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310-953-4075 310-953-4075 College can come with long nights, heavy workloads, and plenty of pressure to keep up.
For some students, prescription stimulants such as Adderall, Vyvanse, or Ritalin may seem like a shortcut to staying awake and focused.
These medications can be helpful when prescribed for conditions such as ADHD or narcolepsy.
But using someone else's prescription, taking more than prescribed, or using a stimulant for its effects rather than its intended medical purpose can carry serious risks, including misuse, addiction, and overdose.
“Study drugs” is an informal term commonly used for prescription stimulants that people take without a prescription or use differently from how they were prescribed in an attempt to stay awake, concentrate, or study for longer.
Common prescription stimulants include:
These medications have legitimate medical uses. For example, prescription stimulants may be prescribed for ADHD or narcolepsy.
The concern arises when they are used without medical guidance, shared with someone else, or taken in a way or amount that differs from the prescription.
The reasons are often less complicated than the nickname suggests.
A student may be dealing with a major exam, several deadlines, a lack of sleep, or pressure to perform academically.
Some people use prescription stimulants because they believe the medication will help them:
Research on university students has found that performance enhancement is one of the commonly reported reasons for nonmedical prescription stimulant use.
The problem is that feeling more alert does not necessarily mean performing better. NIDA notes that there is no evidence that students without ADHD who misuse prescription stimulants get better grades.
Prescription stimulant misuse has received particular attention on college campuses, where students may have easier access to medications prescribed to friends or classmates.
A review of research on college students found that nonmedical stimulant use is often connected to academic pressure and perceived cognitive enhancement.
Another meta-analysis estimated that approximately 17% of college students had misused stimulant medication, although the researchers noted that differences in how studies defined and measured misuse make these estimates difficult to compare directly.
There is also an important distinction between taking a prescribed medication as directed and using a prescription stimulant as a study aid.
Someone with ADHD who takes their medication according to their healthcare professional's instructions is not doing the same thing as someone taking a friend's Adderall before an exam.
That distinction matters when talking about study drugs and addiction.
Yes, they can be. Prescription stimulants are classified as Schedule II controlled substances in the United States and carry FDA warnings about misuse, abuse, addiction, and overdose.
Misuse can include taking more medication than prescribed, taking it more often than directed, or using someone else's prescription.
Not everyone who misuses a stimulant will develop an addiction. However, repeated misuse can become difficult to control, particularly when someone begins relying on the drug to study, stay awake, work, or feel productive.
It's also possible to develop physical dependence, which is different from addiction. Dependence refers to the body adapting to a medication and experiencing withdrawal symptoms when it is reduced or stopped. A healthcare professional can help determine what is happening and whether a medication change is appropriate.
The effects can vary depending on the medication, dose, frequency of use, and the individual.
Prescription stimulant misuse can contribute to:
More serious complications can also occur, particularly with high doses or certain methods of taking the drug.
FDA warns that prescription stimulant misuse can lead to overdose and death, with risk increasing at higher doses or when medications are taken through unapproved routes.
Prescription stimulants such as Adderall and Vyvanse should not be combined with alcohol or other controlled substances unless a healthcare professional has specifically advised that it is safe.
The FDA warns that taking prescription stimulants together with alcohol or other controlled substances can increase the risk of overdose and other serious harm.
Alcohol can also interact with medications in different ways, depending on the drug. For prescription stimulants, NIAAA lists a potential increased risk of heart problems when they are combined with alcohol.
The bigger concern is that combining substances can make it harder to predict how your body will respond.
If you are taking a prescription stimulant, check the medication instructions and speak with your prescriber or pharmacist before drinking alcohol or taking another substance.
If you have started taking more than prescribed, using someone else's medication, or feeling like you cannot get through school without stimulants, it is worth talking to a healthcare professional.
If the medication was prescribed to you, don't change the dose or stop taking it on your own. Your prescriber can help you understand your options and whether your current medication plan needs to change.
If you're misusing stimulants or struggling to stop, you can also seek support for substance use.
Getting help does not require waiting until the problem has affected every part of your life.
Using a prescription stimulant without a prescription, taking more than prescribed, taking it more often than directed, or using it for a purpose other than the one it was prescribed for can be considered misuse.
Taking Adderall as prescribed is different from misusing it. However, prescription stimulants can carry risks of misuse, dependence, and addiction, which is why they should be taken according to a healthcare professional's instructions.
Academic pressure, long study hours, lack of sleep, and the belief that stimulants will improve focus or performance can all contribute to misuse. Some students may also have access to medication through friends or classmates.
“Study drug” is not a medical category, and prescription does not automatically mean safe when a medication is misused. Prescription stimulants can have serious risks when taken without medical guidance or in ways that differ from the prescription.
Talk with a healthcare professional about how you're using the medication and what you're experiencing. If you're misusing stimulants or finding it difficult to stop, you can also seek support for substance use.
If stimulant misuse has become part of a larger substance use problem, having a stable, substance-free place to live can be one part of continuing recovery.
Bridges Sober Living Apartments offers sober living houses, giving residents a place to live while they continue working toward their next stage of recovery.
