A Florida man claims to have suffered seizures and a haunting psychosis after taking ‘too much’ of the common ADHD drug Adderall.
In a landmark case, Robert Buckley has accused pharmacy giants of prescribing too much of the medicine, which is said to have caused the terrifying side effects.
The man is now suing Costco, CVS and Publix — the stores that filled his prescription, according to court filings.
Mr Buckley is seeking a trial by jury as well as $50,000 in damages from the major outlets.
He is suing five pharmacies including one run by CVS (pictured) and three run by Publix (one also pictured)
The lawsuit, filed to the Circuit Court in Orange County, reads: ‘Buckley suffered from an overdose causing psychosis, suffers seizures, and now suffers permanent injuries.’ The nature of these injuries is not yet clear.
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‘[He will now] be obligated to pay large sums of money for doctor’s bills, hospital bills and other direct and indirect related expenses in an effort to alleviate his suffering and cure his injuries.’
Little other details on the case were revealed in the filing, including when the man took the Adderall or what dose he was using.
It is just the latest of several lawsuits claiming that the drug has been overprescribed to individuals – or that patients were not properly warned about the side-effects.
In 2019, a family physician in Vermont was fined $2,500 for overprescribing Adderall to a patient without properly documenting treatment or monitoring its use.
In another case filed in April 2022, a former telehealth executive claimed the prescribing firm he worked for was giving out too much ADHD medication for profit.
Amanda Bynes, 38, is among those to previously suggest that using Adderall gave her psychosis.
In an interview with PEOPLE in 2018, she said: ‘I definitely abused Adderall [after] reading an article in a magazine that called it “the new skinny pill” and they were talking about how women were taking it to stay thin.’
The actress, who also took marijuana, added: ‘I don’t know if it was a drug-induced psychosis or what, but it affected my brain in a different way than it affects other people. It absolutely changed my perception of things.’
Some 45million Americans are prescribed Adderall every year — with prescriptions surging 30 percent since 2019.
Adderall is a stimulant that works by boosting levels of hormones in brain areas involved with concentration and attention.
In ADHD, patients are lacking in some of these hormones, such as dopamine, which is thought to explain the trouble focusing for long periods.
The medication aims to restore the balance of these chemicals, improving concentration.
However, side effects are known to include hallucinations as well as dizziness, slowed speech and increased irritability.
It can also raise the risk of seizures when taken in high doses, which is thought to be due to excessive release of extra brain hormones.
The uptick in users has also led to shortages in recent years, leaving those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) struggling to access a medication they need.
Experts have warned many may be using the medication unnecessarily due to incorrect ADHD diagnoses.
Dr Joanna Moncrieff, a world-renowned psychiatrist at University College London, warned of the rise saying: ‘There is such demand for it [Adderall] from patients that doctors feel pressurised to give these diagnoses.
‘It’s now become so common I feel it’s actually become about peer pressure, people know other people with a diagnosis and almost feel that if they don’t get one they’re letting themselves down.’
Celebrities that have been diagnosed with the condition include Harry Potter star Emma Watson, actor Channing Tatum and British singer Lily Allen.