Could you do med school without...

[gbiz]

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Could you do med school without our good friend caffeine????
(actually, I can only have a very limited amount of it else I get migraines and horrible muscle twitches)


Anyways, anyone ever hear of med students taking ADD drugs to help them study?

 

[RunMimi]

Anyways, anyone ever hear of med students taking ADD drugs to help them study?

This is a very bad idea. I had some friends wrapped up in this and it didn't end pretty. This is perscription drug abuse!!! Please find another outlet, think exercise, meditation, or whatever works for you.

 

[melimi]

not just med students, college students do it too
it actually works, u can usually find someone w/ adhd on campus thatll sell em $1/pill
as long as u dont take like 5 ad's at the same time, ur ok, itll keep u up

 

[fun8stuff]

Could you do med school without our good friend caffeine????
(actually, I can only have a very limited amount of it else I get migraines and horrible muscle twitches)


Anyways, anyone ever hear of med students taking ADD drugs to help them study?

yeah, even people in undergrad do this. There was a pretty big post about this in the allo forum a few months ago...

 

[ElKapitan]

I have heard of kids doing coke for the first time while in Med school. I think it is surprising how many partying users there are in Medical school. Actually, one of the smartest guys I know is at Penn and he would smoke all the time in undergrad. Taking some ridilin to study for a test isn't the biggest deal in my book. Then again, I would never take ridilin to study, even if I was failing.

 

[gbiz]

When my friend told me of this, I was just shocked. I mean, these are supposed to be med students, those who are learning to heal and help; one of the most important parts of your health is how you maintain your body, and to be abusing these drugs by med students just shocked me.

I had never even heard of this until like a month ago...

So what side affects do you think they might face?

 

[Mitro]

Anyways, anyone ever hear of med students taking ADD drugs to help them study?

My roommate did this the night before he had three papers due. Something like 40 total pages to be written. He combined it was several no-doze and spent the night booting in the bathroom - classic 👍

 

[melimi]

dude, no side effects whatsoever
i believe most people are ok w/ just 2-3 ritalins at a time (depends on dose)
all it does is give u a major boost of energy, like drinking a LOT of coffee
now..... don't go up to 4 at once is all i'm saying
cuz at that point u feel like ur gonna have a heart attack and die ... and theres a good chance u will

 

[gbiz]

Should people, who are going to one day be doctors, be abusing prescription drugs, in order to become a doctor???!!!????!!!!

 

[gbiz]

How does ritalin actually work?

 

[Megalofyia]

Just be aware that there are some people out there that cant take even small doses of stimulant medications with out having major issues. So you might want to be careful with telling people they can take 2 or 3 random pills.. I know that when ever I take even just 2.5 mg of ritalin I feel like I am having a heart attack. It really isn't a pleasant feeling.

 

[Megalofyia]

How does ritalin actually work?

Its a stimulant.. so it increases heart rate, blood pressure, it increases the release of dopamine and NE.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

This is a very bad idea. I had some friends wrapped up in this and it didn't end pretty. This is perscription drug abuse!!! Please find another outlet, think exercise, meditation, or whatever works for you.

why, what happened?

hey it's great news that now coffee has been found to limit liver cancer 👍 so drink all you want

 

[Psycho Doctor]

When my friend told me of this, I was just shocked. I mean, these are supposed to be med students, those who are learning to heal and help; one of the most important parts of your health is how you maintain your body, and to be abusing these drugs by med students just shocked me.

I had never even heard of this until like a month ago...

So what side affects do you think they might face?

yea but even med students will do what they have to to get through

 

[Wilbury]

Could you do med school without our good friend caffeine????


I asked my uncle this question. He went to med school and did his residency at John's Hopkins and is a neuroradiologist (sounds big, but is he actually quite humble about it). He said he barely ever drank coffee in med school, but residency was a little more difficult. In any case, it was not five cups a day.

 

[gbiz]

Wow, I never knew it was a stimulant... and we give that to our overactive kids??

My ex-gf was on ritalin (ADD)... now I understand somethings knowing its a stimulant 🙂





I LOVE COfEE, but i cant have the caffeine. Decaf 🙂

 

[gbiz]

Its a stimulant.. so it increases heart rate, blood pressure, it increases the release of dopamine and NE.

Similiar to Ephedrine HCL? (Ephedra, Ma Huang?)

 

[MikeyK]

Adderall is a wonder drug for studying. Take like 5-10 mg and you'll enjoy having your head in a book for 10 straight hours. The only problem is that it is habit forming, and it's easy to see why because it makes you feel amazing (it is an amphetamine). But, if you take it every once in a while it can be a great help. Sooo... forge yourself a script in med school. Just Kidding.

 

[Newman8r]

How does ritalin actually work?

it mimics the catecholamines (like dopamine, norepinephrine)

and in a drawn out process, the presynaptic neuron tries to store the amphetamines, and catecholamines leak into the synapse. The amphetamines also occupy reuptake pumps, so the catecholamine NTs stay in the synapse longer.

many of the alerting affects may be due to the stimulation of neurons in the locus ceruleus.

this is just what I have remembered, filled in with some info from a textbook.

