Adderall/Ritalin

[Stumpyman]

Don't think you have ADHD 'till you actually get it diagnosed.....

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[Negrodamus]

Funny. There was an article today in my newspaper that said stimulants give no more cognitive improvement than placebos.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/min...improve-grades-warns-canadian-medical-journal

It doesn't make you smarter, it always you to concentrate for longer periods of time.

 

[boobaunutz]

It doesn't make you smarter, it always you to concentrate for longer periods of time.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7173/full/4501157a.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v456/n7223/full/456702a.html

That wasn't my impression at all. It seems like they improve cognition in anyone. In patients with ADHD it helps control impulsivity and difficulties with attention - the corner-stones of a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactive disorder. And again, I think it would be stupid not to take them.

 

[Celerity]

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.

I wasn't commenting on people who are being responsible and need something extra to help. Those conditions are reasonable. What is not reasonable is partying all night every night, blowing off school work and then popping pills to get a good grade and then try to excuse it by saying you dont have the time to study. Sorry if I came off harsh, and I probably was not clear in the point I was trying to make.

 

[Eric01]

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7173/full/4501157a.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v456/n7223/full/456702a.html

That wasn't my impression at all. It seems like they improve cognition in anyone. In patients with ADHD it helps control impulsivity and difficulties with attention - the corner-stones of a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactive disorder. And again, I think it would be stupid not to take them.

I wouldn't agree to that, I don't think you would find a majority of physicians who agree with that. We don't know the threshold to damage in the human brain, we do know that this drug in large doses simulates damage sufficiently enough to mimic the same psychosis observed in psychotic patients, with both positive and negative symptoms. Now when one titrates the dosage down, is it still leading to brain damage, is there a proportional linear effect to dosage? What about time used? These questions to my knowledge are not adequately described by the literature. In addition, to a large segment of patients taking this drug, tolerance does occur and requires larger dosages of amphetamine to achieve previously similar effect.

 

[mmmcdowe]

The thing about ADHD meds is they tend to be less affective in people who have a good attention span to begin with. While they probably have some effect in just about everyone, they may not be as useful in most except for the added benefits of confidence to study and the physical rush.

 

[gettheleadout]

No, it doesn't.

What? There definitely are doctors that abuse drugs/alcohol while working, so how can you be so sure that X precursor abuse doesn't lead to it?

 

[young2sj]

I suppose I can offer a bit of insight from personal experience, having been on adderall for years, in hopes it might prove helpful.

Adderall doesn't do everything for me that other stimulants such as caffeine does for most people. I can't get 15 things done in the time it usually takes me to do 5, quite the opposite, actually. With adderall, I am extremely focused, to the point where I am very meticulous about every single task. It is helpful, I suppose, when studying, but only over an extended period of time. Taking a single dose of adderall 4-5 hours before an exam will buy you enough time to recognize trends among information, develop mnemonics, and even remember a couple formulas, but 90% of this information will likely be lost after the exam anyways. (and this information will have to be re-memorized before the next exam, which will be even more difficult for cumulative exams).
A simple Google search can tell you about the "dangers" associated with adderall, like abuse. And yes, I've used and abused it many times before, sometimes unintentionally, so be careful.

best of luck.

 

[Goblue89]

I clicked on this thread before logging in and an ad for Synaptol came up. "Enjoy safe ADD/ADHD symptom relief with all natural Synaptol". Made my night

 

[Hastur]

The thing about ADHD meds is they tend to be less affective in people who have a good attention span to begin with. While they probably have some effect in just about everyone, they may not be as useful in most except for the added benefits of confidence to study and the physical rush.

And not even necessarily confidence - they can also cause anxiety (particularly in people who don't need them, or in people who do but took too much.) So, yeah.

 

[bajoneswadup]

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.

If somebody has a script in college for adderall/vyvanse, which is what this thread is about, and he becomes a doctor, why wouldn't he be able to still take them? That's what I was saying...

 

[gettheleadout]

If somebody has a script in college for adderall/vyvanse, which is what this thread is about, and he becomes a doctor, why wouldn't he be able to still take them? That's what I was saying...

Well then there was a miscommunication.

I've already stated in this thread that I have absolutely no problem with a doctor taking whatever legitimately prescribed medications they need.

 

[Jwalker]

My ADHD really came out during anatomy when I couldn't even focus on dissection because I was too busy looking around at everything. I'd go in for 12 hours on a Saturday and walk out feeling like I studied 40 minutes. That was after I left my laptop and cellphone in another room. Eliminated EVERY distraction possible. Scheduled out everything I needed to do. Had my preplanned breaks. All of that stuff. I'd just find myself daydreaming and staring at a friggin wall forever. I'd read a few pages and then have to reread because I realized I only remembered a couple of words. This theme was repeated over several months and when I desperately WANTED to focus. I actually got really depressed because I just couldn't remember anything or focus.

