Ftoll24

I'm thinking more and more that this is NOT the way to go. It seems to me that this is a privacy issue and unless they (1) ask you to explain a positive result for amphetamines or (2) ask you what medications you are on then you are not obligated to tell anyone anything.

When I was 25 (Im 33 now) I went through extensive testing and was diagnosed with ADHD. When I began taking adderall the side effects tended to outweigh the benefits. Sure, I could focus for long periods, but my understanding of the textbook info was often jumbled and unclear. Drink a red bull and study - you will focus, but your mind will be going so fast that you may not retain a whole lot. My doc lowered my dose and as my body started to adjust adderall became a wonder drug. I graduated with honors and was inducted to Phi Beta Kappa. I started taking senior-level courses outside of my major just for the "fun of it." It changed me completely. I don't believe in ADD or ADHD. I believe people get distracted because of mild depression, lack of interest, self-doubt, genetics, whatever. I think a stimulant sparks the mind, and if you have a good doctor who monitors your progress closely, anyone with "add symptoms" can benefit from this drug. This is a big reason why there is a stigma attached to adderall use. But when it comes to NURSING, I think most supervisors would prefer a nurse who is alert after 10 hours than a nurse who is falling asleep after 8 hours.

Adderall can cause you to over-analyze. Over-analyzing is good when studying. But when you are testing, you know what you know - over-analyzing does you no good. I've kept a 3.9 gpa by lowering my dose on testing days.

Are you saying the testing center is not allowed to disclose the medicine you take to a potential school/employer if you have a valid prescription?

So you're saying a nursing school is legally obligated to allow a person on amphetamines to treat patients? This is where I'm not sure and I don't know what to do. I really don't want to contact the disabilities office because I don't think it's any of their business but I guess if I want to know for sure this is what I would have to do.

"getting a positive reading for amphetamines is not the same thing as failing the exam" I didn't mean to imply that. The poster originally stated that they should only be testing for illegal drugs, and I only meant to explain that as far as the urine/chromatography testing goes, a patient legally taking adderall would have the same results as someone illegally buying amphetamines on the street. "The specific process is different from state to state, but an exam is generally only considered failed, if there's a positive screen without a prescription. Some states, they ask just before you give the specimen if you're on any prescription drugs, and in some states, if a positive is detected, someone from the testing company contacts you and asks if you're on any prescriptions and to see your prescription bottle." So would you venture to guess the school would not be contacted if I provide them with my prescription up front? "Also, I'd contact the disability services office at your school and get some feedback from them. Unless you have very small cohorts at your school, it's unlikely you're the only ADD nursing student. The disability services office has been through this before." This is the exact thing I want to avoid. My inability to concentrate is my business and shouldn't have to be a matter of record. I finished my first BS with a 3.9 and I will finish my nursing degree with a similar gpa. I feel that's all the school needs to know.

This is the exact advice my doc gave me but after 4 years of being on 1 mg of Sub I think I have FINALLY committed to quitting and listening to other people who HAVE BEEN THERE. And you are right, last weekend I tried to go from 1 mg to nothing and by hour 44 I was going out of my mind. I start nursing school in 4 months and my goal is to be symptom-free in 2 months. So every 4 days I'm reducing by .1 mg. I'm starting today at .7 mg. At .1mg every 4 days, how bad would you expect the symptoms to be?

Hi Kristey - Adderall is an amphetamine. So when they do a 10-panel urine test, adderall is a failed exam. In this regard, there is no distinction between "illegal drugs" and what I am taking. However, I've been on this medication for 8 years with a valid prescription from my family doctor. Why am I worried about them finding out? Right or wrong, there is a stigma associated with adderall, and I would imagine certain admissions administrators would hold this against me.

I just want to add I have NEVER had the urge to take my old pain meds while on Suboxone. There was never a fear of relapse. I think this is the thing that a lot of people miss about Suboxone treatment. Yes, you are trading one addiction for another. No doubt about it. I also agree you are not fully recovered until you are off Sub. But this medicine allows you to live with a little dignity. You stop feeling like an addict, you can get your life together, and then you deal with getting off the Suboxone. So many addicts can't even get to the first step. They never get that initial clarity that allows them to decide to make a real change. It's a pretty important step.

SWS RN - I am a new user here and it will not allow me to PM you because I don't have 15 posts yet. Can you PM me? I'm dying to ask you some questions about what you wrote here. I have been stuck at 1 mg and I'm finding the final step impossible. My latest effort was 48 hours and I couldn't take it! Your story is inspiring. I'm just getting in to nursing and I know they won't test for Suboxone but I want to be off FOR ME. Thanks

Hey All - I just completed my interview for nursing school and I am accepted pending a criminal background check and a urine test. My family doctor prescribes me adderall for ADD. Here's my question: When I disclose this to the people who collect the urine sample and provide them with a copy of my prescription, are they going to tell the school? I fear that the school could hold this against me. Are drug testing centers allowed to relay this type of info to the nursing school? Thanks!