Need a crash course in ADD drugs

Parent Cafe
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<p>Links to DEA info on stimulants (including Ritalin & similar meds):
[Drugs</a> of Abuse Publication, Chart](<a href=“http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/abuse/chart.htm]Drugs”>http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/abuse/chart.htm)
[DEA</a> Briefs & Background, Drugs and Drug Abuse, Drug Descriptions, Methylphenidate](<a href=“http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/methylphenidate.html]DEA”>http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/methylphenidate.html)
[News</a> from DEA, News Releases, 10/20/95](<a href=“http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr951020.htm]News”>http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr951020.htm)
[GDCADA</a> | DEA Evaluation - Ritalin](<a href=“Ritalin® - DEA Evaluation - GDCADA”>Ritalin® - DEA Evaluation - GDCADA)</p>

<p>Articles about Adderall abuse:</p>

<p>[Adderall</a> Abuse](<a href=“http://adhd.emedtv.com/adderall/adderall-abuse.html]Adderall”>http://adhd.emedtv.com/adderall/adderall-abuse.html)
[Adderall</a> Use and Abuse - News](<a href=“http://media.www.thegeorgetownindependent.com/media/storage/paper136/news/2004/11/10/News/Adderall.Use.And.Abuse-799443.shtml]Adderall”>http://media.www.thegeorgetownindependent.com/media/storage/paper136/news/2004/11/10/News/Adderall.Use.And.Abuse-799443.shtml)
[Unsafe</a> Drugs - Adderall - Off-Label Use - Adderall abuse - Adderall addiction - Adderall attorney, lawyer, class action, lawsuit, law suit, settlement](<a href=“http://adderall.legalview.com/articles/173925/]Unsafe”>http://adderall.legalview.com/articles/173925/)</p>

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<p>So you want to know about Adderall, coming from an undergrad?</p>

<p>I know this is the parents’ section, but I figured it might be helpful to hear the POV from a rising senior at a top school. First of all, let me be clear that drugs meant to treat ADD run RAMPANT on college campuses. Although short-term adderall is most popular, these drugs are also recreationally consumed in the form of time release adderall, Concerta, and sometimes Ritalin. Although fewer freshmen get involved with these drugs, I’d estimate that about half of my friends have taken adderall as a study aid at one point or another throughout their college career. Prescriptions are too easy to get, and many students with prescriptions make a fortune during exam time by selling pills, usually at $5 a pop.</p>

<p>However, you don’t necessarily need to panic. The friends I’ve seen get into trouble with these drugs are the ones with poor time management and poor study skills. Personally, I consider myself to have good study skills (I went to a top college preparatory school that taught me well), but during finals, will take adderall to use my time more efficiently and to retain information better. I don’t use adderall to pull all-nighters before tests, but it does help me concentrate when I have to be in the library on a gorgeous Friday afternoon! As far as those who more severely abuse adderall, however, I’ve seen people take adderall for 2-3 days straight before big papers/tests, not eat (since the drug suppresses appetite), and then completely crash once it’s all over, or worse, right before a test.</p>

<p>As far as addiction is concerned, I have also taken Abnormal Psych (I’m a Psych major), and have learned that although people build up tolerances to these drugs, they are MENTALLY, not physically addictive. Clearly this is still bad, but if your son or daughter has solid study skills to begin with, you really shouldn’t worry.</p>

<p>One last warning: adderall is, in my opinion, a more serious “gateway drug” than marijuana, which is also rampant on college campuses. Adderall is an amphetamine, which is an “upper.” This is a type of drug that some people parallel to cocaine, which also produces similar effects of staying up late, suppressing appetite, etc. Also, be careful that girls, especially, aren’t taking adderall to fuel eating disorders since it really does curb appetite.</p>

<p>I know this post was long, and I really don’t mean to scare you, but I do think it’s important that parents are more cognizant about what goes on in the often avoided subject of study drugs. </p>

<p>If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! :)</p>

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<p>Another link about prescription drug abuse, from March 2008:</p>

<p>[Testimony</a> Before the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate](<a href=“http://www.drugabuse.gov/Testimony/3-12-08Testimony.html]Testimony”>http://www.drugabuse.gov/Testimony/3-12-08Testimony.html)</p>

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<p>Blondbluedevil; diversion of prescription drugs in a big deal among legitimate doctors. Care to say more about how the prescriptions are “easy to get”?</p>

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<p>“Pre-existing conditions can no longer be used as a pretense to exclusions from medical coverage as long as the patient has had continuing medical coverage.” ljd</p>

