Add/adhd

[MyrddinsPrecint]

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder). Thus, my friend is now on a banned substance for those without a presription. I seem to remember that there was an article about it somewhere, in one of the usfa mags or newsletters.

From what i gather, you can be on a banned substance as long as it's actually prescribed by a dr- but how does one prove it? does one submit something to the USFA, carry around a note like a 3rd grader, bring the bottle with you that clearly shows your name, etc???

any information that can be shared would be helpful...

[MHS Fencer]

Unless you're getting good results at national tournaments, you won't encounter drug testing. I seem to recall a hotline you can call to find out if a substance is banned (FYI, Claritin D is not allowed) but I don't remember exactly where it is. I know information about banned substances is available in the athlete's handbook (which you can get from the usfencing.org - it should be under documents, if i remember correctly). That'll give you information on what sort of documentation is necessary, but odds are that it'll never come up.

[Peach]

There are only *some* substances which are permitted with a doctor's letter, while there are others which are not permitted at all. Go to the USADA web site http://www.usantidoping.org/ for the list of prohibited substances.

As MHS Fencer remarked, few athletes get tested unless they are getting good national results.

[sabreur]

Actually, Claritin D is specifically mentioned as being permitted in the expanded pocket guide: http://www.usantidoping.org/files/2004WCexpanded.pdf

Praise the Lord that they removed the ridiculous caffeine restriction.

MR

[oiuyt]

As Peach points out there are both banned and restricted substances. Common examples of each are Albuterol inhalers (restricted, common asthma medication) and Adderall (banned, common ADHD medication). Restricted substances require either carrying or filing of a doctor's letter, I believe on a specified form available from the USOC and USADA (US Anti-Doping Administration or something very similar). Just the prescription bottle is not sufficient IIRC.

There are a number of banned substances (ie no way to legally use them while competing regardless of medical need and/or doctor's prescription/letter/etc.) that are not at all uncommon. The previously mentioned Adderall and other, similar ADHD medications are not uncommon among especially younger fencers (mid-20's and below). Beta blockers and other heart health medications are VERY common among older (vet, 50+, 60+) fencers. If someone is taking one of these medications and is required to be tested they will fail.

If you are regularly taking ANY medication it is wise to a) find out what category the medication falls into, and b) if it's banned whether or not there are alternatives that aren't, and c) if it's restricted to get the proper forms filled out. If you have any questions that's exactly why the USADA hotline exists. There is no intent to spring "gotchas" on athletes. If you inquire the information about what you can and cannot do and how to ensure that you're staying legal is readily available.

Will the vast majority of USFA fencers EVER get tested? No. Unless you're finishing near the top of a points event and/or approaching national team selection it won't be an issue. You should still be aware of what you're doing and whether or not it's legal. Additional information cannot hurt you in this case and might save you from a potentially bad situation.

If there's a chance that you might be taking something that crosses the line, find out more. A little work now can save a lot of heartache and trouble later.

-B :)

[MHS Fencer]

Sabreur - you're right, but when I called, which I suppose was about 4 years ago now, they told me that it wasn't permitted. I'm glad to see it allowed because I can't see how it could confer an advantage on anybody.

[SupportCrew]

If your friend is just starting meds, they may want to try Strattera, which is a non-stimulant ADHD medication. I emailed the manufacturer, but they didn't know who the "USOC" was (raised my confidence considerably since I spelled it out in my email), but I can't find it on the banned list. On the other hand, my physician hasn't had great result with it, so we haven't tried it yet. Thankfully, fencing seems to be tailor made for ADHD types: High adrenaline, narrow visual focal field, all the things that turn on hyperfocus.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

ok, i found the article i was talking about

American Fencing- Winter 2002- Sport's Med

the breif overview:

pretty much every single stimulant is banned by the IOC, NCAA, and everyone else that has a list of banned stuff.

ADHD meds are acknowledged to be usefull, they're allowed to be used in training as long as you purge your system of them by the date of each competition. they won't be tested for in the "no advance notice" testing program.


the NCAA, however, allows for "exception to be made for those student-athletes with a documented medical history"


it also suggests reading this:
http://sportmed.usfencing.org/ADHDReport.pdf

[Sabresque]

On another note... how long does poppyseed stay in your system? I accidently ate a poppyseed bagel today before I remembered that it'll test positive. Sounds funny, but thought I've never been tested I'm scared to death of having a fake positive.

