Yikes OP...

Your daughter is probably under immense pressure to perform at her "top school" to make Mom happy as it is, now you want to paint her out to be Amy Winehouse because of some caffeine pills? First off, google Adderall usage among college kids, and particularly Ivy students...it's through the roof. Be thankful she isn't abusing legal speed (which is all Adderall is). Here's an article originally titled "Ivy League Addiction"

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/college/a61827/ivy-league-addiction/

Second, no matter how perfect you want your daughter to be, it doesn't sound like you have any realistic idea of what she needs to do to meet your presumably rigorous academic expectations. Like others have said, she's probably using them to stay awake so she can study for her exams, finish those term papers etc....and ultimately, to make you happy.

The fact that you want to go nuclear and confront her, and jump to all these crazy conclusions, makes me feel really bad for her. Poor girl.

Anonymous wrote:Yikes. I would be concerned, too, OP. Unless these pills are regulated by the FDA and come from a reputable source, it is all to easy to receive some sort of adulterated formula that contains god knows what.

I think it's totally insane that so many PPs think it's OK for their kids to take pills. Coffee is fine, and if you drink too much, you'll be jittery and need to pee a lot. But, if you take too many caffeine pills, you could give yourself a heart attack.

Then again, it seems that many DCUMers need pills to regulate their lives--sleeping pills, anti-anxiety pills, hormone pills, etc. I should not be surprised that they are projecting the normalcy of pill popping onto their children.

I'm pretty sure a college kid knows what the dosage is. This isn't a 5 year old that was found with a bottle of pills. Caffeine pills are not prescription for a reason (they are generally safe). Doesn't sound like OP"s daughter is the type to abuse this sort of thing. Oh, and she is not a child, she is an ADULT.

Helicopter moms

Anonymous wrote:Make her watch the very special Saved By the Bell episode entitled "Jessie's Song".

I totally clicked on this threat to say the same thing!! "I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so scared"

Anonymous wrote:Yikes. I would be concerned, too, OP. Unless these pills are regulated by the FDA and come from a reputable source, it is all to easy to receive some sort of adulterated formula that contains god knows what.

I think it's totally insane that so many PPs think it's OK for their kids to take pills. Coffee is fine, and if you drink too much, you'll be jittery and need to pee a lot. But, if you take too many caffeine pills, you could give yourself a heart attack.

Then again, it seems that many DCUMers need pills to regulate their lives--sleeping pills, anti-anxiety pills, hormone pills, etc. I should not be surprised that they are projecting the normalcy of pill popping onto their children.

Maybe you missed the part where she's not a kid? She's a grown adult.

College is stressful, and hard, and there aren't enough hours in the day. I used to pull all nighters all the time. I took caffeine pills all through college. Some of you are ridiculous. When kids don't do well you bash them, when they try hard like your kid is trying "then it's a gateway to another drug." Good grief people. For the record, I never tried any drugs, like ever.

Maybe if you stopped putting pressure on her (HYPS), then she wouldn't have to take so much caffeine to stay awake and study.

Anonymous wrote:This is definitely concerning. PP's are trying to argue that this is the same as coffee, but it's easy to imagine abusing these when a single pill is already a double dose of coffee and they doesn't take any time to consume like coffee does.

Look, a friend of mine (also an adult...like OP's daughter) who doesn't drink coffee has a bottle of these on her windowsill over the sink. She takes one in the morning instead of doing what I do, which is dick around for an hour and a half drinking two big mugs of coffee.

Yikes. I would be concerned, too, OP. Unless these pills are regulated by the FDA and come from a reputable source, it is all to easy to receive some sort of adulterated formula that contains god knows what.

I think it's totally insane that so many PPs think it's OK for their kids to take pills. Coffee is fine, and if you drink too much, you'll be jittery and need to pee a lot. But, if you take too many caffeine pills, you could give yourself a heart attack.

Then again, it seems that many DCUMers need pills to regulate their lives--sleeping pills, anti-anxiety pills, hormone pills, etc. I should not be surprised that they are projecting the normalcy of pill popping onto their children.

I have caffeine pills in my bag right now (not a big coffee drinker). Should someone be staging an Intervention for me? This is a non-issue OP, don't blow this out of proportion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Confront. This could be a gateway and who knows if she's combining these with alcohol???

Alcohol and caffeine is what killed John Belushi, no?

No
Cocaine and heroin

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a junior at a top university (HYPS) and is coming home for winter break.
But, two days ago, we got a package addressed to her from a pharmaceutical company and when DH and I opened it we found a massive bottle of caffeine pills. Not even the regular dose, double dose 200 mg ones.
DD has insisted since high school that she doesn't even drink coffee, and, in addition to being worried about the pills, now I can't help but wondering if she's lying about some of her other behaviors at school (drugs, sex, excessive partying, etc).

I want to confront her about it, but DH thinks I should just put the pills in her room and not mention anything.

Thoughts?

Your title is ridiculous. You didn't FIND them, you SNOOPED. And your DH and you didn't get a package, your ADULT DAUGHTER did. You want to confront her about a perfectly legal happening? You're both nuts, you moreso though =)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I was concerned about the pharmaceutical return address label (thought maybe it was a front for buying illegal drugs). Maybe these aren't illegal but she was buying drugs nonetheless

I would have opened it too. What I would do is this. I would send a text saying what you did, what you found and that you want to discuss it. I would time the text so it doesn't upset her ability to do well on her finals but also gives her time to reflect on what she's goi g to say to you. I hate to be blindsided so I try not to do it to my kids. I find texting in advance the best way to start these sorts of conversations with my kids.

And I'd text you back with a whole string of unhappy thoughts. You're psycho

Anonymous wrote:This is definitely concerning. PP's are trying to argue that this is the same as coffee, but it's easy to imagine abusing these when a single pill is already a double dose of coffee and they doesn't take any time to consume like coffee does.

Not sure where you get your information from, but that is not correct. For brewed coffee, a starbucks Tall (small) has 260mg of caffeine, a grande (medium) has 330 mg of caffeine. Many of their grande drinks range from 300-400mg of caffeine, well over the 200 found in a pill.

For reference: http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/starbucks-grande-coffee

https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/brewed-coffee/pike-place-roast

etc


and "time to consume" is irrelevant...caffeine has a half life of 5-6 hours so unless you take that long to finish one drink your getting the full on effect regardless of how fast you drink it.

This is definitely concerning. PP's are trying to argue that this is the same as coffee, but it's easy to imagine abusing these when a single pill is already a double dose of coffee and they doesn't take any time to consume like coffee does.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I was concerned about the pharmaceutical return address label (thought maybe it was a front for buying illegal drugs). Maybe these aren't illegal but she was buying drugs nonetheless

I would have opened it too. What I would do is this. I would send a text saying what you did, what you found and that you want to discuss it. I would time the text so it doesn't upset her ability to do well on her finals but also gives her time to reflect on what she's goi g to say to you. I hate to be blindsided so I try not to do it to my kids. I find texting in advance the best way to start these sorts of conversations with my kids.