Prescription Stimulants Do Not Improve Academic Performance

I guess I would just like to deliver a personal story.

I'm a university student, and just finished up my second year. All throughout high school and prior, I always had issues staying focused and absorbing information, though I performed exceptionally well academically in high school. In college, my inability to stay focused on long readings and difficulty absorbing information during lectures became more problematic. Though I did not perform terribly, my grades were not at the level I wanted to apply for medical school. I thought I know I could perform much better if only I could focus more.

I finally decided one day to go in for a diagnosis of AD(H)D. I did feel like I legitimately suffered from some symptoms from the disorder, though to a lesser degree than typical. I was prescribed Vyvanse, which is a medication similar to the more common Adderall. I took it at a prescribed therapeutic dosage on a daily basis. Ironically, my GPA during the quarter was actually my lowest ever. Though it was not by much, it was still contrary to the direction I expected it would travel.

A couple things to come in mind. I could definitely feel the medication's effects, and though it did make me feel more calm and focused, I think in reality it did not improve my ability to study or concentrate for long periods of time. I could recite facts or information more easily, and speak more fluently and was much more attentive, but I do not believe I was learning any better, and my test scores were still around average as they had been prior to medication. The side effects were pretty noticeable, and the typical.

I think I will be discontinuing taking this medication. I have pretty much ceased use over the summer, and when I take it again I cannot bear the side effects any longer. I just wanted to say that I do believe that prescription stimulants do have a purpose for treatment of ADHD and other disorders, but not if the symptoms are primarily related simply to the inability to concentrate for long periods of time when it comes to academics.

I also do not believe they improve academic performance. Prescription stimulants are notorious on college campuses. When taken without a prescription on a one-time basis to study for a test or write a paper, they may give give the illusion that they are working, at least on a short term. Ideas may flow more easily, and the ability to concentrate will improve. But learning does not occur in the short term. However, taken as long-term at prescribed dosages, the medications do not seem to work on the subtle function of focusing on a lecture or textbook.

Just my two cents. Maybe my diagnosis was sub-clinical, but I definitely struggled to pay attention while reading throughout my life. I thought my ability and capacity to concentrate would improve, but in the long term the medication provided no benefit.

Not to contradict your experience, but I don't think they are intended to improve academic performance. For some people it can get some restrictions out of the way, but ultimately performance is still up to them in the end.

If you want to perform better, only you can do it. Medications only might reduce any hindrance you have to applying yourself - you still have to apply yourself just as much. It won't make you smarter, only you can make you smarter. It won't necessarily help you make sense of what you are paying attention to, it only makes it easier to pay attention. Making sense of it is still all you.

Every year many capable undergraduate students fail to attain their academic goals, the majority of these students have at least one thing in common-they did not acquire proper work strategies. Most students apply "last minute" technique, who are in the over confidence section, any many followers are there for this, avoid indulging in such behavior, will give the extra boost to your performance.

Based on personal experience, and of many close friends, I not only agree with the original poster, but I find the problem to be quite severe. At least in regards to amphetamines. dextroamphetamines( aderral, dexedrine) and methamphetamines(desoxyn) are prescribed for ADD. These drugs are constantly abused, and the patient often develops a serious dependence. They lie to their psychiatrist, have their dosages upped, and often times buy more off of other patients that don't want them anymore. Everyone knows how valuable aderral is, in the student drug black market.

The abuse of these medications is often a gateway to illicit meth addiction. In either case, when someone develops an addiction to amphetamine, they are lured in by the productivity it seems to offer. Then it takes 10 times more than what it first offered. The abuser stops being able to function at all.


Ironically, the rare times that anyone seems to benefit from amphetamines, is when they deliberately disobey the prescription, and only save up for occasional use, as the OP describes.

Amphetamines provide a false sense of mental stimulation and achievement. This feeling is meant to be earned, by actually engaging in something stimulating and productive. When the feeling appears form simply taking a pill, a person loses touch with reality. They will get caught up in trivial details of a task, and only realize they forgot to consider the big picture when it's well passed the due date. But as they continue using, or abusing the amohetamines, they will continue to feel accomplished.

Psychiatrists are utterly reckless in prescribing these drugs. It's not a sham, but it is a shame.

I was on Ritalin for a year and although it did help me a lot, the side effects started to outweight the benefits. I would be tranquilized for 4 hours then have a horrible comedown for 6 hours. For the first 6 or so months of my first year of college I would take Ritalin when I got home because it tranquilizes me too much to operate in college. I'd feel the effects for 4 hours then once the comedown hit me I would get extremely drowsy and fall asleep easily but coming up to the end of the year I started having trouble sleeping so it wasn't worth it anymore. I got switched to Dexedrine which is an insane improvement. Ritalin was 4 hours of tranquilization and 6 hours of the most horrible comedowns I have ever had. Dexedrine is 6 hours of mild tranquilization with little or no negative comedown effects. In fact, once the dexedrine wears off I'm usually left feeling energetic and refreshed. The only problem is it gives me serious insomnia. Weirdly enough I can sleep if I take some right before going to bed.