Adrian Chiles fears for himself and wife over national shortage of ADHD meds

20 October 2023 , 08:47

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Adrian Chiles fears for himself and wife because of 'national shortage of ADHD drugs' (Image: Stuart Wallace/REX/Shutterstock for Edinburgh TV Festival)

TV presenter Adrian Chiles has revealed he has been fearing for himself and his wife Katharine Viner due to the 'national shortage of ADHD drugs.'

The former The One Show presenter, 56, was diagnosed with ADHD in 2016. However, his GP recently told him the medication he uses for it is running low. Adrian, who married journalist Katharine in 2022, admitted the idea of not having any more medication seemed "horrific".

"I can't bring myself to engage in it," he said. "Because the prospect of not getting any more of the stuff I'm on called Elvanse, which seems likely, is horrific. It's horrific for myself and it certainly is for my wife who has got to live with me. I've never managed to get an appointment with an ADHD coach."

There is a national ADHD medication shortage (WireImage)

He joked he fears for himself and his partner (Getty Images)

According to the NHS website, the shortage is expected to last until December. However, the dates could be subject to change. "The Department of Health and Social Care has alerted us that there is a national supply disruption of the medication prescribed to help manage your ADHD symptoms," they said.

Adrian discovered the shortage affected several countries. Dr Tony Lloyd of the ADHD Foundation said: "There has been a significant increase in demand since the pandemic." Dr Lloyd also shared a few strategies for coping with the condition without using any medication.

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Dr Lloyd explained: "There's a whole range of daily lifestyle strategies, like going for regular brisk walks. Being on the move is really helpful for cognitive functioning. As is having a good breakfast and regular food. Stress reduction like deep breathing or yoga or progressive muscle relaxation will all help."

Adrian once claimed his ADHD gave him the strong urge to launch a glass of wine over former footballer Andy Townsend. The TV presenter said he felt the "random as hell" urge to throw the glass of wine at him during a chat. He didn't understand the urge until his diagnosis.

He explained: "Sometimes I’m talking to someone, I’m having a really nice conversation over a glass of wine, and I get this urge to throw the wine in their face. I actually had exactly that and I think it was Andy Townsend. I just had to text him. I said, ‘Look, bear with me here. This is random as hell. I’ve just got to share it with you’." Thankfully, Andy was nice about the situation and listened to what he had to say.

Zara Woodcock