Adderall - ADHD/ADD - The Smart Drug ??

A single entity amphetamine product combining the neutral sulfate salts of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, with the dextro isomer of amphetamine saccharate and d, l-amphetamine aspartate monohydrate.
www.rxlist.com...

From the same site:

AMPHETAMINES HAVE A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE. ADMINISTRATION OF AMPHETAMINES FOR PROLONGED PERIODS OF TIME MAY LEAD TO DRUG DEPENDENCE AND MUST BE AVOIDED. PARTICULAR ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SUBJECTS OBTAINING AMPHETAMINES FOR NON-THERAPEUTIC USE OR DISTRIBUTION TO OTHERS, AND THE DRUGS SHOULD BE PRESCRIBED OR DISPENSED SPARINGLY.

My roommate is addicted to adderall. I am really getting worried about her. She is prescribed 40mg a day but takes way more than that. We have been friends for a long time but recently moved in together. I had no idea how bad her problem was. She rarely sleeps (maybe 2 hours a night if any at all). I've walked into her room around midnight and she is taking another 20mg adderall when she has nothing to study for. She takes them to wake her up before a night of drinking. . .

ehealthforum.com...

I can understand the relief these drugs bring to people with ADD/ADHD, I have a friend who was recently diagnosed ADD and he's gone from suicidal and muddled to smiling and employed, BUT, Adderall, along with other add med's are amphetamines and if you are taking them for study, you're basically taking speed to stay up/alert. I wouldn't really call that a smart drug. You might get a good grade, but you might get a habit. Check out your local methhead to see where that goes.

With these concentration enhancers it can really add to the quality of life of the patient with ADD and ADHD. Sadly my expreince with Concerta was a mixed success. The benefits were wonderful, I could concentrate on tasks which would have bored me silly, and I was less prone to distraction. It made me able to be the average working joe.

The downside, I was constantly on alert as if there was an imminent danger lurking around every corner. I was hyperaware, and "bothered" by social interaction. That part was extremely difficult for me, as I am a people person by nature. I smoked cigarettes a lot more more just to calm down. The whole experience was like an extended panic attack. The only time I felt comfortable was when I was alone.

-ADHD

Drugs suck, Especially manufactured drugs.

Adderall - ADHD Drug Banned In Canada Remains Available In U.S.

A popular drug for treating patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been pulled off the market in Canada after it's been linked to several sudden deaths and strokes.

However, the drug, Adderall XR, by Shire Pharmaceuticals Group Plc has not been pulled by U.S. drug safety regulators. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused to ban the drug because they said there's just not enough evidence the drug is clearly responsible for the deaths.

Patients in Canada who have the drug are being asked to turn it into a pharmacy so it can be safely destroyed.

Drug Warnings: Adderall Side Effects and Risks

Adderall was banned from sale in Canada in February 2005 after reports of 24 deaths and 54 cases of severe cardiovascular problems were reported in the U.S. The Canadian regulatory agency found that the Adderall risk was too high to allow sale of the product. The FDA issued a MedWatch alert announcing the ban. In August, Canada allowed sales of Adderall to resume, but continues monitoring the Adderall risks and Adderall side effects.

Now as a 30'ish yr old guy who had ADD/ADHD I am not like the other guy. I actually like the fact that I have so many skills and have learned many things.

Hell is it wasn't for ADD/ADHD I wouldn't be hear.

Anyway remember kids stay in school and drugs are bad, especially government issued drugs.

I began taking Adderall when I was 36 years old. I am now 38. Although I am not a college student, I wish I had taken this back then because I would have become a scientist.

If you are looking for personal data, I can attest that Adderall is (for me) a "smart drug" and it's effects have been epic. My quality of life has improved dramatically. However, with this dramatic improvement i've had to cope with more being expected of me. Of course, this is b/c of the amount of work/data i've produced. Literally, its made me smarter.

I can comprehend things I couldn't before. I can articulate in ways that amaze not only me but those who are close to me. It feels like I can access parts of my brain that before were not available to me. I speak in such a way that garners respect and the words are not difficult to reach whereas before I struggled to put those things together.

There are some drawbacks though. I'm finding myself more stressed. I think this can be attributed to an increased demand for my time by work, family and friends.....all whom have experienced my increased capacity.

