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Dec 28, 2017
ssc

Adderall Risks: Much More Than You Wanted To Know

54 min • 7,424 words • 239 comments • podcast (53 min)
Scott Alexander examines the risks of Adderall use, analyzing medical, addiction, tolerance, and neurotoxicity concerns, concluding that the benefits outweigh the risks for well-informed patients. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the risks of Adderall use, examining medical risks, addiction potential, tolerance development, and possible neurotoxicity. He critically analyzes existing research and shares his clinical experience, ultimately concluding that while there are some concerning risks, they are not severe enough to stop prescribing stimulants to patients who might benefit from them, provided they are well-informed about the risks. Shorter summary
Mar 01, 2016
ssc

2016 Nootropics Survey Results

12 min • 1,606 words • 212 comments
Scott Alexander presents results from a survey of 850 people rating various nootropics, showing a range of perceived effectiveness and exploring addiction potential for some substances. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents the results of a survey on nootropics, substances that claim to improve mental function. The survey gathered ratings from 850 participants on various nootropics. The results show a range of effectiveness, with prescription drugs like Adderall and Modafinil scoring highly, along with LSD microdosing and Phenibut. Some less well-known substances like tianeptine, Semax, and ashwagandha also performed well. The survey also explored addiction potential for certain substances. Scott notes that while the survey lacks placebo control, the large sample size and consistency with previous results lend some credibility to the findings. Shorter summary
Apr 25, 2015
ssc

Nefarious Nefazodone And Flashy Rare Side Effects

18 min • 2,478 words • 331 comments
Scott examines how rare but severe drug side effects often lead to underprescription compared to drugs with common but less severe side effects, potentially resulting in suboptimal patient care. Longer summary
This post discusses the issue of rare but severe side effects in psychiatric medications versus common but less severe side effects. Scott uses two main examples: nefazodone vs SSRIs for depression, and modafinil vs Adderall for stimulants. He argues that drugs with rare but spectacular side effects (like nefazodone and modafinil) are often underprescribed compared to drugs with more common but less severe side effects (like SSRIs and Adderall). The post explores the reasons for this, including doctors' risk aversion, lawsuit concerns, and media coverage of rare side effects. Scott suggests that this pattern may lead to suboptimal treatment choices for patients. Shorter summary