Adderall/Ritalin

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Web MD said:
Studying is boring bro, that's why most people don't do it. Are you most people? I'd rather play xbox than study physics or embryo but **** needs to get done
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PC gaming + physics = World of Goo => totally awesome!

[youtube]-A_JfkzPwww[/youtube]

One of the funnest games I played in 2008. 😀
 
Energy shots taste like garbage/poison. That is all.
 
i dont care if kids use adderall. i tried it once and couldnt sleep for 3 days.
 
adderall is the devil incarnate. Plenty of successful doctors have gotten by just fine with good old fashioned caffeine.
 
I tried adderall to do math a couple of times with a crappy result. It made me try harder, but not in a particularly efficient way. At the end of the day I felt i traded ingenuity in solving problems for downright raw stubbornness.
 
juliedi said:
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but does 5-hr energy actually work? I tend to be a believer of "if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is", so I just don't know what to think about it.
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I was wondering about that as well. I think some placebo controlled trials are in order...
 
why wouldnt it work? it has caffeine...
 
gettheleadout said:
Apart from the fact that the use of these drugs unprescribed is a federal offense, I really think this should be akin to cheating. You wouldn't/wouldn't be able to do it as a doctor while working, why should you get to do it to help you get there?
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I've been diagnosed with ADD. I can easily concentrate on lectures, conversations, group projects -- anything directly involving other people -- but I have trouble focusing when it's time to hit the books, write papers, etc. I took Adderall in high school but I didn't touch it during college because I wanted to prove to myself that I could function without it.

But I'm still going to take it during medical school.

Why? Because I owe it to my patients to learn everything in medical school as well as possible. Adderall is a medication for a legitimate condition, but it's also a useful tool that can help us learn more, and learn better. I would feel more comfortable with a doctor who took ADD meds in med school than one who didn't because I would know that he/she learned the material better that way.

Now, if someone with ADD can't function without the meds, then I do think they should continue to take them during residency and their future practice. But if they really do have ADD that bad, then they'll have a legitimate diagnosis and they'll still have access to medication for as long as they need it. If they don't have a problem focusing without the drugs, then I see no problem with them practicing without drugs. The Adderall or Ritalin they might have taken in medical school only served to make them more knowledgeable, and that's something I would want in my doctor.
 
osumc2014 said:
Honestly I don't get how that is ADD, cause you were able to focus on playing cards and drawing your charging knights, those things take a lot of patience and concentration to do! I think you were just procrastinating and not wanting to do work or bored...
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Actually, that's pretty classic ADD. When I got diagnosed, all of my teachers were apparently informed that they weren't allowed to yell at me for doodling in class because it gives ADD kids something more stimulating to focus on --> higher dopamine levels --> a fighting chance of focusing in class.
 
Lilliput said:
Actually, that's pretty classic ADD. When I got diagnosed, all of my teachers were apparently informed that they weren't allowed to yell at me for doodling in class because it gives ADD kids something more stimulating to focus on --> higher dopamine levels --> a fighting chance of focusing in class.
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It's a phenomenon called hyperfocus. I suggest that everyone who posts on these forums do a pubmed search for adhd symptoms before they decide who has it and who doesn't.
 
Lilliput said:
I've been diagnosed with ADD. I can easily concentrate on lectures, conversations, group projects -- anything directly involving other people -- but I have trouble focusing when it's time to hit the books, write papers, etc. I took Adderall in high school but I didn't touch it during college because I wanted to prove to myself that I could function without it.

But I'm still going to take it during medical school.

Why? Because I owe it to my patients to learn everything in medical school as well as possible. Adderall is a medication for a legitimate condition, but it's also a useful tool that can help us learn more, and learn better. I would feel more comfortable with a doctor who took ADD meds in med school than one who didn't because I would know that he/she learned the material better that way.

Now, if someone with ADD can't function without the meds, then I do think they should continue to take them during residency and their future practice. But if they really do have ADD that bad, then they'll have a legitimate diagnosis and they'll still have access to medication for as long as they need it. If they don't have a problem focusing without the drugs, then I see no problem with them practicing without drugs. The Adderall or Ritalin they might have taken in medical school only served to make them more knowledgeable, and that's something I would want in my doctor.
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Key word in my post: "unprescribed."

