Alice AhnRebecca SchneiderJacqueline TranArfa Ahmed
QUICK FIX
GENERATION
Professor PinedaCogs 174
3/7/11
QUICK FIX GENERATION: MISUSED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
IntroductionQuick Fix GenerationPrescription Drug Misuse
Study drug: Adderall
Adderall What does it do? Short Term Effects Long Term EffectsConclusion: Is misuse worth the risk?
Prioritize Immediate Results Advertising companies target consumers with messages
of ultimate convenience Make the degree of convenience seem almost magical, fantastical
Disregard Long Term Effects
CULTURAL MODEL: QUICK FIX GENERATION
“Never seen a prescription drug that has an appeal to college-age students more than Adderall and Ritalin”
2010 Study at University of Kentucky: “casual” misuse of Adderall among students: Juniors and Seniors: 50-60% Juniors/Seniors in Frat/Sorority: 80%
THE QUICK FIX: “STUDY DRUGS”
Students looking for a competitive edge; not informed of side effects
“Don’t make students any smarter, but those who abuse them become psychologically dependent” Positive Reinforcement become a way of life for
students who misuse these drugs
THE STUDENTS WHO MISUSE ADDERALL
From 1995-2006 Increase in prescriptions: 100.3 %
Increase in Consumption: 268.9%
•Easy Access Fellow Students –
Campus Black Market Online Craigslist Prescription
Fake symptoms
GETTING ADDERALL
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
Treat ADHDIncreases attentionDecrease impulsivity Decrease hyperactivity
Treat narcolepsy Part of a Total Treatment ProgramWith counseling/therapies
WHAT IS ADDERALL USED FOR?
Schedule 2 controlled substanceAdderall is available in IR and XR and is
prescribed in a variety of doses Pill enters the bloodstream where the active
ingredients stimulate the brain’s production of norepinephrine and dopamine
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Dieters College students
for its effects on alertness, concentration, libido and hunger
People who want to stay up to party
COMMON MISUSE OF ADDERALL
HeadacheStomach acheTrouble sleepingWeight lossDry mouthDecreased appetiteNervousnessNauseadiarrheaDizziness*do not drive or operate
machinery while taking Adderall as it could impair your coordination/ judgment
NEGATIVE SHORT TERM EFFECTS
Heart related problems which can result in sudden deathStroke Increase heart pressure/ heart rateGrinding of teethChanges in sexual ability or desire Increased Aggression Increased:
Depression Hostility Abnormal thoughts
Emergence of Pre-existing Psychotic Symptoms Ex: Inducing Bi-polar illness Ex: Inducing Pre-Existing Psychosis
SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS
Shortness of breathChest painFainting episode Severe headachesPounding, fast or otherwise irregular heartbeat Jaw painPain on the left armSeizuresSwelling of the ankles or feetExtreme fatigueBlurred visionWeakness on one side of the bodySlurred speech confusion
Severe allergic reactions
SIDE EFFECTS THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION
High blood pressureAny form of heart disease – can lead to sudden deathWorsening of insomniaA history of addiction to drugs or alcohol – can lead to addictionTourette syndrome – can lead to sudden deathMedications:
MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)- have serious life-threatening effect
Antidepressant medications Blood pressure medications Blood thinners Cold/ allergy medication that contain decongestants Seizure medications Stomach acid medications Combining Adderall with other medication can alter, increase, or
decrease the effect of the medication
WHAT NOT TO COMBINE ADDERALL WITH
LONG TERM EFFECTS
IncreasedFocus, attention, motivationDuration of concentration
Elevated mood Enlarge parts of the brain associated with focus, motivation, and attention
Weight loss
POSITIVE EFFECTS
NEGATIVE LONG TERM EFFECTS
Financially draining
Increased aggression
Poor study habits Does not fix the real problem!
Weight loss
AnorexiaStrokeHeart attackSudden death Hair loss (although rare)Increased blood pressure
NEGATIVE CONTINTUED
Blocks long term synaptic depression in ventral Tegmental area
Amphetamine psychosis Hallucinations, delusions, paranoia
Akathisia Motor restlessness
NEGATIVE EFFECTS - NEUROLOGICAL
ADDICTION
It IS a Schedule II controlled substanceTolerance - easy to go on higher dose
Keep up the competitive edge
ADDICTION
Dermatoses Insomnia HyperactivityHigh Body Temperature Personality ChangesEven PSYCHOSIS
Clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia
AMPHETAMINE ADDICTION
WITHDRAWAL
• After stopping high doses•extreme fatigue •mental depression•Anhedonia •Anxiety •Cravings •Nightmares
Does it work?
