As you know by now: We are the REAL guide to campus life.  Not the squeaky-clean, eat your vegetables bull-shit.  We’re here to make sure you have a damn good time at college that you’ll never forget, taking everything it has to offer…and when it’s all said and done, we want you leaving with a good grades and a lifetime worth of memories, all without trying.  So…as to being honest and real…

In case you go to ILiveUnderaRock University: You are going to be exposed to more drugs than you can imagine in college.

One of these drugs you’ll be exposed to is Adderall.  We have a pharmacy student from St. John’s who is going to break it down for you, this way:

a. If you decide to take it, you’ll at least be educated on the matter.

b. If it comes up in a conversation, you’ll seem like someone who knows your shit.

So…What the hell is it?

In simple terms Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant, which means it affects the chemicals in your brain as well as your nerves. The generic name for Adderall is amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. A generic name means another company makes a drug extremely identical to it. The brand names for Adderall are Adderall and Adderall XR. Adderall is a prescription drug, which means that a physician must write a prescription for it. You cannot receive Adderall over the counter. It’s simply impossible to walk into a pharmacy or drug store and expect to see Adderall on the shelf for anyone to pick up.  At the same time, the restrictions on Adderall don’t seem to be so tight, considering it’s growing presence on the college scene.

What is it meant for?

Adderall is predominately prescribed to patients who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This condition occurs when a child or adult has a short attention span and becomes easily distracted by most things. Additionally people who are overly emotional, excessively active, and who are highly impulsive may take Adderall. Narcolepsy, which is also a condition that required Adderall, is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally.

Why would college students want to take Adderall?

Adderall is starting to be abused by college students across the nation. A college student will take Adderall because it is going to help them focus; whereas, it’s intention is for those who have attention disorders and cannot focus. If they have an imperative exam and they need to pull an all nighter, Adderall becomes a tough drug to pass by. It helps you focus throughout the whole night, giving you little distraction. Adderall keeps you awake and attentive so you can study all night and be prepared for your exam. This drug will keep you awake for around four hours per dose. The Adderall XR (XR stands for extended release) can keep somebody awake from eight to twelve hours per dose.

How much should someone take?

The average eighteen year old should take at most 2 tablets of Adderall 5 milligrams per day. If somebody takes more than this without a doctor’s consent, that person is jeopardizing his or her health.

Please…lately it seems like taking a shit jeopardizes my damn health.  How bad can it get?

It can get really bad. Less serious side effects of Adderall may include but are not limited to, headache or dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth, diarrhea and/or constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and even a loss of interest in sex may occur. Like any drug, becoming dependent on Adderall will cause you to develop an addiction.  Some severe side effects that can be accompanied by Adderall are fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats, feeling light-headed, fainting, increased blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure), tremor, restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or motor tics (muscle twitches).

In some cases, Adderall may cause sudden death. All of these side effects can have devastation results on your body.

Hoooly Crap. Let’s say I want to have a loss of interest in sex and die by taking Adderall…How much will it cost me?

Adderall is an extremely expensive drug. The average cost for the brand name for Adderall is around $110 for only thirty pills. This is however the prescription price for Adderall without insurance. The average cost for the generic drug of Adderall is around $53.00. All of these prices are from a pharmacy and they do not include insurance.  On the college scene, they are usually sold anywhere from $5.00 to $15.00 a pop.

Being completely honest: Would you recommend it?

Nope.  It is a highly dangerous drug that can have devastating effects. It is an expensive drug and if it becomes an obsession, financial problems can arise. If somebody overdoses on this drug, they can face serious consequences including the worst one, fatality. I feel that it is safer to drink coffee or an energy drink or even eat candy in order to stay awake. Ultimately, there are numerous options that can replace Adderall.

Our take: We do know plenty of college kids who did use it and say that it helped them study and get an A.  At the same time, we know more students who studied without it and got an A.  One thing we noticed is that students that normally don’t study…study when they take Adderall.  No shit that you’ll know more of the subject matter if you study, with or without the pills.  The choice is completely yours, but after hearing “loss” and “sex” in the same sentence…we’ll just be fine without it.