Between career, family and everything else we have going on it can seem like there's not enough time in the day.
But what if taking one little could give you the boost and focus you need to get everything done, without ever losing steam?
Just how smart are these new types of "smart drugs?"
David Plotz was exhausted. His had just had his first child. He was swamped at work.
So when he began working on a story for online magazine, slate, about living without sleep, he jumped at the chance to try a medication for narcolepsy called Provigil.
"The drug, it was a revelation because I had this whole day, this whole 16 hours with none of the down time that you have. You're always on. I felt like I was my best self all the time," said Plotz.
Provigil is part of a class of drugs called cognitive enhancers.
It includes popular attention deficit disorder medications, Ritalin and Adderall.
These drugs are said to improve memory, concentration and learning.
One study predicts that over the next few decades, drug makers will develop nearly 600 new types of these drugs.
"Provigil is a yuppy drug. It doesn't give you a high. It doesn't make you feel ecstatic. All it does is make it easier for you to work harder," said Plotz
Dr. Nora Volkow from the National Institute on Drug Abuse says more and more healthy adults are using these drugs off label to help them be more productive at work, school and home even though they are only FDA approved for actual medical problems, like a-d-d and narcolepsy.
"What is concerning to me right now is the high levels that these medications are being already utilized by healthy individuals out there, when we don't have sufficient information about their benefits and we don't have a lot of information about the adverse effects," said Volkow.
Cognitive enhancers work by altering the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain.
That basically stimulates the mind.
It can make boring tasks seem interesting.
There's some evidence showing these drugs can help healthy people.
But Volkow says the possible side effects often outweigh the benefits.
Some people do experience improved focus and productivity.
But once they're off the drug, they may be less productive than they were before they started using the medication.
And for others, it can be dangerous.
"Some of these medications with high doses can produce psychotic reactions, can produce paranoia or full blown psychosis," Volkow said.
David Plotz, who is now slate's editor, says he did not experience any side effects.
He says he still takes Provigil on occasion, if he has an overwhelming workload or long a drive ahead of him.
But he is concerned about safety:
There are no long term studies on Provigil, so we really don't know what it's doing to the brain.
These medicines only available by prescription - you should not try to use them without a doctor's supervision.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement