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Aldous Huxley predicts Adderall and champions alternative therapies

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129 points surprisetalk | 9 comments | 17 Nov 25 14:57 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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gnatman ◴[17 Nov 25 19:50 UTC] No.45957477[source]▶
Substituted amphetamines were already very popular in the 1950s.
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thatoneguy ◴[17 Nov 25 20:27 UTC] No.45957901[source]▶
Methamphetamine was invented in Germany in 1937 and the German military at the time was very quick to adopt its use.
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1. ux266478 ◴[17 Nov 25 22:51 UTC] No.45959337[source]▶
Everybody who could afford it adopted psychostimulants in WW2. Go pills have been part and parcel since then. Some countries have adopted modafinil, but the US still uses amphetamine.
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2. consumer451 ◴[17 Nov 25 22:54 UTC] No.45959361[source]▶
I am not sure if that's still the case, but "go pills," Dexedrine, were certainly used in Afghanistan. Here was a horrible potential side-effect:

https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/friendlyfire/gopills.htm...

3. sqircles ◴[18 Nov 25 01:44 UTC] No.45960465[source]▶
I am an adult with ADHD and have never been able to get past the side effects that I have to drugs such as amphetamines and SSRIs. I was prescribed Modafinil for a short period for "Shift Work Disorder" when I worked shift work as a Stationary Engineer and it was glorious in regard to my ADHD symptoms with effectively zero side effects. I wish the US would expand its usage.
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4. nradov ◴[18 Nov 25 02:04 UTC] No.45960588[source]▶
Modafinil is only a Schedule IV controlled substance so it's usually possible to find a doctor who will prescribe off label if you want it. (This isn't medical advice.)
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5. loeg ◴[18 Nov 25 02:24 UTC] No.45960708[source]▶
Adrafinil is straight up unregulated in the US and is metabolized to modafinil in the body if you want to, you know, expand its usage personally.
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6. Loughla ◴[18 Nov 25 02:33 UTC] No.45960778{3}[source]▶
Just a note for anyone passing by. The side effects are rare, except diarrhea and you need to watch your liver enzyme levels if I remember right. Everyone I know who's taken that had diarrhea the entire time (manageable with meds), and it will screw your liver long term.

But I'm not a doctor either so who knows really.

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7. loeg ◴[18 Nov 25 03:33 UTC] No.45961112{4}[source]▶
I think the GI effects are basically the same between any of the -afinils, FWIW.

I wouldn't recommend them in general, but mostly because they last too long to really work with a normal 16/8 sleep cycle and the other stimmy effects can detract from things other than focus work.

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8. coryrc ◴[18 Nov 25 05:06 UTC] No.45961591{5}[source]▶
I never took any long-term, but I've actually napped (purposefully) the afternoon after taking one in the morning, which is impossible on amphetamines.

Which is to say, they seem better to me, but maybe long-term use is different.

9. elcritch ◴[18 Nov 25 13:28 UTC] No.45965563{3}[source]▶
It’s also noted as an off label treatment for ADHD as well by some doctors.