Adderall, Botox and a B12 shot in the butt: Why Trump’s claim that Biden will be ‘pumped up’ on drugs for debate isn’t so far-fetched
Former President Donald Trump has claimed that President Biden will be “pumped up” on drugs to enhance his performance at Thursday’s debate, including getting a “big fat shot in the ass.”
His assertions have been dismissed by some segments of the media as campaign bluster — but private doctors to the rich and famous tell The Post that VIPs often use drug cocktails and other treatments to give themselves an edge before they take the spotlight for a big event.
These can include everything from a peptides infusion for a boost in brain function and Botox to avoid a sweaty brow to Adderall for enhanced focus — and yes, sometimes even a shot in the butt.
“Post-graduate students, medical students, people who work in banking or finance, Wall Street-type people, big real estate moguls,” Victoria Corabi, a nurse practitioner and founding partner of Beauté Aesthetics in New York City, told The Post.
“They just need that energy and not the side effects of caffeine and illicit drugs.”
Biden, 81, and Trump, 78 are competing to be the oldest person to ever be elected president. When they take the debate stage Thursday night, voters will be scrutinizing the candidates for any signs of weakness or cognitive decline.
Modern medicine can do amazing things to enhance performance in pressure-cooker environments. Here’s what a presidential candidate looking for a boost might take before a big night like the first presidential debate on CNN.
Peptides for clarity
Corabi said VIP clients who need to be at their sharpest mentally often seek treatments like peptide infusions.
Peptides are small amino acid chains that occur naturally inside the body — with each type playing different roles in various biological functions like muscle growth, digestion, hormone production and tissue repair.
There are also peptides that support cognitive function.
“Those things have actually been proven to have a side effect of easing the mind and giving more clarity when someone is speaking, they find their words more easily, is what our clients tell us over and over again,” Corabi said.
Peptides are often given via IV infusion.
NAD therapy for anxiety
Another favorite treatment among the powerful and well-heeled is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) therapy, which is known to ease anxiety and reduce stress.
NADs are coenzymes that also naturally occur in our bodies, and our cells would be unable to generate the energy they need to function without them.
“NADs work on your cells at the basic level and can really impact your brain cells, personality, and cognitive areas. People who have been on heavy doses of ADHD or anxiety medication are finding they can set them aside and end up feeling much better,” Corabi said.
As for what effect these treatments — typically given intravenously — would have on a couple of 80-year-old politicians?
“The hope would be that it would help them feel more naturally calm and be more articulate,” Corabi surmised.
Botox for sweat
In the era of 100-inch 4K TVs, the candidates’ physical appearance during the debates will also be an area of consternation for their respective teams.
Too much sweat under the bright studio lighting could telegraph nervousness or weakness (as Richard Nixon learned the hard way in 1960). But modern medicine has found a way to treat flop sweat: Botox.
“You might use Botox for sweating a week before — you inject them around the hands, the feet, the forehead as well to decrease the amount of sweating when you’re under the hot lights,” Dr. Howard Sobel, a dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital, told The Post.
“You saw what happened to Giuliani,” he said, referencing the former NYC mayor’s infamous November 2020 press conference where his profuse sweating caused a dark streak of what was believed to be hair dye to run down his cheek.
Vitamin B12 shots for energy
Other last-minute boosts include “vitamin B infusion drips, which can increase the health of brain function, and increase energy as well.”
The doc says of the drips, “It’s a quick pick-me-up, you can do it the day before, and people mix it with other vitamins.”
Injections of vitamin B12, often given in the rear end or upper thigh, also provide a range of potential benefits for the candidates, from increasing energy levels and combating fatigue to helping improve focus.
Adderall for attention
There’s also the popular ADHD medication Adderall — long abused by students at all-night study sessions in college dorms — which Trump has named specifically in his speculation about Biden’s debate prep regimen.
“What does it do? Improve listening skills, helps someone pay attention and seem more alert, attentive and less sleepy,” said Sobel, noting that the pills take effect within 30 minutes and last for about seven hours.
Provigil to fight sleepiness
Another prescription drug, Provigil, “decreases excessive sleepiness,” Sobel added
To be clear: None of these treatments is illegal. And neither medical professional has provided any form of care to either Biden or Trump.
However, if either politician was seeking a boost to weather the rigors of what is sure to be a bruising rematch, there’s a veritable apothecary of options at their disposal.
Additional reporting by Hannah Fierick
