Has anyone taken adderall while taking the CPA exam. If so did you find it help. I have heard that adderall is helpful in preparation but not while taking exam.
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jokami
offlineMember
Adderall is prescription drug for ADHD patients. It has a record of being useful for bar exam candidate; but under a supervised treatment with a physician. This drug is basically amphetamine and dextroampetmine, which is a combination of stimulants. It is THOUGHT to work by restoring the balance of certain natural substances (nerotransmitter) in the brain.
With this said... you have to know that people die while using this medication. It may result in serious heart and blood pressure problems.
There are many other medications; that may even work better and are not as dangerous.
If you are considering in using it; please talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Anonymous
offlineUnregistered
dont take it if you're not used to it.... it will make you pee/crap excessively if you're stomachs not used to it
(jenuno01)
mla1169
offlineModerator
Have you been diagnosed with ADHD and are you under a doctors care? Adderall is an amphetamine that has potentially fatal side effects (yes I've been on it, I do have ADHD), including high blood pressure and strokes. Its not something to play around with in hopes of adding a few points to your score.
jenuno01
offlineMember
I do the following to stay alert and idgaf if you judge:
1- At around 5 or 6pm, pour in 2 scoops of groud coffee straight from the jar (my favorite is the Starbuck's morning blend) into a cup
2- Fill the cup with warm water
3- Let it sit for about 20 minutes
4- Take a Napuela during those 20 minutes
5- Drink the liquid
CashMoney10
offlineMember
People that didn't need the prescription would take it for exams at school. I thought it was for the weak.
(jenuno01)
Marivy22
offlineMember
Don;t do it if you don't need it.................You can either drink coffee, eat almonds, do excercise, walk for few minutes if you are getting sleepy, etc...
Helpful articles:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/502791-foods-that-keep-you-awake-during-the-day/
http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/slideshow-brain-foods-that-help-you-concentrate
Chris
offlineMember
I was on Vyvanse, ADD medicine, and it was nice to study with. But for the exam it could hurt you because your trying to stay focused, but the exam wants to jump between topics. It was very confusing for my Audit exam, but it turned out okay.
Eating an apple before the test worked just as good.
Sandra
offlineMember
Pretty much any medication, especially Rx can kill you. Considering how many people use it, especially given the fad of shoving it into kids, you don't really hear of many people dropping dead. Teenagers like to crush them up and snort them, calling it "diet coke" and even they don't seem to drop dead.
I have used Adderall and like it. I did manage to talk my doctor out of an rx once even though I am not diagnosed with any sort of learning disability. I was honest with him, said that I was having to pull all nighters and was having issues focusing. This was right before I took part 1 of the CMA and I just ran out of time. He gave me the (one time) Rx and said it wouldn't be an issue for that sort of use, although he was pretty stingy with it and told me not to make it a habit.
There have been many many studies on the long term effects of adderall. Just google it- bottomline is that its not great for you if you eat the stuff daily. If you're studying for a test its probably not nearly as big a deal.
I certainly would NOT take it at an exam if you haven't taken it before. Its a grossly oversimplified, but essentially people with ADD or ADHD respond differently to drug on a really basic level. It can help anyone study, but people that have ADD can take the drug and it doesn't make them jittery or jumpy. People that are taking it recreationally can get that really uncomfortable jittery feeling with it. Also if you already get test nerves it might be a really horrible combo.
earob
offlineMember
With total prep time for the CPA exam hovering around 1000+ hours, you're headed towards addiction if you need an amphetamine to get through it. With that said, vivarin, works really well. It's like time released coffee.