If someone legitimately has ADD/ADHD, then I think they should take whatever prescribed medication they have that helps them for as long as they feel they need it. I couldn't care less if my doctor was on medication to help him deal with a condition as long as it didn't impair his ability to practice, a problem which ADD/ADHD medication clearly would (probably, I'm assuming here) cause.
 
gettheleadout you are right, I didn't mean to imply that you needed to go and look up ADHD symptoms 🙂

Unprescribed medication use and/or manipulating psychiatrists into prescribing drugs is an unfortunate trend...
 
addo said:
I tried adderall to do math a couple of times with a crappy result. It made me try harder, but not in a particularly efficient way. At the end of the day I felt i traded ingenuity in solving problems for downright raw stubbornness.
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I feel like with something like math or chemistry, where a lot of it is problem solving based, it doesn't make you anymore effective. I've taken it a couple times and what I've noticed is that it just makes me more focused, but if I'm unsure of how to do something like general chem, it doesn't help me learn any faster. It honestly just frustrated me more because I would keep trying problems over and over but still didn't really understand. However, for writing papers it makes me SO much more time efficient and I tended to spend a lot more time actually writing the paper and a lot less time thinking about what I want to write or procrastinating.
 
alucidinterval said:
I feel like with something like math or chemistry, where a lot of it is problem solving based, it doesn't make you anymore effective. I've taken it a couple times and what I've noticed is that it just makes me more focused, but if I'm unsure of how to do something like general chem, it doesn't help me learn any faster. It honestly just frustrated me more because I would keep trying problems over and over but still didn't really understand. However, for writing papers it makes me SO much more time efficient and I tended to spend a lot more time actually writing the paper and a lot less time thinking about what I want to write or procrastinating.
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It definitely doesn't make me more effective with, say, math or chemistry, but it does help me focus long enough to figure out how to approach the problems more effectively. Undrugged, I end up doing what MossPoh does: I'll isolate myself from the internet, friends, etc, and wind up staring at a wall for hours, bored and upset with myself for not studying, until it's 5 AM and the OMG-EXAM-IN-THREE-HOURS adrenaline hits. I got away with that during undergrad, but I know that those study habits won't cut it in med school.

For some reason my writing ability goes wayy down the tubes when I take adderall though. I'm able to focus on writing, but the essay or paper doesn't "flow" as well as when I write unmedicated. The few times I've tried writing on adderall, I've had to rewrite the whole paper after I "came down."
 
gettheleadout said:
Key word in my post: "unprescribed."

If someone legitimately has ADD/ADHD, then I think they should take whatever prescribed medication they have that helps them for as long as they feel they need it. I couldn't care less if my doctor was on medication to help him deal with a condition as long as it didn't impair his ability to practice, a problem which ADD/ADHD medication clearly would (probably, I'm assuming here) cause.
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Sorry about that; I'm glad you don't have a problem with people taking prescribed ADD drugs.

I personally take an unusual stance: I think that drugs like Adderall perform four functions. 1) They ameliorate the symptoms of ADD and ADHD. 2) They help people focus. 3) They keep people awake. 4) They help people lose weight.

I'm fine with Adderall being used for any of these purposes. In fact, I consider it more ethical for a future doctor to take a medication that will help him better prepare for doctorhood, even if he doesn't need it to get by. I think truck drivers who have to drive for 14 hours at a time on 3 hours of sleep should be encouraged to take a drug that will help them stay awake so they don't crash and kill someone. And I've read that sometimes Adderall is actually prescribed to help people lose weight.

Adderall and Ritalin weren't predestined to have the sole purpose of treating ADD and ADHD. They were created in a lab, and they were found to be useful in at least four different ways. I see no reason why they shouldn't be used in all of those ways, as long as the benefits outweigh the risks. I also believe that only a doctor can know when that is the case, so I never sell my extra medication; I know Adderall and Ritalin can interact very badly with other drugs, and they can cause pretty intense side effects in some people. They are also considered fairly addictive. So I agree with the idea that people shouldn't use these drugs without a prescription, but I wish these drugs were available for a wider variety of uses.

