I've been on reboxetine (edronax, similar to strattera) for about 4 months now, and while it has had a significant effect on my depression, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that it is having little to no effect on my focus etc.

So we visited my psychiatrist today and had a chat. He has decided to prescribe ritalin la for me. We're gonna sort out the dosage using standard ritalin then move onto the slow release.

What I am most happy about is that he wants me to continue taking edronax for the time being. I'm happy 'cause within a few days of taking edronax my snoring (which was killing my wife) dissapeared. Of course some relief from the deprassion was also welcome :D

I don't know how it works in the other countries, or even in other australian states. But in queensland he has to submit a request to be permitted to prescribe ritalin for me. It is a schedule 8 medication in australia and considered a possible drug of dependence so it's use is carefully monitored. It takes about 10 days for the request to be approved and sent back to him.

I then have to go in, read some documents and sign an agreement - probably stating that I won't abuse the medication or sell it or something. I can then receive my script for the meds.

After 6 months he has to make another submission to the govt health dept showing that the meds are having a positive effect. If not then he won't be able to prescribe them for me. I would guess that I should know well within that time if they are helping or not.

It's quite possible that after the 6month submission is passed, that he may be able to transfer the authority to prescribe to my local gp. Which would be nice since he works 2hrs away from me.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post what was happening and how it seems to work here. It could be of use to someone, and I'd also be interested in how the procedures differ from country to country.

Wow, and i cant stand waiting 2 weeks for my next appointment to switch drugs. In U.S. I call the doctor if i am running out for my prescription. I could not stand it waiting that long for a med that may help. What if ridalin does not work for you? do you have to go thru everything again for like conserta or addaral? It would stink if the ridalin did not work and you had to wait again for a new drug to try.
Good luck, I am still working on getting the right meds, I switch to a doctor that specialises in ADD and am doing testing so the doc really knows whats going on, than on the 20th she will be able to prescibe a better, or more educated, drug or drug combo.
Good luck and let us know how its working out for you. For me welbutrin works for depression, ridiline calms me down but does not do much for concentration or attention. so i am hopefull for something new with new doc.

Hi Steve
I post when I can which isn't as often as I would like, my name is Bekkii. In Australia (Queensland anyways) we have to go through the provebial ringer backwards in order to get ritalin. I myself just had to do (yet another) drug test yesterday to make sure I am not abusing the system.
There is a lot of red tape involved which can be annoying. May I suggest things like getting a hold of school records, employer staement, letters from family memebers and friends who have known you a long time. These things can and will assist you in prooving your case.
I wish you all the very best - hang in there!

I don't know just how far the ringer goes, I think Bekkii knows more than me. I don't know whether he is given permission to just prescribe ritalin or if the permission is for any schedule 8 medication, which would include concerta (can't afford it anyway) or dexamphetamine (covered by our health system and cheap for me). I think it's a matter of trying ritalin and increasing the dose until it works or any sideaffects appear. I'm hoping for the first option.

Luckily my private health cover will cover some of the cost of ritalin. Which is great since I pay them so much every year and hardly ever use it any more. I'm really hoping for help with my concentration and focus as it's killing me at work.

Bekkii, who requires the drug tests? Is it your doc (gp or psychiatrist) or the health department. He mentioned nothing like that to me - just that we'd have to show how it's helping at 6months to continue it.

concentration and focus is killing me, one more dumb mistake or stupid move and ill crack, no i wont i am at work on here instead of working.
I am glad i got good insurence, it cost 7 bucks for any drug

That's sweet. I've been told Ritalin will cost about $55 a month, which my health fund will reimburse me about 65% up to a max of $300 per year. Without the private health cover it would be the full amount. I was told by my psychaitrist that strattera and concerta are well over a hundred bucks a month.

In Aus we have what is called the pharmaceutical benefits schedule which I believe subsidises drugs which have been approved by them. Attenta and ritalin 10 appear to be covered by this as well. The added benefit of the pbs is that low income earners (me for instance) can get a card which allows us to purchase any meds covered by this scheme for $4.60 each. Ritalin LA is not one of them.

Hey Steve...

Hell, lucky you!!!!

in Australia a GP cannot perscribe stimulant medications to an adult, for that matter - you need a shrink who is prepared to go at the red tape like a bull at a gate!! It is the health department that required a crevice search (sorry but it is bleeding rediculous). There is a lot of hoopla going on about it now becasue they are realising just how important it is that some adults have stimulant meds.

I am hoping to go off Ritalin. actually I am on Attenta ( I thik I spelled that right didn't I?) and get onto Concerta, it is supposed to be the best there is...as it should be because it is $130 per month.

It is so hard and I now underdstand why - my current career is, well, quite unusual for me and one of the other girls here heard me talking to my hubby on the phone about my meds and offered me $800 for my script (to which I replied would you kindly FO). I can get the whole 'street drug' arguement but after being wrongly diagnosed for 17 years, put on drugs that gave me depression (I was suicidal on effexor and eplilim), I get really peed at the amount of pressure we are put under to be given what we need to live a blanced life.

Anyway, sorry - went on a tangent.

I see your frustration, the docs their need a bit more control of what treatments they give to their paitents. I dont think people for the most part are going to go to the doctor, go threw threopy just to get a drug. I seams a lot less of a problem to get it on the streets than go threw all that. by the way i work with stupid people at work to so i definetly feel your pain. Tommarow is my second time with a new theropist and i hope to know more of whats going on. I think i wasted my time with my last doc and am now getting the time and comitment I deserve, concerding what it cost to see the doc.