When *Kelly studied for her first exams at the University, she ran into a bit of trouble. She felt scatterbrained and anxious. She returned to her hometown doctor who then evaluated her and prescribed her Vyvanse, a pharmaceutical drug often used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. Her doctor suggested this would also aid her anxiety better than her previous medications.
It worked, for about half a year.
“Once I started taking that more regularly, it would wear off,” she said. “So he prescribed me Adderall for later in the day if I wanted to keep studying.”
Kelly is prescribed both drugs now. Her Vyvanse prescription designates 40 mg per pill. Her Adderall prescription is instant release at a smaller dosage of 10 mg that lasts about three hours. Extended release Adderall capsules can last longer than 10 hours. (And she really doesn’t use Adderall as much, she said, similar to what her doctor suggested.)
While LSU Health Center Health Promotions Coordinator Kathy Saichuk said Vyvanse and Adderall generally shouldn’t be prescribed at the same time, “there could be some overlap, certainly.”
“A doctor cannot take back a prescription because of health risks and health standards,” Saichuk said. “But they can change their prescriptions, so they may end up with both medications at the same time.”
Kelly also said she doesn’t take the medications every day, as prescribed. She generally just takes them as needed, for school and other work.
And Kelly finds herself doing much better in school since being prescribed medication. She said she’s focused on her school-related work unless she doesn’t take the drugs. One night, when she waited too late to take her medication, she said she couldn’t focus at all.
“I didn’t get one thing done because I was too concerned about everything else,” she said. “So it [Adderall/Vyvanse] really does help me to sit down and actually concentrate on what I need to be doing.”
The Rules on the Books
Adderall is one of the most widely prescribed ADHD medications in the country, along with Vyvanse, but between its negative side effects and its illegal trade and uses, physicians are reassessing its place in medicine.
The FDA approved its unrestricted use for treatment of ADHD in 1996. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, ADHD is a disorder that causes inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity or a combination of those factors.
Saichuk explained the drug’s makeup as having amphetamines and dextroamphetamines, the stimulant properties that make Adderall a stimulant-based drug. However, not all medications for ADHD are based in stimulants like Adderall.
Perceptions of the drug have changed since 1996, according to Saichuk. Over-prescribing and use among people who aren’t diagnosed for this medication have caused doctors to reconsider the qualifications to use it, and public opinion toward Adderall and similar medications has changed as well.
“It’s gone through a bit of an evolution,” she said. “More and more people are getting concerned about the long term consequences because there are really not a lot of studies [on these medications].”
While prescriptions have increased, users are more willing to acknowledge their diagnoses. According to Saichuk, when study medications first arrived on the market, people generally perceived ADHD as a sign of unintelligence. Now, however, people are more open in discussing their use of these medications.
“Everybody thinks it’s a good thing for school work,” said business junior Cody Warren, who’s been prescribed Vyvanse since freshman year. “It’s a common drug.”
Adderall and similar drugs like Vyvanse or Ritalin are considered Schedule II drugs by the FDA. This means the FDA monitors them; they are available through prescription only, and no refills can be given unless a new, written order form is used.
Testing for diagnosis is rigorous as well, Saichuk said. Certified Mental Health persons such as psychologists must run the testing, which takes six to 10 hours to complete, and generally costs about $300.
However, people still receive these medications without these conditions. Certain doctors and physicians can prescribe ADHD medication without a full range of tests.
“I could walk into my doctor’s office and give all the classic symptoms because everybody knows what they are. You just look on the Internet,” Saichuk said. “In some cases, that’s how people get a prescription for ADHD medication, sadly, because they really don’t need it.”
The Truth of the Matter
*Patrick tried Vyvanse his freshman year at LSU, and now occasionally buys it when he feels he needs to focus. He’s never been concerned about buying the drug illegally because he knows so many others who do the same, and the prescriptions are questionable.
“It’s kind of like underage drinking, a lot of people do it, and I know a lot of people that are prescribed it shouldn’t be,” he said. “They’ll tell you. People just go to the doctor. They’ll say anything — you can just make something up.”
Patrick couldn’t pin a specific number to how many people he knows who buy like he does.
“Almost everyone I know, almost all of my friends — a majority.”
Saichuk listed a series of negative side effects, some of which could be severe for someone who isn’t technically diagnosed with ADHD or a condition that requires a prescription for drugs like Adderall or Vyvanse. Effects include everything from dry mouth and loss of appetite to heart attack, sudden death and stroke. Schedule II drugs like Adderall and Vyvanse also have a high potential for abuse according to the FDA.
But it’s less expensive and time consuming to consult a family doctor rather than submit to hundreds of dollars worth of testing, which is the only technical way to be diagnosed with ADHD, according to Saichuck.
Patrick said he has few health concerns since so many others take the drug with no severe side effects.
*Warren was prescribed Vyvanse his freshman year, but he expressed his discomfort for the speedy feeling medications like Vyvanse can produce.
“I just don’t want to take it every day because I don’t feel like being strung out on it,” he said.
He described the Vyvanse as “brain steroids” in their ability to produce focus.
Kelly said students she knows often combat this speed effect by taking something that will offset the speed in the drugs, usually marijuana. She said all of her friends usually use marijuana to help with sleeplessness.
“I have to [use it] sometimes,” she said. “All of my friends do. … I don’t know about everybody, but I think it’s a pretty common trend.”
Cashing In
Saichuk said those seeking Adderall prescriptions will probably have less luck arguing their case to physicians today than earlier in the medication’s history. Instead, people who don’t meet the criteria will more likely just buy them illegally, she said.
Kelly concurs.
“Most everyone I know sells theirs,” she said. “Not huge supplies to everybody, but if a friend needs it, it’s ‘Oh yeah, I’ll sell you one.’”
That’s not to say there’s no profit involved.
“Together I get them for $30 dollars; it’s $20 for my Vyvanse and $10 for my Adderall,” she said. “People buy them for five a piece, so I could make about a $100 profit from it. I’ve made some money off of it.”
Even Warren knows at least five or six people off the top of his head who sell their medications.
“Kids who aren’t into dealing or buying drugs know where to get Vyvanse, or they’re OK with Vyvanse,” he said. “Even kids I know who don’t like drinking are OK with buying Vyvanse and taking it.”
Kelly said most people she knows who are prescribed Adderall don’t take the full amount and end up selling left over pills because they have so many.
Stimulation
Saichuk emphasized while ADHD medication may help people focus, it doesn’t make them smarter.
“It’s not something that adds to your long-term memory which is what learning is comprised of,” she said. “There’s a difference between learning it for life and learning it for the test the next day.”
While drugs like Vyvanse and Adderall are directed at combating ADHD symptoms, Saichuk said she’s speculative of ADHD diagnosis in modern society. With so many engagements like constant media bombardment, Saichuk said she believes society may be generally over-stimulated.
“There’s always something stimulating us,” she said.
