This is my strategy when I am too tired to work...
"Hello CC, this is XXX, I'm calling to let you know that I am unfit for my next duty".
Works every time to return the sleep that consecutively tiring patterns takes away. I am shocked and appalled that we have crew who would rather resort to narcotics than to common sense.
Here is a shocker for you. All drugs have side effects. They don't fix things, they "move" things around and suppress one condition by sacrificing another. That is why they should be handled as a "last resort" option - when the condition is so bad that their side effect risks are lower than the immediate risk.
So when you are using drugs to deal with sleep deprivation, it is the same as taking drugs to deal with lack of food. You are masking the symptoms, which in many cases means you are making it worse because you are ignoring the signs your body is giving you. Taking drugs that help you ignore these warning signs is NOT GOOD. It is a temporary solution to be used very cautiously. It is NOT a long term solution.
If you ignore a red light you will get to your destination sooner, but is it the healthiest option for you?
