The Other Side of Adderall

There are 83 comments on The Other Side of Adderall

1. Stimulants increase your heart rate and keep you awake. That is what they do. Caffeine is a really terrifying stimulant, and yet it’s totally unscheduled. Articles like this serve to perpetuate the arbitrary distinction that already exists in our culture. Going to a competitive school is going to adversely affect your health, the question is, which is worse: drinking liters of caffeine cocktails, or taking one little blue pill?

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   1. Does caffeine lead to insomnia, dopamine deficiency and even Schizophrenia (not trying to scare anyone, you have to abuse adderall long term or take a huge dose at one time for this to happen). comparing caffeine and adderall is like comparing apples and oranges. adderall can alter your brain permanently caffeine just gives you a boost in the morning.

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      1. Both apples and oranges are sweet, similar in size, weight, and shape, both are grown in orchards, and both may be eaten, juiced, and so on. The only significant differences are in terms of seeds, structure the involvement of Johnny Appleseed, and color.

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      2. Using adderall should be for people who need it. For studying…stupid. For a little rush, stupid. And not only that..those idiots are ruining it for some people who Really need it to live. Its a miracle drug if you need it and are really looking for help and honestly not using pills to just cruise thru life but instead to stay alive. Its addictive but you have to ask yourself if you want to ruin something that can really help. regarding coffee/Caff. and actually they are not the same:
         Adderall and Coffee are very similar for the person who is really challenged. and they are about the closest in strength. If your flying around on adderall, your using way way too much. You almost never feel much when using correctly. under 50mg is advisable and eating also.
         People who don’t know about adderall always lump it together with Methamphetamine, and in that case, it is very different, and yet they are considered the same from the ignorant public. There is No neural toxicity with Amphetamine Sulfate or Dextroamphetmaine . No brain destroying properties. Its really like steroids and sports, so many experts and so little knowledge. Ritalin is so different also, I simply could not get hooked on Ritalin if I tried. It makes you feel like hell if you overdose and it hits 10x harder than Adderall.
         Yet people always say, oh it hits the receptors like Cocaine. Well guess what, the canebboid receptors for marajuana also get hit by…choclote. Can you impinge someone saying- oh that hershey, its just the same a tons of hits on weed. The receptor and the actions exerted are far more complicated. One good way to take adder all is think of all the cofactors.T These are things that make it work. Remember drugs never heal, not any, it is the human body. The use of stimulant medication is like a cast to guide the brain in the behavior you want. You would think nothing of wearing a cast for a broken leg, yet a damaged brain and the hard line anti drug folks would have you never wear a cast, good luckwith that. 20 years of suffering because I was raised by idiots like that. You got to be your own inner doctor and do the research. Its kinda pathetic when I read people say, just do what your doctor says. If your in a bad way, and wanting to die from dread and sadness and depression and hopelessness or being flatlined mentally all the time (foggy brain) there is lots of information out there. Also some more hints, don’t take vitamin C or acid in the am. A little bicarbonate in warm water is good for the body to make it less acidic and it can help with sipping.
         your own inner doctor means you look high and low for answers. I am 44 and started at 16 with Atkins Diet and Nautilus Bulletin for exercise which were both so quantum that they just finally started being accepted these days 40 years later. A great book, Pulling your own Strings on how to protect yourself from abusive people. A book People of the Lie by M Scott Peck is a very intense book about human evil and how to avoid it and spot it (be ready for this one), and one of the Greatest Men and the Greatest book of all in the same book.
         You need to want to get better. Its like sobriety, there are keys to it, its not just physical, and not just spiritual, and not just mental, and yet it is all of them and you work and work them and get the best help you can find, in the most honest manner, not looking for confirmations of what you want- Many are totally corrupt and just want to justify or have drama. And speaking of Drama, ask yourself How can I get drama out of my life and change my Words and Actions. They have power. I am Better, I am action, I am Love, I am valued by God of All things so f-uc@ off and I am moving on. I see so many women stuck on ex husbands and how they were wronged and so many shallow males doing stupid macho behavior and they are 40 and 50. They should be the leaders of society and then later the Elders and the Guides. Yet they are watching f-ing sunday football. Its a game, useless in every way. You have children and they are they are of your blood and you don’t have 15 minutes a day for a kid to Totally do whatever they want, even if its boring or tiring. Most don’t give 15 minutes of total attention. They might be together, but they are not listening and learning. What is Important to you? The kid and the Adult need to know those answers and then they need to know the Real Answer.
         there are answers and they are not 100% or black and white. I suffer the worst form of this brain fog I think ever existed. Its a hell no-one can imagine. Sometimes you literally cannot see while you look or hear what you are hearing or know who you are when you do. It is the evil of disconnection, like Weed it is a killer that is subtle. Its a defensive reaction of the body sometimes, but its gone haywire. I fought this searing vapor form of dread for things I never did. I understand how hideous one lady wrote or man, about it. I had to crawl on hands and knees to get out even somewhat. For me it was #1 Hormonal and thats Pituitary. #2. Electro/Micro/Cell trash from cell, Govt. experimental tech (they really don’t test this stuff for real safety because they don’t want the answer). And it was #3 Diet and Exercise. Too much exercise and a fast food diet will trash you. Too little exercise will trash you. And most of all mine was head/brain/skull damage/abuse/injury. It was perpetrated against me in my case and there are ways you are hurt you don’t know about. This is not conspiracy, its real. I don’t wear hats of foil but I would if it did anything (the protections do not except dietary and hydration and exercise) . Yes there are a group of people hurting you often. Its nothing to do with little green men and ailiens or big foot.
         So how do you manage. Learn and protect. I got enough improvement to decide to stay alive and try to get some justice. People who say Caffeine is terrifying, good god. Its probably the single greatest drug on the face of the earth along with nicotine. You just have to use them correctly. these problems are infinitely larger than morning cup (one is enough). Bet of luck-make it that way. Z

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         1. also one last thing. I think its not accurate to say that it is dopamine. There are so many other neurotransmitters. In fact I think its the interaction of adrenalin and dopamine and somewhat serotonin. Choline needed also. Think cofactors (dietary).

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         2. Wow. Stream of conciousness.

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            1. The power of Adderall. There would never had been any chance of writing that response without it. A life of lost ideas, creations, theories, answers and plain greatness that you have in your head…..but, yet you can’t focus enough to develop it, follow it through, maintain the stream of consciousness long or even get motivated enough to write it down before its gone. You move on to the next real quick. And imagine having a conversation in a room full of individual conversations and you’re able to maintain the conversation but you hear all the other conversations as well. You’re processing all of the information. And, hopefully, no one else is talking about something more interesting in their convo, because you won’t be able to stay focused in yours. You often are the person people can talk to about everything and work through problems and issues because mentally you can go through it and calculate and rationalize and all that good stuff because there’s a physical focused stimulant. If the person leaves you to do all the talk….yeah you may be able to work through it but you’re going to have to ask for verbal feedback to stay focused if you catch yourself or it’s going to turn into a long rant to ramble to well yeah. You get burned out, and you never can be your own focus tool. You become content being the problem solver and counselor because they how you maintain some normalcy. Or you watch a lot of videos (constant.stimulayiin and you can control thr playback). Never being able to read a book, stay awake during audio only audio only presentations, including audio books even if it’s your passion and those types of effects makes life jacked up the older you get because it gets worse. You become DETACHED. You can’t do for yourself what you can do for others, but because of the burn out you begin to distance yourself from people. You may not become a recluse, but you’re the introverted extrovert and no one knows. You’ll joke and say “I have adhd,” not even fully understanding, and then find out you do. No one ever believes you, can’t or won’t try to understand or grasp the effects it has on you and totally dismisses you and your lack of progress or care or whatever and they form an opinion that is based on ignorance. That causes further DETACHMENT….and for everyone that can lead different places. Personally, THANK GOD, I just became the person who would rather chill by myself and entertain myself by losing myself in youtube or Netflix or the net and research things. I loved being with people but it had to be intentional and with a purpose. I couldn’t vibe if a person is quiet for no reason or no one cared to have an interesting conversation and want to just blast music and drink or smoke or other stuff. I don’t drink nor do I smoke so it’s a mood killer. Everyone else is so drunk or messed up and can’t keep my interest. I’ve written too much already….but, the risks for some outweigh getting to a DETACHED state and only being able to function productively for others and helping them accomplish their goals and just floating and existing within your own world. Eventually, that’s lead to a dead-end or the plateau of life. Never feeling fulfilled can lead bad places and settling for the rest of your life makes you an old grouch. So, i mean……that’s the real conversation…..speak to the ones who have literally had their lives changed positively from this. And/or help to find alternatives, develops educated advocates, promote awareness. Okay, I’m done……somewhat. LOL. AND, NO I HAVE NOT TAKEN MY ADDERALL TODAY……it’s a residual effect and you learn to develop tools to get out through mini focus moments without having to take it. Have a great day!

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   2. I have the same problem with my son right now. He ran out of Adderall 3 days ago and has been in bed and won’t get up except to go to the bathroom and get minimal food and drink. He has lost a lot of weight. He has been abusing it for a year now and I’ve begged the Psychiatric Nurse to withold this prescription and she won’t do it.

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      1. You are right to be concerned. If he is having these problems(I had the exact same) he probably wants out and wishes there was a way to feel normal again. I found the most effective approach for getting me to cut down and quit medications like this was to have support and understanding from loved ones. The MOST important part: effective alternatives to the depression, and confusion, caused and amplified by amphetamine abuse. This means REAL food (not hotpockets/ corn dogs/ fast food) exersise, and therapeutic experiences (I wont say therapy to ward off narrsisistic trolls who dont believe in it because they have no empathy despite being on a psych based website) In this (and most other types of withdrawl) the brain is attempting to regenerate damaged parts of the lymbic system so it can create the amount of dopamine it needs. We need dopamine and other feel good chemicals in order to be motivated to make the most basic decisions like eating.If the brain is deficient in this chemical, it makes getting more priority over everything else( leading to hedonistic behaviors only). If someone took away my meds without my consent, the promise of support , and an effective way to cope without the medication, I probably would have made some bad decisions. In fact, once my father convinced my psychiatrist to get them to stop prescribing me Klonopin for my anxiety( which they did). I not only lost my job but turned to alcohol and illegal drugs to make life bearable shortly after the withdrawls began. This behavior landed me in prison for a year not 1 month after I began to resort to doing so.
         It is just as hard to watch someone you love hurt themselves and I understand your reasoning, but if from his perspective he cannot get out of bed without adderal(which is sign of withdrawl not even abuse) he is probably suffering from a lack of dopamine. From personal experience it would be inhumane to subject someone to this without their consent or desire. He has to want to stop and believe in another alternative.My advice would be to discuss this with him when the time is right for BOTH of you and get involved in finding a way to make it possible so that he will have that desire and hope. It could be worth it to stop, but that doesnt mean it will be possible without some kind of desire, hope and support. Good luck to you and God Bless

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      2. How old is he and How many mg was his proscription?

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   3. I’m 50 and decided to go back to school. I take adderol 15mgs q2 for the past year. It was a complete game changer for me. No more sluggishness but no problems sleeping at night either. Adderol is an amazing drug if you’re not an idiot hell bent for cerebral burnout. The people writing about their unpleasant experiences at 60mgs a day or more….. Oh well stupid is as stupid does. Grow up and try hard to stop getting your medical advise from the kid you sit next to at lunch.

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      1. Absolutely agree on this one. If you already suffer from depression, amphetamines are not the best long run alternative but can be tolerated at low doses. For a normal person, theraputic doses are not harmful at all. Taking to much of this stuff will eventually give you a chemical imbalance if you dont give your brain time to heal.

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         1. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!! I’ve heard that incorrect statement from doctors too, including the doctor that started me on it.
            There are no truly scientific LONG TERM, statistically large studies on the impact of consuming amphetamines (prescription doses) on humans for numerous years!!

            The people that vocally claim “amphetamines cause no long term damage at prescription doses” ALL have little or no first hand experience with it!

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            1. My grandfather’s brother was one of the top 5 Neurologists in Mexico, I real genius. He passed away 1 month ago.

               As soon as I told him I was taking Adderall, he said to stop it right away and instead use Concerta.

               Aderall is quite good (for responsible people and ADHD patients only) but truly speaking, what are the long term effects of using Adderall EVEN if taken under prescription doses????? NOBODY KNOWS, NOBODY CARES.

               That’s why I am scared of taking Adderall again to be honest…its just too good to be true. And under the context of 2022, you know what I mean ;) Just take small doses and find other alternatives in the medium or long term….

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      2. Wow. You seem like a compassionate person. Sounds like you’ve just got it all figured out. But heres the a cache—you have to take a medicine to function so basically the people you are calling stupid are doing the exact same as you. They are not able to control and regulate their brain chemistry on their own so they are taking a medicine. They take more as sounds like less not doing it for them. You take more than someone taking none bc none is not doing it for you. Hey off your high horse and stop judging others. We are all humans doing the best we can and the ones that judge others the most feel the worst inside.

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      3. So, you’re an Adderall expert after only one year! You WILL develop tolerance over time!! It will probably take YEARS, and it happens SLOWLY, but it WILL happen if you take it long enough.
         I too thought it was nothing but wonderful for the first 10-12 years! But, now after 26 years I am “brain-mucked”, my brain has NO STORAGE capability and I have NO “working memory”. My fridge is full of items WITHOUT tops on them because as soon as I put a top down, I LOSE it! (just don’t remember where I put it 2 seconds earlier) I miss every single deadline for EVERYTHING, which has been financially costly for me. My brain can ONLY comprehend what is right in front of it at that particular moment.
         So, please, try to limit your long consumption to 10 years or less.

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   4. https://livesearchtoday.com/shop/
      The use of this medicine may be habit-forming, and it is a drug of abuse. You should know the risk before you buy Adderall online.
      Facts about ADHD
      Some of the ADHD facts are as follows:
      1. The symptoms of ADHD typically first appear between the ages of 3 to 6.
      2. Research shows that males have more probability of being diagnosed with ADHD than females.
      3. The average age of people to be diagnosed with ADHD is 7.
      4. Four percent of American adults also have ADHD.

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   5. Do you think if I get an Adderall for my 80 HD with a decrease my smoking habit for cigarettes

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2. You make the mistake in assuming that the side effects of a cup of coffee are the same as those associated with “one little blue pill” when they’re not. The little blue pill packs a much greater punch (why else do you think people would spend the ridiculous amount of money that they do in trying to buy it when they could just get the “supposedly equally effective” coffee?) and it has more severe side effects as well.

   If an individual can’t handle being at a competitive school without having to resort to taking these drugs, then perhaps they should do something or go somewhere less challenging.

   Coffee doesn’t make your heart feel like its going to burst out of your chest in the middle of class, or your stomach so queasy you feel like you’re going to vomit any second but you can’t because oh, that’s right, you haven’t had any appetite at all and can’t bring yourself to eat more than a cup of yogurt. You’re burning up yet experiencing chills at the same time, and you’re so jittery you can barely hold your pen.

   The problem with prescription drugs is when people who don’t need it get their hands on it and use it in ways it isn’t meant to be used. These drugs are prescribed out of necessity, for those who need it on a daily basis, not for those who fail at time management and need to cram for a few days.

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3. The author of this article is being entirely too colorful and dramatic. The use of stimulants in moderation will have almost NO negative side-effects whatsoever on ones health. The side-effects the the author mentions occur when one ingests substantial amounts of said substance causing them to over-dose, which leads to those side-effects. Im not a proponent of the use of illegal prescription drugs, but if students choose to use them infrequently there is almost no health risk to them.

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   1. so you are a doctor? What are your credentials please? Almost NO negative side affects? I took adderall for 7 years in middle and high school, quit them for about 4 years and started again for college. I had no negative side affects and thrived on the drug. Now I just can’t take it anymore, it gives me high anxiety headaches every day, it leaves me feeling “cracked” out when I’m coming off of it. I can’t sleep with out aids and even then not until late at night or early into the morning. All because of the adderall. Oh yea and it makes me dizzy and my heart beats out of my chest, and I am an active individual and I have ALWAYS eaten while on the medicine.

