My mom has become a different person on adderall

[desertcactus]

My mom started adderall in the summer of 2021 for suspected ADHD, she thought it helped with her concentration and focus at work but the dose kept needing to be increased. When i visited her in December she thought her entire house was infested with bugs. She had become obsessed with this belief and was picking up crumbs and pieces of dirt on the floor, putting them in baggies and collecting them for "evidence". She normally loves decorating for Christmas but when I visited her she had no decorations up because this obsession was occupying all her time. I visited he again in April and found her even worse, she refused to cook in her house because she thought bugs were landing on her food, she was spraying her body and clothes down with bug spray, and she was putting all her clothes in plastic bins in order to keep the "bugs" out. I discovered that she was taking 60mg adderall throughout the day and was not having regular check ups with her psych provider. I explained my concerns to her but she became extremely defensive, mean, and refused to take my advice of cutting down on the adderall. Im attributing all her symptoms to the adderall as she has never had a history of psychosis in the past. Does anyone have a similar experience or advice?

[m34]

I’m sorry you are going through this. Is it possible she is taking more than prescribed?  She has to want to quit, unfortunately. That is the tough part.

It’s hard to say whether it’s adderall induced psychosis. Sometimes adderall can trigger OCD like behaviors that weren’t present before?  I had some pretty bizarre behaviors at the end of me using adderall. Obsessed with random projects etc. I could go on and on. 
 

I never attributed it to the meds until I got off and after several months those behaviors stopped. I was able to see clearly then. 

[SleepyStupid]

hi @desertcactus

welcome to the forums, and sorry to hear about your mother's deteriorating condition. I had a similar period of obsession over bugs. it actually started with feeling them crawl on my skin. the condition is known as "formication" and is often associated with amphetamine and cocaine use. your suspicions are likely correct that it is the Adderall creating this sensation and also feeding into the obsession / delusion.

the challenging part will be convincing her of this or taking action herself. you mention that she is not having regular check ups with her psychiatrist, but she must be getting her script refilled by someone? can you ask to join her for a visit while you are in town, to ensure she is communicating these issues to her doctor? keep in mind that even though her doctor cannot share any details of your mother's care with you, they can take into consideration information you share with them. if you choose to go this route, be prepared for a violation of trust conversation with your mother.

this isn't an easy situation to navigate, especially if you live out of town. does she have any friends or family in the area you can communicate with regarding this? this would be a high priority to ensure the delusion does not get out of control.

good luck and reach out if you need more help (:

[DelaneyJuliette]

Hi!  Yes, the "drug bugs" are a real phenomenon (formally called formication as sleepy mentioned.)  Usually they happen with doses higher than 60mg, but your mom could be an exception (or she could be taking more than she is telling you.)  Part of the problem is that this condition FEELS so real to the person that they literally CANNOT believe that they are not real b/c they feel so real.  I am an addiction therapist and I have seen this with many people with whom I have worked.  Sometimes someone goes through it, gets sober, realizes it was just "drug bugs," relapses, it happens again, and during the relapse the sensations of the bugs are SO REAL that the person is convinced that even though LAST time it was formication, it couldn't be this time.  Dermatologists also experience patients who come in with this issue.  So, it could help to print out definitions and stories of people who have been through it to make her aware of it, but it likely isnt going to change her mind about what is happening.  And the denial runs deep with addiction.  When I was deep in my adderall abuse you couldn't get me to stop for ANYTHING.  I would lie and lie and tell you I was just fine if you tried to say anything to the contrary.  And I never would have let someone come with me to an appointment who could have interfered.  However, it is still worth a try.  Another thing you could do is to call the prescribing doctor's office and tell someone there what you have noticed.  Again, they will not be able to confirm or deny that your mom is even a patient with them, but you can leave (or mail in a letter) the information and the doctor will see it and usually take it into consideration.  Again, your mom may be really mad at you if you do this, but perhaps the intervention will work.  If not, she will likely just find a different prescriber.  Also, it's probably beneficial for you to give yourself some compassion and recognize that you literally can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved.  (Or even help someone who doesn't want to be helped.)  I don't know if you are into this kind of thing, but Al-Anon helped me a lot when I had a family member dealing with addiction (it doesn't have to be drinking.)  SMART Recovery online also has forums for friends and families of people struggling with addiction.  I've been on both sides - a family member watching another family member and an addict myself.  Sending big hugs; keep coming back!

[desertcactus]

Thank you all for the support and suggestions. I decided to call her PAs office and let them know my concerns. They ended up cutting my mom off from Adderall until they see her in person. Unfortunately the PA told her that I was the one who called and now my mom refuses to speak with me. We went from talking at least once a day to now she avoids all of my calls. It really hurts but I still think I did the right thing. She’s nowhere near the  mom that I once knew. I hope being off the Adderall helps her paranoia and she can start to function normal again.