Some people probably worry that, with increased availability of drugs like Adderall, they will be forced to self-medicate just to keep up. That's a legitimate concern, but I think that if these drugs were more widely available, people would simply have another way to help themselves focus more when necessary. I don't think that most people would self-medicate most of the time, just like most people don't run around high on ridiculous amounts of caffeine all the time, even in competitive fields like research and medicine. Sure, they use 5-hour-energy when it's crunch time, but like Adderall and Ritalin it makes people jittery, and people usually prefer to feel like themselves.

tl;dr: I know these drugs are serious and dangerous, but they can be useful for more than just treating ADD/ADHD.
 
Perimeter said:
I have ADHD and a prescription for adderall. If you don't have the motivation to work hard and get things done, it isn't going to do much for you. It helps you stay focused for longer periods of time yes, but the idea that it's some magic pill for studying is wrong. For me personally it helps me stay focused during lectures and keeps me organized. But realize that there is a crash after it wears off and you still have to get your stuff done. I can't tell you how many times I felt groggy in the evenings but I still get my work done. Even if you have ADHD you can time your attention span and focus for shorter durations of time. I've seen a lot of people say things like "I feel ******ed without my adderall". That's just ridiculous. Those people are going nowhere. Maybe this will help some of you people with misconceptions, even though the OP is a troll.
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i am really knew to what medications are out there for adhd, but i heard that adderall
was pretty good for adhd. just wondering how long do you have to be on adderall?
do you have to use it for rest of your life?
 
I just got prescribed Adderall from my doctor, he was very adamant about not jumping straight to it.

A few months ago I brought up the idea of having ADD to him (I know im not hyperactive) when I did a self study after finding out ADD meds were nothing but powerful stimulants in psychology class. Basically I had taken notes on the days without any stimulants at all, then on other days I would take 200mg caffeine and 20mg Ephedrine and took notes.

I brought in both my notebooks to show the difference in note taking ability and the difference was astounding. The problem with caffinie is it builds up a tolerance realitivly quickly and you have withdraws when you don't take it and ephedrine isn't supposed to be used multiple times daily as its an asthma medication (I did the 200mg C and 20mg E 3x daily).

So after discussing other symptoms (Disorganization, lack of understanding in non-academic subjects, trouble finishing task). All of which I had some degree of, totally disorganized, I had strong difficulty learning wrestling and judo moves, and also skipped around in chapters reading books, etc.

I told my doctor that I didn't WANT to have ADD, I hate to admit that I need a medicine to function at my full potinital, that I can't get a military scholarship if im diagnosed, but at the same time I said want to be a doctor, I know I have it in me, but with the way this is affecting me I may not be able to overcome it with decent enough grades.

So now we are trying out some Adderall XR, and I have to say its PHENOMENAL. I always knew I was smart but started to really get low confidence these past years do to academic difficulties. With this I'm NOT anymore intelligent but I can finally focus it to a full potinital. My notetaking is at an unprecedented level where I'm not just purely copying what I'm hearing or seeing but actually thinking about the subject im learning,writing important details, personal notes, critical thoughts, questions to ask later.

I now keep a different notebook for each class which are filling up at an incredibly fast rate compared to before where I would have 1 notebook for 4 classes and it would still be half empty at the end of the semester.

The understanding of the subjects is great also, I'm not just learning what I'm being taught but thinking about it in-depth, coming up with my own examples, reading more then needed.

I'm not shaky, jittery, hyperactive, or anything like a normal person on amphetamines. Heck I slept a few hours the first time after I took it. All I get is a sense of calmness and pure focus. I love it
 
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Medical Schools only care about your GPA and MCAT scores, they don't care about whether you use drugs to get them. Go for it, you can worry about whether this is right or wrong at your White Coat Ceremony.
 
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Lilmanthatcould said:
I just got prescribed Adderall from my doctor, he was very adamant about not jumping straight to it.

A few months ago I brought up the idea of having ADD to him (I know im not hyperactive) when I did a self study after finding out ADD meds were nothing but powerful stimulants in psychology class. Basically I had taken notes on the days without any stimulants at all, then on other days I would take 200mg caffeine and 20mg Ephedrine and took notes.

I brought in both my notebooks to show the difference in note taking ability and the difference was astounding. The problem with caffinie is it builds up a tolerance realitivly quickly and you have withdraws when you don't take it and ephedrine isn't supposed to be used multiple times daily as its an asthma medication (I did the 200mg C and 20mg E 3x daily).

