Adderall

Adderall is a popular drug used in the treatment of attention deficit hyper-active disorder and narcolepsy. Although first prescribed in the 1970’s as an anorectic (a drug used to reduce the desire to eat), this pharmaceutical amphetamine has since become a commonly used drug primarily to help treat ADHD. Adderall works by increasing the amount of dopamine in the extraneuronal space which, in turn, creates a higher level of concentration, increased focus over longer periods of time, and a general desire to be more "productive."

Adderall is composed of a mixture of four different amphetamine salts: amphetamine aspartate, amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate, and dextroamphetamine sulfate. The primary reason behind Adderall being prescribed at an increasing rate is that Adderall has proven to be more effective than its competition, such as Ritalin, have fewer “peaks and valleys,” less of a withdrawal drop off, and much fewer and less severe side effects than what similar drugs offer. However, that in no way means that Adderall is perfectly safe, and any who are taking or are considering taking any ADHD medication need to understand that all of the medication have risks and side effects and these need to be considered and monitored closely.

Adderall is being prescribed more and more by physicians in an attempt to help children with ADHD, primarily to handle their behavior for their parents and to increase their productiveness and learning ability in the classroom. Adderall is the primary competition to another popular drug, Ritalin, and it shares many of the same side effects, and the abuses, of Ritalin. Such side effects include loss of appetite, weight loss, insomnia, headaches, dizziness, stomach pains, irritability, and possible addiction.

The amphetamines that are used in Adderall also make it a commonly abused drug. Similar to Ritalin, Adderall offers the opportunity to obtain a “high.” This ability to obtain a cheap “high” has made Adderall, which already is a fairly common and, since it is regularly prescribed even when not always necessary, easy to obtain drug, a drug which is growing more and more popular amongst teenagers. The potential addiction of the drug also furthers the problem when the drug is abused.

The abuse of Adderall greatly increases the chance of side effects and also introduces even more dangerous, and potentially fatal, problems. Adderall can already lead to weight loss, dizziness, and stomach pains, but when abused, Adderall also can cause hallucinations, high blood pressure, increased and erratic heart rates, and even seizures. Abusing Adderall can easily lead to death to the very high chance of side effects occurring in the abuser.