<p>My experience with situations such as this has been different. Perhaps the insurance company or state has different rules.</p>

<p>My main point was intended to be that treating a child with ADHD isn’t simply a matter of putting them on a medication, and that the medication can have adverse affects.</p>

<p>The issue with the drugs needing to be delivered by hard copy is a time issue, that busy parents may not be aware at start of treatment.</p>

<p>As you noted Strattera is not a stimulant as the drugs discussed earlier.</p>

<p>But, ljd, it sounds like things are working well for you and your family and I am very happy that is so!</p>

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<p>Shrinkrap: The symptoms of ADHD are vague and it can basically be pretty easy to be diagnosed if you’re even slightly convincing and good at acting. I have friends who did that simply to secure themselves a source of study aids.</p>

<p>Then, when you’re a person sitting there with that prescription which you yourself only use a bit, and you realize you can sell pills for $5 a piece, what’s the economic decision you think lots will make?</p>

<p>Now add up all the people who also have legitimate ADHD and just give the occasional pill to a friend, and the aforementioned people who don’t really have true ADHD, and there’s a lot of meds floating around campuses.</p>

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<p>I agree with 1of42–chances are, if you want to find adderall, you will either a) know someone with a prescription, since they’re that common, b) know of someone who’s selling adderall or c)know someone who knows someone who’s selling it.</p>

<p>Personally, Shrinkrap, although I do see the legitimacy in many cases of ADD and ADHD in early childhood, I believe that the disorder’s incidence during college is more a response to cultural distractions and pressures than an actual illness. Thoughts on this?</p>

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<p>Ah, now I understand why it was so difficult for son to get his prescription at the college clinic. He had jump through a lot of hoops, including meeting with a specialist there, then a trip to her office for another appointment the next week before he could finally get a prescription to take to a pharmacy. </p>

<p>Call us the naive family.</p>

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<p>Vyvanse is a newer psychostimulant that is less “abusable”. Students on college campuses often crush and snort some of the stimulant meds (Ritalin, Adderall, etc). This doesnt work with Vyvance. Vyvance works relatively quickly like the other psychostimulants, but takes longer to “kick in” [Vyvanse:</a> What You Need To Know](<a href=“http://www.myomancy.com/2007/05/vyvanse_what_yo]Vyvanse:”>http://www.myomancy.com/2007/05/vyvanse_what_yo).</p>

<p>As mentioned by others, Strattera, which is not a psychostimulant, takes several weeks to acclamate into one’s system. It also can cause liver abnormalities in some folks. However, it can help with mood as well as attentional issues. Other andidepressants, like Wellbutrin and Effexor can halp with attentional issues as well as mood issues, since these commonly coexist.</p>

<p>edit:
By the way this

isn’t true in all cases. Personal policies can exclude certain conditions, adn if you have had an interruption in insurance coverage, new coverage can impose an exclusion-- usually they wont pay for a condition that the person has been treated for within the past year. Also, if anyone plans to get a pilots license, forget being on many meds,especiallythe psychostimulants. Seems stupid to me. If a pilot has attentional problems, I’d rather they be ON meds. BUt nope-- can’t if you have or want a pilots license. Dumb policy, IMO.</p>

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<p>sorry for the typos above, and its too late to fix them. Was saying that other antidepressants (eg Wellbutrin and Effexor) can help with mood and attentional issues, at the right doses.</p>

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<p>Our experience with ADD and Adderall is the same as Mythmom. Our son prefers not to take the medication, so it certainly doesn’t seem to have been psychologically addictive for him. I think being off medication is like putting on the rose colored glasses in The Fantastiks. Life is a big fluffy cloud and he likes that feeling if he doesn’t have anything that needs to get done. The family, however, definitely notices when he is off meds; he can be on his way to feed the dog and forget why he is walking down the hall. In other words, his personality is night and day when on or off the medication but we let it be his decision when to take his medicine. The problem is that a forgetful person is the one most likely to forget to the take the Adderall. It is a bit of a catch-22.</p>

<p>With that said, it really has been a life saver for this child because when he does need to absorb something, it was just impossible for him before. The pain he suffered before getting diagnosed as a junior in high school was just undescribable. He went through a full battery of testing again in college in order to continue the prescription. Maybe a kid can fake it for the doctors, but the family for sure knows when it is real. I regret that we waited as long as we did before getting him help.</p>

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<p>For OP and others:</p>

<p>My S off meds even at nine:</p>

<p>Up all night at dining room table to write one paragraph through many tears.
(Not that we let him stay up all night, so it never did get done.)</p>

<p>On meds? Well, he just wrote enough papers on his own to finish his second semester at Williams, writing intensive courses, too.</p>

