Adderal, the drug, and CF?

[anonymous]

Adderal is a stimulant, much like Ridalin. (sp), which is used for kids with hyper activity.

So, I have this friend of a friend, blah, blah, blah, who gave me a couple of these pills. I took them. And I will tell you one thing...I feel great!
One of the major side effects is loss of appetite, which is obviously not good. However, it is giving me energy like I have never felt before. Normally, I would sleep all day long, but right now, I feel like running a marathon!!! I also have a friend, who does not have CF, who has taken these before. He claims his workout is at least 30-40% better after taking Adderal. He lifts more and he says his cardio exercises increases tremendously.
My question is, if these pills keep me up and active, what would be the downside? I realize that eating is a major part, but if you plan meals around these pills and are able to continue a good, regular eating habit, what's the harm?

 

[anonymous]

My response isn't going to help you any, but after reading your description, I wonder why are kids with attention deficit given pills that would jazz them up? Doesn't that seem opposite of what they should be taking?

 

[Haileysmommy]

Adderall and Ritalin do calm down the kids with ADD and help them focus. For most adults and people without ADD it has the reverse effect and perks them up. I worked in a pharmacy for years and saw it prescribed all of the time for the eldery with no energy. I have also heard of a lot of college students abusing it.

 

[anonymous]

I used to take Adderral every once in a while in college, and it did make me feel great, for a while, but then after it was not good. It can keep you up and keep you not sleeping, so that when you finally do "come down" off the adderral you feel like crap. Also it seemed to suppress my cough. I would feel great and clear while I was on it but then like i said once it wore off I could see that the feeling was probably "fake". However, one time I ran on the treadmill for an hour straight...at full normal speed. I was fine and know I didn't desat or anything...during that time it was just a question of energy for me when working out, but anyway i wouldnt do it now because i felt that the effects of it were not healthy/good for me. The energy is "false" and it does suppress everything, not just appetite, so even if you are working out, you probably arent getting much out of it, which is what i found.

 

[julie]

To answer anon.'s question at 5:43... If you use these pills and dont' have ADD, well they are going to do the opposite of what they should (calm you down, create an focusing atmosphere in your brain) because there is nothing to "fix" or "Treat"

Hope this helps

 

[anonymous]

I checked on this great site... www.rxlist.com... and it looks like the major ingredient in adderal is amphetamine (as salts, whatever that means).

And when you get to the root of it, what is amphetamine?...speed (methamphetamine=Crystal Meth)

So just like any other drug, I guess I wouldn't suggest anyone, CF or not, take it unless you're told to by a doctor, Risking becoming dependent on it makes as much sense as giving "speed" to already hyper kids...I'll never understand that one

 

[anonymous]

For that reason (the fact that it makes you feel great), Adderal is becoming a pretty popular "black market" drug on college campuses. It wakes you up and helps you concentrate. It is also crushed and sniffed as a street drug.

But... yeah... to put it shortly, taking Adderal when you do not have ADD/ADHD or related problems is essentially like taking speed.

A few of my students who suffer from ADD take Adderal. Essentially what the drug does is replace chemicals that are believed to be lacking in the brains of individuals with attention disorders and sometimes narcolepsy. So, if your brain produces these chemicals in proper doses, taking a stimulant like Adderal will basically just build up on that.

The drug is great in needed cases but has some potentially bad side affects related to the heart and digestive system, so I think just taking it, essentially "for fun" or because it "makes you feel good" could not only be harmful to someone, it also could probably be considered drug abuse.

rotandroll
aka D.I.B.

 

[anonymous]

Thank you for your insight. It makes sense now. I can also see why it could be easily abused.

 

[anonymous]

I would be basically unable to work if it weren't for adderal. If i forget to take it, I'm incredibly lethargic and just have difficulty getting myself to actually settle down and get work done. However, I have to force myself to eat all day every day, because if you don't consciously chose to eat, you will drop weight. . . I was diagnosed as ADHD combined type when I was five and took meds till the end of middle school when I refused to take them. I started taking them again my junior year in college and it made such a difference. My first two years, my gpa was a 3.43. The last two year, it was a 3.98.