Alot of Famous People with ADD/ADHD who change the world because of who they are, I don't Think they relied on drugs, For an example
Albert Einstein, Einstein was four years old before he could speak,
and seven before he could read.

Heres a website with alot of FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAS ADD/ADHD, Go through the List, You won't Believe how many of those people have ADD/ADHD , yet their intelligent changed the world.

www.adhdrelief.com...

Peace

That do you think goes through the mind of kids when they do a Internet search and find out that they are taking a drug that if you sold it on the street could get you 10 years in prison.
One of the many that the government anti-drug programs have been fighting for years.

And now doctors hand it out like candy and many schools force parents to put kids on because the teachers don't know how to teach and blame everything on the kids and this thing called ADHD/ADD

Now you know why we have a illegal drug problem in the US
its because the kids are told one thing and find out the government turns around and does just the opposite.

Amphetamine was the drug all the high school kids took when i was in high school.(late 1960s)
This drug was also used by many truck drivers so they could drive long hours and killed more then a few.

Would you trust a kid driving on amphetamines because there are a lot of them that do.

A lot of these kids took them in grade and high school and when they go to collage they ask the doctor for another scrip.

Except in collage they don't take it like the prescription says bet they save the drug so the can party hardy on weekend.

Just try to understand they take 3 to 4 times the normal dose and mix it with alcohol

They have been taking adderall for years and think its is safe

Now the kids are taking more of it and they are doing it legally.

The next step is when adderall no longer works they go from amphetamine to methamphetamine also known as meth.

Now you know why the drug of choice in the US is crystal meth.

Plus why we have all the meth heads stealing everything.

all these people believe that it was allright to take adderall/amphetamine
so why would methamphetamine be so bad.
untill they get hooked on meth.

reply to post by janson0202


OP – I would urge you to ask your primary care physician to refer you to a specialist in ADD/ADHD if he or she thinks that is the correct diagnosis for you. If you get a referral, I think it would be covered by Medicare, and it's especially important with such powerful psychoactive medications to consult someone who really knows the ins and outs of prescribing them, rather than someone who will just look up whichever drug the most recent salesman recommended and prescribe it according to the guidelines in the Physicians' Desk Reference.

Adderall can be an extremely effective medication for many people, but it is also addictive and liable to abuse. Plus, there may be other issues complicating your ADD/ADHD which should be looked at as well. A specialist may also be able to work with you to find non-drug help for your concentration issues, like behavioral therapy or meditation practices.

Good luck and I hope you find a solution that works for you, with or without medication.

yeah i am a collage student and i know MANY people who use aderal. I don't use it. And i think its a shame. I risk my @ss to learn something new, but when half the students i know use it and become almost super students how can i compete!?

its like baseball and average players using steroids and becoming Bary Bonds. I am pressured by all my friends and even my own family to use aderal because it enhances the ability to study and learn.

Its frustrating because theres no way to compare or no even compete. Im on a totally different level than those who use it. And its not because im not smarter than the,. its because of the drugs.

I really wish Universities would test against it, or just make it legal for everyone. Its cheating as far as i am concerned. Its an unfair advantage that punishes those who uphold their own integrity.

Hell im up right now studying for a Calculus test i have in 10 hours. and i have to kill myself to stay focused. But im not about to go run to the doctor and say i need aderal.

basically aderal is just a more socially acceptable version speed. Or even coc aine. My friends who use it say its not too much different than coke.

I just hate it when i get lower grades because the curve is ruined by all the aderal users!!!!

I know that this thread is about Adderall.... but I think that the "smart drug" that you might be looking for is Provigil (Modafinil).

I can say that certain government entities (substitute military here if you wish) do allow their personnel to take provigil for increased concentration and wakefulness. The medication is officially prescribed for narcolepsy and sleep disorders, but has a different method of action than the amphetamine class of medications.

While the FDA hasn't approved Provigil for ADD and ADHD, there are some investigational trials for these afflictions... and they have been very successful.

Hope this information helps a bit.



