Taking Adderall for the ACT?

Parents Forum Learning Differences and Challenges - LD, ADHD
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<p>Here's the quick background story:</p>

<p>Ever since I was young, I have firmly believed I have ADHD, and many of my peers have made comments about it as well. Also, it runs in my family. It has never really bothered me enough to attempt to get a prescription, especially because my dad is fairly against that field and it was a battle I didn't care to fight. But, now that I am getting pretty serious about my academics, it has reoccurringly been an enormous obstacle, especially in the field of timed tests. I am slow as all hell at processing things, and as you can probably imagine that is a huge drawback for AP tests and the ACT/SAT.</p>

<p>I have never attempted drugs before, yet admittedly I have smoked marijuana once or twice and I had bad side effects such as immense anxiety. I am not one for drugs for this and many other reasons.</p>

<p>However, if in the sense of furthering my education and academic achievement, I am considering taking Adderall for the upcoming ACT. I have never taken it before, and if I do decide to go through I would give it a couple of test runs first. I don't necessarily wish to do this, but I strongly, strongly believe I have ADHD and it is thus going to severely hinder my score. I am working on getting my dad to take me to get a diagnosis, but it is going to take awhile and it won't be done in time.</p>

<p>I didn't finish a single section on the PSAT and thus got a poor score, there is no way I will get through the ACT without something to help me. I believe I have the ability to do well because I am fairly smart in school, it is just the focus and the slow comprehension and the anxiety that is beginning to have it's toll.</p>

<p>It is basically a last resort.</p>

<p>My question is, should I take it?
1. I would take it a few times beforehand.
2. From my belief (albeit as noted prior, undiagnosed), I most likely have some degree of ADHD.
3. Based off of the immense anxiety I experienced from merely smoking marijuana, would I have a bad reaction-- as in a bad trip? (I am terrified of this. I really don't like drugs, but my school ambitions and the academic goals I have for myself triumph the disdain I have for drugs, so I would be willing to for academic purposes).</p>

<p>I apologize for the length, any advice is appreciated. </p>

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<p>well for one, weed and adderall are two very different drugs and if you truly believe that you have ADHD or even just a minor form of anxiety, then the drug should no effect you the way it would affect someone who does not. </p>

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<p>Taking Adderall without a medical prescription is a bad idea. I get that you’re scared about your results, but here’s the bottom line - until you get it prescribed by a doctor, what you’re thinking of doing is dishonest and illegal. Take the ACT without the Adderall for now, until you get a prescription from a doctor, then take the ACT again.</p>

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<p>Talk to a psychiatrist about Intuniv (guanfacine), a non-stimulant ADHD treatment drug. But, get a neuropsych evaluation to see what’s really going on. Might not be ADHD, might be something else.</p>

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<p>All of the other advice is good. You really need a good diagnosis, and taking meds without a prescription can backfire if you’re not really ADHD. All I’d add is that if you struggle with anxiety, whether it’s just test related or more generalized, Adderall can be a disaster. It can make the jitters astronomically worse, and your concentration will crater. Many, many of my students (I’m a tutor) are convinced they have ADHD when really they’re just battling with intense anxiety. Once we get the anxiety under control, the concentration improves.</p>

<p>However, if you still opt to take it (I’m a realist and I know it’s tempting), please try it out well before the ACT. Then, if you have a serious reaction, at least it won’t have test related consequences. </p>

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<p>I seriously would not do it. Think about what it would be like if everyone with unofficial diagnoses took a study enhancement drug before the ACT/SAT. It’s unfair.</p>

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<p>I always took my meds before I took the SAT/ACT, but I have an official diagnosis. I did take the SAT once with the adderall, but I do feel like it hindered my score a little bit because I had negative side effects, including the jitters and heart palpitations (trust me, those are scary, even if they are “harmless”). I switched over to ritalin and a long acting ritalin, which doesn’t give me the same side effects and I did very well on the ACT, much better than on any of my SATs. If you take a medication for ADD, you need to take it for a couple weeks prior to the test to make sure you don’t have side effects. Honestly though, the ACT is significantly easier for people with ADD (well at least for me) than the SAT. They don’t try to trick you and it is less time intensive. If you can get a diagnosis and a prescription, there is nothing wrong with taking it, but don’t take it without a prescription. As others have mentioned, there are non-stimulant ADD medications (I used to take straterra idk if its on the market anymore), but these can take several weeks to take effect. The non-stimulants you might be able to get a sample pack from your physician, since it’s not a controlled substance like the stimulants.</p>

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Just take preworkout its the same stuff as adderall tbh…