<p>Reading: Three hours for one paragraph off meds.</p>

<p>On meds: See above. Frosh year at Williams.</p>

<p>Math: When his dosage was too low (but still medicated) math test at beginning of tenth grade 70%. </p>

<p>On meds: Next test (similar material, no studying – 99%) Teacher refused to do anything about the grade on first test, claimed material was getting harder. Still refused after second test, oh well, water under the bridge. Attending school of his dreams anyway.</p>

<p>About personality – I have to agree with TheAnalyst. He likes his personality better off meds. He’s quirkier, more creative, and I like his personality off meds better too – quirkier, more creative.</p>

<p>His sister likes him better on meds because she finds him annoying off his meds. I don’t.</p>

<p>I regret that he must choose between his creativity and his attention. It’s not fair, and not a choice he should have to make, and it’s difficult for him since he’s a violinist/composer and needs all his faculties for these jobs. But the medication has made his life possible.</p>

<p>Have to agree that a person with ADD often “forgets” to take the meds. It comes with the territory.</p>

<p>I also agree that ADD meds are frequently abused on college campuses, and if that was in the parameter of OP’s question – well, I dropped the ball there.</p>

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<p>I want to know why if Adderall is so addictive- I don’t remember to take it when I should and why when my dr mails me my next month prescription, why I then misplace it?
;)</p>

<p>I don’t find any difference in my personality, other than not being able to function because running around in circles.</p>

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<p>Hi emeraldkity: Nice to see you. Good point.</p>

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<p>jym626,
Yes, personal medical policies can exclude, but for most folks who have the standard employer-sponsored policy, coverage for ADD would be continued if the parent changes employers.</p>

<p>This whole discussion has convinced me that we will not be mailing medication refills to college lest the package get misplaced. Seems like a room mini-safe would be appropriate, too, so that a student who takes ADD meds legitimately isn’t falsely accused if a roommate steals/sells the drugs. We are fortunate that our pediatrician will maintain a relationship with college students so that there is continuity of medication instructions and periodic follow-up.</p>

<p>This whole stimulant discussion has also prompted a discussion with my kids about the importance of not sharing medications and the consequences that can follow from making foolish decisions. They said they aren’t aware of anyone who takes stimulants, but I’m not as naive as they are. One of my kids said no one drinks – but I know the police busted a party over Spring Break (parents were out of town), with citations issued involving kids from one of said child’s school ECs.</p>

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<p>I agree this is very interesting. Not only has it been good dinner conversation (especially with college son #1 home), but it’s also been a good opportunity to talk about all drugs perscription and otherwise. While I’m alittle bit anti-drugs - I have to have a pounding headache before I even take a tylenol - I noticed that the kids are often reaching for the Tylenol and especially the Tylenol PM. I felt that the entire family was getting alittle indiscriminate about pills in general. I was very concerned about the ADD drugs and wanted to know what was up with the pill-sharing/pill-selling. My kids high school has gotten increasingly competitive and is now sending almost 90% to college. I’ve noticed a huge difference between Son 1 and Son 3 regarding competitiveness with regard to grades, etc. I’m not sure that I think any of this is going to have long term benefits to society as a whole.</p>

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<p>One of the differences now is that we are competing globally as the rest of the world wants our jobs. So there’s more pressure on parents and kids. That’s the way the world works now.</p>

<p>I’m amazed that students would respond to more competition using ADD drugs. But maybe I shouldn’t be. It just parallels steroid use in sports where everyone needs an edge right away.</p>

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<p>Adderall information:</p>

<p>[MedlinePlus</a> Drug Information: Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine](<a href=“http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a601234.html]MedlinePlus”>Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine: MedlinePlus Drug Information)</p>

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<p>“Do not stop taking dextroamphetamine and amphetamine without talking to your doctor, especially if you have overused the medication. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually and monitor you carefully during this time. You may develop severe depression and extreme tiredness if you suddenly stop taking dextroamphetamine and amphetamine after overusing it”</p>

<p>After we figure out how it’s working, my patients are free to stop and start, as long as it’s not associated with any ill will ( don’t say “you need to take your medicine” in the middle of a conflict). With regard to the overuse;Talking to me about it is going to be one tough converstaion. I do not refill early no matter what…lost…dog ate pills…flushed down toilet…whatever…</p>

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<p>More on Adderall:</p>

<p>[A</a> drug kids take in search of better grades | csmonitor.com](<a href=“http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1130/p11s02-legn.htm]A”>A drug kids take in search of better grades - CSMonitor.com)</p>

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