So after discussing other symptoms (Disorganization, lack of understanding in non-academic subjects, trouble finishing task). All of which I had some degree of, totally disorganized, I had strong difficulty learning wrestling and judo moves, and also skipped around in chapters reading books, etc.

I told my doctor that I didn't WANT to have ADD, I hate to admit that I need a medicine to function at my full potinital, that I can't get a military scholarship if im diagnosed, but at the same time I said want to be a doctor, I know I have it in me, but with the way this is affecting me I may not be able to overcome it with decent enough grades.

So now we are trying out some Adderall XR, and I have to say its PHENOMENAL. I always knew I was smart but started to really get low confidence these past years do to academic difficulties. With this I'm NOT anymore intelligent but I can finally focus it to a full potinital. My notetaking is at an unprecedented level where I'm not just purely copying what I'm hearing or seeing but actually thinking about the subject im learning,writing important details, personal notes, critical thoughts, questions to ask later.

I now keep a different notebook for each class which are filling up at an incredibly fast rate compared to before where I would have 1 notebook for 4 classes and it would still be half empty at the end of the semester.

The understanding of the subjects is great also, I'm not just learning what I'm being taught but thinking about it in-depth, coming up with my own examples, reading more then needed.

I'm not shaky, jittery, hyperactive, or anything like a normal person on amphetamines. Heck I slept a few hours the first time after I took it. All I get is a sense of calmness and pure focus. I love it
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Not a psychiatrist... but my according to my neuropharm classes, this would suggest you actually have an ADHD/ADD spectrum disorder.
 
CodeBlu said:
Not a psychiatrist... but my according to my neuropharm classes, this would suggest you actually have an ADHD/ADD spectrum disorder.
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Yea I knew that also before I was diagnosed. I'm praying that my prior knowledge of expected symptoms,testing,treatments and how they affect someone with ADD/ADHD isn't causing placebo effects :laugh:
 
In read something about people who drink a lot in college (especially freshman year) end up taking more focus related drugs.

I don't drink or have ADHD, but I'm seriously considering trying Aderall once or something.
 
Honestly, I'm not against it at all. I used to take it back in middle school because I was a hyperactive muthableeper. I "mellowed" down going into high school and now I'm all normal. :meanie:
Okay, well I'm just kinda loud when I talk and tend to be interactive during classes 😀
 
Stumpyman said:
In read something about people who drink a lot in college (especially freshman year) end up taking more focus related drugs.

I don't drink or have ADHD, but I'm seriously considering trying Aderall once or something.
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How are your study habits? I have trouble staying focused/sitting in one spot for long times. Like you, I don't drink or think I have ADHD, either. I'm seriously considering taking it once to see the difference and if it's worthwhile occasionally. Otherwise, I'm going to have to drastically change my approach to studying somehow.
 
gettheleadout said:
Apart from the fact that the use of these drugs unprescribed is a federal offense, I really think this should be akin to cheating. You wouldn't/wouldn't be able to do it as a doctor while working, why should you get to do it to help you get there?
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Why wouldn't a doctor be able to take vyvanse/adderall when he's working? He's got a script regardless if he has ADHD it's legal no?
 
Narcotic said:
A large number of kids in my college use these drugs during finals week/studying for the MCATs. They obviously don't have ADHD from what I know, but what are your opinions on the use of these drugs to enhance academic performance? I'm asking this because this past semester I received a horrible gpa of 2.95 (freshman). I never thought I could have ADHD, but sometimes I feel i'm not motivated/focused and feel I too should get "diagnosed". I know alot of pre-meds have used it, but seriously..isn't there anyone out there that has done well on the MCATs with a 4.0 gpa that hasn't relied on these drugs?
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I have mild ADHD and I choose not to use these drugs because, for me, any academic advantage they provide is not worth the health risks/side effects that I would face. Everyone has the potential to respond differently to these drugs - both mentally and physiologically - which is why it is so important that their use be properly supervised by an attending physician.
 