Chronic use can lead to an 'amphetamine psychosis'. Withdrawal (sometimes after one dose) can lead to depression and suicidal ideation.

My textbook also states that "abusers of amphetamine-like drugs may be at greater risk of developing movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease"


I agree, taking methylphenidate once in a while to stay up and study is probably not a big deal, however I have never tried it (and I don't intend to, but who knows)


According to my textbook, "there is no good evidence for permanent behavioral or personality disruption"

 

[Newman8r]

Similiar to Ephedrine HCL? (Ephedra, Ma Huang?)

yes incredibly similar in structure to ephedrine - except that ephedrine does not cross the blood-brain barrier well, so you don't get the CNS effects. You do, however get the PNS effects

 

[Newman8r]

dude, no side effects whatsoever

I really hope you don't believe this. And if you do, please don't tell this to other people


there ARE side effects, on many different levels.

 

[Newman8r]

dude, no side effects whatsoever
i believe most people are ok w/ just 2-3 ritalins at a time (depends on dose)
all it does is give u a major boost of energy, like drinking a LOT of coffee
now..... don't go up to 4 at once is all i'm saying
cuz at that point u feel like ur gonna have a heart attack and die ... and theres a good chance u will

also, as a note, the mechanism of action between caffeine and amphetamines is TOTALLY different. like... not even kind of the same - it's not "like drinking a lot of coffee"

 

[RJSpaulding]

-growth supression
-seizures
-dependency, absue (no way, really? 😉
-arrythmia
-toxic psychosis

and the list goes on....(obtained info from Epocrates for the PDA)

 

[Newman8r]

-growth supression
-seizures
-dependency, absue (no way, really? 😉
-arrythmia
-toxic psychosis

and the list goes on....(obtained info from Epocrates for the PDA)

the growth suppression is really only a concern in children. It is interesting, though - children who take methylphenidate during the school year and stop for the summer experience this first hand

 

[fun8stuff]

-growth supression
-seizures
-dependency, absue (no way, really? 😉
-arrythmia
-toxic psychosis

and the list goes on....(obtained info from Epocrates for the PDA)

mhmm... toxic psychoisis

 

[UDbiochem]

a goal of mine through med school is not to depend on caffeine... i survived college without it, here's for trying...

 

[melimi]

-growth supression
-seizures
-dependency, absue (no way, really? 😉
-arrythmia
-toxic psychosis

and the list goes on....(obtained info from Epocrates for the PDA)

hum, i didnt experience any of those even tho i was taking up to 5 ritz per day. but maybe thats just because i was an e-**** for 2 years before that. so yeah, don't use my situation as an ex. cuz it prob doesnt really feel like drinking a lot of coffee to normal people.

 

[viciousstreak]

Of course it's possible.

Personally, I really don't see much improvement in terms of energy after consuming caffeine. I still plan on consuming caffeine (doubt I could give up my diet soda 😛) in med school, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I depend on it.

I've tried adderall, and again, I wasn't all too impressed. I've taken it a handful of times during times when I had a lot on my plate, and yeah, I could concentrate and I got stuff done, but it's hard to see what kind of contribution adderall had considering when I have an exam the next day, I don't find it very difficult to get myself to study for a long period of time the night before.

maybe i'm strange, but i've never found it particularly difficult to concentrate or study. i guess i'm too anxious and worried about my grades to begin with that it is highly unlikely that i would have a problem where I couldn't stay awake and attentive. but who knows how it'll be once i'm in med school.

also-- i have quite a bit of experience with ephedra, and while i don't mind the loss of appetite, the stuff makes me nauseous as hell. i'm taking stacker III w/ ephedra right now and am in an odd place because one pill doesn't do anything anymore, but two pills makes me feel like i'm ready to have a heart attack. unsurprisingly, i've found it harder to be productive when my hands are shaking to the point where i can't write legibly easily and i feel like my heart is about to explode. i would not recommend it.

 

[gbiz]

Man, I used to take MiniThin 50/50 (standardized for 50 mg ephedra alkaloids, 50 mg caffeine)... that stuff was so fricken strong...

I got some ephedrine HCl with 12.5 mgs per dosage, thats enough of it! If I took that stuff often, Id feel nausia and its just too much for my CV system. Thats the 12.5 mg one Im talking about. I took probably 5 pills across two weeks, and it made me feel great; but I just couldnt take anymore of it after two weeks.

I dunno, I dont think I could ever even try ADHD drugs- even if I was ADHD (i think i am to an extent actually, and my younger bro has ADD), I wouldnt want to take anything that alters me like those do.

 

[gbiz]

also-- i have quite a bit of experience with ephedra, and while i don't mind the loss of appetite, the stuff makes me nauseous as hell. i'm taking stacker III w/ ephedra right now and am in an odd place because one pill doesn't do anything anymore, but two pills makes me feel like i'm ready to have a heart attack. unsurprisingly, i've found it harder to be productive when my hands are shaking to the point where i can't write legibly easily and i feel like my heart is about to explode. i would not recommend it.

