Adderall Abuse In College
Adderall abuse in college is a growing concern among many parents, college students, professors, ADHD patients, and medical practitioners. While largely becoming a widespread phenomenon, college students are also turning to nootropics such as Adrafinil, Piracetam, L-Dopa, and a host of other legal smart drugs that prove to be safer alternatives. Some college students have also used nootropics to further pursue Adderall, realizing their neuroprotective qualities and of how they can make Adderall stronger overall, and use them in what are called “stacks” in order to better facilitate learning. Adderall abuse is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly, whether in college or in the workforce. This article will describe and outline exactly what Adderall is, what it does, the dangers and legal status, and will reiterate why nootropics are a far better alternative though!
What Is Adderall?
It is a combination drug that contains salts of the two Enantiomers of amphetamine that is a psychostimulant of the Phenethylamine class, and Dextroamphetamine. Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine are central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves thus contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.
Adderall is also a stimulant that is used by people suffering from narcolepsy and insomnia. It also has a calming therapeutic effect. People who are suffering from ADHD usually take Adderall to get high and to enhance their performance.
History
Adderall originated from the once popular weight loss drug called Obetrol. This drug was produced in two different forms that are the XR (extended Released), and the other form is IR (immediate release). The drug was proven in November 1996 by the FDA for the treatment of ADHD.
This product was manufactured by Shire Pharmaceuticals up to 2007 then Teva Pharmaceutical started manufacturing it. Nowadays people use this drug over the counter to treat Narcolepsy and ADHD disorders. The Adderall drug is used by college students and business executives as an off-label drug for cognitive enhancement.
Use For ADHD
The drug is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It also helps to increase the ability to pay attention, stay awake, concentrate and stop fidgeting. This product is a combination of stimulants Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine. It works by restoring the neurotransmitters in the human brain and nerve that will contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.
How To Use Adderall
Adderall should be taken as prescribed by the physician. Using it improperly can cause death or some serious side effects on the heart. Don’t take the medicine in larger or smaller amounts or longer than what was recommended by your physician. The drug can be swallowed either with or without food and it’s recommended that Adderall is taken in the morning.
To make swallowing easier, open the capsule and sprinkle the drug into a spoonful of applesauce. Swallow right away without chewing and don’t save the mixture for later use.
Benefits
When Adderall is used at the recommended dose, then one can enjoy the following benefits:
- Increased concentration and motivation
- High level of productivity
- Effective appetite suppressants for off-label weight loss purposes
- It clears brain fog
- Boosts alertness and memory
- It is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy (a sleep disorder)
- The drug also is known to improve focus and attention. These effects vary from one person to another.
- It acts as a mood booster especially if you are feeling down.
You should not use this drug if you have glaucoma, severe agitation, high blood pressure, overactive thyroid, heart disease, coronary artery disease and a history of drug or alcohol addiction. Using this drug offensively can cause death or some serious side effects on the heart.
Recommended Dosage
Dosage Of Adderall For Narcolepsy
The recommended dosage for an adult suffering from Narcolepsy is 10 mg per day, and it’s taken orally upon awakening. The dose may be increased by 10 mg at weekly intervals up to 60 mg per day in two to three divided doses. Take the first dose on awakening; add another dose one to two at an interval of four to six hours. Reduce the dose if an adverse reaction appears like insomnia or anorexia.
Children aged six to twelve, the initial dose, are 5 mg per day, and it’s also taken orally upon awakening. The daily dose can be increased in increments of 5mg at weekly intervals until the optimal responses are obtained up to a maximum of 60 mg per day Narcolepsy seldom appears in children under twelve years of age, and when it does, this drug may be used to cure the seldom. Children above twelve years should take 10 mg per day also taken orally upon awakening. The day to day dose can be increased by 10 mg at weekly intervals until the optimal responses are obtained up to a maximum of 60 mg per day.
Dosage Of Adderall For Attention Deficit Disorder
The recommended dose for adults suffering from this condition is 20 mg per day. And it’s usually in a form of capsules. Children under the age of three should not take this drug. However, the children between the ages of three to five their recommended dose are 2.5 mg tablets once a day, and it’s taken orally upon awakening. The daily dose can be increased in increments of 2.5mg at weekly intervals until the optimal responses are obtained. In rare cases, the drug may be exceeded at a total of 40 mg tablets per day in two to three divided doses. Give the first dose of awakening and additional doses one to two at an interval of four to six hours.
Children above six years, their recommended dose are 5 mg tablets once or twice a day and it’s taken orally upon awakening. The daily dose can be increased in increments of 5mg at weekly intervals until the optimal responses are obtained.
The drug may impair your thinking or reactions. As an adult, you need to be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. You should avoid drinking fruit juice or taking vitamin C at the same time taking this drug. These can make your body assimilate less of the drug.
