Adderall

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Nvr Ending Jrny

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Hey. My friend (also pre-med) always takes adderall the night before an exam because he says it helps him study. I always thought this was for kids/adults with ADD? Is he doing something harmful?

Is this serious in any way and should I talk to him about it or is it not a big deal?
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ummmmm *shakes head* So... tell us more about YOUR FRIEND... is his name "Never n-ding Journey"
 
i was afraid people would say that. I use many drugs, but Adderall is not one of them. I don't do drugs to study, I do them NOT to study.

:laugh: ......uncomfortable laughter
 
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Originally posted by Nvr Ending Jrny
i was afraid people would say that. I use many drugs, but Adderall is not one of them. I don't do drugs to study, I do them NOT to study.

:laugh: ......uncomfortable laughter
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Dude, call me an old fogey. Call me out of touch with you hip and cool kids. Call me a hypocritical puritanistic Republican bastard but don't you think you'd be better off not doing those "many drugs."

Also, your friend might consider keeping up with his studying, pacing himself as it were, so he doesn't have to cram the night before.
 
didnt rush limbaugh have a problem similar to this?
 
Originally posted by Panda Bear
Dude, call me an old fogey. Call me out of touch with you hip and cool kids. Call me a hypocritical puritanistic Republican bastard but don't you think you'd be better off not doing those "many drugs."

Also, your friend might consider keeping up with his studying, pacing himself as it were, so he doesn't have to cram the night before.
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I was joking about the "many" drugs. I use alcohol and I'll have an occasional joint (in the privacy of my own apartment). Anyways I really was just writing about my friend (and not myself). Obviously he could manage his time better but no matter what he won't listen to that argument. All I'm asking is this dangerous to his health? If it is I will do something, if it is not then I will still talk to him, but not to the point where he's gonna get pissed off.

Maybe I seem inconsiderate, but he has more problems then just this so if it's not a big one I don't feel the need to address it
 
Panda Bear, You are an old fogey. You're out of touch the hip and cool kids. Furthermore, you're a hypocritical puritanistic Republican bastard..


ps. you can call me anything, but late for dinner
 
Originally posted by DannGee
didnt rush limbaugh have a problem similar to this?
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kinda-sorta-not really........Rush was actually addicted to pain killers, not amphetamines.

Architect-students at my school are infamous for taking adderal to help them stay focused on their projects. I have friends (yes, friends, not me.....I can study w/out it thank you very much....plus I like to sleep and eat and don't wanna f*** that up) who take it to help them concentrate, and they say it works extremely well.......but, as with any amphetamine, I'm sure theres side effects like increased heart rate, decreased appetite, agitation/nervousness/anxiety,insomnia, and talking like a mo-fo

maybe if he has like an allergic reaction, gets an irregular heartbeat or starts hallucinating, then thats something to be concerned about.
 
Um, yeah, it's for people with ADD/ADHD. My sister (20) uses it, and I have to admit the personality change with regards to attention span is amazing, and definitely for the better!

On the flip side, there is a great deal of "underground" use of this drug in my hometown: my sister and her friends share it freely, and didn't hesitate to offer it to me once when they wanted me to stay out late and I argued that I had a long drive the next morning. Um...

I don't know what it does to people who aren't ADD/ADHD, and until I know I won't touch it. But if you do have attention problems, it seems to work like a charm.
 
is your friend aware of the fact that, as an amphetamine, it is a schedule II drug, which means there's a possibility of getting a charge equivalent to possession of cocaine if you're caught with it?
 
Originally posted by Sharkfan
I don't know what it does to people who aren't ADD/ADHD, and until I know I won't touch it. But if you do have attention problems, it seems to work like a charm.
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It actually does the exact same thing to people who aren't ADHD.
 
Originally posted by DannGee
is your friend aware of the fact that, as an amphetamine, it is a schedule II drug, which means there's a possibility of getting a charge equivalent to possession of cocaine if you're caught with it?
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well I was aware of that and told him...he said he already knew that so yes it seems though he is aware. he knows he won't get caught though. he gets it from his little (17 year old) brother.
 
Actually cocaine is schedule I.
 
