More UB Students turn to Adderall for all-nighters willing to trade risk for studying help

There once was a time where students drank massive amounts of coffee and pulled all-nighters at the library in order to cram for a big test. But this traditional practice of studying seems to be dying out, and is being replaced with a quicker, and possibly more dangerous, solution. While some people still use those habitual methods of studying, more and more college kids are finding another way to succeed – with the help of the drug Adderall.

Adderall, a prescription drug, is becoming increasingly popular on college campuses. The drug was originally prescribed by doctors to treat patients with narcolepsy and Attention-Deficit Disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD). But with so many college students having easy access to Adderall, the drug is quickly becoming an agent to make studying easier rather than treat the diseases it was meant for. In fact, Adderall as a study drug is becoming such a growing trend that the question isn’t who has tried it, but who hasn’t?

Many students, if not most, are turning to Adderall to help concentrate on studying, even when they are not prescribed the drug by a doctor. Dr William Gouvier, a clinical psychologist, says that the reason so many kids are using Adderall is probably because, “Adderall gives many the ability to concentrate – whether they are ADD, ADHD, or not.” In fact, many people who have a prescription for Adderall don’t even really need it.

While many students do use Adderall, relatively few seem to be aware of the dangerous side effects associated with the drug. In some cases, Adderall can cause psychotic problems like irritability and anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, insomnia, addiction, and Tourette’s syndrome. Adderall can cause other damages to the body such as diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems, hives, and impotence. The drug has also been known to suppress appetite, causing undesired weight loss. For people who don’t need the drug for a medical reason, Adderall is said to be similar to taking speed.

Because of some of its most dangerous side effects, Adderall has recently been banned in Canada. According to Newsday, Adderall was linked to 20 sudden deaths in the United States over a span of four years, as well as a number of strokes. The deaths associated with the drug occurred in users of regular Adderall pills, as well as extended release capsules (Adderall XR). The FDA can not yet officially say that the drug was the cause of the deaths that occurred, but they are investigating the causes while the drug is off the market in Canada. What they have found so far is that these fatal side effects usually resulted in people who had structural cardiac abnormalities, and that these people were the most at risk.

Despite these side effects, many students continue to use Adderall to help them study. Part of the reason is that a lot of people are completely unaware of the side effects, or they believe that the advantages outweigh the risks of taking Adderall.

Nick, a sophomore biology and pre-med major at Canisuis College, is one of the many students who use Adderall to cope with the stress of his demanding class schedule. Nick says he loves Adderall and the effects he gets from it.

“It allows me to get all my work done without taking breaks, and I never get bored.”

Like many students, Nick was unconcerned with the side effects of Adderall, and didn’t even know what they are.

What he does know is that he performs better in school with the drug than he would without it. “I just started taking it last year before exams so I could study for like six hours straight,” Nick says, “What I found is that unless you take it early in the day you are not falling asleep.”

The realization that Adderall will keep people awake for long periods of time is one of the main reasons why many college students say they use the drug. People who take it say that it not only helps them concentrate and stay awake, but it makes them incredibly interested in what they would normally consider a boring topic.

Paul, a sophomore business major at the University at Buffalo, says that there are three specific reasons why he takes Adderall. Like Nick, Paul wasn’t prescribed the drug by a doctor, but says he can find it very easily from his friends who do have prescriptions or from people who sell the drug.

“The main reason I use it is because it helps me concentrate, I feel like I can learn much better on it,” Paul says, “Second reason is it keeps me up all night if I have to study for a test. And the third reason is it’s fun. It puts you in a good mood and makes you enjoy conversations with anyone. And you can kick good game on it. Really good game.”

For Paul, the benefits of Adderall outweighed its disadvantages, and he rationalized that since the majority of his friends used the drug, it had to be relatively safe. “I asked my doctor and he said it’s ok, he said, ‘Do what you got to do to get good grades.’”

Many believe Adderall is widely used by people who don’t need it. This may be why many believe they can get a prescription by lying to their doctors. Stories about college kids who have pulled this trick on their doctors, by describing symptoms that people with ADD do actually have, aren’t rare to hear. However, many doctors are hesitant to give out the drug, knowing that there is a fine line between people who actually need it and those who merely have typical studying and learning behaviors.

Sara, a junior communications major, says her doctor knew immediately that she had ADD and could benefit from medication. Sara was first prescribed Ritalin, but after using it for a few months she felt like it wasn’t helping her at all. She also felt depressed when she was taking the drug. As a result, Sara switched to Adderall in January, and has since felt that it has helped her much more.

“I personally don’t feel a difference from when I was on no medication but like my mom sees in a difference in me and my grades have gone up,” Sara says, “and it suppresses my appetite a lot.”

Unlike Nick and Paul, Sara takes Adderall every morning. Her medicine is Adderall XR, extended release capsules that they last all day, but she has specific orders from her doctor never to take the pill after 3:00 p.m., because the medicine would keep her up all night and have nervous effects on her body.

The downside for Sara is that she says the drug affects her personal life. Occasionally, she experiences mood swings which she assumes are from the medicine, because she never had them before she took it. She also feels pressure from students who don’t have prescriptions for the drug, but want it for recreational use or to help them study.

“People have asked if they could buy it from me but I’ve never let them because they don’t need it,” Sara says, “and it’s like they’re hurting themselves in a way because they get different effects from it than I do.” The fact that selling the drug is a felony in many states is also a major reason why Sara refuses to sell her prescription. “I know a lot of people have prescriptions and will sell them, so why should I get involved in that.”

Despite the few side effects Sara experiences, she believes that the drug has generally helped her. Before she began taking it, she found that it was impossible to concentrate or sit still. “When I felt like I was trying really hard it was like pointless, like no different than if I wasn’t trying.”

As it is now, the trend of taking Adderall to study does not seem to be slowing down; if anything, it is increasing. Students who use it and experience positive results seem to be willing to accept the minor side effects they may experience with it, such as insomnia and weight loss. As Paul put it, “It works for me, and I’d rather have some problems now but be rich later because I got good grades.”