The modern-day fast-paced life dictates people want to stay in shape to achieve big goals all at once.
In their zeal to get wherever they want, they try to cheat the system and resort to abusive medications which are meant to treat certain serious health conditions. One such example is Adderall.
Adderall, originally intended to treat neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and narcolepsy, is sometimes also used to treat type 2 diabetes. Ironically enough, this knowledge has also led people in abusing this prescription drug.
Incidentally, obesity is among the biggest critical health issues affecting people around the world. A lot of the blame must be shared by our modern, sedentary lifestyle, which has led to far more health issues than we can count on both hands.
Admittedly, losing weight is not easy. Many people fail to lose weight despite following a strictly healthy diet and regular physical exercise. That is often due to genetic or environmental factors — factors that are out of anyone’s control! Resorting to Adderall and similar supplements is okay but it can have many side effects, to say the least.
Whether it is for losing weight or boosting your mental focus or energy levels, or dealing with sleep issues, one should always consult a doctor before attempting to buy or use prescription drugs like Adderall.
In this article, we will discuss what Adderall actually is, what effects it can give you and maybe you can understand whether it is the right option for you or not.
What Is Adderall?
Pop culture has popularized the notion that Adderall and its alternatives are akin to a wonder drug. It can apparently remedy most of what ails people’s problems, be it weight loss or an inability to concentrate and be productive.
But do you think that it is even remotely accurate?
Of course not!
Now, this also doesn’t say that Adderall can’t benefit those who need it. After all, this drug is used to treat conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Narcolepsy. It’s used chiefly as a cognitive enhancer, stimulant, and appetite suppressant. Unfortunately, some have also come to use it as a recreational drug.
This drug belongs to the phenethylamine class of compounds and mainly stimulates the central nervous system (CNS). Adderall interacts with certain chemicals within the human brain to enhance the activity of certain particular neurotransmitters.
Consequently, Adderall can help boost mental clarity, improve focus, control impulsivity, and also enhance sleep quality. Who doesn’t want more of all that?
However, you must understand the risks involved in using Adderall. The well-known side effects of Adderall are quite severe, especially when used simply as a performance enhancer or abused recreationally. Additionally, owing to its addictive nature and withdrawal symptoms, this drug can’t be bought without a doctor’s prescription.
So, if you think you can safely pop an Adderall to meet the next big project deadline or shine in your next college exam, think again — and think hard! You may just be leveraging your long-term health for quick, immediate gains.
How Does Adderall Work?
Adderall impacts the brain and the central nervous system, affecting the production of hormones such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. This is also why this prescription drug and other brain supplements can make people feel more focused, energized, alert, and calm.
Apart from that, what else is Adderall used for?
Well, this drug can also:
This drug belongs to the phenethylamine class of compounds and mainly stimulates the central nervous system (CNS). Adderall interacts with certain chemicals within the human brain to enhance the activity of certain particular neurotransmitters.
Consequently, Adderall can help boost mental clarity, improve focus, control impulsivity, and also enhance sleep quality. Who doesn’t want more of all that?
However, you must understand the risks involved in using Adderall. The well-known side effects of Adderall are quite severe, especially when used simply as a performance enhancer or abused recreationally. Additionally, owing to its addictive nature and withdrawal symptoms, this drug can’t be bought without a doctor’s prescription.
So, if you think you can safely pop an Adderall to meet the next big project deadline or shine in your next college exam, think again — and think hard! You may just be leveraging your long-term health for quick, immediate gains.
This is, perhaps, the property that Adderall is most infamous for. This stimulant can boost focus and enhance mental clarity and concentration, thereby increasing an individual’s overall mental aptitude. That is why it is one of the main medications used for ADHD treatment.
Adderall can boost physical energy and lessen feelings of fatigue and tiredness.
Adderall boosts various neurotransmitters in the brain, whose combined action can consequently help people calm down, relax, and even drift off to sleep (depending on the dosage and time of the day it is taken.)
Adderall has a reputation for uplifting the mood of its users, especially people suffering from depression or low self-esteem. This is one of the reasons why so many people abuse it.
What Does Adderall Do?
Adderall contains a blend of chemical stimulants that target the central nervous system (CNS). This blend of chemicals includes dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate.
Once they enter the brain, these chemicals produce responses that imitate or mimic those of the natural neurotransmitters epinephrine (aka adrenaline), dopamine, and norepinephrine. In other words, these chemicals are merely synthetic forms of these natural neurotransmitters.
Dopamine is known as the “reward” neurotransmitter and is responsible for feelings of euphoria or “high” after you accomplish something, eat a tasty snack, etc. Adderall imitates this effect, which helps a person feel elated or ecstatic. It can also prevent the brain from getting distracted by other less important things.
Adrenaline, or epinephrine, on the other hand, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, thereby triggering the body’s fight-or-flight mode. Meanwhile, norepinephrine, aka noradrenaline, acts to trigger arousal, boost attention and cognitive function, and curb stress.
When someone takes Adderall or nootropic supplements, they experience all these responses within their body, thereby making them feel content, excited, and yet relaxed, thereby increasing focus on things that matter.
Adderall is known to increase a person’s heart rate, i.e., palpitations, a condition known as tachycardia, and even cause constriction of the blood vessels, leading to increased blood pressure. This condition not only obstructs waste from being removed from the body, even at its cellular level, causing severe toxicity, but it may also lead to fatal conditions, such as cardiac arrest and stroke.
Adderall’s effects on the digestive system have two sides to them. This prescription drug tends to reduce appetite, i.e., it acts as an appetite suppressant. While that may certainly help an obese person lose substantial body fat, when taken by an otherwise healthy person, it could adversely influence the way the individual perceives food. In other words, the person could develop an aversion towards food.