Undecipherable said:
How are your study habits? I have trouble staying focused/sitting in one spot for long times. Like you, I don't drink or think I have ADHD, either. I'm seriously considering taking it once to see the difference and if it's worthwhile occasionally. Otherwise, I'm going to have to drastically change my approach to studying somehow.
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My study habits are generally pretty good,I can sit in one spot for hours and study, but my mind goes off on little bunny trails and I can't even remeber what chapter I was on. I always do get the studying done though, but you know, damn bunny trails.
 
bajoneswadup said:
Why wouldn't a doctor be able to take vyvanse/adderall when he's working? He's got a script regardless if he has ADHD it's legal no?
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If a doctor wrote a Rx for him or herself, that's illegal. If a friend wrote it for them to get around that in the absence of any medical necessity, that's illegal. If a doctor is prescribed any drugs of that sort for a valid medical reason, he/she has every right to use them as directed without being judged.
 
Just my opinion but warning they are strong.

Adderall is for cheaters and to me its basically a legalized street drug.
Its legal because the pharmaceutical industry in the country is way too powerful. Has anyone seen truely long term studies on the effects of adderall usage (specifically on your heart, brain, and bp) (5-10 years) or are sufferers of ADHD some how cured when they have completed their studies? Anyone taken Adderall everyday for 5+ years, any practicing doctors take adderall (for purposes other than staying awake?) Its in the vein of steroids for baseball players.

It doesn't make you smarter, it lets you sit still and study, but I've seen people go off on benders cleaning, playing video games, or even more dangerous crash dieting and exercise. All the studies i've found talk about "controlled or therapeutic dosages" but usually the prescription and actual usage differ.

ADHD is either a real disorder, or maybe everyone is different, some people have more focused attentions, are able to focus on a single concept and others can have a multitude of interests allowing them to be more versatile.

We live in a competitive society which creates this need and abuse.

Again, just my opinion, and don't worry I have no power to change it.
 
Stumpyman said:
My study habits are generally pretty good,I can sit in one spot for hours and study, but my mind goes off on little bunny trails and I can't even remeber what chapter I was on. I always do get the studying done though, but you know, damn bunny trails.
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Have you tried downloading some soft music on to an iPod or something? It might help you get into a "zone". It helps me whenever I have my iPod/it's charged.
 
I don't know about the long term effects of amphetamine use, however there have been articles I've read that link it to increasing your risk of developing schizophrenia or a type of schizophrenia. So if schizophrenia runs in your family I would suggest not taking adderall or at the very least take fish oil supplementation to reduce your risk of schizophrenia. I mean typically the cases I read about occur when abuse with amphetamines are done, but still you should always be cautious.
 
Undecipherable said:
Have you tried downloading some soft music on to an iPod or something? It might help you get into a "zone". It helps me whenever I have my iPod/it's charged.
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I think I'm too much of a monochronic person to be able to listen to music and study at the same time :laugh:
 
Just FYI, the testing process for ADHD is pretty long and extensive and involves lengthy, repeated performance tests as well as questionnaires... If you want to go seek a diagnosis, go to someone who will actually test you rather than someone who will hand you pills.

For those of you who keep saying ADHD is a myth, read a couple of journal articles. Look up the brain scans. There are differences in frontal lobe activity and dopamine/norepinephrine usage that are physically measurable.

And one of the symptoms of ADHD is hyperfocus (it's either there or it's not, when you reach for it, and it's more likely to be "there" when you're pursuing some immediate reward - hence better concentration on things like games which are reward-stacked.)

Stimulant medications have their own side effects and they are not always a perfect solution for everyone who takes them. And some people need them more than others. The entire business of psychiatric and neurological medication is very fiddly and lacking in magic bullets, but that doesn't mean it's not possible for people who are experiencing lower functionality to experience higher functionality with a good prescribing doctor on their side.

Oh, and that person who said "If you have horrible study habits, you're going to be able to study horribly for longer periods of time and with more focus." was spot on. There's the "oh, wow, I'm functional now!" period, followed by the "... and I spent my life compensating for being less functional and now my compensation skills are shooting me in the foot" period. That is why therapy is recommended with such things. 😀
 
Tired said:
So his psychiatrist completed a history and physical, prescribed Adderall, but you're going to "recommend against taking it" if he has a family history of schizophrenia because you saw an article somewhere this one time?
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:laugh: +1

Also, the doses generally used by amphetamine abusers are generally at least double and sometimes up to 10 times the doses prescribed for ADHD. I was curious one day, so I looked it up. Explains why ADHD sufferers are unlikely to develop amphetamine psychosis or have their teeth fall out for that matter.
 
I remember during freshmen year, my friend took ritalin before studying for an exam and he's like "Dude, I exactly remember everything I read" lmao.
 
