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I never heard that it can actually increase IQ. I thought ADHD drugs just improved focus?

by ColanR 6y ago

nefitty 6y ago
If any devs have experience, do you find that the effects of ADHD meds still allows you to get into “fuzzy” undirected thought? For example, I’ve found that a lot of my supposed mental prowess is predicated on me daydreaming and mulling a problem and suddenly intuiting some possible solution. I’m afraid ADHD meds might curb that part of my personality.
- garmaine 6y ago
  I take 30mg Vyvanse daily. There's two points to be made: First, stimulants have a release schedule and are generally not a 24-hour thing. You wouldn't be able to sleep if they were. The effect depends on plasma concentration and varies during that interval. You might feel extremely focused at first, then energized but not especially focused, then a total drop in energy and focus when you hit the "down" part of the curve. Everyone's response is slightly different, however. I definitely think differently in the morning (after taking the pill) vs. at night. Sometimes I have an insight while relaxing in the evening that I write down and becomes my focus in the morning, when I'm better able to work. Second, it's not easy to put into words but the focusing effect is different from the cross-topic creativity you're talking about. Amphetamine is like a really strong, long-lasting coffee without the negative side effects that would come from drinking pots of coffee at a time. Plenty of creative people drink regular portions of coffee. It lets you focus on your work without unwanted distractions. But by increasing working memory, stimulants actually increase the incidence of cross-domain insight, in my experience, because you're able to keep more concepts in mind while you're working.
  - nefitty 6y ago
    Hey, this helps a lot. Thanks for the detailed response. I use a lot of caffeine, so if it’s comparable in terms of the “mental lane”, then I think it could put for me. The increased working memory leading to more connections sounds perfect.
    - garmaine 6y ago
      Vyvanse, for me, is basically a 10-hour cup of coffee. Minus the jittery hands, racing heart, headache, and other issues even moderate coffee consumption causes for me. But with the loss of appetite, constipation, and difficulty sleeping that coffee does to me too. Definitely worth it on the balance. Being on medication is life changing, mostly for how capable it has made me in my personal life. I’m not the hot mess I used to be.
      - nefitty 6y ago
        Awesome! Someone downvoted us, just wanted to note it wasn’t me. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
garmaine 6y ago
What is IQ in the end, except performance on IQ tests? Or more general problem solving ability. Stimulants definitely improve problem-solving capability: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880463/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880463/ This would be true even if the mechanism was "merely" an increase in focus. It turns out ADHD meds do more than that though, as they also improve working memory and mental stamina.
toomanybeersies 6y ago
Amphetamines and methylphenidate (Ritalin) don't improve your ability to reason or thing logically, but they do improve working memory, which is evaluated in a lot of IQ tests.

I never heard that it can actually increase IQ. I thought ADHD drugs just improved focus?

by ColanR 6y ago

I never heard that it can actually increase IQ. I thought ADHD drugs just improved focus?

If any devs have experience, do you find that the effects of ADHD meds still allows you to get into “fuzzy” undirected thought? For example, I’ve found that a lot of my supposed mental prowess is predicated on me daydreaming and mulling a problem and suddenly intuiting some possible solution. I’m afraid ADHD meds might curb that part of my personality.

garmaine 6y ago
I take 30mg Vyvanse daily. There's two points to be made: First, stimulants have a release schedule and are generally not a 24-hour thing. You wouldn't be able to sleep if they were. The effect depends on plasma concentration and varies during that interval. You might feel extremely focused at first, then energized but not especially focused, then a total drop in energy and focus when you hit the "down" part of the curve. Everyone's response is slightly different, however. I definitely think differently in the morning (after taking the pill) vs. at night. Sometimes I have an insight while relaxing in the evening that I write down and becomes my focus in the morning, when I'm better able to work. Second, it's not easy to put into words but the focusing effect is different from the cross-topic creativity you're talking about. Amphetamine is like a really strong, long-lasting coffee without the negative side effects that would come from drinking pots of coffee at a time. Plenty of creative people drink regular portions of coffee. It lets you focus on your work without unwanted distractions. But by increasing working memory, stimulants actually increase the incidence of cross-domain insight, in my experience, because you're able to keep more concepts in mind while you're working.
- nefitty 6y ago
  Hey, this helps a lot. Thanks for the detailed response. I use a lot of caffeine, so if it’s comparable in terms of the “mental lane”, then I think it could put for me. The increased working memory leading to more connections sounds perfect.
  - garmaine 6y ago
    Vyvanse, for me, is basically a 10-hour cup of coffee. Minus the jittery hands, racing heart, headache, and other issues even moderate coffee consumption causes for me. But with the loss of appetite, constipation, and difficulty sleeping that coffee does to me too. Definitely worth it on the balance. Being on medication is life changing, mostly for how capable it has made me in my personal life. I’m not the hot mess I used to be.
    - nefitty 6y ago
      Awesome! Someone downvoted us, just wanted to note it wasn’t me. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

garmaine 6y ago

What is IQ in the end, except performance on IQ tests? Or more general problem solving ability. Stimulants definitely improve problem-solving capability: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880463/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880463/ This would be true even if the mechanism was "merely" an increase in focus. It turns out ADHD meds do more than that though, as they also improve working memory and mental stamina.

toomanybeersies 6y ago

Amphetamines and methylphenidate (Ritalin) don't improve your ability to reason or thing logically, but they do improve working memory, which is evaluated in a lot of IQ tests.