You definitely have to be careful wtih them though, ESPECIALLY if you are not prescribed them. My husband has been known to take a small amount of my adderal or dexadrine, and he runs for two days on that one dose... I don't think they're really to be played with. ..

 

[Jane]

Josh was taking adderall for ADD last year. It did work, but caused rapid weight loss (which he can't afford) and lack of sleep. We have since switched to metadate (which doesn't have the same side-effects for him).

I've heard a lot about Adderall abuse at school too (kids tell you everything). Here's some info from the site Go Ask ALice:

Dear Alice,
Recently I have started snorting Ritalin and Adderall (not at the same time though). I have found that the effects closely resemble that of snorting cocaine, but are not quite as intense. I really like doing this, because it's much cheaper than buying coke. However, I was wondering exactly how dangerous this might be, if even at all, considering it's a prescribed drug and I never snort more than the average dose that you would take orally. If you could tell me what the danger in doing this is and what I might possibly be doing to my body, that would be great.
Thanks,
Adderall Addict

Dear Adderall Addict,
Ritalin and Adderall are two of the most prevalent prescription drugs used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Both of these medications are classified as Schedule II drugs in the amphetamine class. Even though they are stimulants, when prescribed as directed by a medical provider in standard doses for people with ADHD and ADD, these prescription drugs assist people with AD(H)D to sustain their attention for a longer amount of time. This allows them to study or complete tasks at hand much more effectively minus the feelings associated with the medications' "speed-like" effects.

Schedule II drugs, such as Ritalin and Adderall, however, have a high propensity for misuse, abuse, and dependence. Widely prescribed for school-age children by medical professionals, many adolescents and young adults snort Ritalin and Adderall as they believe that they are safe alternatives to cocaine. This school of thought could not be further from the truth. First, both the potency of Ritalin and Adderall exponentially increase when they are snorted or injected because they enter the bloodstream directly. Second, prescription medications, especially when they are not prescribed for the user, as with illicit drugs, do not diminish their potential for harm. These actions make the misuse/abuses of these substances as or more harmful than cocaine, since the user may believe snorting Adderall and Ritalin is safe.

Dangerous side effects from inhaling Ritalin and Adderall include:


respiratory problems, such as destruction of the nasal and sinus cavities and lung tissue
irregular heartbeat (heart arrhythmia)
problems with circulation
psychotic episodes
increased aggression
toxic shock
death, in extreme cases
As Adderall is similar in its chemical makeup to methamphetamine, it poses additional dangers. Extended, continuous abuse can result in developmental problems concerning the brain and negative changes in brain wave activity. If someone misuses/abuses Ritalin, Adderall, or both, help is necessary to stop using, not only to prevent further harm, but also to keep the person safe during withdrawal. Once one has become addicted to these substances, stopping could cause withdrawal symptoms similar to those with cocaine, such as:


severe depression
psychosis
restlessness
extreme feelings of agitation

 

[KrazyKat]

my take on any amphetamine type drug is that initially yes it will
give you energy to burn, which i think to anybody with a chronic
illness and low energy levels is pretty darned tempting!  But
i see it as 'borrowing' energy short term which eventually you will
have to pay back.<br>
In other words the come down is horrid and you will take a long
time to catch up on sleep missed.<br>
<br>
i've been there....it was fun for a while but it's damned addictive
and is extra bad for our nutritional status, because even if you
are able to continue to eat as normal, you will burn it off double
fast and will still lose weight and condition..ultimately it just
isn't worth it.

 

[Seana30]

My son takes Adderal for ADHD. Without this medication he is extremely hyper, and can not complete a thought. He takes it during the school year and we take him off of it during the summer and school breaks.

I could not imagine taking this med if not necasary! It stunts growth! My son is much shorter than the rest of the kids in his class. It has some horrible side affects.

My hubby and I fought it for years before putting my son on Adderal. We finally realized the only way he was going to make it through school was to have him take the meds and try to deal with the side affects.

Seana