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      1. i am prescribed to 2x20mg daily of adderal. There are NO negative side effects..You cant base your long-term reaction to the medication on everyone else. Adderal has changed my life dramatically (for the positive) I am 24 years old and was diagnosed with ADD 1 year ago, since then I have been able to rationalize and organize my thoughts so much better. My pulse is regular, blood pressure is normal. I see a nurse once a month to keep all my vitals recorded. I had a loss of appetite when I first started (first week), but as with anything you ingest your body builds a tolerance to a certain point so as far with symptoms such as “loss of appetite” and “being jittery.” You have to let the medication take its course and deal with the symptoms until you level out then you will feel “normal” like myself.

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      2. I am 36 years old. I began taking adderall when I was in college, majoring in Astrophysics. I was diagnosed with ADD in 2000. I have been using this medication for years. It does not make me jittery, suppress my appetite, give me a “high”, or give me insomnia. In fact, it gives me a sense of peace and calms me down – which I normally wouldn’t have without it. It helps me to be less chaotic; thus, I am able to concentrate and get things done. Today, I would not be able to run my business or take care of my four children without it. It is extremely sad to see this wonderful drug being abused by people who don’t need it. As for me, I have experience no negative side effects. I stop taking the drug to have my children, and was doing fine for years. I have nothing negative to say about the medication.

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         1. For both Jay and Ivette. You both have ADD or ADHD. As a result, the effects of this pill won’t hit you as hard as someone who is taking it illegally and abusing it. All prescription can be harmful depending on how it is used and who it is used by.

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      3. Just FYI: just because a person is a doctor doesn’t mean that person knows what he/she is doing, or cares.
         I went to a doctor because I jarred my back. With no Xrays or tests, and after about 5 minutes of physical exam, this doctor told me he could prescribe Oxycontin, Fentanyl, or Morphine ER and asked me which I wanted to start with. I was pretty shocked and speechless for several minutes.
         Some doctors are knowledgeable and care about patients. Others less so. Even if a doctor tells you something, think for yourself and do some research. Get a 2nd opinion if in doubt. Don’t just accept it as truth because the person has MD or DO at the end of the surname.

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   2. Except you are forgetting one tiny little thing: amphetamines are highly highly addictive and can alter ones brain and tolerance is built over time which requires more and more. You are out of your mind if you think the author is exaggerating the harm and dangers of adderall. Completely ignorant and out of touch with reality.

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      1. Exactly right.

         Adderall is ADDICTIVE and more and more needed as it’s addictive.
         The clinical trial studies were cheated on yet FDA approved.

         Read “Toxic Psychiatry” by Peter Breggin MD.

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4. As a person who takes Adderall legally, I am not sure I agree with the tone of the article, and couldn’t disagree more with the previous comment. I think the actual physical side effects of Adderall and Ritalin are secondary to the culture of addiction the proliferation of these drugs aid and abet. As a previous cocaine addict, and someone who more recently has been greatly helped by the LEGAL use of adderall, I caution anyone who relates to the ‘one little blue pill’ argument. Furthermore, the whole notion that just being in a competitive environment like BU is going to adversely effect your health is suspect and pure rationalization. Currently in a graduate program at BU, I view school as a reprieve from the competitive nature and daunting hours of the real world. If anyone feels they really need ADD or ADHD medication, see a mental health professional. Otherwise, recognize what borrowing ‘study drugs’ from your friends really is, addictive and dangerous behavior.

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5. As a user of Adderall as a study drug, I have to agree with some of the responses here of the article being overly dramatic. If a responsible student takes 10mg of adderall to work through a large paper then doesn’t do it again until two weeks later for another large paper, the effects are truly minimal. It does not make “your heart feel like its going to burst out of your chest in the middle of class, or your stomach so queasy you feel like you’re going to vomit any second”. Not at all, not in the slightest. If it does, then you have overdosed, and that is irresponsible no matter who you are. You can even overdose on caffeine and get those same effects.

   I find that almost every article written about drug use is written by people who have never used them, or doctors who’s job it is to scare you into not using them. the truth is, most drugs are not as spectacular as they are made out to be. I feel that is the people in charge of giving information on these drugs were more truthful in their approaches we would have less of a drug problem. In this article, it is obvious that the doctors words are in regards to taking an overdose. That can be confirmed by looking up the drugs information of Google and reading the “overdose symptoms”. What about his words on the effects of taking a regular dose….a dose, I might add, that is prescribed to many people with ADD. The confirmation that what the doctor says in simply a list of overdose symptoms confirms that the people with the obligation to inform the public use that authority simply to scare them.

   Take this article with a grain of salt, and if you do choose to do adderall, research it yourself first and be smart about it. It is my advice to you and what this article should have told you in the first place.

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6. Individuals who use ANY substance to cope with a situation may have addictive tendencies, and should be careful. This article mentions how 90% of students admit to being overwhelmed at finals (well obviously), while only 10% are known to illegally use prescription drugs. This reveals that most students cope with the stress of final exams, while the smaller percentage is using. I am sure some students will never develop an addiction, while some may. It is the risk of developing an addiction that should discourage students from partaking. Until it hits home, you may think that you know.

   In a side note: I have ADHD, and believe that if an individual chooses the medicine route that it should be strictly under a doctor’s supervision.

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7. Thank you for writing that story on adderall in BU Today. It is especially relevant since this week is Finals Week. Unfortunately though, I don’t think it captures how severe this problem is. I believe more then 30% of the students out there are using adderall, most illegally and unprescribed. Walk around the SMG library and you will see adderall drug dealers making their rounds. The users are all types of students: Average, non-campus active students to people in the student government. They are in West Campus, Mugar, the GSU: everywhere.
   But just as important of an issue, aside from the health affects, is the affect that adderall and similar drugs have on student performance. I believe unprescribed use is cheating. Students hyper-focus and study in such a way that themselves, and everyone else, cant study without the drug. It is today’s cheating epidemic. People are less frequently looking for answers in an exam from other sources, and are instead filling themselves with adderall. It is why they take it in the first place, to do better on exams. Put two students in a week of the same exams. One with adderall and one with out, and the one with adderall can condense much more information in their brain then the one without it- this is an unfair competitive advantage: cheating. If someone is prescribed the drug from a physician who truly feels they need it, then please take it! But if not, then they better not for the sake of an equitable playing field. What must me done is not just the annual BU today or DFP article, but an on-going campus-wide campaign to end the epidemic. -Geoffrey Weg

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8. I know plenty of people who are prescribed adderoll, not because they need it but because they fail at time management or just plain like the drug. These drugs are not prescribed out of necessity, prescriptions are easy to get and there for the taking (pun intended). Spastic behavior in children can be dealt with other ways besides narcotics.

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9. After reading this article and reading some of the comments, I felt it is right for me to make some comments. I want to let everyone know that what I am about to write is my personal story with Adderall.

   My freshman year of college, I illegally tried adderall to stay up to write a paper. After trying it a few more times, I thought it would be best to see a doctor. Once I saw the doctor, I was prescribed adderall. I started taking adderall pretty much every single day to study for tests, do homework etc… It got to the point where I would take 50-60mg of adderall every day, then about 5AM I would drink a bottle of Nyquil to try to fall asleep and be back up at 8AM. I did this routine 2-3 times per week until my second semester Senior Year. I can’t tell you how many days I felt like a zombie after having stayed up all night and abusing this drug the way I did.

   Since graduation, I completely stopped taking adderall. I have random chest pains, my blood pressure has risen and I have all kinds of problems with getting an erection.

   I have done alot of stupid things in my life, but I can tell you that without a doubt taking adderall was the single biggest mistake of my life. There are still days now where feel like my brain is mush and I can’t complete a thought. There is no doubt in my mind that adderall has caused all these problem.

   Just my story. Take it for what its worth.

