MEPs question.

[Cactuscooler]

My doctor recently prescribed me adderall. My buddy is telling me that if I disclose this to a recruiter or at MEPs it's a year long wait to be evaluated. ??

I literally haven't taken one more than one pill, and dont like the way it makes feel. Do they have access to your RX's records?

[Snoopy47]

If you don't disclose it and they find out then you are done for all services forever and ever.

[Cactuscooler]

Phuck! That seems a bit ridiculous. I hope I didn't shoot myself in the foot.

[guitar-nut]

+1 if you don't disclose it and they find out, you're screwed. Plus, adderall will show up as amphetamines in the drug test. They can access any and all records (medical and criminal), so don't count on being able to hide it. Whether they pull your records or not can depend on many things, so don't risk it.

I just got back from MEPS today, they're pretty thorough and they strongly stress that the number one disqualifier is lying to them. Talk to your recruiter about it, but do not lie on the medical pre-screen.

[Snoopy47]

[MustangSteveGT]

I'll put it like this. I'd be more surprised if they caught you not admitting it than I would be to hear you told them and had to go through a crap ton of extra medical visits and other administrative delays just to get in for admitting it.
I know if it was a Navy recruiter I'd mention it to them and they would likely give you a straight answer as to weather you would be better off mentioning it or not. Especially if your in the target demographic (recent high school graduate with 2 arms and 2 legs). They will do whatever they need to keep their numbers up for their own advancement. Because they get credit just for getting you in, not dependent on you actually graduating boot camp. Some other service branches' recruiters, however, don't get credit for you until you've gotten through training where these sorts of things start to show if they do at all and they actually would take interest in weeding you out early.
The emphasis on your situation probably wouldnt be the medication itself as much as the reason it's given like ADHD, holding still and controlling actions (all of which are things you'll obviously need to do in the military). However in the case that your condition CAN be controlled with the med leads me to think it could be possible for them to still consider you assuming you can prove with documentation that the med takes care of it.
Medical standards at MEPs is so dependent on the needs of the military at not always the health of the people they take in which seems to be trend with so many other things in the military. "Raise the standards when we're full of people, lower the standards when we need more people." That, and it's amazing what does slip get through MEPs. I've seen plenty of recruits that came through with no damn ear drum and somehow they got through the process and into boot camp. Although stuff like that is the rare exception.

[Cpl. Haas]

You have to be off the meds for at least a year... that's what the wait is for; not the MEPS evaluation. You CANNOT enter the military while taking ADD/ADHD meds... you CAN, however, enter the military with ADD/ADHD so long as you don't need meds to control it.

Other than that, Snoopy47 and guitar-nut pretty much covered it... you give them the authority to access your medical records and, assuming you're seeing the doc under a current health insurance plan, a current prescription is going to be very easy for them to find. And don't let anyone (recruiters) fool you with the "your job will only require a confidential/secret clearance and they never pull medical records for those"... you can find plenty of stories online of people who entered a field with little-to-no clearance, only to be assigned somewhere that required a higher clearance down the line. The only thing worse than lying at MEPS and getting caught in DEP or basic is getting caught 4 years in!

[izzygoingtoarmy]

Meps next week

I am going to MEPS next week.

The only thing that i can advise you to do is, if you feel that you are good without the medication, then do not take a pill for at least one week before meps and do not disclose this info. IF and only if you are good without the meds. It is very important that you can recognize that you are safe without it. For example, I met a few Marine "boots" coming from Camp Pendelton to Camp Lejeune, one of the kid had been accidently shot by the other kid (it may had to be from the lack of focus or the retards of young marines) The military has a hugh budget that they are cutting back on recruits and they are trying to make any excuse to why they can not recruit you. 10 years ago, trust me they would recruit you with no problem with or without the medication. The military is even cutting back on recruiting any one that has prior convictions and making a limit on traffic tickets as well.

[Cpl. Haas]

The only thing that i can advise you to do is, if you feel that you are good without the medication, then do not take a pill for at least one week before meps and do not disclose this info.

^ This is excellent advice if you're looking for an Article 83.

[izzygoingtoarmy]

What's an article 83, Cpl Haas? I am not in the Army yet, havent done Meps, just been trying to get my mos since March

[izzygoingtoarmy]

^ This is excellent advice if you're looking for an Article 83.