I wanted to add the Wikipedia link because it has information on Provigil and ADHD:

LINK



[edit on 09/20/2008 by Amniodarone]

Adderall is an amphetamine, and people have been using speed to enhance their study abilities for decades. May as well ask if taking ephedrine, or coffee, or a bump of coke helps study. Yes, they all keep you awake and help you focus. Unfortunately in todays society many people are subject to so much stress and crappy diets that doctors convince them they are "sick" and need drugs. Enter ADD/ADHD. Studies have shown that supplementing with fish oils regulates symptoms of "ADD" better than adderall or ritalin. Another thing that would help is if people would stop all the damn stimulants, cut caffiene and nicotine out, and quit using other mood enhancing or mind altering substances, but then no one wants to do that, so they just accept that they are "ill" and need drugs. Typical american reaction to difficulty. The reason for the majority of the endemic illnesses in american society today are lifestyle, and i dont think ADD is any different. Diabetes, obesity, heard disease, cancer, the majority of mood disorders, all can be traced to the american lifestyle of stress and partying hard, and the american diet of processed, bleached and refined foods and chemical additives.

I was diagnosed with add some years ago. I took the meds for a couple years then decided i didnt like being dependent on something. I altered my diet and incorporated meditation into my life and have never had ADD symptoms since. I am not saying people with "ADD" arent having difficulty, im saying that its not because you are malformed or genetically inferior...its diet and lifestyle. I guarantee you that if you cut out wheat and dairy products and started supplementing with vitamins and fish oils (3g/day) for two weeks you would see a drastic difference....of course you'd have to get off the adderall first and the comedown from that lasts a while.

At any rate, there are side effects from adderall. Like any stimulant (and adderall is considered a central nervous stimulant) extended use will wear upon your adrenal system and may lead to adrenal fatigue, a massive problem for those who dont know, and systemic. It also causes impotence in males, erections are harder to get and dont last as long. It causes increased blood pressure and risk of heart attack or stroke. And studies have shown that 90% of children put on adderall for ADD have drug addiction problems for the rest of their lives. Thats a pretty hefty load.

reply to post by janson0202


Plenty. Let me know if you want me to point you in the general direction. There are quite a few studies but opinions are still varied as to the genuine efficacy of amphetamine and its salts (Adderall) or other ATS (Amphetamine-Type Stimulants, like Ritalin).

I have, over the past 3 years, gathered quite a lot of data related to this stuff (particularly Pharmacology and Toxicity of Amphetamine and stimulants based on amphetamine's structure like Qat (Cathinone), X, Herbal E related pills etc.)

As for drugs like Provigil....well, they do promote wakefulness, but I believe their efficacy in ADHD is either unproven or concluded as not effective. Will check and let you know


[edit on 3-11-2008 by AnubisOfTheWest]

[edit on 3-11-2008 by AnubisOfTheWest]

Here we go. Looks like a few studies have shown Provigil (Modafinil) to be effective indeed. This is very strange. Just last year I was looking at studies that claimed it wasn't effective. Here is a link to the study:

www.neuropsychiatryreviews.com...

It is not safe for use in children though.

[edit on 3-11-2008 by AnubisOfTheWest]

Here is my take on Adderal and ADD. I have it and I never could focus on only one thing like several of you have mentioned. When I finally found Adderal (in my early 30's) it was like the world slowed down. I could fall asleep and stay asleep comfortabely. And to use the multi-lane highway reference, I could finally see the individual cars and even concentrate enough to see the people in each car. It was wonderful!! Time slowed down enough that when someone presented a problem to me, I could focus on it and actually help solve the problem. Instead of babble about out of reach alternatives. I hope that makes sense.

I look at ADD as just a different way of being wired. I have creativity coming out of my A$$. Seriously, I usually have an answer to a problem that is soo far out there that nobody thinks it'll work, but it works in my head. ADD can be a curse, but sometimes, it can open you up in ways non-ADD people can't even begin to fathom.

K

I have taken:

Dexedrine (speedier then speed)
Adderall
Ritalin
Strattera (not speedy)

All without prescription, and all with varying dosages over varying expanses of time.

My suggestion is do not take them.

I'd sooner suggest chewing on the leaves of the coc aine tree.

This stuff is speed man. If you are just wanting a stimulant for your brain buy some a supplement(s) with the following ingredients:

Ginko Biloba
Vinpocetine
Huperzine A

I have had much luck with these.

reply to post by janson0202


I always thought that it was like synthetic coke and students use it to stay up for long periods of time. I have never done coke so I can't say for certain, but it does sound similar.

reply to post by Toadmund


I can completely relate to what you are saying. I do the same thing, but I chalk it up to depression as opposed to ADHD. I am not a hyperactive person. I just can't get enthralled about anything anymore. I start a hobby and quit quickly because I no longer take pleasure in it and view it more as a chore than a hobby. It is interesting how the two "disorders" cause the same problems with people but from opposite ends of the spectrum.