Tired said:
So his psychiatrist completed a history and physical, prescribed Adderall, but you're going to "recommend against taking it" if he has a family history of schizophrenia because you saw an article somewhere this one time?
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I know you want to paint me as a "know it all" premed who doesn't know **** on the topic but you're being completely naive. These drugs have been prescribed in the past and currently, to people who don't even have ADHD. In addition, it's not just psychiatrists who prescribe this medication, and the research that has been coming out on psychosis induced from chronic/acute (acute as in abuse, and yes generally this risk is associated only when abuse occurs) amphetamine use is not "just one article", that's just completely naive to say, the research dates back to 1965 (and perhaps before) on the link between chronic/acute amphetamine use and presentation of psychosis in patients.

Now is it a common experience? No. certainly it's the exception to the rule. In fact, it is a different type of psychosis than what one typically sees in chronic suffers aka schizophrenia. Typically the reports show that patients return to baseline after the amphetamine use has stopped. Some patients however, do not. And it does represent a risk. Novel research has shown a particular vulnerability of patients who are genetically predisposed (aka have family history of schizophrenia) to acquiring stimulant induced psychosis. Now does every doctor who prescribes this medication take a thorough history? Well given that there is a significant percentage of patients getting this medication who don't even have ADHD, I'm going to assume maybe/maybe not. In an ideal world, Dr. Perfect takes a thorough history and physical, makes sure the patient is mentally stable and not prone to abusing the drug, goes through the gambit of testing to make sure the ADHD is a likely diagnosis. In the real world, I think there's some trade offs...In addition people can just get amphetamines through illegal means bypassing the doctor completely.

Now I was saying in the original context of this thread, that for people who don't suffer from ADHD, using amphetamines to enhance "academic performance" is not advisable because the risks (which I commented on just one type of risk - supported by the literature) outweigh the benefits. For someone with ADHD, that's a decision to be made between the person's psychiatrist and themself, obviously. Don't put words in my mouth to fit your own image.
 
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Eric01 said:
I know you want to paint me as a "know it all" premed who doesn't know **** on the topic but you're being completely naive. These drugs have been prescribed in the past and currently, to people who don't even have ADHD. In addition, it's not just psychiatrists who prescribe this medication, and the research that has been coming out on psychosis induced from chronic/acute (acute as in abuse, and yes generally this risk is associated only when abuse occurs) amphetamine use is not "just one article", that's just completely naive to say, the research dates back to 1965 (and perhaps before) on the link between chronic/acute amphetamine use and presentation of psychosis in patients.

Now is it a common experience? No. certainly it's the exception to the rule. In fact, it is a different type of psychosis than what one typically sees in chronic suffers aka schizophrenia. Typically the reports show that patients return to baseline after the amphetamine use has stopped. Some patients however, do not. And it does represent a risk. Novel research has shown a particular vulnerability of patients who are genetically predisposed (aka have family history of schizophrenia) to acquiring stimulant induced psychosis. Now does every doctor who prescribes this medication take a thorough history? Well given that there is a significant percentage of patients getting this medication who don't even have ADHD, I'm going to assume maybe/maybe not. In an ideal world, Dr. Perfect takes a thorough history and physical, makes sure the patient is mentally stable and not prone to abusing the drug, goes through the gambit of testing to make sure the ADHD is a likely diagnosis. In the real world, I think there's some trade offs...

Now I was saying in the original context of this thread, that for people who don't suffer from ADHD, using amphetamines to enhance "academic performance" is not advisable because the risks (which I commented on just one type of risk - supported by the literature) outweigh the benefits. For someone with ADHD, that's a decision to be made between the person's psychiatrist and themself, obviously. Don't put words in my mouth to fit your own image.
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The orginal premise was only taking the meds once in a while such as during finals week or a major test like the MCAT. Not popping pills one after the other for every little quiz. I'm sure if you can control it to once in a couple months it would be alright...
 
In pharmacology we were told that every can benefit from amphetamines, not just patients with ADHD. While on rotation I asked a senior staff neurologist about it. He agreed: everyone benefits from it. If you aren't taking it then you better have a good reason (heart problem, history of drug abuse, and the like). He also suggested MAO-B inhibitors (think selegiline, rasagiline, or other drugs traditionally used for Parkinsons, etc.) for the pansies. At pharmacological doses (read: not the super high ones used for abuse) he suggested there is limited dependence or risk of abuse.
 
