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