   Charlie

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10. this is another prime example of the problems baby boomers see with our generation. Did you know that many neurologists will prescribe these medications at the drop of a hat? they will prescribe over the phone even, having not met the patient. Thus, judging from one who has his medical license, the risks of these medications are minimal. Doctors give these medications out like candy, which they would refrain from doing if there were significant dangers. Did you know bottled water causes cancer? did you know eye-shadow can lead to blindness? Did you know that tap water can lead to liver disease? Do you see my point here? relax.
    college has become what it is in America–a cut-throat, competitive environment. This pressure has been put upon these kids by our culture. Do not question the manner in which they search for success. Know your place. Your job is to hug your child when he comes home with a good report card and the “freshman 15”. How dare you anything else.

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    1. “Doctors wouldn’t be handing these out like candy if they thought they were dangerous.” This is possibly the worst logic I’ve ever heard. We all know that doctors hand out pain killers like candy as well. Does anyone out here think these aren’t dangerous either???

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11. Exaggerated. Both this story and the guy who posts “A cup of coffee isn’t the same thing.” My amateur point of view is that 10mg of adderall never hurt anyone. 40mgs could make a little girl “feel like her heart is going to burst out of her chest,” maybe.
    My argument is, it’s all about the dosage.

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12. Speaking as someone who has just started adderall, the side effects are not always the same. My doctor started me on an extremely low dose because of the side effects and we have gradually moved up from there. I do experience various side effects and we are dealing with that. People who take this drug don’t realize that there is more than one type of Adderall — not each type is right for each person. The type that I am on at the moment releases slowly but steadily, and I hardly notice any differences until I am about ready to go to sleep. Dosages also vary — I am currently on 15mg but was started on 5; my point is that if you take this drug from someone illegally not knowing your threshold you could cause yourself more harm than good. I had a friend who decided to try it once and instead of studying she couldn’t stop cleaning. If you’re feeling stressed and like you can’t handle your amount of work then go see the BU Mental Health services or speak with your professors – you’d be surprised at how willing some of them are to help you. If you get a negative response from your professor try going to your college’s advising office (I know the people in CAS 105 are quite kind).

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13. Frankly, I agree with this article. Unless the illegal users above have a doctorate in Medicine they have no right to tell you that these substances are not dangerous. Any drug, prescribed or illegal that has such a dramatic influence on the brain must be taken with caution. Nobody knows the long term effects of these drugs. Though they seem like a miracle cure for those who suffer from ADD or ADHD for those of us who do not have these diseases the drugs mess with brain chemicals that were not “broken” to begin with. Time management and some motivation will help you study for that test or write a long paper, most college students (or at least half) do not take these drugs and they manage to do just fine!

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14. So every year someone is going to write an article for whatever university newspaper warning students about taking stimulants such as adderall and ritalin and every single year students still take these prescription drugs whether legally or illegally. I read an article in the New York Times Magazine last semester about how adderall is considered the academic steroid- giving students an advantage over their non-stimulant using peers, but the only people who really believe that crap are people who don’t take the stimulants and still get crappy grades! Wake up people!!! I am not saying take adderall or ritalin, but don’t blame your peers getting better grades than you on the fact that they take adderall or ritalin and you don’t. Don’t judge others because of their chosen study methods, but instead blame yourself for not doing everything in your power to guarantee that high grade- whether it be going to the library for 10 hours straight- or extra help- or study sessions. Just because students take adderall does not guarantee that they are going to do better- it just helps them stay awake and focus, but sometimes it cant even do that- it all depends on the individual. I am prescribed adderall and take my prescribed amount everyday- without the adderall my mind races- i cant stand still- i am way too hyper- cant focus- and worst of all i hesitate worse than a freshman girl approaching a scale. PLEASE stop making all of these rash generalizations about adderall like the ever genius comment about how people really don’t need it and how its all in the person’s head- or what about the amateur status diagnosis that if a person does take it they will automatically do better than the students who don’t! All of these assumptions are reserved for those of you who are too scared to face the fact that you live in a world that will leave you behind if you don’t keep up with the competition. If your not prescribed adderall and are going to take it- don’t take enough to make you a crack head because you wont do well on an exam without SLEEP and FOOD! If your not going to take it- then don’t be an ignorant fool and call those who do take it “CHEATERS.” People like you will be spending their whole lives COMPLAINING instead of COMPETING. I LIVE IN A WORLD that: “run’s on Dunkin” Donuts- has energizer bunnies that keep going and going and going- and markets pills called FOCUS FACTOR for a better memory (is that cheating too? or is it not cheating because it is legal for all to use?). I mean common even Bank of America promotes “HIGHER STANDARDS”!!!! America advertises to be the brightest- strongest- and fastest- so why look down on those who try to be just that? Everyone is responsible for their own health and what they do to their body is their own fault and they must be prepared to suffer future consequences if they should ever come across them- just like any smoker- or drinker! If BU is really that concerned about how kids are going to cope with final exams maybe they should worry about how there are not enough desks in the library for everyone to study!

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    1. Best comment yet.

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15. I’ve been on adderall for 15 years, every month I have to go to the doctors and get prescriptions. The first question I ask is, is there anything harmful that has been discovered about the long term use of adderall. Every single time I get the same response, no. So if there is any element that is wrong with this drug its that not enough studies have been done to scientifically prove the fact that it is harmful and more importantly, doctors aren’t informed well enough of the possible harmful effects the drug can have.

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16. This article is eerily reminiscent of the drug talks in my high school health class. I was always told that marijuana was a “gateway drug”, and that once you had used it for a while, the high wasn’t enough anymore and you inevitably moved on to coke or heroin. Now that I’m older and have met people who do all kinds of drugs, it’s clear that this is not true.

    Similarly, this article seems to imply dire consequences from the use of Adderall. I have never personally used it, but I know many who have. It’s clearly not anything you should be using all the time without a prescription, but it won’t kill you the first time either.

    There are two things in particular I want to address about the article. First, it’s interesting that the author suggests that because Adderall is Schedule II, it must be dangerous. Pot is Schedule I (the ‘most dangerous’ rating), right up there with heroin and the date rape drug. Given that I have smoked pot but do not have characteristics of a heroin addict, I’d say pot’s classification is unjustified. So why should we trust Adderall’s?

    Secondly, for such a “dangerous” drug, I’m surprised that there were no accounts from students, SHS, or administrators about deaths or even just hospitalizations. For a dangerous drug, it seems like Adderall has caused very little damage to our community.

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17. I wouldn’t go so far to make the bold statement that taking adderall is cheating. Adderall does not allow you to suddenly gain information that you would not otherwise have, and it doesn’t allow anyone who takes it to compress an abnormal amount of information into their memory. My psychiatrist at a reputable Boston hospital has told me that patients who have been diagnosed with ADHD typically exhibit low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the frontal lobes of the brain. Dopamine plays a large part in facilitating the mental processes of memory, attention, motivation, and problem-solving. Stimulant medications, such as adderall, work to increase dopamine levels. An excess of dopamine levels in the brain is significantly linked to schizophrenia and psychotic behavior, which involves disorganized thinking. When a person who has normal levels of dopamine takes a drug that increases dopamine levels, the resulting changes in his or her brain processes may be quite different than someone with low levels. Therefore, I disagree with this idea that taking adderall is cheating for people who haven’t been diagnosed with ADHD. If one’s performance is facilitated by taking adderall, then this person quite possibly could be lacking normal levels of dopamine. However, if one who has sufficient levels takes it, their ability may not increase in tasks such as studying. I have met many people who have experienced significant hyperactivity after taking adderall, which decreased their ability to concentrate on studying. They all described the effects as similar to those of caffeine — as if they drank a few cups of coffee. Adderall doesn’t necessarily help everyone concentrate better. Since it is difficult to know where your dopamine level stands, (unless you enjoy shelling out large amounts of money for brain tests), it is hard to predict how a medication that increases these levels will affect you.

