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Adderall shortage is starting to impact East Texans

Tyler EMT first responder Lainey Dimery is prescribed Adderall to help with her narcolepsy, but she's been struggling to fill her prescription around mid-November.

TYLER, Texas — Many people are running into a problem not just their local pharmacy, but at multiple pharmacies trying to pick up their prescription drug Adderall. 

Last October the FDA announced there would be a shortage of the drug and it's trickled down into East Texas. 

Tyler EMT first responder Lainey Dimery is prescribed Adderall to help with her narcolepsy, but she's been struggling to fill her prescription around mid-November. 

"At first, I wasn't having problems so I was like maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones who doesn't have problems," said Dimery. "Then it just hit like super-fast. and they're like, no, we can't even order it."

Dimery suffers from excessive tiredness and constantly feels sleepy even after a long night’s rest. 

"I don't know the last time I went to a movie theater because I can't stay awake for the life of me," said Dimery. 

The FDA's October announcement said an amphetamine mixed salt manufacturer is experiencing ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays. 

Child and adolescent psychiatrist with UT Health Science Center at Tyler Dr. Jamon Blood said stimulants are the first line medication for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He said this shortage is also impacting the children's prescriptions. 

"It's causing problems here in our clinic and across the several pediatric clinics throughout East Texas," said Dr. Blood. "It is not just a localized shortages across all Texas, but across the whole United States."

Rose City Pharmacy in Tyler confirmed the shortage has started to impact them and said they see this every year. Owner Sonny Krezdorn said one of the main reasons why these shortages happen at the end of the year is because Adderall is a schedule two medication the Drug Enforcement Administration regulates. They allow a quota or an allocation to each manufacturer to what they can produce in a year. 

"In January they're able to start producing again because they've got the new allocations," said Krezdorn. "Then what we see is usually that supply comes back up to normal by the end of January or beginning of February."

Krezdorn said this isn’t a guarantee the shortage will end. So for people with ADHD or narcolepsy like Dimery the search for Adderall continues. 

"Ritalin is not even lasting me I'm still having to drink a whole bunch of energy drinks and stuff just to get through the day," said Dimery. "I'm like it's not good for me I know but I have to work and I have to have somewhat of a normal life."

Since the shortage Dimery was bumped down to taking Ritalin by her insurance. She pleaded for them to bump her up to Vyvanse, a stronger prescription drug, but since she was doing well on Adderall her insurance refused to cover it. 

Dimery is now trying to work those 12-hour EMT first responder shifts using the weaker drug and hopes this shortage comes to an end soon.  

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