Crpl.,

And I spoke to all my Marine buddies (only one) and my Army buddy and they always have such good stories....say that meps do not check unless you reveal the medicine. they say that their friend did not give Meps their insurance card so there was no way in checking to see if they had a medical condition. There is a difference between being diagnosed with ADD and just asking the Dr. for a very low dosage to study. I should see why this young man should not reveal his history if he was not diagnosed with ADD/ADDHD. If he was diagnosed with this condition, then he needs to go the safe route. Especially if he is a male, he may have to do combat shenanigan obstacles that require the focus. Lucky to be male so he can do combat things.

[Cactuscooler]

The doc gave me to meds to feel more energetic/focused. I've been feeling lethargic this past month. I not hyper and cant sit still persay, and I can concentrate on school without them. I completed college classes without the use of them for years.

I know MEP's job is keep people from enlisting to a extent. They DQ'd my buddy from joining due to earwax??

[Cpl. Haas]

What's an article 83, Cpl Haas? I am not in the Army yet, havent done Meps, just been trying to get my mos since March

Article 83 is fraudulent enlistment... it means if they catch that you've withheld something that would've disqualified you (even if that DQ could've been waiverable) they court martial your ***, give you a dishonorable discharge, and can confine you for 2 years. How far they take it usually depends on how long you've been drawing a paycheck before you lie was discovered. People have been confined and dishonorably discharged for lying about childhood injuries.

Crpl.,

And I spoke to all my Marine buddies (only one) and my Army buddy and they always have such good stories....say that meps do not check unless you reveal the medicine.

That may be true... but the record is there for anyone interested in looking... and I've never heard a straight answer on what would prompt them to look, so the risk would always be there. The doc at MEPS isn't the final checkpoint for medical review... what if a DSS investigator gets assigned to do your clearance investigation and decides to do some basic research... or a buddy mentions something that sends them in that direction? Maybe you get labeled as depressed in basic and they start making inquiries... you get the point.

The doc gave me to meds to feel more energetic/focused. I've been feeling lethargic this past month. I not hyper and cant sit still persay, and I can concentrate on school without them. I completed college classes without the use of them for years.

I know MEP's job is keep people from enlisting to a extent. They DQ'd my buddy from joining due to earwax??

Are you currently insured? PPO or HMO? Private doc or Kaiser doc? And has he ever diagnosed you with ADD or ADHD, or just being lethargic? And what is lethargic exactly?

[Cactuscooler]

Article 83 is fraudulent enlistment... it means if they catch that you've withheld something that would've disqualified you (even if that DQ could've been waiverable) they court martial your ***, give you a dishonorable discharge, and can confine you for 2 years. How far they take it usually depends on how long you've been drawing a paycheck before you lie was discovered. People have been confined and dishonorably discharged for lying about childhood injuries.



That may be true... but the record is there for anyone interested in looking... and I've never heard a straight answer on what would prompt them to look, so the risk would always be there. The doc at MEPS isn't the final checkpoint for medical review... what if a DSS investigator gets assigned to do your clearance investigation and decides to do some basic research... or a buddy mentions something that sends them in that direction? Maybe you get labeled as depressed in basic and they start making inquiries... you get the point.




Are you currently insured? PPO or HMO? Private doc or Kaiser doc? And has he ever diagnosed you with ADD or ADHD, or just being lethargic? And what is lethargic exactly?

Yes to PPO. Private doc. Lethargic, meaning just feel like I could have more energy. I usually drink alot of coffee to help me out with this. But lately it upsets my stomach etc. I think it might have to with caffeine crashes or cycles.

After all this, I was better off just buying crack... At least theres no paper trail.. God forbid I listen to my doc..

[Cpl. Haas]

Yes to PPO. Private doc. Lethargic, meaning just feel like I could have more energy. I usually drink alot of coffee to help me out with this. But lately it upsets my stomach etc.

Well a private doc on a PPO is slightly harder to track down records for than a Kaiser doc... but lethargy is walking a tight-rope over depression. If you get lethargic in basic, and they label you depressed, then you will see inquiries made into areas you don't want uncovered.

Maybe the first step here is to talk to your doctor about your plans with the military and see if he's willing to try a non-medication treatment?

BTW, you can check out the medical forms you'll have to fill out below:

DD Form 2807-1
DD Form 2807-2
DD Form 2808