[ladyofshalott99]

A note about ADHD and my experience as a fencer:

I've been fencing since 1998, started at Purdue, fence now with the Indianapolis Fencing Club. Took a year off from fencing my senior year to graduate--which I did just barely. Considering that I was an honors student when first went to school, it wasn't a good situation. Anyway, ever since I started fencing I'd always been frustrated that I wasn't improving as quickly as my peers were--I'd miss blatantly things, i wouldn't recognize attacks, and the only time I'd really do well was when I would be angered enough by my opponent to really focus in and come back to win when I was down 0-4.

Well, when I started fencing again last summer, I found that my fencing was absolutely *horrible*. I couldn't even score points on my opponents let alone win a bout. At the same time in my life I had recognized that for the last several years I had been scraping by interacting with people by "faking" attention--I would fade in and out of conversations with friends, change subjects abruptly, and could never remember where things were. I was a disorganized perfectionist. It was both frustrating and demoralizing. Add in that I wasn't able to fence like I'd used to and you had one depressed person on your hands.

The breaking point for me was when my work performance really started to drop--I'd stick post-its everywhere and have trouble multitasking on projects at work. Ironically, I'm a consultant (contractor, NOT an employee) for Lilly, the company that makes Strattera, the ADHD drug that you guys have been talking about. (I even dated a guy I knew from college that ended up working for Lilly on the team that got Strattera approved by the FDA. ) So after a mediocre performance review and some issues that I had been having all around, I decided I needed to do something.

I talked to my doctor and his preliminary evaluation indicated that i had a lot of the symptoms of ADHD as well as depression. Since I was in the unique position of working for the company that produces Strattera, my doctor gave me some samples, told me to read up on what info I could find out about it from work, and prescribed the medicine. I've been taking Strattera for about a month now and it has totally changed my life. The frustration I had involving my ability to concentrate and function in daily life is gone. My work performance has improved dramatically, and perhaps best of all, my fencing has increasingly improved each time I've been to practice. I'm not only scoring on fencers of my experience level but for the first time in years I feel like the things I'm learning during practice are actually sticking. I used to fence a bout and have so much anxiety and lapsed concentration. Now I feel confident and focused.

I am in no way any sort of doctor or am saying or advocating that drugs will improve your fencing--only that if you have a problem, get medical help for it. If I had done so years ago I would have spared myself years of frustration and suffering. For me anyway, medicine helped to solve a medical problem I was having that was having repurcussions into other areas of my life that I missed.

And now that I'm feeling myself again, my fencing has improved as well.

[hscoach]

The doctor from the US Olympic Organization is great. If you call, I forget the number, he will answer any question you have and also give you suggestions of what is legal. If he does not answer leave a message and he will get back to you. You can get this number from the USFA.
Repeat of what was said before, you do not need to worry unless you are a VERY strong fencer at the top of the points lists.

[JAySE SUiCiDE]

i too have ADD, and fence in national competitions, so here are the rules on it;


all ADD/ADHD medications that are stimulants aren't allowed; Ritalin is a stimulant, so is Adderall and i think wellbutrin.

but all nonstimulants, like strattera, as mentioned, ARE allowed.

(i know 'bout all of these drugs cause i've been on all of them)

stopping the medication about a week before a national competition should be ample time to get it out of your system.

even if you're officially diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, they wont let you take the medication while you're fencing at national/international comeptitons. why? who knows..

they do do drug testing at competitions, and they also come to your house at random times and do drug testing if you're high up on the rating list, but ADD/ADHD medication isn't a problem in the testing when they come to your house and do it.

no level of ADD/ADHD medication is tolerated..even if you're just taking a little. if its picked up, you'll be suspended from competitions for a while, i think first offence is 1/2 a year.

i've called the anti-doping place about it, and yup, there's no way to get around it. though i find that when i'm fencing at these competitons, i dont feel distracted anyways; im concentrating so much on the fencing that nothing else really phases me.

hope this was helpful,
~Jes

[Talysen]

Originally posted by Sabresque
On another note... how long does poppyseed stay in your system?

Up to 48 hours I believe, possibly just a bit longer...