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Originally posted by Nvr Ending Jrny
well I was aware of that and told him...he said he already knew that so yes it seems though he is aware. he knows he won't get caught though. he gets it from his little (17 year old) brother.
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you have told him that you are worried and think its wrong.

he knows that it is illegal to take if you dont have ADD.

he takes it from his brother that actually needs it.

thats great. looks like he isnt gonna change his habits regardless of what anyone tells him unless he does get caught and learns a valuable lesson from it.
 
note: you can't BE adhd. You can only HAVE adhd. Saying that someone is ADHD or ADD is like saying someone is HIV.
 
also, stimulants are for incapable pansies.
 
Originally posted by subtlewonder
It's kind of interesting though to see how many people in college walk into classes with these huge Starbuck's coffee jugs...Everyone is so dependent on that stuff. My dad swears that Starbucks Coffee is more addicting than other types of coffee and thinks it has a little something "extra" in it....
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yes, good observation my friend. I am an avid coffee drinker, and I really try to not drink too much caffeine during the day. I only drink a cup in the morning with my breakfast.......but, I remember during MCAT season, it was a different story, I mean C'MON!!!!! Relearning circuits, optics, and reading boring-ass passages was so much easier with the jolt that good ol' caffeine gave me....not to mention that I had/have an endless supply.... SInce I'm from Colombia, we have bricks of that s*** at my house....oh, and I mean bricks of COFFEE, NOT bricks of anything else thank you, very much
wired--->:scared:
 
You gotta be kidding me:confused: Pot is schedule I and cocaine is schedule II.

10 bucks says this has something to do with the fact that coke was initially a rich white guy drug:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Homunculus
actually, like previously brought up, it's schedule II. it does have some nice vasoconstrictive properties that are useful in some medical procedures. :)
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Yeah I realize that now. For some reason I was pretty sure it was schedule I. I guess this is good for my coke habbit. All this time I thought it was as bad as doing pot like Cerb said.

Was coke not at some point in time, like before 1970 maybe, schedule I?
 
Originally posted by Cerberus
You gotta be kidding me:confused: Pot is schedule I and cocaine is schedule II.

10 bucks says this has something to do with the fact that coke was initially a rich white guy drug:rolleyes:
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it's not like it's in a powder form ready to snort, lol. it's usually compounded with other medications, like in TAC used on lacerations in the ER.
 
Originally posted by Homunculus
it's not like it's in a powder form ready to snort, lol. it's usually compounded with other medications, like in TAC used on lacerations in the ER.
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My ENT has it in some sort of spray form to numb pts so he can stick instruments in parts of their heads that were never meant to be probed. :)
 
Originally posted by DrMom
My ENT has it in some sort of spray form to numb pts so he can stick instruments in parts of their heads that were never meant to be probed. :)
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ENT's use quite a bit of it. in fact, there *is* a powdered form they use for some nasal procedures-- which is part of the reason i knew it wasn't schedule I-- my dad is a pharmacist and he has a bottle of it in the narc cabinet.
 
Originally posted by Homunculus
my dad is a pharmacist and he has a bottle of it in the narc cabinet.
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No that's a cool dad! I thought having a father who was a GYN with all those pictures was cool, but that tops it. "Hey dad can I borrow the car keys -- you know, the ones on the same ring as the key to the blow supply" :laugh:

Ed
 
As an aspiring physician I think it is dangerous and foolish to be doing drugs for many reasons.

1. You get caught, well there goes you're career.
2. As a physician you'll have access to prescription meds, if you can't resist the temptation now, you'll have problems later.
3. Dealing with the pressure of undergrad is nothing compared to med school and practice, learn to cope w/o drugs now.

I say this b/c I used to do many drugs until I realized how stupid I was.

Just my .02 cents.
 
Originally posted by cardsurgguy
Yeah, that's definitely not good. Adderall contains amphetamines, which can be addictive. That's actually the first topic, in a big red square they give as a warning on this page (it's the drug database on medline).

