The Traveler

Issue date: 12/8/08 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Larry Ash Adderall is prescribed to those that suffer from attention disorders, but it is a stimulant that can increase heart rate and cause anxiety.

Although Adderall is used to help those with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, it is commonly abused on college campuses to aid students while studying, especially during finals. A University of Wisconsin study concluded that one in five students have used Adderall without a prescription at some point during their college careers.

For ADD and ADHD patients, the drug is used to help them focus and concentrate on their work, said Robert Pang, a psychiatrist at the Pat Walker Health Center.

"People abuse it to stay up and cram for tests," he said. "I try hard to keep it from being abused, but I know it is."

Adderall has different effects on those who do not have an attention disorder and can make them hyper and very anxious, Pang said.

"It's not a good thing," he said. "It is a stimulant, so it can increase heart rate and cause motor tics."

Senior Kathryn Livoni, a drama major from Sacramento, Calif., is a newly prescribed patient and said Adderall can cause bad side effects when it starts to leave the system.

"When you crash, you crash hard," she said. "You have been on a euphoria getting things done and all of the sudden you feel fatigued and anti-social."

There are two forms of Adderall. One is a tablet that lasts three to four hours and can be taken three to four times a day. The other form is a capsule that is taken once a day, every 10 to 12 hours. Depression and irritability are also common when the medication is wearing off, Pang said.

Livoni feels the prescription has highly benefited her.

"Without Adderall, it's hard for me to focus on my studies and it makes me want to be a better student," she said. "When I have something to do, it makes me do it."

Livoni said she is aware that it is very much a drug, but she is not addicted to it.

"I can still do my work without it, but it aids me [when I choose to take it]," said Livoni, who also said Adderall helps her understand what she is reading.

"Reading has been hard for me [my whole life]," she said. "But Adderall helps me know what I am reading. Without it, my mind is somewhere else and it actually helps me understand what I read."

Other students on campus turn to alternate reinforcements to help study during finals.

Bobby Evins, a junior kinesiology from Hot Springs, does not use Adderall but consumes energy drinks and Mountain Dew to get through his final exams.

"I know it's all over campus, but if Adderall didn't have side effects, everyone would be able to take it," he said. "Just study a little bit everyday instead of cramming the night before."

The Federal Government puts restrictions on Adderall because it is very abuseable, Pang said. No refills can be made - a new prescription must be written each month.

"We require psychological testing or documentation that you need Adderall," he said. "If someone loses it, takes too much or I find out they gave it away, they do not get anymore until a new prescription is due."

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