I thought I was the only one that did this. Good to know other people have this problem too.

 

[Jwalker]

Taking Adderrall before a test is like taking steriods before the olympics. (unless you actually have ADD)

Steroids will make you stronger. Adderall will not make you smarter. All adderall does is make people with legitimate attention span issues FOCUS. It's not some sort of pill you pop to become a braniac, it helps you focus. That's it.

 

[CodeBlu]

Re-read your own post. You told the person prescribed Adderall by a psychiatrist (who had, you know, actually met the person and talked to them) to consider not taking it if they have a family history of schizophrenia.

Feel free to conduct more literature reviews, but you might want to avoid giving medical advice until you actually have medical training.

Yes. This is terrible advice. Don't you think the psychiatrist had a family history when he examined and prescribed adderall?

 

[Eric01]

Re-read your own post. You told the person prescribed Adderall by a psychiatrist (who had, you know, actually met the person and talked to them) to consider not taking it if they have a family history of schizophrenia.

Feel free to conduct more literature reviews, but you might want to avoid giving medical advice until you actually have medical training.

I don't know what person you're referring to, I was responding to the OP who asked what the opinion was on taking these drugs simply for academic enhancement not ADHD. Also, taking into consideration that people get amphetamines from all types of sources, PCPs, Psychiatrists, or just from other people, you have to realize that there isn't always such a strong safety net when dealing with these things in the real world. How do you think so many people end up abusing these amphetamines in the first place? But the psychiatrist conducts such a thorough history and review of the patient's mental stability??

Look I should stop right there because I'm not at all trying to convey that my opinion is superior to a medical professionals in any way shape or form. I'm saying in the instances where a person is just trying to cheat the system and get amphetamines to use for academic enhancement have risks they should be aware about.

 

[ScholarStud]

Those drugs are good for cramming, but a good student rarely has to partake in such an act, and therefore most good students do not find the use of such drugs necessary.

You can achieve great concentration by going for no more than an hour without taking a break. Concentrating for 5 hrs straight without drugs is next to impossible, but with careful time management also unnecessary.

 

[CodeBlu]

They go buy crank or crystal on the street. We're not talking about oxycontin. Abuse/dependence from medical sources for amphetamines is a relatively small problem.



Yes. Or at least more than you can do over the internet.



No please, keep going. This is fun.



You're cherry-picking a very rare side effect and playing it up, which is why I'm not taking you seriously. It's right up there with, "Smoking weed can cause psychosis, so you shouldn't do it." Both marijuana and Adderall can occassionally cause psychosis, but the chances are extremely slim, and there are many many better reasons not to abuse these drugs.

BTW - you should be aware that Tylenol can cause liver failure even at recommended doses, so if you have ever had a drink of alcohol you should consider avoiding it entirely. [/sarcasm]

I've heard patients get medical marijuana licenses to help combat the after effects of amphetamine come down.

 

[CodeBlu]

Give $50 to the dude behind the desk at any head shop, and he'll write down whatever you want on the card.

Hahahhahaha you're so right.

 

[Eric01]

Yes. Or at least more than you can do over the internet.


You're cherry-picking a very rare side effect and playing it up, which is why I'm not taking you seriously. It's right up there with, "Smoking weed can cause psychosis, so you shouldn't do it." Both marijuana and Adderall can occassionally cause psychosis, but the chances are extremely slim, and there are many many better reasons not to abuse these drugs.

BTW - you should be aware that Tylenol can cause liver failure even at recommended doses, so if you have ever had a drink of alcohol you should consider avoiding it entirely. [/sarcasm]

I never said that was the only side effect of using amphetamines and I even acknowledged it was a rare side effect, but that in certain circumstances i.e. family history of schizophrenia or abuse of the drug it's more potent. I simply said that because I had just finished reading about that, and I thought people on this board might not have heard about it and would have found it interesting and yes to discourage irresponsible use by cheating the system. I wasn't trying to grandstand from a podium of prohibition on all the reasons why you shouldn't do it. But yes there are many, which is why it shouldn't be prescribed to anyone without medical reasons for it outside of simply being lazy. I don't see why you have this need to characterize my posts beyond what I'm saying.

And yes, if you have a family history of schizophrenia you should come nowhere near marijuana either. It's actually estimated that around 8-10% of cases of schizophrenia could have been prevented if the relevant people never smoked it.

And if you have some genetic predisposition to acquiring liver failure from Tylenol, you shouldn't take Tylenol.

EDIT: of course earlier on I did say outside of those two circumstances (family history of schizophrenia and drug abuse) that we don't really know if there are negative effects on the brain or not i.e. (use over time/use with smaller dosages) for the population of patients where this side effect would be rare. But why even take the risk (and the other risks) if you don't have a medical reason for it? Ultimately you should build your own work ethic yourself if you don't have ADHD.