How tired do you feel right now? How many papers, work shifts and parties are pulling on your conscious, demanding your attention? How are you going to cope? Students and doctors question the largely unknown long-term effects of stimulant drugs and whether they are worth the risk.
Adderall, “the study drug,” is a psychostimulant generally prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and heightens awareness and alertness in certain parts of the brain. It is becoming more prevalent on university campuses, according to Gerald Ryan, M.D. University Health Systems director of medical services.
Ryan said he worries about students using substances to solve immediate problems without considering possible lifelong consequences.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison student, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke about the only time she tried Adderall after finding a blue pill at Memorial Library.
“I saw it on the desk and was like, ‘free Adderall!’” the student said.
Adderall has a high potential for abuse, according to a 2008 U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health study. Effects of prolonged stimulant treatment have not been fully explored, yet the number of amphetamine prescriptions exceeded eight million in 2000.
Ryan said the most controversial long-term effects of Adderall concern how it affects the heart because the drug over-engages natural body stimulants such as adrenaline and epinephrine.
“Your body has difficulty sustaining itself if it’s constantly being stimulated in that way,” Ryan said.
He also said people can develop conditions later in life that seem related to overstimulation at a younger age, specifically irregular heart activity that commonly causes poor blood flow. Doctors are concerned whether people who have used Adderall in the past will be at a greater health risk when they get older, he added.
Ryan said while deaths associated with narcotic drugs such as heroin and oxycodone are much higher than those with stimulants, he stressed the importance of not overusing any drug.
“The brain just doesn’t like that,” Ryan said. “It needs time to rejuvenate.”
Difficulty in managing the distribution of Adderall and other stimulants comes from the complexity of diagnosing ADHD, according to Ryan.
Stimulants can improve written recall memory, which Ryan said is the main form of testing in schools. However, it actually impairs tasks requiring innovation and creativity.
But, artificially heightened awareness can be positive when controlled, making Adderall an effective medical treatment, Ryan said. Ethical questions arise when it is used to gain a competitive edge.
“Often the people pushing for someone to take a stimulant are the parents,” Ryan said. “They want make sure their kid has every opportunity to score as high as possible.”
The United States experiences higher consumption rates of brain-altering drugs than the rest of the world, Ryan added.
Ryan also said students can become dependent upon Adderall, although it is rare. Addiction signs include increased tolerance, more frequent “quick fixes,” snorting, smoking or injecting the drug, loss of control, resorting to theft and continued use despite damaging consequences, according to the UHS website.
Adderall, similar to other stimulant drugs, is illegal to obtain without a prescription and violators could face felony charges with significant fines and possibly jail time. UW-Madison students may also face disciplinary actions for non-academic misconduct, according to UHS.
Another anonymous UW-Madison student said he uses caffeine pills to tackle a demanding workload. Ryan said changing caffeine consumption habits presents the biggest issue.
“The crash is pretty god damn awful,” the student said.
A third UW-Madison student said he mainly drinks coffee and 5 Hour Energy, but has also used Adderall a few times–once for the ACT and once to increase his work performance.
“I would recommend sleep foremost, but obviously in college you don’t have that much time,” he said. “We need to slow down college life. It’s not good if we’re setting people up to use stimulants.”
A final UW-Madison student challenged a common misconception when people believe they are disadvantaged academically because they are not using stimulants, despite not being diagnosed with ADHD.
“To say they are at a disadvantage is not really true compared to my situation,” the student said. “I think it puts me at an even playing field. If everyone used it, I would again be at a disadvantage.”
