Medication at last, but it's been a costly journey

It's been a whirlwind of madness trying to go from an ADHD diagnosis to getting medication. Nearly five months on from my official diagnosis, I'm finally on track to start (paying for) medication next week.

That long period of time was because of multiple factors. There's lots of great online resources that map out the journey from pre-diagnosis to medicated. Unfortunately most of those stop at the point I, and many others, get to - a GP deciding not to enter into a Shared Care Agreement (SCA).

After that bombshell, I was left with the task of finding a private GP who I would pay to write prescriptions for me, which depending on the company can be anywhere from £25 to £35 per prescription (x13 per year).

Computer says no

Unfortunately for the first few months of trying, every single private GP in this country I approached had one of three responses:

a) they couldn't (or possibly wouldn't) do it because it was an amber drug
b) they had no capacity to take on new clients or
c) they ignored my multiple phone calls, messages and emails (which I assume means they fall into category a or b)

As I've covered in other articles like this, the cost to those on the high seas of health purgatory, is deplorable. On top of the monthly script writing and medication costs there was also an initial need for an ECG. £65 for a one-minute consultation with a health professional to explain why I needed an ECG (I was asked three simple questions) before then paying for the ECG itself (£85). I don't blame the private organisations who offer these services, they are, after all, businesses. It's Government/Department of Health/(most) GPs who play a role in making this an unfortunate reality for many of us.

Whilst not implicitly stated, decisions made by those organisations mean that those of us trying to navigate these choppy waters are made to feel like other things are more important than us and that we don't matter.

I'll be paying a minimum of £1326 in the first year of taking medication. Assuming drug costs will fluctuate, that is an underestimate... and public service announcement for those who haven't read this article, check your pharmacy before buying. That would be £2087 minimum cost for me this year if I went to one of the pharmacies who charge more for the same dose of medication.

It's why I'm so cross about this topic. Those who can afford or have scraped together enough money to get a diagnosis, which in itself can be hugely expensive, then have to pay to get help because of a lack of adult service and a barely floating children's ADHD service.

Medicated for the first time

Now I'm about to get medication, I've begun to think about it more. I've (thankfully) never been in hospital overnight in my life. Outside of some painkillers, I've never really taken any medication longer than a course of antibiotics, so taking long-term medication has always worried me. A significant number of people have told me ADHD medication has been life changing (about 60-70% of those I've spoken to).

The rest is made up of people who hated being on medication and stopped or have never tried because they think it'll be a negative thing for them. In theory ADHD meds are meant to help 'improve symptoms' by increasing attention span, reducing hyperactivity, controlling impulsive behaviour (so long, randomly booking European city breaks) and better help managing executive function.

Side effects

The side effects, well, I guess anyone who takes any medication could spend their life worrying about potential side effects. But some of those for ADHD meds are decreased appetite, more challenges getting to sleep, anxiety and tics. The titration period (essentially the time it takes a psychiatrist to get the right dose that works for me) in theory should balance those out somewhat reasonably.

Of the people I've spoken to about this topic, the one thing I've worried about is me no longer being me. Could I do with being less impulsive when I see a pair of bright coloured trainers? Some people might scream YES. Increased attention span? Yes, please.

There's lots of things I will need to keep an eye on as well as make changes within my lifestyle like not drinking coffee and keeping an eye on my weight. But the biggest thing that worries me is no longer being myself. At least I'm now about to spend a fortune to find out whether medication helps or not.