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18. This one goes out to the self-righteous person who claimed that “the only people who really believe that crap [that stimulants = cheating] are people who don’t take the stimulants and still get crappy grades”. Well, I get great grades, I don’t depend on stimulants, and I absolutely believe them to be methods of cheating. How is it NOT cheating?? I laughed when I read “it doesn’t allow anyone who takes it to compress an abnormal amount of information into their memory.” Um… simply, yes it does. Why else would people use it? It allows a person to study not only for a longer period of time, but also to RETAIN the information more efficiently. There has been one time in my life that was an extraordinary situation where I used a Daytrana patch (basically Adderall in a patch form), and I fully admit that it was cheating. Did I HAVE to use it? No. I easily could have just pulled an all-nighter the old-fashioned way with some coffee and energy drinks to keep me up. And if some people think “well, isn’t that the same thing?”, the answer is no. On the surface they may FEEL the same, but they serve different purposes. Not that I drink coffee or energy drinks much, but both of these things are intended to simply keep you awake. Adderall and Ritalin take it a step further. They help you CONCENTRATE and they help you retain the information so your brain is essentially a sponge. It’s wildly unfair to say that students who don’t use Adderall or Ritalin “aren’t keeping up with the competition” just because we don’t want to jeopardize our health! People that use these substances illegally need to realize that they got into BU for a reason. They have a brain, and they need to put it to real use, instead of injecting it with more chemicals. Oh, that reminds me. The person who talked about Dopamine and schizophrenia…. that’s a huge stretch. It is only a THEORY that schizophrenia is linked with Dopamine levels in the brain. Bottom line is that Adderall and Ritalin are straight up academic steroids. People need to gain some confidence in their natural studying ability.

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    1. Notice how long winded these comments are. Makes me think hmmm are you on drugs. I’d wouldn’t like to read that term paper. Listening to a friend of mine zooming on this drug is worrying me, quite exhaustion actually.

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19. My friend takes it, and she does get heart palpitations and she honestly looks terrible. She doesn’t hang out because she feels like crap; she’s pale, her blood pressure is high and she’s a mess. *But* her grades are awesome, way better than mine. So when I tell her she should lay off the drugs a bit, she always says she’s in control of her dosage and the results are worth it. As for me, I’m always tempted when I see her grades, but I figure I’d rather risk having to work a little harder and maybe score a little lower than have heart palpitations.

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20. Adderall and ritalin have legitimate uses for some individuals. These individuals typically are reluctant to talk about their use of these drugs, as they are inappropriately seen as an ‘advantage.’ Often individuals prescribed these drugs are reluctant to even use the drugs, unless it is absolutely necessary, as they do not want to be dependent on them. There are awful labels and stigmas attached to these drugs that cause issues for legitimate individuals, while casual users like to talk about it ad nauseum. Attention deficit disorder and other learning disorders have chemical bases, as do the drugs that help to correct these issues. It is very medieval to think that these and other disorders involving the brain are made up.

    We all don’t walk around taking blood pressure medication, do we? Seems ludicrious. So does taking adderall & ritalin when you do not need it. Stick to the old fashioned stimulant– caffeine.

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21. i have adhd and i am prescribed adderall. many of you writing are clearly misinformed about this drug. people who are feeling adverse effects to adderall are taking too many mgs than their body can handle. when first getting prescribed, you work your way up in dosages to see how you react to the medication. depending on how your doctor assesses the severity of the adhd, you can start with 5, 10, 20 mgs. Many people start with 5 mg and work up to 10, then to 20 or maybe even 30 depending on what dosage is most effective for the person. those who are not prescribed this drug and take 10 or 20mgs will feel adverse effects to the drugs because they are not used to stronger dosages.

    those who claimed adderall was a stimulant, that is true. however, it doesn’t just increase your heart beat and help you stay awake. as someone previously commented, it increases the blood flow to the frontal lobe of your brain, which helps people calm down and focus.

    Just as drinking a cup of coffee helps your focus, adderall can too. just don’t take too much, start with 5, and work your way up until you know how much you should take at once without feeling severe side effects. also, make sure you don’t have a heart condition.

    as for the people who are so concerned that adderall serves as a means to cheat in school, get over it. i mean, would you argue that the beatles became one of the most successful bands because they were taking dexedrine every night to stay up and perform and to write songs in the early years of their musical careers? (if you don’t believe me watch the first disc of the beatles anthology). so yeah people, get over it.

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22. Unfortunatly many of these comments are proof of the REAL problem : morality (or lack thereof) We are either a country that abides by ethics, morals, and laws. Or, we do whatever it takes to get to the top…including the purchase of illegal drugs. You that try to justify your “study aids” are disillusioned and will have an even tougher time in the real world one day. Focus on self-discipline and time management while education is your “job”!!
    You better learn to deal with the competition and be thankful you do not have a condition or handicap requiring medication. Comments about Adderall and other prescription medications trivializes (and is disrespectful of) patients that need them.

    The way to make changes in our society is through education, not making your own rules. Cheating is doing something wrong and illegal. Our society has moral laws. When you try to justify breaking them for your own gain, you will end up paying. (one way or the other!)
    I completed 10 years (college,graduate, doctorate) without the “aids” and fortunately without medical issues. And, the competition was tremedous!
    So guys, grow up before it is too late!

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23. im just amazed at how much everyone feels the need to write about how others should make their own personal choices. i pity you.

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24. BU KIDS are stuck up and think the world revolves around them & their good grades! GIVE IT UP! Some ppl really need these drugs to live a normal life and get by… and these stuck up trust fund students are getting high of it just go they can bring mommy and daddy home the A’s……

    STEP IN2 THE REAL WORLD BABY!

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25. All of this talk of “people who actually NEED it” is a load of garbage. ADD or ADHD is not a terminal disease!!! These same people could benefit from a little self control and discipline themselves. Most of the time teachers put kids on it just so they can pickle them through class. Parents agree because they don’t want their child being the “bad kid”. Adults are jumping on the bandwagon too. Saying OH I NEED SOMETHING FOR MY ADULT ADD!! Load of crap! Lets be honest, you’ve been an underachiever for most of your life and you think Adderall will make life easier. Leave the BU kids alone ( I DO NOT go there) at lets they are “taking drugs” for an education. Most baby boomers scarf down pills like its their job. Pain meds, Xanax and anti depressants for the old women etc. get off these kids backs…its their body afterall.

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26. lol @ those claiming that using it=cheating.
    drinking coffee or energy drinks to keep up with school is just as much of a source for “cheating” as aderrall or ritalin is, then. we should just deem anyone who consumes sugar, caffeine, and anything else that boosts energy or whatever as a cheater.
    anyway, i would recommend making sure you have the right dosage (or if youre not prescribed and will are convinced that you need to take it “for right now”, taking a very low dosage amount).

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27. I am a student and illegally use Adderall. I have found that it does help me focus before a test therefore helping me think through the correct answers. It does not, however, give me the answers. If I don’t already know the answers, I’m not going to know them in the classroom. I think everyone should be given Adderall, but should be prescribed a certain dose depending on doctors recommendation. If someone has a heart problem and cannot take Adderall then they will have to live without it. With no long term side effects associated with prescribed dosage of Adderall, I do not see the problem with usage. It makes someone retain information and become more focused, shouldn’t that be a good thing especially considering that there are no significant long-term side effects?

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28. I find it stupid and risky to use drugs during student exam sessions, it’s also highly irresponsible and doctors should know that. My mom is in a drug treatment center because of this drug, I can only imagine it’s effects on students…

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29. I take Adderall because I have ADD. I got my BS degree WITHOUT the drug and I had a C average. I then started to go back for my Masters now and started taking Adderall in June of 2008 and I am SHOCKED at the vast difference in how well I am able to concentrate, study and actually retain the information I spend hours studying. In the past, before the medication, I would study just as hard for just as long and retain very little. But now my grades are already in the A/B category. For me, Adderall brings me up to the level that others without ADD can be at with just hard work and effort and therefore levels the playing field.

    If you use it and you don’t need it, your test scores aren’t a reflection of how smart you are, or how well you behaved responsibly by studying, or by doing all your work, or really understanding the concepts, or especially how worthy you are of the job your degree gets you. Your grade is really a reflection of how good the cheat method is that you used over another. So that ‘A’ someone may get is an ‘A’ for the method of cheating they used (hidden notes, copying from another student, using Adderall) rather than their true worth.

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30. Teachers do not put kids on medication. Doctors do, with parent’s permission. Teachers are not allowed to make a diagnosis or recommend that parents put their children on medication, no matter how much easier it may make their jobs.

