Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

bloomberg.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 282 posts

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#101

Post by elcritch »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #92
zenexer wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can and should—that’s their area of expertise. I’ve had pharmacists catch dangerous but obscure drug interactions that my doctors failed to catch, typically because the two interacting medications were prescribed by two different types of doctors. Even though both would’ve had access to the same medical records and my full medication list, and even though that data was being checked by a computer, mistakes happe…

That's the only happy case. I've had pharmacists deny me because I was paying for amphetamine without insurance. They said it was suspicious and refused to call my doctor to confirm that I wasn't some sort of criminal. That's the kind of unreasonable power that they shouldn't have. Finding bad drug combos? I don't think anyone has an issue with that. If you find a customer to be suspicious (I was wearing a black t-sh…

Even if you do everything right they're still often suspicious. I suspect pharmacies keep tabs of "suspicious activity" like asking for an early refill before a work trip.

These secretive DEA limits just underline a weird "moral judgment" of people who have conditions that benefit from stimulant medications. Almost like its our faults for having neurochemistry's that don't uphold the perceptions of a protestant work ethic.

The worse part is that its mostly separated from any particular religion nowadays but agencies like the DEA that essentially self-reinforce this lopsided moral code.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#102

Post by unclenoriega »

pnw wrote: post #78

Articles like this and reading about the FDA forcing drug manufacturers to replace pseudoephedrine (effective cold medicine) with phenylephrine (basically a placebo) really make me wonder about the intelligence level of the federal agencies. https://pharmacy.ufl.edu/2015/10/14/uf-researchers-ask-fda-t...

Did the FDA force drug manufacturers to replace pseudoephedrine with phenylephrine or did Congress make it more difficult to purchase pseudoephedrine and drug companies decided to make new products with phenylephrine to sell in addition to pseudoephedrine products?

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#103

Post by flangola7 »

asdff wrote: post #13
Scalene2 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A choice must be made. Either be more restrictive and controlling meaning that some people that need the drugs don't get them. Or be less restrictive and controlling meaning that some people you think shouldn't get the drugs get them.

There's other ways to realign incentives. A buy back program would do a lot honestly to restrict the supply. A lot of people who got them for legit purposes would still end up with a ton leftover when they would get their next prescription. If they were able to get more money returning them to the pharmacy or counting them towards their next prescription than selling them to other students, that's what they would do.

Where would leftovers come from?

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#104

Post by tyingq »

I don't understand why pharmacies are the target. People that want Xanax and Adderall for recreational use start with doctor shopping for doctors that will write prescriptions for more than needed, for people that don't need it, etc. So, I could sort of understand identifying doctors that write a disproportionate number of prescriptions for these, or a high ratio of prescriptions for high doses versus more common doses. But the pharmacies? Why? What does that accomplish? Doesn't the person just then go to a different pharmacy?

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#105

Post by elcritch »

clubsoda wrote: post #94
chasd00 wrote: post #52

I need adderall to function but on my last refill the pharmacy was out and when I asked when they’ll get more the tech said “maybe next year?”. I got my doc to switch me to vyvanse which is 3x the price even with good insurance since it’s still brand only. I don’t like vyvanse compared to plain generic adderall but I’ll take what I can get. Seems like they’d make dispensing it harder rather than just cut off the supp…

Have you considered gaunfacine? https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601059.html I had long suspected I had ADHD. After covid, my brain became wrecked. I wanted to go with something non-addictive due to my checkered past. Easily would recommend, as long as you don't have terribly low blood pressure. NAD.

Another thing to try is NAD+/CoQ10 supplements. I had some brain fog after covid (I'm officially diagnosed) and NAD+ seemed to help a ton.

I had researched the brain fog with covid 19 and found a lot of research pointing to NAD+ / mitochondrial disruptions as source of brain fatigue [eg 1]. NAD+ supplements are well studied for anti-aging too. So it seemed to have a high probability of helping.

1: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9234841/

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#106

Post by chrisco255 »

operatingthetan wrote: post #47
caslon wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually a big difference. One feels downright euphoric, according to Desoxyn users. The other is a boring study drug. https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/12/28/adderall-risks-much-mo...

>The other is a boring study drug That's quite the mischaracterization. Stimulants even at low doses increase the dopamine in the brain and lead to a mild high. I don't think I've ever heard anyone ever call Adderall "boring" before either. That's like calling alcohol boring, maybe someone may not like the experience, but they both have immediate and noticeable effects and it's not just "I love studying" either. Even…

Why are you conflating Adderall with all or any stimulants? Might as well throw in caffeine and sugar as things that "even at low doses increase the dopamine in the brain and lead to a mild high".

Not disagreeing with you wrt atomexetine but really should compare apples to apples.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#107

Post by elcritch »

operatingthetan wrote: post #37
gnicholas wrote: post #23

I've wondered if Adderall could be popular in part because it can lead to weight loss. This wouldn't be why people would go on the medication, but why they would hesitate going off it. I know some people continued smoking after they wanted to stop because they feared gaining weight when they did.

Probably more so because even at therapeutic doses it gives a mild high and is addictive.

Perhaps for non-ADHD people. There's a common meme on ADHD channels about forgetting to take it and how hard it is to remember to take it daily. Some days you just don't want to take it and straightjacket your brain.

For me getting off a regular dosage just caused a bit of extra sleepiness for a week or two. I drank like 2 redbulls a day for a bit. There is a bit of addictiveness because its nice to be able to function like normal people day to day -- like paying bills on time because your brain has enough dopamine for a boring chore.

Its nothing nearly as addictive or habit forming as SSRI's that are given out like candy.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#108

Post by rocket_surgeron »

pnw wrote: post #78

Articles like this and reading about the FDA forcing drug manufacturers to replace pseudoephedrine (effective cold medicine) with phenylephrine (basically a placebo) really make me wonder about the intelligence level of the federal agencies. https://pharmacy.ufl.edu/2015/10/14/uf-researchers-ask-fda-t...

Federal agencies do what they’re told.

The restrictions on pseudoephedrine were mandated by Congress through the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 (passed as part of the patriot act) which followed various state legislatures’ passages of similar laws.

The main driving force behind the law was Bush’s White House drug task force and several members of Congress.

Federal agencies very, very, rarely solicit or propose legislation like this. And Congress rarely asks for their input.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#109

Post by bawolff »

pnw wrote: post #78

Articles like this and reading about the FDA forcing drug manufacturers to replace pseudoephedrine (effective cold medicine) with phenylephrine (basically a placebo) really make me wonder about the intelligence level of the federal agencies. https://pharmacy.ufl.edu/2015/10/14/uf-researchers-ask-fda-t...

Why would that make you wonder about their intelligence?

FDA having different priorities than you is not the same as them being stupid.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#110

Post by eru »

rocket_surgeron wrote: post #108
pnw wrote: post #78

Articles like this and reading about the FDA forcing drug manufacturers to replace pseudoephedrine (effective cold medicine) with phenylephrine (basically a placebo) really make me wonder about the intelligence level of the federal agencies. https://pharmacy.ufl.edu/2015/10/14/uf-researchers-ask-fda-t...

Federal agencies do what they’re told. The restrictions on pseudoephedrine were mandated by Congress through the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 (passed as part of the patriot act) which followed various state legislatures’ passages of similar laws. The main driving force behind the law was Bush’s White House drug task force and several members of Congress. Federal agencies very, very, rarely solicit or p…

> Federal agencies do what they’re told.

Don't forget principa-agent problems.

Post reply on HN