Out of curiousity, where do they still sell stacker III with ephedra? I still have a $hit load of MiniThins, but I never take them b/c they are too strong and caffeine gives me migraines and muscle twitches. Ephedrine HCl is still legal to sell, just not marketed as a diet aid. I am not really sure if herbal forms (Ma Haung or Ephedra) are legal to sell if they are not marketed as a diet aid, but I know Ephedrine HCl is.

But all of those metabolism boosters throw in a ton of caffeine and too much ephedra for me.

 

[viciousstreak]

Out of curiousity, where do they still sell stacker III with ephedra? I still have a $hit load of MiniThins, but I never take them b/c they are too strong and caffeine gives me migraines and muscle twitches. Ephedrine HCl is still legal to sell, just not marketed as a diet aid. I am not really sure if herbal forms (Ma Haung or Ephedra) are legal to sell if they are not marketed as a diet aid, but I know Ephedrine HCl is.

But all of those metabolism boosters throw in a ton of caffeine and too much ephedra for me.

diet pills containing ephedra are actually illegal to sell in the US, as far as I know. I purchased them online from a particular auction site 😉 but the seller never explicitly said they contain ephedra. he just took a picture of the bottle, making sure the ingredients list was clearly visible... i could be wrong, but i thought i heard somewhere that in some states stores can still products containing ephedra assuming they had the products from before March 2003. they just can't order more or sell them. Who knows what the legalities are and what can and cant' be done, but as far as I know, ephedra is easy to find on the internet.

 

[gbiz]

diet pills containing ephedra are actually illegal to sell in the US, as far as I know. I purchased them online from a particular auction site 😉 but the seller never explicitly said they contain ephedra. he just took a picture of the bottle, making sure the ingredients list was clearly visible... i could be wrong, but i thought i heard somewhere that in some states stores can still products containing ephedra assuming they had the products from before March 2003. they just can't order more or sell them. Who knows what the legalities are and what can and cant' be done, but as far as I know, ephedra is easy to find on the internet.

Ive seen some sites selling the original metabolife with ephedra for $180 a bottle!!!!!

Ephedrine HCl is simple to find, and cheap, and you can get it alone. I dont trust the other stuff put into the herbal things; i read a study that showed how contaminated those are, very insteresting. A lot are really high in mercury! Whereas Ephedrine HCl isnt herbal, and its easy to find. VascaroPro is one brand off the top of my head.

 

[lizbjrddnr]

This is rather disgusting, talking about the joys and specifica how-tos of prescription drug abuse, which is oh-so-illegal... I vote to close it and strike it from the pretty decent record of SDN...

 

[funshine]

I agree that it's disturbing. And I remember reading on some other thread on here that one of the interviewers asked a hypothetical question like "If you had to take a pill to make you smarter, and you couldn't get into med school any other way, would you do it?" The only side effect was that you'd lose a decade of your life. I believe the interviewer said afterwards that HE WOULD TAKE IT, which I found very disturbing. Now, I don't think he had ritalin/ephedrin/whatever in mind when he was asking this question, but I don't see any difference between this hypothetical "SMART pill" and drugs that help you concentrate! From my experience with others, I've come to the conclusion that part of being intelligent is how well you focus on the task at hand.

Perhaps the purpose of this question was to see how determined you were to get into med school and become a doctor, but I still think it's wrong.

 

[Dr.Cait]

I admire the fact that you all want to do well in med school or college, but I view this topic like I do steriods in sports. How can you take full credit for hitting massive homeruns if you know you've been using performance enhancing drugs? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if they are being used to help people achieve better grades, ephedrin, ritalin and adderal should all be considered performance enhancing drugs. Not to mention that they are perscription drugs, and without a script, are being obtained illegally.

By the way, on MTV, there was a "True Life" episode on adderal users. It focused on addicts who use it to get better grades. It is addicting, and it is dangerous, so think about that next time you are counting on a pill to help you pass you exams.

👎

 

[Sapper41]

What ever happened to good ole' self discipline? I went to a school when I was in the army and we slept oly about 45-90 min a night and only ate once a day, and most of us were still able to function and pass our written tests and do tons of other things. Its not that hard. Just reach deep down inside, and motivate yourself. Using drugs and other supplemetns to keep you awake are just a crutch, and if you are heavyly dependent on them it might be a sign that you dont have what it takes to be make somehting out of yourself on your own. Just my two-cents. Sorry if I make anyone mad.

 

[melimi]

YEAHHHH!!!! drugs are BAAAD......mmmmmmmKaaayyy

 

[NRAI2001]

How could someone get some Adderal and please don't say search the SDN threads, bc thats fuking annoying.

 

[tkim]

This discussion about abuse of prescription drugs is over the top. If you do it, please don't mention it here. Asking questions about obtaining them without a prescription boggles the mind. Closing.