I rather call it the conforming drug rather than the smart drug. As every time that I took that drug I would always go against my better judgment and do something that is well..."In the norm" (At least for me in a way.) Not going to go to much into detail, but all I will say is that every time it makes you conform to someone of higher authority, or someone you think has higher authority.

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy


Lucid Bro, your so much more often than not... right on the money.

Your seriously a saving grace of sanity sometimes in some threads man.

Read next post.

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy


WARNING

I know people (i'm very into smart drugs) who have been using Adderal from day One

Over long term, the memory is

A: Not retained

B: You are at risk for long term deeper deprivation of concentration with out it.

C: I am seeing, people who are experiencing after long term use effects that mirror Alzheimer's or Parkinson's perhaps at very early ages...

After only a couple of years of steady use.

it's nothing more than time released Meth minus the Lye and Red Phosporus

The eventual fatigue of your brain cells (as I expected) seems to be proving real in those I know who started early on.

It's a TIME BOMB

Do not rely for too long on this substance... use it if you must, but then Detox while lowering doses and combat the real causes of ADD... which are a sensitivity to neuro toxins and over dopamine stimulation through natural methods

or... your going to get double screwed by the same system that put the stuff in your air water and food... that caused your ADD in the first place.


I'm not a Doctor, this is not legally professional advice, it is simply the observations of a man, who knows his drugs

Be Aware




[edit on 12-11-2008 by mopusvindictus]

reply to post by janson0202

I've been taking adderal since 3rd grade, and now im in 10th. For me it was worth it, I actually need it. Like NEED it. In my opinion, it takes about 4 years to really get used to the meds affect on the way you process things. I went from "wild child" to core value student and math geek. It's pretty much a compensateable disorder.

Side Affects for me:
-A Loss of appetite- I looked inhorexic at first. I have to force down my lunch and each bite makes me feel sick
-Depression- I was caught off guard and didnt realize why i felt so wierd at first. I had to stop and realize that i was pointing out everthing horrible about life. As long as doughnuts and cake exist, there's hope!


Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
-This disorder affects a person’s ability to focus and pay attention and control their impulses and hyperactivity.

"Sum up" the cause of ADHD...

No single gene has been discovered to be the leading cause for ADHD, but rather, 10 genes are believed to lead to susceptibility to ADHD. Many of these genes are centered on dopamine receptors. Dopamine receptors play a role in many processes, like motor movement, motivation, and learning, as well as dopamine transporting molecules which connect the nurotransmiter (norepinephrine in this case) used to transmit and increase signals between the nerve cells and another cell.
ADHD was found to be the result of a deficiency of norepinephrine. It affects the part of the brain where attention and responding are controlled. Normally, a human’s brain creates its own dopa(and thus its own norepinephrine), but the case being that in a person exhibiting symptoms of ADHD the brain does not make enough dopa for the brain’s commands to be transported between nerve cells and another cell. In simpler terms, there is a broken/weakened connection in the dopamine receptors which are supposed to send signals from the brain to the body, but without a strong connection, the signals get lost along the way and bounce around everywhere. Stimulant medications, such as Ritalin and Adderal, cause the brain to produce more norepinephrine for as long as the medication is in a person’s system.

I have add, although I've never been on medicine for it. I'm very close to experimenting with add drugs to see if one can help me.

I am constantly reading and taking in new information, and learning. I know it's in my head, but it's scattered and I can never correctly recall what I just read.

I have extreme short term memory. I forget what I walked into a room for. I sit on the toilet and can't remember whether or not I've peed. ( That's bad!) I forget what I'm talking about in mid sentence. These aren't just occasional experiences, these are everyday things I have to deal with. Those are just a very few examples.

I could never win a debate because I can't reach into my brain for the information. I start a zillion projects and never finish any of them. I am easily bored, confused, and irritated.

I spend a lot of my day wondering if I did what I was supposed to do. Making a list for myself is pointless, because I'd forget where I put the list.
I struggled all through school and made barely passing grades.

It sucks, let me tell you!