Nuvigil, Provigil Instead Of Adderall For OTR?

I am looking into alternatives for my ADHD I have been off amphetamines for 6 months now and I struggle paying attention, I sleep to much etc.. I am looking into alternatives for these issues.. I want to live the safest and healthiest way when I get out on the road and I am curious if anyone who is in the trucking industry knows about or has experience with Nuvigil or Provigil...

Adderall is not exactly an amphetamine. It's a dextro-amphetamine and although only one molecule difference - it is in fact different. A driver who is on dextro-amphetamine can still pass the DOT physical as long as the drug is prescribed as it is a Class II controlled substance.

I'm just curious: why did you go off of ADHD medication? ...If you don't mind my asking ...

-mountain girl

*dextro-amphetamine salt combination ...

-mountain girl

Adderall is not exactly an amphetamine. It's a dextro-amphetamine and although only one molecule difference - it is in fact different. A driver who is on dextro-amphetamine can still pass the DOT physical as long as the drug is prescribed as it is a Class II controlled substance.

I'm just curious: why did you go off of ADHD medication? ...If you don't mind my asking ...

-mountain girl

I have been on adderall, vyvanse or ritalin since elementary school.. I stopped taking them for the first time in my life this year for two reasons.. 1) B/c for awhile now I have wanted to see how clear I could be off the meds, in a way I wanted to understand how I functioned normally without a stimulant.. Hence now looking at alternatives.. 2) I have been under the impression that most trucking companies have MAJOR issues with people whom have adderall prescriptions.. I have been told both ways, that I can pass a DOT and it wouldn't be an issue and I have been told it would be a major issue.. So now I am trying to get out of the grey area in that regard and still address the issue at hand.. does that make sence?

Yep-yep. Makes sense. I know for a fact that drivers on prescription adderall can pass the DOT physical exam.

I don't know whether or not doctors are permitted through HIPPA to even disclose whether or not someone is on a particular medication. I know there are issues with diabetes patients on insulin but in that case, they wouldn't pass the physical. Once one passes the physical and the drug test (which comes up negative for when a driver uses a drug and can prove that it is prescribed to him), I don't think it's any of the company's business what medications the driver is on. If I'm wrong, someone will certainly correct me, (and rightfully so) so keep your eyes peeled. But I know for a fact that it is possible to pass both the physical and the drug test when one is taking prescribed adderall. Trust me on that one.

And those who truly do have ADHD, must be on it to drive safely.

-mountain girl

Because of the federal oversight in trucking, all of a drivers medical history is open for the trucking companies consideration. Even if you pass a common DOT physical, you may not pass one given by a trucking company doctor...they have their own rules. So Andrew is correct in his thinking that it is indeed a grey area. I'm not medically informed enough to know the ins and outs and the trade offs of medications. but a competent personal physician or psychologist can work with you to get you on a med that will enable you to drive. You surely will need to get this settled before you go forward with cdl school, tho..... Good Luck...and keep us in the loop !! We are all rooting for you.

I don't know much about nuvigil or provigil but I do know there are non-stimulant alternatives to dextro-amphetamine salt-combos. The one I'm thinking of I think is called Concerta. You may have already heard of it or been prescribed it. I know it takes a few weeks for it to really kick in and work but it's not of the stimulant category as the other more common drugs. Vyvanse extended release is a really great medication for some and works so well without side-effects.

I do understand that ADHD is no longer considered a childhood disorder but rather a life-long, daily struggle for those who truly have it. And those who truly do, can't really "think" their way through a more productive day any better than a diabetic can "think" their way into better insulin management without the medication, because it's a neurotransmitter and chemical issue and less of a conscious, concentration problem. Undiagnosed, I'm sure there are a lot of people who simply self-medicate and drink coffee, take over the counter stimulants, smoke cigarettes, but in a lot of ways, the medications that are already out there, for some, are the only things that work.

One other thought might be to consult with a very highly qualified acupuncturist and see if he or she can help you. I know the Chinese Medical community has a different perspective on the disorder.

Keep us posted, here and let us know how your research goes.

-mountain girl

Because of the federal oversight in trucking, all of a drivers medical history is open for the trucking companies consideration. Even if you pass a common DOT physical, you may not pass one given by a trucking company doctor...they have their own rules. So Andrew is correct in his thinking that it is indeed a grey area.

-Starcar

Granted. But ok, I do know for a fact that it's possible to be on adderall and pass a company-endorsed DOT physical. As Old School says, "That's my story. I'm stickin' to it." It has happened ..In recent past...

-mountain girl

Adderall is not exactly an amphetamine. It's a dextro-amphetamine and although only one molecule difference - it is in fact different. A driver who is on dextro-amphetamine can still pass the DOT physical as long as the drug is prescribed as it is a Class II controlled substance.

I'm just curious: why did you go off of ADHD medication? ...If you don't mind my asking ...

-mountain girl

It's not so much passing the physical so much as it's for him (or anyone) to pass the drug screen. Most of the commonly used UAs - especially the cheap instant-read tests - do not differentiate between various drugs in a given category. Both heroin and Vicodin will show up as an opiate, just as Adderall, Vyvanse, Sudafed, all will show up as an amphetamine.

Want a real kick in the pants? Just about any commonly prescribed drug can cause a false positive, even if it's not in a targeted class. Amoxacilin, for instance, is an antibiotic. It'll also give a false positive for cocaine. Wellbutrin, Prozac, Effexor, Trazadone, all can give false positives for amphetamines. And there's a lot more that can as well. Ibuprofen, believe it or not, can give false positive for barbituates, methadone, AND cannibinoids (marijuana). It doesn't even have the same molecular structure, but it's a very common result.

A helpful tip for anyone taking medications, when you do a drug screen it's best to disclose ANY medications you have taken in the prior 24 hours, even if it's just some Advil or an allergy med. If you take antidepressants, ADHD meds, tell them so they can make a note on the form for the lab. As long as it's an OTC or you have a script you should be good to go.

A helpful tip for anyone taking medications, when you do a drug screen it's best to disclose ANY medications you have taken in the prior 24 hours, even if it's just some Advil or an allergy med. If you take antidepressants, ADHD meds, tell them so they can make a note on the form for the lab. As long as it's an OTC or you have a script you should be good to go.

John T.

This part is true. Full disclosure before you take any tests is always the best route.

The over-the-counter drug screens that you buy at the pharmacy probably aren't sensitive enough to distinguish between drug classes. However, having spoken just yesterday, to the medical examiner who reviews all the drug screens from the trucking company that sponsored both my physical exam, drug screen, and physical agility test I took this week, I learned that the ability of these urinalyses to distinguish between drugs, amphetamines, dextro-amphetamine salt combinations, meth, MDMA, cocaine, and heroin is all very real and possible, now. He explained that the body metabolizes these drugs and produces measurable amounts of the resulting chemical break-down that the tests can detect. He explained how they now use a scale based on the balance of compounds in the urine, between all of the above drugs I mentioned. He told me that he could not only tell what medications I was taking but he was able to distinguish between concentrations of the compounds and when he asked what my doses were, he said my answer affirmed his results on his end. So the notion that false positives and an inability to distinguish between drugs is prevalent, simply is no longer true - not with the more sensitive tests.

-mountain girl