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Last year I saw people snorting these medications, I think it's what you're talking about. Probably not the best idea.
 
Narcotic said:
A large number of kids in my college use these drugs during finals week/studying for the MCATs. They obviously don't have ADHD from what I know, but what are your opinions on the use of these drugs to enhance academic performance? I'm asking this because this past semester I received a horrible gpa of 2.95 (freshman). I never thought I could have ADHD, but sometimes I feel i'm not motivated/focused and feel I too should get "diagnosed". I know alot of pre-meds have used it, but seriously..isn't there anyone out there that has done well on the MCATs with a 4.0 gpa that hasn't relied on these drugs?
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Dude, if you have a problem sitting down to study and its a genuine medical condition by all means do what you have to do.

But, I never did. I worked full time through college (more than 45 hrs a week), have a 3.91 GPA (Biochem major), did research, tutored, played in a band while having a wife and kids. O, and due to my wife having life threatening medical condition I didnt go to school for weeks one semester, but I walked out with a 4.0 after finals.

MCAT-studied six weeks. Got up at 4 AM, studied till 7. Went to work. Got off at 6, studied till 12, made a 32. Worked 7 days a week too.

Did all that, and listened to Dumba** premeds tell me they had to take those drugs because they didnt have enough time to study.

If you dont have a genuine medical condition, you can do it. The battle begins in the mind.

P.S. Im not some super genius either. If I was, I wouldnt have dropped out of high school.
 
Barcu said:
I know of people using them, and honestly, I don't know of any really successful student who does use them.

I'm not hear to say "drugs are bad, mmmkay." Maybe I'm just not aware of the good students who take them. But the only people I know who use them are those that need to focus all night to cram because they didn't study until the night before the test.
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I dated a man who used adderall and xanax senior year. He went to the "public ivy," if that is not more of a regional title, was a double major (in 4 years), always on the dean's list, and was earning a double "distinguished major" classification for a 100-some-page thesis that was written in French on some topic in his second major. . . He was a ball of nerves that year, and despite a tendency toward self-medication, he was brilliant.

I don't think OP should touch the stuff. Go to a psychiatrist or neurologist first, OP; don't self-medicate. But one can't say that ridiculously smart people aren't using the stuff.
 
qwertyytrewq said:
Adderall is for cheaters and to me its basically a legalized street drug.
.
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Dude, have you tried Klonopin? Talking about a legalized street drug. . .

And anyway, it's not legalized if you're taking it without it having been prescribed to you. It's also not a street drug, either, if a pharmaceutical company controls distribution.
 
meh..you can get your doc to Rx you whatever you want if you feel like it, not difficult.
As for adderall, its good, mostly useful for recreation, or for the start of a 12-16 hr cram session.
If you are pushing beyond a 8 or 12 hr session or skipping a sleep cycle, you definitely need modafinil.
The only thing I would say is to watch your addy dose if you are also taking a high dose ssri/snri, as the synergistic effect can be unnerving for amateurs.
 
Celerity said:
Dumba** premeds tell me they had to take those drugs because they didnt have enough time to study.
Click to expand...

I just wanted to comment that different people have different levels of sleep need. I for one have a sleep phase disorder and until I found something that worked for it (incidentally - it was a treatment for something else that just happened to fix my sleep schedule), I usually couldn't fall asleep until dawn and then couldn't wake up for a good nine or ten hours.

Now I can actually short my sleep schedule and function reasonably well, and I can get up in the morning and go to bed at night, too, though sometimes, like now, I choose not to and screw around on the Internet instead. ;-) Still can't manage on 4 hours a night, but I can do, say, 6 in the week and 8 on weekends... I would have fallen asleep at the wheel if I tried that before.

Sometimes people are prescribed stimulants for various types of sleep disorders involving increased sleep need. And, even outside the realm of disorders, there are many people who genuinely need more sleep than you. At least, Harvard Medical School seems to think so. 👍
 
ILikeDrugs said:
If you have horrible study habits, you're going to be able to study horribly for longer periods of time and with more focus. :laugh:
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OMG Win!

This thread is making me paranoid. What's that called where you hear a list of symptoms/conditions and you start seeing it everywhere?
 
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