THE QUICK-FIX: ADDERALL
AKA “IVY LEAGUE CRACK”
THE OBSERVER (ENGLAND), 2009
“Male undergraduates at highly competitive schools are the most frequent student users of neuroenhancers, more likely to belong to a fraternity or a sorority, and to have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 - ie satisfactory - or lower”
“In other words, decent students at schools where to be a great student you have to give up a lot more partying than they're willing to give up.”
"pretty clear trend across the studies that say neuroenhancers will be less helpful for people who score above average"
NEWSWEEK ARTICLE - JANUARY 17, 2011
• “same dopamine-boosting benefits by [belief] that you'll do well”
• “psychological factors such as motivation and reward help with memory, but not higher-order processes such as abstract thought.”
• “positive mood--even the kind that comes from watching "Sneezing Panda" on YouTube--can enhance creative problem-solving, finds a new paper in Psychological Science. reducing stress and the resulting cortisol, which attacks the myelin sheath that coats neurons and thus impairs signal transmission, allows underlying abilities to reach their full potential.
• 1) exercise 2) meditation 3) complex and intricate video games provide brain with similar effects without drugs
Does it work?
• As a last minute study drug:• Yes, may improve your score if you
normally score below average• Yes, for memorization• No, for abstract or complex thinking
• Fix the real problem?• Time management, prioritization issues,
developing discipline?• No
THE QUICK-FIX: ADDERALL
Is it worth the risk?THE QUICK-FIX:
ADDERALL
MOST COMMON JUSTIFICATION FOR
ADDERALL ABUSE “The stuff comes right from a doctor. So I don’t really stress over knowing a lot about it. It’s obviously not going to hurt you . . . They couldn’t give it to 50 millions kids if it did.”
“the problem is not only that they do not know, but that they are content with not knowing”
Sudden death Serious cardiovascular adverse eventsWorsening mental illness Possible decreased growthIncreased ticsHeadachesNightmaresMood changes
RECAP OF FDA’S WARNINGS
FDA WARNINGS ON ADDERALL USE CONTINUED…
Danger is exponentially increased if users have Undiagnosed heart defects High blood pressure Heart or blood vessel diseaseOveractive thyroid
Majority of sudden deaths linked with pre existing heart problems
Is it worth the risk?
• Besides FDA’s warnings…• Scarce conclusive research has been performed on
the long term effects of Adderall use on brain structure
• No research has been conducted on the long term effects of Adderall use on the non ADHD brain
• Adderall specifically acts on brain regions thought to be impaired in ADHD patients• Pre-Frontal Cortex: executive control• Anterior Cingulate Cortex: rational cognitive
functioning
THE QUICK-FIX: ADDERALL
THE QUICK FIX GENERATION
A QUICK FIX TO THE GRAVE?
If you care about your health, do the research; be a nerd!
YOU DECIDE!
http://www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T11365717566&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T11365717570&cisb=22_T11365717569&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=314237&docNo=18
http://www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T11365717566&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T11365717570&cisb=22_T11365717569&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=6742&docNo=5
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/ http://www.bing.com/health/article/goldstandard-1500082520/Amph
etamine-Aspartate-Amphetamine-Sulfate-Dextroamphetamine-Saccharate-Dextroamphetamine-Sulfate-Oral-tablet?q=adderall
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100254163 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2681078/
REFERENCES
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/adderall-side-effects.htmlhttp://adderall.net/http://www.mahalo.com/adderall/http://www.ritalinsideeffects.net/http://www.mahalo.com/adderall-side-effects/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSj_FdOQACw&feature=pl
ayer_embeddedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ihO1KFxkQhttp://www.drugs.com/pro/adderall.htmlhttp://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/
index.cfm http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-07-07/news/
27069332_1_craigslist-adderall-drug-wholesalers
REFERENCES
Easton, N. (2007). "Differential effects of the D- and L- isomers of amphetamine on pharmacological MRI BOLD contrast in the rat" Psychopharmacology. 11-29.
DeSantis, A. (2010). Adderall is Definitely Not a Drug": Justification for the Illegal Use of ADHD Stimulants. Substance Use & Misuse, 45:31-46.
Connecticut, C. (1997). Stimulants. The brain's response to drugs. Connecticut Clearinghouse.
"Amphetamine Blocks Long-Term Synaptic Depression in the Ventral Tegmental Area ."The Journal of Neuroscience . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi
"Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine." Adderall Effects. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000166.
"What are the Side Effects Adderall Is Known For?." ADHD Remedies to Eliminate Symptoms of ADHD. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/adderall_side_effects.
REFERENCES