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a601234.html
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Thanks for this info. Sounds a bit too heavy for my tastes. Amphetamine? Addictive? No thanks! Even if it will help me focus and I do NOT have ADD/ADHD... no way. I can focus on my own, thankyouverymuch.
 
Originally posted by Cerberus
caffeine does nothing for me and I have to take my adderall intravenously. Its hard times for the cerbman
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The sublingual dissolving tablet is good too, and less painful.
 
Originally posted by Megalofyia
The sublingual dissolving tablet is good too, and less painful.
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I think he has a central line...can't be risking phlebitis with all of the crap he takes.
 
Originally posted by Homunculus
it's not like it's in a powder form ready to snort, lol. it's usually compounded with other medications, like in TAC used on lacerations in the ER.
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Well, I meant cocaine in general. It just seems that if mj is gonna be schedule I, something like coke should definitely be schedule I.

*tries to cover adderall track marks with long sleeve shirt*
 
Originally posted by Homunculus
actually, like previously brought up, it's schedule II. it does have some nice vasoconstrictive properties that are useful in some medical procedures. :)
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Essentially, it is both vasoconstrictive and anesthetic when used on mucus membranes. 10% in saline misted into the nose, or soaked onto cotton and packed into the nose is just much better than epinepherine + lidocaine in saline, which is essentially the only alternative.
 
Originally posted by ewing
Essentially, it is both vasoconstrictive and anesthetic when used on mucus membranes. 10% in saline misted into the nose, or soaked onto cotton and packed into the nose is just much better than epinepherine + lidocaine in saline, which is essentially the only alternative.
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I remember from my pharm class that it used to be used as a local anesthetic for dental procedures...gets rid of pain and minimizes bleeding.
 
I have to say that drugs are bad mmmkay :)

Now that I got that out, I was addicted to caffeine really bad in high school, at on point I had to sit down and be held cause I was shaking too much, which reminds me do not mix caffeine pills with more caffiene and candy,,,,just doesnt work :).......Now I am not allowed to have the pills(mans wishes) and I am forced to either sleep, drink red bull, or coffee.......hmm I wonder if I mixed coffee and red bull what would happen :)


Is anyone in fear though that you will become immune to caffiene before getting to med school?:scared: :scared:
 
not really immune.......I just wish that I could somehow get the alertedness without the jitters. I worked on a research project over the summer that involved surgically inducing stroke on mice by inserting a blunted suture into their teeeeeny common carotid artery and feeding it all the way to the middle cerebral a. When I would drink coffee with my breakfast, this microsurgery was made 50x harder because of my trembling hands. Hmmmmm
I wonder if surgeons drink coffee?
 
I was heavily using dexadrine (an ampethamine) during undergrad. I was prescribed it but I would only take it when I needed to study. Honestly, I have no idea why I was being prescribed it in the first place. I just went and talked to the shrink and told him I needed something to focus so I could study better. I guess he needed the business so he started prescribing.

I would say that dex gave me the ability to achieve grades that I couldn't have otherwise, with few physical problems. The main problem was that it made you crave other stimulants - like nicotine (I was a smoker at the time) and caffeine (drank a lot of pepsi and coffee).

I stopped it all cold turkey once I graduated.

I would say the determining factor whether or not someone should consider using a stimulant for academic purposes (and this practice was VERY VERY common just a few years ago, especially in medical schools) is their relationship with the drug. If they see the drug as a tool that will get them through a difficult situation and only use it in certain situations -- you'll never experience a serious physical or emotional attachment to it.

But if you begin to really enjoy the pleasant feeling of being "sped up" or how is makes you more "out-going" and then you begin to take it for reasons other than you originally intended. It's time to stop.

That's my .02, but I definitely appreciate the views of everyone else who has posted on this thread.
 
It's when people are crushing them up to snort them, taking them all the time outside of school, and taking a sickly high amount that I start to worry.
 
Megalofyia said:
Actually cocaine is schedule I.
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Cocaine is sched II. Sched I drugs "have no theraputic purpose" and can't be prescribed at all.

Cocaine HCL is used for anesthesia in some plastics procedures, and in some optho procedures, IIRC.

