Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 8/9/2011

Question
Dear Doctor. We are very worried. My son has contacted you on numerous occasions. His Psychiatrist has examined him and this is for real. We have no idea why but my son has developed some terrible adverse reaction to Ritalin. From Morning to Night Both his eyes especially the right eye are in severe pain. He cannot read write or drive anymore. The pain is also located down the neck, back and arm. Everytime he takes Ritalin this is what occurs. But the strange this is that as he takes it the pain starts. He is on 60mg per day which and was doing fairly well. The pain and electric shock sensations are getting worse. We are with the government hospital and have not seen a psychiatrist for 3 months now. They do not pitch up for work and travel inland. A good psychiatrist we had said it is impossible for Ritalin to do this after using it for 22 years. He gets terrible pain is his eye and has read lots of articles on the internet on Ritalin doing this. I know stopping the drug will rule out the cause but my son cannot. He gets very depressed and lethargic without it. All the Antidepressants and other medications seem to not help him. He is ADD with OCD trype symptoms. He has an CAT 2 years ago and nothing wrong but this started about 1 year ago and has got worse. As there are no reliable doctors in the bundoos where we live and the cost of petrol we just cannot get or find answers and if it is Ritalin I will be very scpetical as I have never seen this much agony. Thank you doctor and my son was not pestering you, he was begging for help.

Yours Sincerely

Donna

Answer
You and your son have my sympathy but I am tired of trying to tell him there is nothing  I can do without examining him.It would be a very unethical situation knowing I am not his doctor and without seeing him to give any advice. Moreover in a complicated situation it is absolutely impossible to advise him on the internet. He has only one option and that is to see his own doctor or get a second opinion. That is my final advice.