A Florida man claims to have suffered seizures and a disturbing psychosis after taking “too much” of the common ADHD drug Adderall.
In a landmark case, Robert Buckley has accused pharmaceutical giants of overprescribing the drug, which is said to have caused the terrible side effects.
The man is now suing Costco, CVS and Publix, the stores that filled his prescription, according to court documents.
Mr. Buckley is seeking a trial by jury as well as $50,000 in damages from the major outlets.
The chart above shows how prescriptions for Adderall have continued to rise in the US
It’s suing five pharmacies, including one run by CVS (pictured) and three run by Publix (also pictured)
The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Circuit Court, says, “Buckley suffered an overdose that caused psychosis, suffers from seizures, and now suffers from permanent injuries.” The nature of these injuries is still unclear.
‘[He will now] be forced to pay large sums of money for doctor’s bills, hospital bills and other direct and indirect expenses related to the purpose of alleviating his suffering and curing his injuries”.
Few details about the case were revealed in the filing, including when the man took the Adderall or what dosage he was using.
It’s just the latest in several lawsuits that claim the drug was overprescribed to people, or that patients weren’t adequately warned about side effects.
In 2019, a family doctor in Vermont was fined $2,500 for overprescribing Adderall to a patient without properly documenting the treatment or monitoring its use.
In another case filed in April 2022, a former telehealth executive claimed that the prescription company he worked for dispensed too many ADHD medications for profit.
Amanda Bynes, 38, is one of the people who have previously suggested that Adderall use caused her psychosis.
In an interview with PEOPLE in 2018, she said, “I definitely abused Adderall. [after] reading a magazine article calling it ‘the new skinny pill’ and talking about how women are taking it to stay thin’.
Amanda Byrnes, who was addicted to Adderall, has previously said she may have suffered from psychosis
The actress, who also took marijuana, added: “I don’t know if it was drug-induced psychosis or what, but it affected my brain in a different way than it affects other people. It absolutely changed the my perception of things.’
About 45 million Americans are prescribed Adderall each year, with prescriptions up 30 percent since 2019.
Adderall is a stimulant that works by increasing hormone levels in areas of the brain involved with concentration and attention.
In ADHD, patients lack some of these hormones, such as dopamine, which is thought to explain problems focusing for long periods.
The medicine aims to restore the balance of these chemicals, improving concentration.
However, side effects are known to include hallucinations, as well as dizziness, slurred speech, and increased irritability.
It can also increase the risk of seizures when taken in high doses, which is thought to be due to the excessive release of additional brain hormones.
The surge in users has also led to shortages in recent years, leaving those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggling to access the drugs they need.
Experts have warned that many may be using the drug unnecessarily due to misdiagnoses of ADHD.
Dr Joanna Moncrieff, a world-renowned psychiatrist at University College London, warned of the rise, saying: “There is so much demand for it. [Adderall] of patients that doctors feel pressured to give these diagnoses.
“It’s become so common now that I feel like it’s actually become peer pressure, people know other people with a diagnosis and almost feel like if they don’t get one, they’re letting themselves down.”
Celebrities who have been diagnosed with the condition include Harry Potter star Emma Watson, actor Channing Tatum and British singer Lily Allen.
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