed the physiatrist can issue a prescription but any changes to it has to be done private. And prescription will be private, after he's been on them for a while and if correct tablets and dosage the NHS can take on the prescription but every year he will need his medication checked and this will have to be done his private doctor as nhs didn't diagnosis.

But why would he need another diagnosis. ADHD is a lifelong condition. You don't out grow it. Why would someone already diagnosed require it to be done again?

Tbf there is evidence that some children do/no longer meet the criteria. We were told this by the consultant pysch at CAMHS at dc diagnostic appointment. So given that it might be why the NHS requires further assessment.

Yes but it doesn't always require medication. DS is an adult with ADHD who doesn't medicate. So your DS has more or less proved (by not talking the mediation) that he can manage without it. If I stopped talking my antidepressants for a couple of years and then decided I wanted to start again, I wouldn't just be given them, I'd be reassessed. Likewise your DS. Problem is ADHD assessments are like gold dust.

There is an ongoing shortage of various forms of methylphenidate which has led to advice not to newly prescribe so that current demand can be met. Other ADHD medications have been affected, too.

ADHD symptoms change over time, he must have felt meds weren’t needed otherwise why stop taking them. He needs a reassessment. ADHD meds are stimulants and when I collected a prescription was told they were a controlled drug (still not sure what that actually means) I just remember the attention it drew.

@Neverpostagain but depression unlike ADHD is commonly not a permanent condition. ADHD is not something that comes and goes like depression potentially can. If you have adhd you will always have adhd.

Getting a new diagnosis will show....that you have adhd. This will be pointless because of course you have adhd if you've ever been diagnosed with it.

Medication titration is a separate issue. There is an argument perhaps for going through a fresh titration but a new diagnosis is stupid. It's like having to be diagnosed for autism all over again. There is no point.

Not sure if you saw my post but ADHD isn't necessarily a permanent condition for children. Even the most conservative studies acknowledge that some children for want of a better term ' grow out of it"

It stands to reason that as the brain is still developing until the mid twenties then the situation can change. Even Berkley estimates that between 14% - 50% of children 'recover'/are no longer symptomatic/would not reach the threshold for diagnosis. Other studies quote 30-50%. They also explained this in depth on the NHS parenting course that many trusts have made compulsory prior to children receiving the medication.

Even if you used the lowest figure I've come across of 14%, it equates to significant numbers. Given that the meds are stimulants it would be negligent to not reassess after a long break.