Last week was absolutely ridiculous. With four exams in five days, by the end of the week, I was at my wit's end. I swear I was seeing blood vessels on my wooden cabinets, and I'm pretty sure my neighbor's dog had the hacking smoker's cough and barrel chest of a person with end-stage emphysema. I guzzled so much Dr Pepper to stay awakeand grew so dependent on it that I started asking it for medical advice.
While caffeine has helped many students fend off sleep, it is not healthy to deprive oneself of sleep for extended periods of time. Recently, students have turned to the prescription drug Adderall to stay awake and alert for long periods of time. While formal studies of illegal Adderall use are lacking, it is known that many college and graduate students use the drug and are largely unaware of its effects.
Adderall is a useful drug for people to whom it is prescribed, namely people who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or medically verified problems with excessive sleeping (narcolepsy). Otherwise, it can be a dangerous substance of abuse. To elucidate, Adderall is an amphetamine, with effects much like "speed." It stimulates a division of the central nervous system called the sympathetic system. Simply, this is the part of the central nervous system that acts quickly to prepare the body for action, otherwise known as the "flight or fight" system.
In other words, the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for actions such as increasing a person's heart rate and causing a person to be more alert. Accordingly, because Adderall stimulates this system, it causes many sympathetic actions on the body.
Several students I spoke with said they believe the drug is "fairly safe" because they have not seen major negative effects with its use. When I proposed that notion to Joel Shenker, a neurologist and professor at the University's School of Medicine, he shed some light on its use.
"These drugs are only available with a prescription because they are full of unpredictable side effects," Shenker said. "People may think a drug is fairly safe, but they do not understand its actions. It may just mean there are less obvious side effects, which may make it even harder to manage. Thus, an objective, knowledgeable point of view is necessary to determine its proper use."
The effects that make the drug appealing to many students include decreased drowsiness and increased attentiveness for hours, but Adderall is a prescription drug for a reason.
According to Micromedex, Adderall causes a wide range of side effects from stomach pain to insomnia to an irregular heart beat, and it can even cause brain damage.
Additionally, a person may not know the full status of his own health. Factors that are important in determining not only whether the drug is safe to take, but how much and how often it should be taken, are not straightforward. These factors require a general understanding of the drug's actions on the body, the body's actions on the drugs, what other drugs or foods this drug may interact with and a specific understanding of the health status of the individual. A severe and perhaps fatal allergic reaction that may occur as a result of this drug when not used properly is a realistic concern.
Along with the short-term effects, Adderall is a habit-forming drug that causes physical and psychological dependence. If a person has been taking this drug for several weeks, he should see a physician to discuss a plan to discontinue its use so that withdrawal effects are minimized.
The experience of a physician provides knowledge of drugs and perspective on the use of drugs. As I spoke to Shenker, he addressed the illegal use of Adderall by students.
"If you can't study without pharmacological manipulation than you may have bigger problems to worry about," he said.
The problem is, as it always has been, that there are oftentimes too many things to do and not enough time to get them done. While it may seem that there are newer, better ways to increase attentiveness, there are no perfect solutions. School can be strenuous at times, but quick fixes are usually not the best way to deal with the stress. So unless Adderall has been prescribed to a person by his physician, then it would be in his best interest to steer clear of that drug. A person should work hard, but also balance it with time for play and rest.
And since I like to practice what I preach, I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight!
Omid Fatemi is a bieweekly columnist.He can be reached at ofatemi@cavalierdaily.comreached at
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