A Yorkshire man has warned ADHD who suffered the side effects of a commonly used treatment – after the tablets made him ‘severely ill’.
Ryan Swain, 36, from Malton, was admitted to hospital in 2010 after just a few months of taking the non-stimulant drug atomoxetine, also known as Strattera.
The DJ suffered what doctors described as a ‘violent allergic reaction’, which resulted in projectile vomiting.
“I was vomiting for hours,” he said. “The doctor said he had never seen anything like it in his life.”
Mr Swain claimed the illness resulted in his stomach lining rupturing, causing him to vomit blood.
He added that he “lay flat for a second” and had to be resuscitated.
“It felt like I was being led down a garden path to take this medicine,” he said, adding that doctors told him the drug was the cause of his symptoms.
According to European drug safety watchdogs, allergic reactions to atomoxetine are very rare. The frequency of such reactions is unknown.
Mr Swain claims to have had an allergic reaction, but this is usually accompanied by a rash and swelling. Vomiting and nausea are known side effects of the medication.
Typical signs of allergic reactions include rash, hives, swelling of the face and lips, wheezing and tightness in the throat.
According to the British medicines watchdog NICE, vomiting is one of the most common side effects of atomoxetine, along with abdominal pain, loss of appetite and constipation.
Mr Swain said he stopped taking medication completely after the ordeal because he “didn’t have a lot of faith in the system”.
About 270,000 people in England are currently taking ADHD medications.
Stimulant medications such as methylphenidate are most commonly prescribed, but some patients are offered non-stimulant medications such as atomoxetine.
Atomoxetine increases a hormone involved in mood, focus and alertness called norepinephrine, rather than directly causing the stimulant effect associated with methylphenidate or amphetamine.
Some patients prefer this medication because it takes effect gradually throughout the day.
Mr. Swain now devotes his time to teaching ADHD patients about alternative medicine
Mr Swain tried methylphenidate before starting to take atomoxetine, but found it “turned me into an absolute zombie, a shell of myself.”
Atomoxetine “worked very well initially” and had little impact on his personality. “But I didn’t realize how much impact it had on my body,” he said.
Mr Swain was first diagnosed with the condition in 2010, when he was 20 years old a waiting period of nine months and three specialist sessions.
He said the signs of ADHD include “impulsiveness, difficulty planning ahead, seeking immediate reward, problems with executive functions and not always fully processing the future consequences of a decision.”
“I’ve been avoiding looking at bills because dealing with them felt overwhelming. Small decisions became bigger problems.
‘I can also be emotionally intense and reactive. I have spoken before I thought and messaged in the heat of the moment.
“I wish I had understood at sixteen what I understand now.”
Mr. Swain manages his ADHD through skateboarding, music and creativity. He also relies on alarms and calendars to help him stay organized.
He currently works with young people and their families through his free company You, Me & ADHD, which shows there are alternatives to medications to manage the condition.
He said: ‘I still have good days, bad days and absolutely terrible days.
‘ADHD has not disappeared from my life. I just stopped spending my whole life trying to get my brain to behave like everyone else’s.”
Mr Swain was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 20, after visiting three different specialists
The number of referrals for ADHD has increased twentyfold since the turn of the century, according to NHS figures. In England, 800,000 people are waiting for an ADHD assessment.
NHS England also estimates that around 2.5 million people in England are living with ADHD, including many who have not yet been formally diagnosed.
Last month, experts warned that ADHD patients taking drugs may be at risk of death because doctors fail to perform heart tests that detect a defect that makes the pills particularly risky.
Undiagnosed heart problems affect around one in 300 people – according to the charity Cardiac Risk In The Young.
The warning followed an investigation that found the death of a 28-year-old city finance worker was linked to his stimulant ADHD medication.
Jacob Wooderson from London suffered sudden arrhythmic death syndrome – when a young and apparently healthy person dies from cardiac arrest – shortly after his dose of Elvanse, also known as lisdexamfetamine, was increased.
Elvanse was listed as the cause of death. He had been diagnosed with ADHD six months earlier.
At the time, coroner Sarah Bourke called on the government to investigate the safety of the tablet, which is ‘increasingly prescribed by the NHS’. However, such an investigation was never initiated.
Dr. Steven Cox, CEO of Cardiac Risk In The Young, said all ADHD patients should be offered an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test that records the heart’s electrical activity – before any medication is administered.
“The vast majority of people with heart defects don’t know they have one until something goes wrong,” says Dr. Cox.
He explains that ADHD medications can affect the heart and put people with underlying problems at risk. However, as prescriptions for ADHD medications increase, a larger population is exposed to its dangers.
“Offering all patients an ECG before starting treatment is a sensible and easily achievable policy,” he added.