In some cases, Adderall impacts your bowel movement, too, including causing constipation, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and even vomiting. There have also been reports of more severe gut issues, such as ischemic colitis, occurring among people on Adderall over a long period.
Whether or not you stick to the prescribed dosage, Adderall has been noted for numerous side effects, concerning skin health. They mostly include allergic reactions, such as skin rashes like Stevens-Johnson syndrome (involving skin peeling and blistering), Raynaud’s disease (involving chilliness and numbness of the extremities), and skin hypersensitivity. One may even experience hair fall after prolonged Adderall use.
In some rare cases, people experience delusions relating to skin itchiness that become more obsessive over time, given that this drug influences the way your brain perceives your environment. Such delusions are usually the result of exceeding the normal dosage of this prescription medication.
Adderall Withdrawal Symptoms
Since Adderall causes addiction, it causes withdrawal if a person suddenly stops using it.
Note: Withdrawal symptoms aren’t the same as side effects. Withdrawal symptoms kick in when you cease using a drug, whereas adverse reactions occur when you are on the drug.
So, why do withdrawal symptoms occur when one stops taking Adderall?
Well, that’s bound to happen when dopamine levels suddenly crash in an individual!
Some common withdrawal symptoms are as follows:
- Depression
- Fatigue and lethargy
- Loss of focus and disorientation
- Difficulty Sleeping
- Disrupted appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Incessant stomach cramps
The most common medications used to treat these symptoms are Benzodiazepines, Modafinil, and other medications that treat depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
Quitting cold turkey isn’t advisable since one is more likely to relapse without proper weaning of such a potent medication.
Side Effects Of Adderall
Adderall, being a potent stimulant, can lead to some harsh side effects, such as a sudden rise in body temperature, high BP, and rapid heart rate.
According to experts, regularly using Adderall may also change brain structure and emotional regulation.
Here are some common short-term Adderall side effects:
- Dryness of the mouth
- Rapid unexplained weight loss
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Hair loss
- Twitching of muscles
- Erectile dysfunction
Some of the more severe Adderall side effects are:
- Serious cardiac issues resulting in sudden death
- Convulsion and seizures
- Aggressive behavior
- Blurred vision
In 2005, the Canadian Adderall XR New Drug Committee recommended that the manufacturers use a label to state that the medication was risky for patients who performed rigorous/strenuous exercise, were prone to using stimulants, or who have a family history of death by sudden cardiac arrest. The drug had earlier been pulled from the market after a series of deaths involving patients who were prescribed Adderall.
Adderall Ingredients
Adderall is a combination of two types of drugs — two distinct forms of both dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. Besides these, each Adderall tablet contains a host of other ingredients, including talc. Here is what else Adderall contains.
This is one of the primary ingredients in Adderall. It is a solid white powder with a dissolution point above the pH of 5.5 and is designed for fast dissolution in the small intestine. It is normally released inside the duodenum.
Also known as HPMC, this is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer with a wide range of applications in drug delivery, dyes and paints, cosmetics, adhesives, coatings, agriculture, and textiles.
This is a one-step film coating system that contains a polymer and plasticizer in a dry concentrate. Using this film is both safe and effective. Opadry systems easily dissolve in water or organic solutions.
Triethyl Citrate is a surface-active agent that works both as a flavoring agent and a solvent. This compound is an ester of citric acid. Visually, it’s colorless and odorless. So, it’s great as a food additive and a stabilizer when used in pharmaceutical products.
Alcohol And Adderall: What Does It Do?
Many people have reported having used Adderall in conjunction with alcohol. That’s a big NO-NO. This could be a lethal combination!
Alcohol is a sedative, while Adderall is a stimulant. The combined effects of the two may cause much harm to your nervous system.
A 2012 study found that consuming alcohol while on prescription stimulants can heighten the risk of alcohol toxicity manifold, which can even be life-threatening.
FAQs On Adderall
Adderall can be detected in your system between 20 and 96 hours after your last consumption. It can stay in your blood for up to 46 hours, in your saliva for about 20 — 50 hours, and in your hair for as long as three months. This duration depends on urine pH, frequency of use, dosage, age, and weight.
Yes, they can, as long as the parent holds a valid prescription from a doctor. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to wait until a child is at least six years old before starting them on Adderall.
You can get a prescription for Adderall only if your doctor detects significant symptoms of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and/or narcolepsy. Talk to your doctor; don’t lie about your actual condition.
If a doctor does not think you NEED Adderall, s/he may give you other brain supplements or natural nootropics to manage your symptoms.
Adderall has mainly three distinct appearances based on their strength. They come in 5 mg, 7.5 mg, and 30 mg potencies. These are round and white, elliptical and blue, and round and orange, respectively. Each one of these has its strength engraved in it.
Both medications are used as stimulants and are prescribed for ADHD. While Ritalin is a quick-action drug and reaches its peak much faster, Adderall tends to act slowly and remains longer in the system.
Adderall is banned by almost every sports organization in the world since it’s considered to be a performance enhancer. This includes the anti-doping bodies of both the world and the US – the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency).
Conclusion: What Are The Most Common Side Effects Of Adderall?
While Adderall’s effects can do wonders for those with conditions like ADHD, it should be used only by people prescribed to take them — and not for recreational use.
If you’re an otherwise healthy individual looking to boost mental cognition, you should opt for natural nootropic ADHD supplements. After all, there is no point in bearing the weight of Adderall’s side effects when there are much safer and natural options out there. Right? What’s more, they are available online!
Adderall is a worthwhile drug for people looking for solutions but always consult a health professional first before taking any kind of supplement.