    I feel it necessary to make one more comment…cheating? Really? For the person who posted the first comment, it is really strange that you share all the positive things that the medication has done to improve your life and yet it is as if you do not want others to benefit as well. Ok, so you just want that cheating edge for yourself..right.

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31. I’ll try to make this as brief as I possibly can. I’m a 39 year old female who has had diabetes for 31 years. I have been through a kidney transplant and am currently trying to get myself on an islet cell transplant. I was placed on Provigil and Zoloft in the beginning but was then taken off the 400mg of Provigil, decreased the Zoloft by 3/4’s of my dose and placed on Prestiq. I am now on Adderall (20mg) and it has done nothing for my energy level. This is so extreme that I don’t know how I can continue to take care of my 3 year old daughter and husband. As the poster said above, I have to talk myself into getting into the shower. I’m going to see my psych tomorrow and ask him to increase the adderall. I am very concerned about addiction but if there is a “miracle” pill out there for me that will allow me to have some sort of normalcy to my life, I’m going to take it. What other option DO I have? My main concern is the Dr. thinking I’m wanting the dosage increased for the “high”. All I want is to be able to go grocery shopping, cook a meal, and play with my daughter before diabetes takes my life or she’s too old enough TO care if I play with her. I just wish there was a miracle cure for all of this. FYI, all other “fatigue related” maladies have been ruled out.
    Thanks for any input and letting me vent. Sorry for the book, people. :)
    Courtney

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    1. Did you ever hear of mitochondrial diasease?

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32. I cannot believe the audacity most of you all have. Adderall is a PERSCRIPTION drug. Therefore it must be prescribed by a physician. If you take Adderall & it is not prescribed to you or u abuse it by taking 2x-3x the amt that is recommended by the FDA – you might just get some undesired effects. This is common sense. Next, ADHD is a chemical deficit of neurotransmitters in the brain. It is an actual disorder. It causes unwanted symptoms just like any other disorder can. By saying ADHD is BS & ppl just need to grow up – How would u feel if someone said that to u abt a loved one who has Bipolar or Schizophrenia. They’re main believed causes are chemically related. Granite they’re more severe than ADHD, but it lies w/ the same principle. When ppl talk of knowledge they don’t have it tends to make them look Ignorant.Please educate youself.

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33. I am writing my personal story…. I have been on both ritalin and adderall. Granted every medication is different for each individual. however as much as I love the way I can do things and it makes me feel…. being on that stuff for the rest of your life is not at all good. Here’s how it goes…… (and keeop in mind this is not abuse it’s the real deal.) I have bad ADD and it has been a challenge I will always battle the problem. I got on Adderall. Everything seemed like “holy crap I can actually do stuff and follow through.” YOu then have to mentally prepare yourself for the come down. Same as the one on any other street drug…. You get nervous. You panic, and talk yourself out of negative feelings. Coping. Well a month goes by and now because your body has a tolerance to your dosage you must up it. Yup AMPHETAMINES.. you get the zip all day long, but soon your emotions harden. Conversations are either something you avoid… or you take part in due to the “magic Pill…” But watch out cause soon it’s gonna wear off, and now you battle thoughts of “should i take another?” And keep in mind also that it keeps you running on full auto pilot. Take a car. Fill it with gas. Keep driving it till it is empty…” The car zonks out. And what about when you get off of it. Now you feel unmotivated. And you think “it’s because I didn’t pump DRUGS into me. If you skip a dose you want to sleep, or get anxiety. How is this different than illegal drugs. Again not all people are like this. But in my opinion sooner or later it will destroy you. Especially for the poor children who start on that crap very early on. The end.

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    1. This is actually untrue for children and adults with ADHD. If you are getting a “zip” it means you need to reduce your dosage or reconsider your diagnosis. Also pills are not a replacement for skills. If you are taking pills but not actually working on improving your symptom management skills, you’re just wasting money.

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34. Adderall and Caffeine have almost the EXACT same side effects. Fun fact, eh? Yet, Caffeine is legal, probably because it’s not a derivative of cocaine, at least not that I’m aware of. I could be wrong, of course. Now did caffeine get me through my final semester of 4 weeks? You bet it did. I was sipping coffee like a madman. Have I ever taken adderall? Nope. Have I been diagnosed with ADD? Both yes and no. Do I take ANY drugs for the symptoms of ADD either prescribed or otherwise? No. I do drink the occasional coke, tea, chai tea latte, etc. now than, but that’s about it.

    Cheers.

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35. adderall caused schizophrenia and now im on anti psychotic medication. do not take adderall its not worth the schizophrenia.

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36. I am a 30-year-old student with a 12-year-old kid and a mortgage. I felt so overwhelmed by what I have due (bills+homework) in the next week that I finally caved and got an adderall from one of my friends. I have only heard positive feedback that it helps you focus and study. I don’t have any sort of ADD or ADHD, but I was looking for a way to speed up the homework process. Adderall didn’t work for me. I got my house clean, my laundry done, and errands run, but to sit down and stare at a screen wass really hard. I just felt like I was on crack (I’ve actually never done crack, but this is how I imagined I would feel). I finally ate a HUGE meal and drank a couple glasses of wine to calm down and finally felt like I could focus. I guess what I’m saying is… If you can’t focus off drugs, consider that maybe you can’t focus on drugs you’re not supposed to take!!!

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    1. Thank you for sharing this story. I was recently diagnosed with ADD (I’m 24) and prescribed Adderall. I’ve always thought I might have it but never pursued medication options until now. When I take it, it makes me feel calm, reduces my impatience and helps me focus on studying. This has confirmed to me that I do in fact have ADD because according to my research, people who don’t have ADD become hyper when they take Adderall just as you did. These people can already focus fine and I think the studying benefit they perceive is mostly from the antifatigue effect – i.e., it lets them stay up all night cramming for exams. These people are either so busy that they can’t afford to spend any time being tired or are compensating for irresponsible behavior (such as wasting time partying when they should be studying). Either way, some re-evaluation of priorities is probably in order. In your case, there may be another medication option that could help you cope with the stress and anxiety you’re feeling.

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37. saying people need glasses for corrective vision or getting a cast for a broken arm. If you NEED GLASSES, you probably should just stay home and never endanger anyone because of your ‘imaginary’ vision problems. It’s a crutch for the feeble minded as much as crutches are for a broken leg. And if you EVER get a headache, you’re probably just faking it. DO NOT take aspirin, ADVIL or anything that may make you believe your own lies.

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38. yoyoyo

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39. Lol at the person who claims “I completed 10 years (college,graduate, doctorate) without the “aids” “… um, really? A graduate degree and a doctorate degree, eh? You’re a dumbass.

    And you’re spelling and grammar is atrocious, to top it off. Please don’t claim to have levels of education you clearly don’t have- it makes us all look bad.

    To contribute to the original subject- people do drugs. Kids and teenagers and college students and adults do drugs. Yes, it is illegal. No, that does not stop these people. It’s a personal choice. One must weigh the pros and cons of the situation and decide for themselves. But cut the condemnation crap. If people want to smoke weed, they will. If people want to use adderall to study, they will. If they want to become addicted to amphetamines and become a prostitute or murderer, they will. The only people who can really help them is their family, friends and perhaps people they choose to pay thousands of dollars to for rehab, not ‘holier than thou’ strangers on the internet. And adderall is cheating? Please. Adderall might help you memorize useless facts, but it is not the same as understanding what the hell you’re doing, which is what real learning consists of. So, by all means, take adderall if you are so inclined. I won’t call you a cheater.

    Have a nice day.
    Sincerely,
    A (real) college student

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    1. Survival of the fittest, eh?

