Adderall really isn't fair.

[Par4thecourse]

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My PCP prescribed me a 5 count bottle (referring me to a psychiatrist for a full diagnosis/prescription) and here's my experience with it.

Firstly, let me preface this thread by saying you shouldn't take this drug illegally and I am not encouraging anyone to go out and get a prescription. This drug is dangerous and can create a terrible life-long dependency.

That being said, I have a high GPA with only average focus/concentration and I consider myself a fairly smart individual. Here's my experience with it after the 5 pills, summarized: This drug is stupidly unfair. It turned me into a machine and demigod. Had any smart individual with average focus been taking this drug since day 1 of college, they'd graduate with a 4.0 easy. I have pre-med friends who've been taking it the entire time and now I don't even question why they pop this pill. Medical students would be silly not to get a prescription for adderall. It makes absolutely everything significantly easier if you don't have ADHD.

I am absolutely astonished that this drug can even be legally prescribed despite it being a strong therapy for ADHD patients. As a weightlifter, non-adderall users and adderall users are analogous to a natural lifter and a steroid-using lifter - the two are usually on entirely different levels. The steroid user recovers quicker, drastically increases their genetic capacity to build muscle, and even builds muscle without even lifting. Sure, you can be prescribed steroids if you have muscular dystrophy or some testosterone issues (ADHD) in order to reach normal levels, but if you're already at normal levels or are above normal, you turn into a freak of nature. This is what adderall is like. Works great for people with ADHD issues, turns men into gods when you take that issue out of the equation. I honestly can't believe I was competing with people who used this drug during my entire time in college.

Has anyone else had similar experiences with adderall? What are your thoughts on it?

"I have a high GPA with only average focus/concentration" UDREAMIN
And your PCP gave you 5 amphetamine pills? For what?

 

[Par4thecourse]

I'll leave my neurotransmitters right where they are thank you

What a blessing. Some are not so fortunate.

 

[Par4thecourse]

Easy to lie about it I guess? Easy enough to get a PCP to write a script for something that common? Current PCP first day I met him, I said "Can you refill my Ritalin please?" and he did without even asking for evidence I had the diagnosis. Now I had my medical files with me, but he wrote before he looked at them.

And before that PCP before that... also first day, no medical records around though. I left with a script when the PCP was like "Have you been told you might have ADHD??" and I gave a snarky response. I could tell you how the rest of the interview went, but I think half of SDN wouldn't believe me and the other half would be like... knowing who this is... that is probably word for word.

There is a reason that doctor probably cursed me with "May every one of your patients be exactly like you." 😉

Would you mind providing her/his name? Should have med lic revoked

 

[Geo16]

Instruction unclear.
Never done any drug except alcohol.
Rocking my 4.0 UC transferable GPA!!!!!

 

[Lost In Transcription]

Instruction unclear.
Never done any drug except alcohol.
Rocking my 4.0 UC transferable GPA!!!!!

Cool story.

 

[Lost In Transcription]

@Par4thecourse, why not butt out with your one liners at this point? I think it has been well established that OP wouldn't have full knowledge of why the physician diagnosed OP (if that is even true...) and @Crayola227 has done a thorough job of answering your other questions, which you mainly deflect.

 

[NoteBlock]

I'm pretty sure one of my psych professors actually went on a tangent during class about how stupid it was that students at my undergrad were abusing adderall. It went something like, "Seriously, this is why you're using drugs? To study?! Out of all the possible ways to use and abuse, this is what you guys thought was the best thing to do? Do you have any how lame that sounds? Etc, etc." Except there was a lot more profanity, and pointing and laughing.

I've only ever known people with ADHD who've taken it. For some of them it was great, but a couple of acquaintances experienced some really unwanted side effects and stopped.

 

[bananafish94]

I lose a lot of respect for people who take non-prescribed Adderall to study. Doubly so for people who are striving to enter the medical field, because it feels like a slap in the face to the ethical code of the profession. My professor also made a very interesting point about this...when does it stop? If you have to use Adderall to get through college, won't you feel like a fraud in medical school? Even worse, if you have to use it to get through medical school, what does that say about you when you are actually seeing patients and have real responsibility for somebody's health?

 

[familyaerospace]

Would you mind providing her/his name? Should have med lic revoked

The one I was snarky to has retired. The other did get a copy of my records and now a different doctor (a psychiatrist) is writing for it.

 

[MareNostrummm]

In my experience, the college kids that were using adderall were the ones who partied excessively and did not have the discipline to sit down and focus when they needed to cram the night before their tests... Adderall just helped them to crank out B averages... If you are studying a little bit everyday like you should be then you should be able to crank out 4-5 hours of focused studying easily, no question.. The key is to use the Pomodoro technique so that you do not burn out.


