Unquiet

After struggling to convince Maui doctors to prescribe the same ADD medication my psychiatrist prescribed me in Boston, I’ve decided to settle for the only thing they’ll write a prescription for on this island: Strattera. I’ve tried this medication before and didn’t notice any appreciable change in my ADD but DID notice several strong side effects, especially in the area of romance.

Unfortunately, Maui’s population struggles with the drug Ice, a refined version of methamphetamine (”Speed”) that’s cheap and long-lasting. As a result, my prescription drug of choice, Adderall XR (amphetamine and dextroamphetamie salts in a time-release capsule) as well as any other stimulants are out of favor with doctors on the island.

It irritates me tremendously that doctors won’t trust each other. The psychiatrist here has seen the bottle my prescription came in, has my Massachusett’s doctor’s number, and still refuses. If I were a cancer patient or suffering from some other life-threatening disease, would a different doctor refuse to give me the only type of medicine I know works for me and that I have been taking? I doubt it. Doctors should only change medication if the patient wishes it or is not having good results with the medicine. Instead, the politics of the drug war prevent me from being given a prescription I know would help me.

Strattera, however, is non-stimulating, and therein lies the reason Hawaii doctors will prescribe it. At first, the doctors refused to acknowledge adult ADD even existed. Only after repeated attempts did I really get the explanation related to the Maui drug problem. I intend to be at least prescribed Strattera, even though I’ll probably have to get a prescription for Viagra as well because of some of Strattera’s side effects (yes, that’s true, but no, I’m not actually going to ask for Viagra). I will also ask for Provigil, which is a mild stimulant that has been shown to have an effect on ADD symptoms.

In the meanwhile, I’m treating my absent-mindedness with a self-prescribed regimen of Omega-3s, yoga, to-do lists and plenty of fresh fruits and unprocessed food. With very little money, it’s a good thing that Maui’s abundantly supplied with fresh produce right off the trees.