It’s 5 p.m. on a Tuesday, end-of-semester deadlines are drawing ominously near and Tricia Stala is bubbling with energy.
Swiveling back and forth in her chair, the freshman hearing and speech sciences major takes a break from studying to talk about the secret to her vivacity: Adderall.
“If I’m not studying and I’m on Adderall, I can’t shut up,” she said, the words spilling rapidly from her lips.
And, as it turns out, that scenario is not uncommon for Stala. She is one of a growing number of students who have been experimenting with the prescription ADHD drug not only for cram sessions but to extend a night of partying.
“You want to be out the whole time, you want to be partying, you don’t want to be sleeping,” explained Stala, who said she gets the drug from four to five of her friends. “When you drink and take Adderall, it keeps you focused on what people are saying in the conversations you are having … Something gives you a faster rush and it goes right to your head.”
The university’s Center for Abuse Research’s monthly panel surveyed 23 students last month and found all of the students surveyed said Adderall was easy to obtain. Their reasons for using the drug included studying, increasing the effect of alcohol when partying, losing weight and enhancing athletic and sexual performances, according to Erin Artigiani, CESAR deputy director for policy.
But abusing Adderall can come at a price, said Kendra Smoak, the University Health Center’s coordinator of substance abuse prevention programs.
Short-term effects from taking amphetamines like Adderall include increased body temperature, hostility, paranoia, irregular heart beats, tremors, increased respiration, decreased fatigue, decreased appetite, risk of cardiovascular failure and lowered inhibitions. Long-term effects include skin disorders, mood changes, unusual fatigue and cardiac arrhythmia, Artigiani said.
Recreational Adderall use is also very risky. Mixing Adderall, a stimulant, and alcohol, a depressant, can confuse the body. Adderall will allow users to stay awake longer but won’t diminish the effects of alcohol, so students might be more likely to drive, become dehydrated or drink an unsafe amount, Smoak said.
“If you feel more awake, you are more likely to drink more,” Smoak said. “If you plan to drink five drinks, one’s sense of judgment of how much you should drink might be altered and more likely to drink.”
Small doses of Adderall are not likely to cause addiction, but the risk increases with larger doses, according to CESAR’s website.
“Amphetamines are addictive, but with people who really need it, it’s not a problem if they have the supervision of a psychiatrist,” said Gail Kalin, a clinical psychologist in Washington. “It’s when you keep playing around and build a tolerance for recreational use, then it’s a problem.”
Stala said she never knew anyone who used Adderall exclusively for weight loss, but said dropping pounds is a “bonus.” She said a friend lost more than 20 pounds from taking the drug regularly.
Health experts warn of becoming dependent on Adderall for its weight loss side effects.
“With any healthy way to lose weight it’s important to monitor your diet and what you eat,” Smoak said. “Using any supplement like that … you are constantly taking the drug to lose weight and you could become dependent.”
Though CESAR’s study listed sexual enhancement as another possible reason students use Adderall, Tara Torchia, the health center’s sexual health program coordinator, said amphetamines tend lower sexual desire and decrease vaginal lubrication.
“I think Adderall aiding sexual activity is a myth,” she said.
Chris Graham, a freshman biology major, said he sees no problem taking Adderall to study, though he disapproves of using it as a party drug.
“It’s really dumb to do it for any reasons besides studying,” Graham said. “You are working to stay awake and do good in school, but for a party it doesn’t make sense.”