Also Adderall isn't going to develop that higher level of critical thinking that nets you the high A grades on tests at competitive universities.. If people are using adderall and still hitting 4.0s they probably could do it without adderall anyway, so I wouldn't even bother complaining about them.

 

[bhb19]

In my experience, the college kids that were using adderall were the ones who partied excessively and did not have the discipline to sit down and focus when they needed to cram the night before their tests... Adderall just helped them to crank out B averages... If you are studying a little bit everyday like you should be then you should be able to crank out 4-5 hours of focused studying easily, no question.. The key is to use the Pomodoro technique so that you do not burn out.


Also Adderall isn't going to develop that higher level of critical thinking that nets you the high A grades on tests at competitive universities.. If people are using adderall and still hitting 4.0s they probably could do it without adderall anyway, so I wouldn't even bother complaining about them.

Are there lazy kids that abuse this like the ones you described? Absolutely, my roommate freshman year was exactly like that. But they are certainly not the only people that use Adderall, and taking them to study for an exam is not the reason most people take them.

You suggest using the Pomodoro technique to avoid burnout. While this is good advice for avoiding burnout, it does not do enough to help people who have the actual symptoms of ADHD, such as inattention and hyperactivity. If you're someone that doesn't have ADHD, this probably seems like a foreign concept to you; if you really want to study and have the discipline, you'll sit down and grind it out, right? But what do tell the kids who sit down and try to study for three hours, but after four or five minute physically can't force themselves to focus and trail off into their own thoughts? There is no "willing your way out" of a mental illness, be it ADHD, depression, anxiety, etc.

No one-- well, no one in this conversation anyways-- is saying that Adderall gives you a higher level of critical thinking. It does, however, give kids the ability to actually sit down and take copious notes in class, get their homework done in a reasonable amount of time, study for exams, etc.

I obviously don't love Adderall as a medication, hence why I found a much safer alternative to treat my ADHD, but let's not kid ourselves and pretend that there aren't kids who actually need it (or something like it) and would do well with it.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[MareNostrummm]

Are there lazy kids that abuse this like the ones you described? Absolutely, my roommate freshman year was exactly like that. But they are certainly not the only people that use Adderall, and taking them to study for an exam is not the reason most people take them.

You suggest using the Pomodoro technique to avoid burnout. While this is good advice for avoiding burnout, it does not do enough to help people who have the actual symptoms of ADHD, such as inattention and hyperactivity. If you're someone that doesn't have ADHD, this probably seems like a foreign concept to you; if you really want to study and have the discipline, you'll sit down and grind it out, right? But what do tell the kids who sit down and try to study for three hours, but after four or five minute physically can't force themselves to focus and trail off into their own thoughts? There is no "willing your way out" of a mental illness, be it ADHD, depression, anxiety, etc.

No one-- well, no one in this conversation anyways-- is saying that Adderall gives you a higher level of critical thinking. It does, however, give kids the ability to actually sit down and take copious notes in class, get their homework done in a reasonable amount of time, study for exams, etc.

I obviously don't love Adderall as a medication, hence why I found a much safer alternative to treat my ADHD, but let's not kid ourselves and pretend that there aren't kids who actually need it (or something like it) and would do well with it.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Obviously I was only referring to the kids without legitimate ADHD that were abusing adderall... if you actually have ADHD then you have completely different neurological/biochemical physiology that warrants the use. Nobody is questioning the kid with ADHD that actually needs it... its the one partying his ass off then using adderall as a crutch to keep up that people are concerned about.

 

[mistafab]

Ah, this thread again.

 

[maral.morta]

Do you have to go on drug holidays? what's the formula?

 

[Turkishking]

if you using it for a month (10 mg / day) , would you become dumb when you don't take it? can you study after a month when not taking it?

What do you mean dumb? I’m not sure if this is a literal question or not.

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

I just wanted to contribute for those who may stumble upon this thread that there are plenty of people who perform worse on ADHD medication than off it.

The medication is only a tool not a gift. To those not prescribed taking this medication you are essentially brute forcing your studies (and to those prescribed please also enroll in additional forms of therapy or study workshops such as CBT and the like).

ADHD medication does not miraculously make you study smarter or more efficiently, it only keeps you attentive and allows you to study longer and harder. Save yourself the time, money, and potential run-ins with the law by learning how to learn - if you learn how to study more effectively rather than harder you'll thank yourself later. Medical school is a lot of information coming at you at once, like "drinking from a firehose." In this environment studying harder and longer is not sustainable and you will burn yourself out.

 

[Select All That Apply]

@maral.morta Please don't use SDN for clinical advise. Consult with your primary care physician. And please don't take clinical advice from Turkishking or any premed who doesn't tell you, "I don't know. Please follow up with your care provider."

like the withdrawal effect, if you don't take it after like one month of use, ... can you still function at base line? Does it have withdrawal effect ? can you study without it? Do you need drug holidays on that? These are fair questions ...