For many college students hooked on Adderall, these standard dosing requirements are not limits to them, and they use the drug in amounts at far in excess of its therapeutic levels. Some users also change the route of administration to get a better high and will go a far as crushing and snorting the pills in an effort to maintain a stronger effect.
Side Effects
Adderall can affect the growth of children; you need to tell a doctor if your child is not growing at a normal rate when using this drug. When your child is taking this supplement, you need to monitor her/his growth pattern. The common side effects of Adderall are:
- Muscle twitches
- Hallucinations. New behavior problems, hostility, paranoia, and aggression
- A seizure
- Chest pain, trouble breathing and feeling like you might pass out,
- Numbness, cold feeling, unexplained wounds, skin color change either pale, blue or red in the fingers or toes
- Changes in the vision
- Unexplained muscle pain, dark colored urine, weakness especially if you have fever, unusual tiredness and dark colored urine
- Insomnia, dry mouth, mood changes, and nervousness
- Stomach pain and loss of appetite
- Fast heart rate, dizziness, and headache
Taking Adderall during pregnancy can cause premature birth, withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby and low birth weight. If you are planning to have pregnancy or you are pregnant already, seek advice from your physician before taking the drug. Nursing women should not breastfeed since the drug passes into breast milk, alternatively, you should not take this drug while breastfeeding.
What Does One Feel After Taking Adderall?
Adderall is absorbed into the bloodstream, and they enter the CNS and its taken up by neurons in the brain. They later target Dopamine, Adrenaline, and Norepinephrine. They artificially activate the adrenergic system hence increasing the release of neurotransmitter into the CNS.
One will feel highly motivated due to higher energy levels, enhanced concentration, attention, and alertness. In school, you will not feel tired, hence increasing your productivity in school activities.
Research
Adderall is a combination of two synthetic agents (Dextroamphetamine-amphetamine) with a central nervous system stimulant activity. Both the agents are non-catecholamine, sympathomimetic agents that cause blood pressure and bronchodilation.
The agents are usually abused psychostimulant drugs that cause psychologic dependence manifested by elevated mood, concentration, physical performance, feeling of well being and increased wakefulness. Tolerance to various effects develops unevenly such that tachycardia and enhanced alertness diminish while psychotic effects that are the hallucinations and delusions may occur.
Adderall vs. Ritalin
Adderall and Ritalin are the best-known drugs to treat ADHD, and both are CNS stimulants. They speed up the transmission of impulses throughout the central nervous system by increasing the brain activity of dopamine and norepinephrine.
Both the drugs have common side effects like loss of appetite, anxiety, headache, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, and increased heart rate. The Adderall makes the cell pump out more of the neurotransmitter that the way Ritalin does and it prolongs the uptake of neurotransmitter. Adderall is active for about four to six hours while Ritalin is only active for two to three hours.
Adderall vs. Provigil
Adderall is a psychostimulant drug that was originally approved in 1996 for the treatment of the ADHD while Provigil was approved in 1998 for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness that is associated with narcolepsy.
The two drugs have common similarities in that both of them were approved in the 1990s, and they are considered medically effective for the treatment of narcolepsy. Provigil is superior in regards to promoting vigilance while Adderall is regarded as the superior alternative for treating ADHD.
Both of these drugs are used by college students and business executives as an off-label drug for cognitive enhancement. Provigil alters dopamine, orexin receptors, and histamine while Adderall increases dopamine and norepinephrine by inhibiting their reuptake.
Typically in college, Adderall is a more common drug to run across, and while Provigil isn’t exactly a rarity, the fact of the matter is (unfortunately) that Adderall is the much stronger, and much more prescribed of the two.
Legal Status
In the United States of America, Adderall is legal when owned without a prescription and the drug is not a narcotic rather it’s a controlled medication. This product is addictive, and it has a potential for abuse when not used according to a physician’s prescription.
The official classification of Adderall drug is schedule II stimulant drug, and it’s illegal to possess or distribute the drug without a prescription. Adderall becomes, therefore, an illicit drug when you own it without a prescription.
The effects of Adderall addiction are severe, and this drug is a necessary and helpful drug for many people. The schedule II classification enables those people who need the drug to get a prescription while penalizing those people who use or sell the drug illegally.
Final Thoughts
Adderall is an effective supplement for treating Narcolepsy and ADHD. The drug should be used properly as directed by the physician to avoid severe side effects that can cause death and heart problems. Children who are under the age of six should not be given this supplement unless under a prescription by a physician.
Pregnant women should not take this supplement since it can cause premature birth and withdrawal symptoms among the newborn babies, however, nursing women should not take this supplement since it passes through the bloodstream or they should stop breastfeeding when taking the drug. By following the recommendations and requirements, users should be able to use this supplement in a healthy manner that can lead to some incredible benefits in their future life.
Personally, I find the long-term abuse of Adderall in college to be absolutely ridiculous and disgusting (its one of the main reasons I started this blog). Choose nootropics if you have a test guy, these bad boys work and without a withdrawal straight from the depths of hell!
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