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40. I don’t condone the use of stimulants without a prescription in fact I highly discourage it unless it is prescribed and directed by someone who knows their shit about pharmacology (No your local GP does not count). But please don’t post misinformation about it messing with brain chemicals and shit trying to scare people off. I just LOVE this:
    “In other words, there are good reasons that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies these drugs as Schedule II, along with PCP, oxycontin, and cocaine. ”

    Three random drugs with horrible stigma’s thrown in just as a scare tactic…great. Yeah it does “mess” with your brain but then again so does everything else you consume and considering Adderall has been around for nearly 50 years I haven’t seen too many studies linking it to long term issues other than causing psychosis in some when taken in high doses or those sensitive but that was short term and acute and of course the onset of schizophrenia but that was exclusively in those with a predisposition to schizophrenia as schizophrenia is a defect in the D2 dopaminergetic receptor and since Adderall inhibits the re-uptake of this in those with a predisposition it can modulate the effects and basically speed up the onset of schizophrenia (this is a theory however it seams to fit very well in the mind of many health professionals) which is scary but then again that is why the drug is meant to be prescribed by qualified persons.

    As for my self…I’m a recent highschool graduate with a strong interest in medicine, pharmacology and psychology not to mention I have ADHD which I have questioned at times (I’ve had no behavioral issues or ODD like issues) but that’s another story so naturally this is a topic I’ve had extensive experience in. I tried every non-medicinal treatment up until I was 16 then I decided I want to be more focused as my C+’s and B-‘s with occasional D’s were not something I liked. I tried stimulants for a short period of time and hated them….then after months I went back on this time with Adderall XR which was an impressive drug one I had not tried before. Me and my physician have a good relationship and I quote her as saying “*insert my name here* has extensive medical knowledge nearly to the degree of most medical students” she teaches too so that carries some weight, point being she trusts my opinions and thoughts on prescribing of a variety of substances and while I do not think Adderall (Amphetamine) is a “cure” for anything what so ever I think it is something that improves quality of life for many with ADHD and has a bad stigma much like OxyContin for being over-prescribed at time’s.

    I currently take Adderall XR 30mg cap po q am (that’s latin for “Adderall XR 30mg capsule by mouth every morning”). My doctor was thinking of raising the dose but I told her I thought that was jumping the gun, I was honest with her. I do not take this drug to “get high” its sort of crappy for that in my opinion and allot of kids around here try it and hate it and the ones with scripts often times save it for intense study sessions instead of daily use which is questionable but worth noting.

    Overall yeah prescription drug use both valid and invalid is a major ethics question and problem in this country. I think the US receives something like 70% of the worlds antidepressants (are we that miserable guys? lol) but arm chair physicians need to back off sometimes and realize that there are people out there with valid issues that are being treated with effectiveness from various substances. The guy who broke his back and ruptured 3 discs who goes about his day just fine with only minor pain and occasional breakthrough pain because of OxyContin probably isn’t concerned too much about the ethics of the drug since his quality of life has been improved so he can work again without severe pain. The guy with ADHD who’s IQ is 120 and wants nothing more than to be a physician and can remember a bunch of useless facts THEN apply them but can’t do this because he can’t focus probably doesn’t care about the stigma.

    So please those of you 100% against the drug be a as open minded as possible and those of you 100% for the drug please consider alternatives and of course the ethics behind relying on pills completely. Thank you.

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41. Do you have a PhD? Are you a doctor? Have you actually done any creditable research of your own? My guess is no. I have been taking 30mgs of adderall for six years now I plan on dropping my doctor and prescription after graduation because I’m an athletic 22 with cardiovascular problems due to the adderall. I know this because my resting heart rate has been tested with and with out the medication over weeks. With no adderall in my system I average 66bpm with adderall 134bpm. I now take a betablocker with every adderall. Do some testing of your own. Get your own proof!

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42. I saw a therapist and was prescribed 15mg of adderall…took it only on days I needed to study, write a paper, or take a test. My prescriptions last forever, because I dont use them for anything other than school…ive always been smart, but unmotivated/lazy, and adderall dhelped me tremendously. In high school i was in all honors classes and took college credit courses, but, I just didn’t have that natural drive or wanted to excel or be the best…i would just get by knowing that if i did just enough here, here, and here, I could slack off and get bad grades and still pass…fast forward a few years and i decided to further my education…i knew i neededd help…i was a habitual procrastinator and refused to study…i went from an C student to an A student..material that wasnt sticking before was now clear…lazines/short attention was replaced with the drive to accomplish and clarity. I recently switched to 30mg twice a day, because i noticed my 15mg wasn’t working as good as it once did…example: i would be reading a chapter and a song i just,heard on the,radio would not stop playing in my head! Dont laugh. But i told my doctor 15mg was not getting rid of “noise” anymore…started the 30s and I was shaky, blood pressure was slightly elevated from my norm,, my resting pulse was 115 and everyone around me was in the 80s…i started getting blisters on the inside of my lips. stopped the 30s and halved them for a few days and tried them again and have no problems with them now. Sometimes our bodies have to get acclimated to a new stimulus…my doctor tells me to take them everyday, but I still just take them for school…i can say i feel low in energy when i dont,take them and i dont get deep sleep unless I take a xanax…but the upsides of the medication outweigh the cons…just take it as prescribed and if you have an addictive personality and history of drug use don’t take them…try something that doesn’t have a stimulant

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43. I personally disagree with the addictiveness of adderall. I have taken adderall and Ritalin throughout the years and never had issues with it. Now I had issues with ingesting too much caffeine which like ingesting too much adderall can have a very similar effect of potentiating a paranoid state but this merely caffeinism and goes away upon removal of excessive caffeine. So unless you’re super loading up on adderall it’s really just like a better type of coffee and or caffeine pill. And no it doesn’t induce schizophrenia nor psychosis. People with psychotic disorder and schizophrenia can not take adderall because it makes them delusional. People with ADHD do great on it. People with bipolar get manic on it. ADHD people get clear headed, organized, and sociable on adderall. For me it beats coffee which I’m allergic to.

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44. The fact is that we have just ruined life. Made it an experience that is so stressful. With all the technology, employers have your attention and task you all day and night. So much is expected of us it is ridiculous. We have drugs making us able to do more, we are pushed and pushed and pushed. Can we ever get back to a point where productivity does not drive every waking moment? Productivity requires adder all, fitness is driven by marketing now, one cannot just enjoy working out if there is no six pack people feel like failures so then comes steroids and other enhancements…it is stupid people! Slow down! Of course people turn to these drugs. Secretly the powers that be are fine with it, success and productivity FOR them by any means. Make them money. Build their empire. Publicly however people are scorned for turning to performance enhances in a society that almost demands them.

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45. Listen.

    I’d like to explain some things about Adderall that should help you white knights step off your high horse that you’re running around the internet with, arguing your stern and unfair conclusions.

    You ready for a short story? Here goes.

    First I’d like to discuss Adderall and the possibility of a health issue. Adderall is a drug. Like all drugs, it effects people differently. The chance of you dying from adderall are slim. However you could be the unlucky individual with a predisposed and inevitable illness that gets set off by Adderall giving you a life changing stroke, maybe heart problems or attack, etc etc. My friend had a stroke at the age of 15. I have friends that have MS at the age of 22. Like most things in life luck is involved. I get in a car in the morning and try my best to avoid an accident. However it’s most probable that I’ll get in a major collision at some point in my life. Those thoughts aren’t going to stop me from driving because the benefit of driving out weighs the possibility of injury or death. I’m not riding a bike everywhere if I don’t have to.

    With that being said, let me give you my opinion on Adderall and addiction and possible illness resulting from this drug.

    Adderall effects your brain, waking you up, making you feel alert and more sociable and of course helping you concentrate.

    First off if you have an addictive personality I’d recommend you have someone you trust closely monitor your bottle of pills. Or if you actually have ADD you take it as prescribed like a good little boy.

    Why be cautious you ask? They give this stuff to kids right? Is it that addictive? Not really, but maybe. It really depends on who’s taking the Adderall.

    For example I’ll relate Adderall to other far more addicting substances (which has been proven in some studies). These substances are far more toxic and over all harmful substances that people can get addicted and possibly die from. I would even put money that it’s likely you have a relative in your family is hooked to one or the other at some point. Or even lost a family member to. I’m talking about tobacco and alcohol of course.