CannotPassAgain
offlineMember
just saw a psychitiarist the other week who "specializes" in ADHD. she asked me some textbook questions about whether or not i was suicidal or had manic moods.
i just gave her the spiel - it takes me 10 hours to get 2 hours of work done, i've always had problems focusing since as a child, but now that i'm an adult and have a fulltime job, it's affecting me greatly. it sounded like she was going to prescribe me some drugs, but she wanted me to get some blood tests done first (perhaps to make sure i'm not a drug addict).
i've yet to make my 2nd appointment to see her. what's the difference b/w the drugs? for stimulants, i here there's ritalin, adderall, and vyvanese.
she also said there's another type of medicine for adhd which is less likely for habit-formation, but takes 2-3 weeks to "kick" in. has anyone had experience with this type?
argh..i hate relying on drugs to feel "normal", but i'm caving in and going the drug route bceause i feel like it's going to take intense concentration for 12 months if i'm going to pass this exam
Sandra
offlineMember
@ CannotPassAgain- I wrote out a whole long post and my computer ate it, but here goes again, albeit a slightly shorter version. It goes without saying that I'm not a dr. so keep that in mind. LOL
Your doctor is likely talking about Strattera (Atomoxetine). It is a completely different drug, now mainly used to treat ADD and ADHD, but is not a stimulant. It was originally developed as an antidepressant. Its an inhibitor of sorts (I forgot which kind) and does affect your brain chemistry. This can be an issue when you when you want to discontinue the drug. Just as you have to build up the correct levels, you also have to wean yourself off- and hope that your brain remembers how to do things naturally. (Although adderall abuse can have the same effect).
Adderall, pretty much a pure stimulant, works on the mesolimbic reward pathway, which is why its sort of an "instant results drugs". Because of the high risk for abuse its rated a class (schedule?) 2 drug. Teenagers (and retarded adults) like to crush them up and snort it- they call it "diet coke". Anyway, adderall is pretty "in fashion" at the moment and people are trying to get rxs left and right.
I believe, and this is my opinion only, this is one of the main reasons drs are starting to lean more towards Strattera. However patients have had mixed results with it, and quite frankly many are (rightfully) concerned about taking something with a much higher risk of long term effects.
Does this help?
1abCPA
offlineMember
Almonds are very good stimulant. try a variety of almond recipes or almond cookies. I noticed almonds boost up my concentration, bcoz m not a good listener and its a super food and healthy too.
missymoo
offlineMember
It is easy for people to tell you not to take Rx drugs but after going through years and years of what I did, I LOVE MY ADDERALL!!!! This is why I had to give you my two cents.
I would say that I have been unable to focus and stay stay awake for about 20 years now. I told my sister in law about my issue back in May and she gave me one of her Adderall's to try (don't want to hear any lectures on this) and I call it my miracle drug. Throughout my high school and college years I have tried everything to help stay awake...get 8-10 hours of sleep a night, vivarin, lots of coffee at night, exercising, energy drinks...you name it I tried it. However, I continued to find myself falling asleep at 7pm while studying at Starbucks for the CPA exam. Or find myself falling asleep at my work computer while my boss walked by (not sure if he ever noticed). But what finally drove me to the therapists office was having a few second sleep "attacks" while driving down the highway with my kids in the car. I am 35 years old and I have been taking the generic extended release adderall for about 3 months now. I do not believe the generic is as potent as what my sister in law gave me but to finally have something that helps me stay awake and not fall asleep while driving or at work has been a lifesavor. I take a pill in the morning before work and then another at 5pm before my Becker class starts at 6pm. I am able to fall asleep by 11pm. I don't take it everyday, just when I am feeling extra tired.
nimmle02
offlineMember
I'm seriously considering this for my last week before the exam. I start orientation week on monday and I don't have the exam until friday night. This will be my 3rd time through orientation and I swear it is the most boring thing ever. I'm mentally exhausted by the end of the day and I won't want to review. I need something to keep me going and focused.
missymoo
offlineMember
I really don't like the idea of promoting a drug to make me feel good but at this point in my life, I need it. I have two kids, a husband and work full time. I am mentally exhausted as well so the adderall helps to give me the extra boost to study at nighttime. I have taken the exam on and off since 2001 and I am hoping the adderall is my key to passing the exam as it gives me the extra boost to focus.
vsthekid
offlineMember
I've heard of a lot of college students taking it to STUDY for an exam, but not for the actual exam itself. I just graduated college this month, so I've heard many recent things about it. For a lot of people it works, but my sister's boyfriend took it once to study and she said he wasn't able to study and became really sad while on it lol. So to each of his/her own i guess.
