Off topic, but I was diagnosed with ADHD about 10 years ago, been taking methylphenidate ER ever since. Throughout the years I have had over ten different doctors at the same location and I informed each doctor that I was a marijuana user.<p>Recently my latest doctor decided to drug test me, before asking any questions about my usage or even looking at my file he stated he would no longer prescribe me my medicine because I use marijuana and "those two don't interact well together". When I repeatedly asked him to back up his opinion with actual evidence (studies), he repeatedly refused. He would not even explain the reaction that marijuana had with ADHD medication. After less than three minutes I was asked to leave his office. No discussion about my condition was allowed.<p>I'm aware that the doctors opinion is what goes and he has all the power, but I feel I've been wronged. I really need this medicine and it's probably does more harm to kick me off cold turkey without even looking at my file than to let me smoke marijuana with it, and I feel that his opinion is based more on politics than rigorous medical study.<p>I have a feeling if I was an alcohol drinker he would have no problem. So it goes.
This really shouldn't be a shocker. I was diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school and have been on and off medication ever since. A large number of friends in the professional world use these stimulants regularly.<p>I think that these drugs are very useful for short term sprints where one needs to focus, or do rather mundane tasks. But it's incredibly easy to become dependent on them. At one point, I could even begin to focus unless I had the max dose of adderall and a strong cup of coffee.<p>I don't judge anyone who uses stimulants to increase performance. Just because I was diagnosed with ADHD doesn't mean I'm not using them as a performing enhancing drug; it's just legal for me to do so. However, I would encourage everyone - whether you're prescribed or not - to use them in moderation. It's very easy to build up a tolerance and become dependent, and once you're dependent, you're no better off than where you started.
Something will replace coffee eventually. I refuse to believe that technology will never find a better productivity enhancer, with near-zero side effects like coffee.<p>Adderall is not the answer as these journalists like to claim though. It's useless for basically anything other than very rare usage and has difficult to manage loss of productivity during withdraw. It has an incredibly fast tolerance buildup. If your work requires steady output instead of rare bursts, it's questionable whether it even surpasses coffee because of these downsides.
>>> Investors in her health-technology start-up<p>Running a health start-up and popping Aderalls like there is no tomorrow does not seem a good fit.
Honestly though what percentage difference does this make in productivity and is that percentage really going to be the difference between a startup's success and failure? Being fired or not? Being happy or not?<p>If the thing makes you happy then that's one thing. If you think getting 10% or 20% more work done is going to move you from mediocre to exceptional or is going to make you happy, I beg to differ.
Interesting that there was no mention of Modafinil.<p>I believe that one of the most "abused" drugs for "productivity" is currently Modafinil, far more powerful than Adderall and without all those side effects.<p>Of course, long term side effects are unknown.
I have a prescription for Adderall, Modafinil and a have tried bunch of others. Adderall was prescribed for fibromyalgia related symptoms of brain fog and lack of memory, modafinil for chronic fatigue.<p>Adderall aggravated the Renaud's syndrome that I have had for 5 years, to the point where the blood flow stopped and the fingers began to suffer from continuos lack of blood . See <a href="http://imgur.com/Djy6g2A" rel="nofollow">http://imgur.com/Djy6g2A</a> This has been a daily challenge for the last couple of months, and it has greatly impacted my ability to work. I have a hard time using my hands to do anything, even typing. I am now off Adderall (6 months), withdrawal was not too bad for me.<p>I miss the Adderall, since it made me feel like my brain worked again. I felt like my old self, much sharper mentally - no focus change, still ADD as ever, but felt restored in the brain. I felt 25 again (45 now) and was able to work better, in the sense that 25 year old me was more energetic than 45 year old me. I tried Strattera for a few days, but found that has nasty side effects and also aggravated my hands.<p>Modafinil I don't notice any other effect, other than I don't feel as tired all the time. I don't feel smarter, or better, only <i>not exhausted</i>. For me, there is no stimulant feeling with Modafinil, or ability/skills change, just an change in the tired all the time feeling.<p>So, if you are going to use these drugs, pay attention to the side effects. I would recommend avoiding them unless you need them.
Not just in the workplace NFL players are using ADHD drugs to mask concussions too so as to keep their jobs and be "more productive."<p><a href="http://www.beyondchron.org/will-ritalin-become-the-human-growth-hormone-of-sports-concussion-testing/" rel="nofollow">http://www.beyondchron.org/will-ritalin-become-the-human-gro...</a>
How does somebody tell if they actually have ADHD or they are just easily distracted?<p>Isn't "Do they respond to ADHD medication?" our only test?
And these practices are in a way unfair against the rest of us workers!<p>> Most users who were interviewed said they got pills by feigning symptoms of A.D.H.D., a disorder marked by severe impulsivity and inattention, to physicians who casually write prescriptions without proper evaluations.<p>And thus these practices disturb statistics about the true prevalence of ADHD.