    With the risk of sounding like a broken record, dosage and health issues relating to Adderall really depend on the person and that individuals tolerance to the drug. I’m going to compare Adderall to some popular legal substances that has no practical benefits and is much more harmful to you and others around you. Very harmful, in a multitude of ways. You might be familiar with Alcohol and Tobacco products? Why worry about Adderall when alcohol is around. And last I checked cigarettes had the same warning label on the package that Adderall comes with (The possibility of stroke, heart attack, erectile dysfunction etc). Lung cancer has been linked to cigarettes which kills, uhhh how many thousands each year? yet people do it and there is no benefit what so ever. At least the kids pulling all nighters can focus long enough to get an A and be successful. Of course smoking and drinking, like Adderall and any other drug, comes with a higher health risk with predisposed health issues. Alcohol, which has no risk warnings except for those MADD commercials warning you to not drive drunk. Or some college student vomiting into a toilet because they drank to much… Yes Alcohol has Killed more people than any other drug in the world, that’s EVERY OTHER DRUG COMBINED. You guys have bigger fish to fry. A Fun fact for those of you who didn’t have Adderall during history class. Alcohol used to be illegal in the states and still is in some parts of the world. The states quickly realized they could be making the mob money by taxing the alcohol. They couldn’t make all drugs illegal. Eventually marijuana will be legal as well. Once the baby boomers, who still think marijuana is a mean bad drug, get put in to care homes and are too bed ridden to care. Give it 10-15 years.

    Hrmmm, I’m getting off subject, haven’t taken an Adderall today.

    Alcohol works in a different way than Adderall, it’s a downer, making you half conscious and feeling euphoria, basically high. Further more alcohol makes you very dumb with less ambitions. Alcohol is A powerful drug and a very toxic one at that. Infact, Alcoholic beverages (as fun and tastey as they are) are much more harmful than virtually any other drug. Stimulants both legal and illegal, rank very low when comparing health risks and addiction to Alcohol.

    A reference to a study http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/nov/01/alcohol-more-harmful-than-heroin-crack

    You’re more likely to die from alcohol than you are heroin. If you’re an addict it’s a matter of picking your poison. With that said we all know moderation and control is key. Too much of anything is bad for you. My Fiancee is hooked on diet coke, has two or three a day. I would never drink a diet coke, because uhhh, yuck. The pleasure of having a pop diet or not, doesn’t out weigh the health effects for me. With that said she would never take my adderall let alone become addicted to it. But she loves that s***. So you see where addiction involves choice? You have to realize you’re an addict before you consumed what ever it was you ate or drank or snorted or what ever.

    Sure, the easy answer is don’t take the drug in the first place. But what if you couldn’t read for 5 min without falling asleep. Then someone shows up one day and pops the question, “Want to be able to concentrate and get good grades like the rest of your class mates?” What would you do if your attention span was so low that you just skipped school because it wasn’t worth sitting and failing. It’s a reality for some people. In my opinion it’s worth it.

    Perhaps you had your first beer or cigarette at young age. A friend or family member would have given it to you. I’d be willing to bet you didn’t start out by smoking an entire pack and drinking a 40z that night. Then getting addicted to those substances consuming more then dropping out of school. Yet alcohol is proven to be more harmful than any other drug including stimulants. So how where you able to move on and not keep drinking or smoking after that first sip or puff? How are you not drinking and smoking all the time burning out more organs much quicker than Adderall ever would. The reason would be that you aren’t addicted to that substance. Maybe that’s not your poison and Adderall is, or oxy’s or what ever. Maybe you didn’t know you were addicted to it because you’ve never been exposed to that given substance. If that’s the case and you become addicted to a substance, Deal with it like an adult. Deal with your own problems rather than trying to be everyone’s mother. You can’t control everyones lives making their decisions for them. Basically treating them like children. Making drugs illegal or give it the negative stigma of ‘It’ll ruin your life son’ mentality is stupid anyway. All it does is perpetuate the crime related to a black market related to drug trafficking. Just because of the possibility that it could hurt you doesn’t give anyone the right to say you shouldn’t take it.

    I believe you’re born with an addiction but you don’t practice those addictive behaviors until you’re exposed to that favorite substance. With all due respect, that’s your issue, weather it’s you or your kids you need to control it.

    As you can see I’m not a fan of Nanny law.

    Plus there are people to help you if you mess up your life that bad with drugs. Odds are you’ll lose your job, family and friends before you have a heart attack. In which case you’ll either end up on the streets and continue using or get clean and start a new life.

    And just for the record I’ve been a social drinker and smoker since I was around 14. I won’t speak for anyone else but I myself didn’t feel the need to drink after the party or hack back a pack of Marbs every day thereafter. I smoke when I drink and I drink when I’m with friends. A pack of smokes would last about a month and a half. Alcohol and tobacco products, drugs that are legal and cause way more harm, with no benifits like the concentration and focus without distraction you get with Adderall. It’s besides having fun and a temporary fix. When you consume alcohol or tobacco you’re doing drugs and it’s a completely selfish act. The only one who enjoys it is you as it rips your insides apart. (BTW I just quit smoking 2 months ago). The first time I drank I had a 6 pack Wildcats 8% Canadian beer, got super wasted. A girl who was at the party drank 3 mikes hard and got alcohol poisoning. She had to get her stomach pumped. I proceeded to drink three more beers through out the course of the night. All depends on who you are. Respect drugs and you’ll be fine on adderall even if you were taking it to stay awake to study. I mean, you wouldn’t want to drink more than a couple of beers and get drunk every day would you? Then why the hell would you take more adderall every day.

    So what about these crazy students who go on study binges, doing all nighters popping Adderall without a legal prescription? If you need it to stay awake to pass your course, go get a legal prescription and stop supporting the thugs walking around your school trying to sell you this stuff.

    It dangerous to binge like that? hardly.

    Lets put it to you silly enraged negative Nelly’s this way. You took the time to write your comment against taking a stimulant medication as an aid to study. A prescribed stimulant with the intended use of improving someones life. It’s not my fault or anyone else who is prescribed this medication that it works. It works awesome for people with ADD but if you don’t have ADD you’re going to get the jitters or what ever. In all probability no harm will come to them. When I was younger I took about 300MG over 24 hours and I didn’t notice any harm and that was not taking it for two months. Why did I do that? I dunno really. See what happens? hah.

    TTYL mmmmwa!

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    1. I realize this is a really old post, and you’re likely not going to even see it… But, oh well…

       Alcohol is used FAR more frequently than any other drug. I do agree that it is much more toxic than some other drugs, but claiming that deaths from alcohol exceeds other drugs is irrelevant. More people die from alcohol than heroin… It doesn’t make heroin less dangerous than alcohol, since you can’t even begin to compare usage statistics… Heroin, being a street drug with questionable ingredients, is almost certainly much more dangerous than alcohol. I didn’t read most or the unnecessarily long post, but surely you acknowledged this.

       I do think drugs should be legalized, and regulated, to ensure the safest possible experience for users… But, more people dying from alcohol is irrelevant. Even if we compared mortality rates among users, it wouldn’t be a fair representation given that people that use street drugs regularly are relatively uncommon. Alcohol has an exceptionally large sample size, and street drug’s is teeny tiny.

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46. I love all the warnings against adults taking this but it’s perfectly safe for children.

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    1. But is it safe for children?

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47. Some people who use Aderall for medical use such as ADHD also take Clonidine to fall asleep and I haven’t heard of somebody with ADHD or ADD taking and having a side affect as bad as increases blood pressure, as well as blood glucose and heart rate, and constricted blood vessels I think it’s different for them.

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48. Also the reason it could possibly constrict your blood vessels is because it stimulates the brain to produce more norepinphrine and dopamine but meaning that if you have ADHD or ADD that’s a good thing cause people with ADHD or ADD have lower norepinphrine and dopamine.

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49. Wish I had done some research on this before getting started. Started in College and just couldn’t stop. Completely burnt out my brain.. Adderrall is a terrible drug . I had to quit everything and beg God to take me back… it’s been 3 years since I quick (started in 2005) my brain has still not fully healed (no alcohol, drugs, stimulants, junk food- lots of excersise. If you are reading this please stay away…

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50. It says 6 and up but I stared at 5.its bad shit.it fried me beyond belief.so did dexadrine

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