[radio_flyer]

My son thinks he has ADD... Or does he just want to get the meds for a buzz so he can study???So the question is, does ADD meds give folks a buzz. I don't think he has ADD as he was on dean's list when he went to community college. He is now in his 4th year at local university working on a CS degree. Classes now are very hard and he is struggling.. A friend gave him some meds for ADD and my son said it helped him stay focused and now he thinks he has ADD..... I know, he has to go to a psychiatrist for official dx......... OK .. he likes getting "buzzed" you could say.. He did the drug scene in high school, but had a bad trip and has never taken drugs again.. I found lots of bottles of NoDoz and tossed them out which enraged him....... anyway... bottom line.....Can folks get high on ADD meds????????

Oh yes, I did tell him he should not take medication from his friends....I doubt he will listen .. as he is a strong willed, determined to get what he wants kind of person.......

My son does have ADD and every month I have to pick up his meds from the doctor's office and sign for it-- as there is such widespread drug abuse with these kinds of drugs.

I hope your son won't use these drugs just because he wants to stay up and be wired. Any drug has side affects and when used improperly and not monitored by a physician can be dangerous. Good luck with him.

Here's a link -- an atricle from Loyola University about the abuse that's going on.

Students and ADHD drug abuse

mandy

Oops-- they changed the link --- it goes directly to their homepage--- sorry..

Here this one may work-- hopefully!!!

adderall drug abuse

mandy

[radio_flyer]

Hi Mandy... Thanks for the link... It was very helpful... I thought this was a lil fishy with my son trying to get the ADD meds.. I told him he had to be evaluated by a psychiatrist first and he didn't like that idea.. Think he just wants the meds.. He has an uncle that is a doctor and he refused to give him the medication. I think his dad is going to talk to him too... Thanks again for the info.. I appreciate your reply ...

[melissa24]

If he is trying to take adderal to get a buzz he is going to be dissapointed. The enphedamine is what give the "high" if he is realy seriuos have him take strettera the non stimulint add medication. my mother takes it shesays it works just as well. I hope I helped.

[radio_flyer]

Thanks Melissa.... But what is Strettera???

[INaBOX]

Didn't they just say they're going to advise against Adderall now because of it's dangerous side-effects re: suicide?

[maverick]

Meds are unique to every individual: I take Wellbutrin for ADHD and it works well; I feel no buzz at all. If you feel a "high" the dosage is too much (the whole idea is that it's supposed to balance an imbalance- normalize your brain chemistry so to speak) I tried Strattera (it made me sleepy, I didn't like it, but for others, it may work well).

[LMo]

My husband takes Strattera and as it is not a stimulant, he doesn't experience any kind of buzz. In fact, no side effects for him whatsoever. We're not entirely sure that it's working for him, but it's not hurting anything right now so he'll continue with it for a few months and see how it goes.

[sugarplum40]

I don't know if he has it or not and you won't untill you get him tested.
But what ever you do, take him seriously and don't put off what he is telling you.
I know that me being a mother.. none of us want to admit that "OUR child could have anything "WRONG" with him or her.

My mother never knew about ADD or what it could be, other than stubborness or lazyness. The affects were devestating for me.

Let him know that it is important to you to find out what may be the issue and you don't wan't for him to be held back by anything.
If he realy does have ADD then they can find a way to help.
If not, then he will then at least know that his attempts at fooling about were foolish.
But at the very least, don't make him feel dumb for trying to get some understanding on it.
Believe me, that can be VERY frustrating, coming from someone coping with it.
Hope this helps some.
:-))

[embarassed]

I actually have ADHD and it definitely sounds like her son was just fishing for meds so he could stay wired for studying. The tip off is that he did not want to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. If he had truly been serious he would have been willing to see a psychiatrist. ADHD is VERY frustrating, especially if it has been undiagnosed. It has really held me back and ruined my relationship with my mother, who thought I was just lazy and stupid. That's why I HATE it when people who don't have ADHD abuse medications.

[chaotic13]

Radio_flyer:

I think you've received some really good comments on this thread. I can definitely see why you would be concerned and I think your concerns are warranted. However, I would also caution against simply dismissing his suggestion that he may have ADHD. I guess I would recommend supportive skepticism Although you may think or feel like he is just wanting to "get a buzz", I would recommend keeping this comment to yourself and instead focus on encouraging him to get evaluated.

I think one problem with any stimulant medication is that when given to most people it will make them feel more energized and may even enhance mental and physical performance. This is why the military sometimes uses it to prevent fatigue and enhance alertness in soldiers. I think most college students could see some (likely minimal) improvement on exam performance with the use of a stimulant. Hence why NoDose, RedBull, and other similar products are so popular in this age group. Unfortunately, there is a down side to using these stimulants especially with the potential for addiction, stress on the cardiovascular system, affects on eating patterns, and the fact that they can enable students to engage in other unhealthy activities. One unhealthy and ineffective behavior that stimulants can enhance is cramming for exams. Research has proven again and again cramming for exam where you stay up all night to study for an exam, does not yield positive results. Usually students who pull the all nighters perform worse than those who close the books and instead get a good nights sleep.

I would recommend that you listen to your son and be supportive of him getting evaluated. I would also, emphasize non-medicative strategies for improving academic performance (i.e campus tutoring services, time management strategies, healthy eating and sleeping patterns, and various study strategies). If you are concerned about the possibility that he is looking for a buzz, see if he is open to trying some of these. If he isn't and just wants MEDS, then I would say you have real reasons for concerns. Maybe you could say something like... "Mark", I understand that you are struggling, but I am really concerned about some of the health risks associated with these medications." "I think we should look into trying some non-medicative methods for handling your concentration and focus issues first." "Then if they are not enough we can look into finding a doctor who specialize in treating ADHD patients and see what he/she suggests." "I think if you really feel like you have a problem, then we need to get you looked at and treated properly." "While we are waiting for an appointment lets see if we can come up with some ways to help you study better."

Maybe approaching it this way would give you an opportunity to personally investigate and assess what is going on and be supportive at the same time. It would show that you are being open-minded to the possibility that his academic struggles are not just because of laziness or lack of effort. You are offering help without advocating the use of medication.