Comments on: I’m on the drug that killed Paul Erdős

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:18:55 +0000

I guess technically I consume caffeine, although you don’t usually think of coffee just as a drug delivery mechanism. I also don’t do it as much as I used to – considering all the beneficial side-effects of coffee consumption, I probably should get back into it.

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:14:01 +0000

What’s the drug that Erdos used? Amphetamines?

I’ve thought about taking something that would help me focus, but it’s not been a problem so far.

By: peaceout

peaceout — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:19:29 +0000

Its common knowledge that there are chemical similarities between the key chemicals in Adderall (dextroamphetamine, C9H13N) and meth (methamphetamine, C10H15N). The two are amphetamines, they both act similarly, their chemical structure is almost identical, and yet one is prescribed to children. So, why isn’t meth just legalized and taxed? Why make criminals rich?
Also why force stores to sell Claritin in limited quantities to customers? Its a waste of time. Any substance, like food, cigarettes, alcohol, and etc. can be abused. Online, people can order generic Claritin tablets in blister packs in bulk at websites like http://www.allerox.com. People just need to be responsible adults and use things in moderation.

By: Enterhase

Enterhase — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:06:43 +0000

For the past few weeks I’ve been considering taking some performance-enhancing drugs. I work way too hard in order to support college.
A neurologist once prescribed GABOB to me, but I found it made me sleepy. I was probably wrong, since now I’m ‘clean’, but still sleepy all day long.
I was also diagnosed with ADD as a child, and prescribed Ritalin. Perhaps I should fall off the wagon, and start with Ritalin again.

By: DLende

DLende — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:05:43 +0000

Even with a drug like methamphetamine, most heavy users in our research engaged in “functional use.” They used to enhance cognitive function (or compensate for deficits), to increase overall productivity, and even to appear “normal” while being high (say, unlike alcohol). While many had problems that could be defined as drug dependence, others engaged in controlled drug use (Norman Zinberg’s work). Most substance use today falls either into a functional or a ritualized frame, coffee in the morning, champagne at New Years, meth to study hard or even clean your house (as one of our informants related).
For more on this research, see my article Lende et al. “Functional Methamphetamine Use: The Insider’s Perspective” in Addiction Research and Theory. Email me at dlende@nd.edu if you want a pdf. Here’s the link to the abstract: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a781027696~db=all
I also recommend the work of Miriam Boeri, part of the same project, using ideas about drug careers, social control, and social learning to examine lifetime patterns in heroin and meth use among baby boomers: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1475-682X.2006.00154.x

By: eclipse

eclipse — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:17:05 +0000

Good post. I do, however, take exception to one bit: that methamphetamine is a “fairly nasty” drug.
Not true. Meth is a downright evil scourge of a drug. I believe fully in the right for people to use recreational drugs- but meth isn’t recreation, it’s a runaway taxi to hell. I know this sounds melodramatic, but I have yet to meet ONE person who was a meth user who didn’t a) die b) lose everything valuable to him/her including sanity or c) become HIV positive.
Meth is the devil. Exeunt all.

By: Alexis Madrigal

Alexis Madrigal — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:07:53 +0000

Thanks for the thoughtful post on my article. I do wish that I’d gotten in a graf about drug usage, in general, and how the optimal level of drug use might not be none at all.
Anyway, thanks again. I’m a daily Mind Hacks reader, and it was nice to see my work on display.