AlmondCoins
offlineMember
Almonds.
(Nam)
futuremdcpa
offlineMember
Dont take adderall.. I started taking it again back in June when I started studying, and did fine.. I always had a prescription, just never used it on a daily basis.. I started with 10mg.. as time went on, my body gets used to it, and I'd have to increase it little by little, maybe 5mg every month. Im studying for FAR now, and today I have taken 25mg, and I havent felt a thing but anger.
When you come down from the effects (4-5 hrs later), you feel like crap, and anyone who says something wrong, will set you off, even the slightest thing.. trust me, its bad, but I can't seem to get off of it right now.
Sandra
offlineMember
To those saying almonds... Comparing adderall to nuts or coffee is comparing apples to oranges. I'm not advocating the use of adderall, especially without an rx, but they are not substitutes.
Some people, not all, do develop a certain resistence to the drug and as such need to increase their dosage. However if you've taken it for a long time with no ill-effects and now its suddenly making you angry, the dose was likely increased too much too quickly. 25mg is a lot if you are not taking the extended release caps.
If any of you decide to take it, with or without rx, the only recommendation I would have is to really understand what the drug is, how it works and how it can potentially affect you. I'm not anti-adderall but its shocking to me how many people are willing to pop pills without understanding the pharmacology.
jenuno01
offlineMember
Forget about Adderall, or almonds (which make you gain weight if you eat too many); you guys should just go out for a run, that will clear your mind, give you energy AND help you burn some of the calories from all the Doritos, twizzlers, mcD's, tacobell, pringles, coke, ho-hos, hot cheetos & all that sh*#t ya'll pork-out on while stuyding.
futuremdcpa
offlineMember
I agree, I remember once I had a chem exam, I took a little more then I should off.. needless to say I was up for 2 days straight with voices running in and out of my head... All I did for those 2 days straight was chem.. no sleep, no eating.. NOTHING! It was not a good feeling though.
BluefinCPA
offlineMember
Its my wonder drug. Ive been on the same does for years. Never abused it, never needed to increase it. My brain feels like a lit up switch board when I take it.
But I am adhd but it was always masked because I never had to study. Do not get me wrong I was not a superstar in college (3.0), but I went to a pretty intense academic school and never studied. SO right now I am both studying for the first time and trying to pass this stupid exam.
laserglare
offlineMember
dont use it if u dont need it lol...
i used it to study for the MCAT for a month straight and it took a while to adjust after going off of it
Its great, but it can be really easy to get addicted to it, i think i was addicted to it for a while, i literally could not study without it
i majored in neuroscience in college and profs always recommended exercising to get more focused
also you can read this
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/mmcgovern.html
-produces new neurons (neurogensis)
-improve memory (strengthens neuronal connections)
-lowers stress
However, neurogensis isn't 100% proven to be correlated with increased learning and memory ability, nor has it been proven to be relevant in humans, although theoretically it should work IMO
sleep is important as less sleep can impair memory and neurogenesis,
sleep is what converts memories from short term to long term, that's why its always recommended to study right before you go to sleep. you can test this, cram for a test the night before, you will do fine, as its in your short term memory, but a couple days later, you probably won't remember a thing
there are a lot more factors but i think those two were the main ones, i think studying learning in the brain was my favorite topic in college.
bmsheppard87
offlineMember
Anyone who is talking about the health issues caused by addy really doesnt know anything about it. If you take addy to help you study for the long days and even the exam you will be 100% fine. Don't take multiple pills each day thinking its going to make you concentrate more though. All that will do is make you jittery. Start studying and take a pill and that should last you a solid amount of time. I'd stick to doing it when you're studying for long periods of times though (e.g. weekend days) because it will make it difficult to sleep if you take one at 6pm.
!!!!!These things will not harm you unless you take a lot at once!!!!!
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