I still out preform the kids who use adderall to study for exams with out a prescription.

 

[SterlingMaloryArcher]

Aderrall is wonderful, but I have not refilled my prescription this entire semester because it made me lose so much weight last semester and I don't see it as worth it. I might take some during finals next week.

 

[SterlingMaloryArcher]

Would you mind providing her/his name? Should have med lic revoked

You're being ridiculous.

 

[21Rush12]

Why are we having this thread again?

 

[Turkishking]

@maral.morta Please don't use SDN for clinical advise. Consult with your primary care physician. And please don't take clinical advice from Turkishking or any premed who doesn't tell you, "I don't know. Please follow up with your care provider."

It’s obvious and she isn’t asking for clinical advice.

 

[Select All That Apply]

It’s obvious and she isn’t asking for clinical advice.

Asking if they can take Adderall at 10 mg/day for a month and the clinical symptoms if they stop taking a regimented dose after being on it is a clinical question. Regardless, the post was deleted. However, the fact that you recommended caffeine in lieu of the medication in that context was laughable.

 

[Peach Newport]

Nope, It doesn’t make you a demigod. It might make you feel like you are, though.

 

[Turkishking]

Asking if they can take Adderall at 10 mg/day for a month and the clinical symptoms if they stop taking a regimented dose after being on it is a clinical question. Regardless, the post was deleted. However, the fact that you recommended caffeine in lieu of the medication in that context was laughable.

Ummm yeah. It’s laughable right? the poster was asking to take adderall without a prescription I assume? And for the poster to take adderall with no prescription, instead of resorting to I don’t know something legal like coffee? You think it’s funny? I think you’re funny as well. Case closed. Ignored.

 

[Stagg737]

Nope, It doesn’t make you a demigod. It might make you feel like you are, though.

I thought that was PCP...

 

[Peach Newport]

I thought that was PCP...

Different drugs give you different powers.

 

[HopefulSlav]

1. Find out classmates who illegally obtain adderall
2. Narc on them all
3. Improve odds of matriculating because they now have a criminal record

 

[Turkishking]

Please stop being a mom and give mom's advice , we have a educated conversation here ...

I tried, and deleted my post because Mom was upset or I triggered her feelings. She thought my analysis was funny. All I’m saying is OP, if you don’t have a prescription don’t take it. But obviously it seems like you don’t have one since you’re asking questions here. I’d go more in depth, but we have keyboards heroes like @Select All That Apply.

 

[RNtoMD87]

My PCP prescribed me a 5 count bottle (referring me to a psychiatrist for a full diagnosis/prescription) and here's my experience with it.

Firstly, let me preface this thread by saying you shouldn't take this drug illegally and I am not encouraging anyone to go out and get a prescription. This drug is dangerous and can create a terrible life-long dependency.

That being said, I have a high GPA with only average focus/concentration and I consider myself a fairly smart individual. Here's my experience with it after the 5 pills, summarized: This drug is stupidly unfair. It turned me into a machine and demigod. Had any smart individual with average focus been taking this drug since day 1 of college, they'd graduate with a 4.0 easy. I have pre-med friends who've been taking it the entire time and now I don't even question why they pop this pill. Medical students would be silly not to get a prescription for adderall. It makes absolutely everything significantly easier if you don't have ADHD.

I am absolutely astonished that this drug can even be legally prescribed despite it being a strong therapy for ADHD patients. As a weightlifter, non-adderall users and adderall users are analogous to a natural lifter and a steroid-using lifter - the two are usually on entirely different levels. The steroid user recovers quicker, drastically increases their genetic capacity to build muscle, and even builds muscle without even lifting. Sure, you can be prescribed steroids if you have muscular dystrophy or some testosterone issues (ADHD) in order to reach normal levels, but if you're already at normal levels or are above normal, you turn into a freak of nature. This is what adderall is like. Works great for people with ADHD issues, turns men into gods when you take that issue out of the equation. I honestly can't believe I was competing with people who used this drug during my entire time in college.

Has anyone else had similar experiences with adderall? What are your thoughts on it?

I disagree. As a child with ADHD I have been on pretty much every medication for ADHD except vyvance.

I perform better on no meds than I do on any of those drugs.


Me on a junk diet <On a junk diet taking Adderall/Strattera < Me on a strict diet (which is easy for me now after years of improving my diet)

My brain functions like a machine. I have a photographic memory and I don't need to write things down to remember them. Let me eat one slice of pizza, or some fried food, and I feel like an idiot. My mind is staticky and I cant get any thoughts together.


BTW its easy for me to tell who is taking Adderall. Theyre hyper focused, snap easily, and are not emotional/empathetic at all, which makes them look completely non personable.