Its amazing to see a 16 oz bottle of USP pure cocaine (for about $400 last time I saw one). Imagine the possibilites if one was unethical.
 
flighterdoc said:
Cocaine is sched II. Sched I drugs "have no theraputic purpose" and can't be prescribed at all.

Cocaine HCL is used for anesthesia in some plastics procedures, and in some optho procedures, IIRC.

Its amazing to see a 16 oz bottle of USP pure cocaine (for about $400 last time I saw one). Imagine the possibilites if one was unethical.
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I'm pretty sure the fact that is it schedule II has ALREADY been discussed. I made a mistake; I was under the impression that it was schedule I.
But thanks for bringing this up..... again.
 
NikkiFSU said:
Someone said that stimulants are for *******, which is ridiculous.
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Well...you are of the female anatomy, and frankly your posts for adderall is quite ridiculous. Do you work for Shire on the side?
 
Adderall won't save you in the Operating Room. Get used to being skilled on your own merit, not on that of a drug. If you take Adderrall and you don't have ADD, you are officially a weak sauce. :thumbdown:
 
what about a methylphenidate? or the new nonstimulating Strattera?
 
Methyphenidate (Ritalin) is also a stimulant like adderall only it doesn't last as long and is apparenlty easier to crush and snort.

You have to take Strattera for awhile for it to start working well so it wouldn't be a good drug just to take for the purposes of studying for one exam. Not to mention Strattera has some side effects that wouldn't be good while waiting for it to work just for that one test. It can cause alot of drowsiness and nausia.
 
NikkiFSU said:
Someone said that stimulants are for *******, which is ridiculous. I know that I used to read the same page over and over and drift in class and take hours to do something my friends could do in 20 minutes. It is so frustrating. I was prescribed adderall and pulled my grades up 20 points by getting high A's on 3/4 my exams last semester. I only take it for studying. Spring break, I didn't touch it. It isn't much of a problem, ya know? Sitting through the 8 hour MCAT Saturday would have been impossible otherwise. I won't take them except for studying, because I refuse to get a tolerance and be used to taking them on a routine basis. Yes, adderall is addictive, and you need to be careful with it.

However, I think taking adderall is FINE even if you aren't prescribed it. The entire college lifestyle is just so out of control and revolves around last minute cramming, etc. I know those of you at big party schools like mine feel me because so many people procrastinate and put things off. During exams, so much of your grade is determined, and it can be VERY overwhelming to have so much studying in such a short time period, especially for those like me who blew off a lot because of MCAT prep. Also, balancing a job and social life with soooo much work is hard. When people have to get done a LOT in a short time period, adderall is the key for many. I think that there is nothing wrong with occasionally using it if one has to pull an all-nighter or get a ton of work done. The end justifies the means. I support it all the way. It's when people are crushing them up to snort them, taking them all the time outside of school, and taking a sickly high amount that I start to worry.
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I completely agree with everything you stated.
 
The Adderall may not be such a bad venture at this point in time...if the rumors about physicians and their predilection for drugs is true, the OP's friend will fit right in! ;)
 
If you are taking adderral so you can 'get more done' and achieve more in medical school, you really need to look at the bigger picture. There should be no reason to use such a drug during medical school. Those drugs aren't 100% safe taken recreationally.

Cocaine is a drug that a lot of people like, but it made me really jittery. I don't like that feeling. For an occasional high(or more a "low" high), give me Klonopin or 3 mg xanax or something.
 
I work with students with disabilities, including ADHD...I've also been working around premeds for three years. Here's why I think drugs are good for some people and bad for others (like your friend).

The meds help students with attention deficit disorders function in the 'normal' range of the bell curve. They're designed to 'level the playing field,' not give them an edge. Because these people are otherwise functioning well below average in certain areas, the risks of taking the drugs are outweighed by the significant benefits they provide to the student.

For normal, highly intelligent, highly motivated people, using these drugs is simply not worth the risk. Using drugs as a crutch prevents your friend from developing the life skills necessary to cope with the pressure s/he will be under for the rest of their life. I say, if people at your level CAN function without them, there's no excuse to use them.

Good luck with your friend. Good luck to you :) you're a good friend to be concerned.
 
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