ADHD medicine made son angry, says woman

By JOEL FORD
Thirteen-year-old Blake had his ADHD under control by using the drug Ritalin.
Two months ago that all changed.
Blake had to switch from using Ritalin to a new drug called Rubifen after the Government ended subsidies for Ritalin in April and switched funding to the new drug instead.
About 6000 people at any time and more than 10,000 people a year take methylphenidate - the active ingredient in Ritalin and Rubifen.
Medicines agency Pharmac says the two drugs are "bio-equivalent", meaning they have the same effect.
Pharmac medical director Dr Peter Moodie said most patients should notice no difference, although a few might need to change their dose.
But Blake's mum, Rachael, said there was a big difference.
She asked that only first names be used for this story because Ritalin is sometimes used in the production of illegal drugs and she fears being targeted by criminals.
Rachael said her son's attitude completely changed after he started taking Rubifen. He would get angry very quickly, would often take off for long periods after arguments and wouldn't show up for pre-arranged meetings - something he never did before taking the new drug. He was also getting into trouble at after-school groups and Rachael was receiving frequent calls complaining his behaviour was out of control.
"My house was a horrible place to be. He was just a completely different child. There was a lot of anger and yelling, " she said.
"It was like someone had taken my child and replaced him with someone else."
Rachael, a single mother doing a diploma in social work, said things got so bad she thought she would have to give up her education.
"I thought if I can't control my own son how can I help these other people?"
Unsure of what had caused the change and fearing for her son, Rachael consulted doctors and nurses. She also called her local pharmacy but no one was sure how to deal with the problem.
"Everyone reassured me it was the same drug just made by a different company," she said.
A couple of weeks ago Rachael sent Blake to school without his Rubifen. She called up the school and asked them to give him a dose - which they had stockpiled in case of emergency.
It turned out, however, the school had Ritalin.
"When he came home that day he was just completely different. He said: "Hi mum, how was your day?' I thought hang on a minute. There was an instant change in him," she said.
According to Health Minister Pete Hodgson, the move from Ritalin to Rubifen is expected to save $1 million a year.
He maintains the drugs are the same but has admitted "the coating of the drug might have caused some effects in some children. This is happening to a very modest degree."
Media reports of similar cases has confirmed Rachael's suspicions and she is now paying $104 per month for Ritalin for her son - something she cannot easily afford.
The National Party and the ADHD Association both want the Ritalin subsidy to be reinstated for children intolerant of Rubifen and a petition is circulating.
For Rachael receiving a subsidy for Ritalin was of paramount importance. "For someone like me I just can't afford it. Give us a choice. What am I going to do, put my kid on Rubifen and eventually have him end up in jail?"