Adderall And Its Effects On Children With Narcolepsy And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )

The Clinton foundation reports that between the years 1993 and 2006, the magnitude of college students who use prescription stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin, has increased by 93%, which suggests that Adderall usage in universities are at a record high (Clinton 2015). According to the National Institute of health, cognitive enhancing drugs are pharmaceuticals that are taken to improve one’s memory, learning, focus, attention, and other cognitive skills (Mehlman 2004). Adderall is a central nervous stimulant that is prescribed by a primary physician for treating medical conditions such as narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Smith). Alan Desantis, a professor at the University of Kentucky, conducted a research

Adderall is a combination of stimulants (Fitzgerald & Bronstein, 2013) used to increase the patient’s ability to concentrate, focus and pay attention. The highest misuse of Adderall is by college students looking to enhance their ability to study and take test (Fitzgerald & Bronstein, 2013). The higher availability of Adderall for use by adolescents suffering from ADHD has increased the reports of misuse by adults especially students who are in need of a stimulant to increase brain function and awareness. According to Fitzgerald & Bronstein (2013) Adderall can only be prescribed by a licensed physician, just as ADHD can only by diagnosed by a psychologist, psychiatrist or physician, but the prevalent misuse of this drug persist on a national level. Primary concerns related to Adderall and other ADHD stimulant drugs are cardiovascular and central nervous system complications, which both may be fatal (Adis,

Ritalin, the most common drug prescribed for ADHD, has many side effects. It can cause a variety of symptoms including nervousness, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, headaches, high blood pressure and heart rate, skin rashes, abdominal pain, weight loss, digestive problems, toxic psychosis, psychotic episodes, drug dependence, and anxiety (Bailey 3). These drugs also cause food cravings (mainly sweets), hinder allergies, psychosis and pre-existing tics. Long-term effects of Ritalin consist of

Susie Lomelino “[it] is a drug widely reported to increase alertness, concentration and overall cognitive performance, while decreasing fatigue – but it is also a drug widely abused across college campuses” (Highly Addictive Nature of Prescription 1). “Adderall is a synthetic drug that contains a combination of amphetamine salts. Approximately 72.7 percent of Adderall is made of lisdexamfetamine (Vyanse), and the rest is levoamphetamin” (Moore 90). Adderall is used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) (Adderall 1).

However Adderall has been looked at skeptically for quite some time as a potentially dangerous drug to be using on America’s youth.

I first tried this drug last year to see what effect it would have on my attention problems, and I had no idea that I would find myself enjoying it so much or consider it so beneficial. I used both extended and rapid release adderall many times throughout the course of last year to help me better focus on my school work and to complete major assignments like papers or studying for tests. After my experiences with adderall I began to question the possibility that I was suffering from ADHD, a disorder that runs in my family. Since entering college I have felt my concentration abilities plummet significantly, and I have developed other habits such as receptive foot bobbing and the inability to stay on task. A positive aspect of adderall is that it enabled me to focus in a way I have never felt in my entire life. The negative aspects of adderall include how it suppresses your appetite, makes it impossible for you to sleep, and makes your heart beat a million miles per

The main job of Adderall is to keep a patient awake and focused. For those that have ADHD, it is extremely difficult to focus or sit still, therefore Adderall is given to reduce and aid in focusing and keeping their hyperactivity to a minimum. For narcolepsy patients, since they collapse and fall asleep, adderall helps the patient to stay awake. Adderall is not used as a treatment because ADHD and narcolepsy are not treatable; instead it helps them cope with their day. According to my pharmacist, Sergey Sachacov, “Adderall is a stimulant that increases the

When a person that at the normal level takes the pill, extreme focus is achieved. However, consequences that may include lack of creativity and health effects are added. Other symptoms of drug use include loss of appetite, trouble with sleep, and overall illness (McLaughlin). More serious side effects include high blood pressure (Jaffe). Adderall can also be harmful to the cardiovascular system, which can lead to heart disease (Green).The use of this drug can affect the body in serious ways for a person without a prescription. Despite the lethal side effects, Adderall is so widely abused that there is a shortage of the drug.

Adderall, a prescription drug, was first developed to treat patients that suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. Students and young professionals that

Adderall acts on the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine via metabotropic receptors, on which it is a full agonist, blocking binding of the neurotransmitters to the receptors. A little more detail on this area would be ideal, because it was unclear to me whether there is a norepinephrine system that has the effects, or if Adderall is simply affected norepinephrine in various different areas.

Many drugs have been developed to treat ADD and ADHD. One of these drugs is Methylphenidate otherwise known as Ritalin. It is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treatment of ADD and ADHD. Use of Ritalin is up 700 percent since 1990 (ABC News). Other drugs also used in treatment of ADD and ADHD include Zoloft, Praxil, and Cylert. Ritalin is a drug that is used to restore neurotransmitters in those that lack or have malfunctioning nerve impulses in the

One of the most shocking things that I learned is that Adderall is a stimulant. I knew that Adderall has an amphetamine base, however, I never made the connection. I know several people from my past and now that take Adderall, some without a prescription. Knowing that Adderall is a stimulant makes it seem entirely more dangerous than I saw it before. Adderall is a common drug now, people of all ages are consumers. Adderall is so common, legally and illegally, that I am sure most people are unaware of the interactions it can cause with other drugs. Adderall is generally viewed as a harmless drug for ADD and ADHA, but when you look at it from the perspective of having amphetamine in it, it appears much more dangerous.

Ritalin is currently prescribed to approximately six million people in the US. Of those six million, 75% of these are children, with boys receiving Ritalin about four times more often than girls. Ritalin is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system. It interacts with chemicals in the brain and nerves that give way to hyperactivity and impulse control. Not only is Ritalin used to treat ADD and ADHD, it is also used to treat a sleeping disorder called Narcolepsy, which is an uncontrollable desire to sleep, but there is another drug that given just as Ritalin, and it is called Adderall. Adderall is almost the exact same as Ritalin except it actually enters the cell and helps it produce more dopamine.

To add to that, the research that has been conducted on the disorder has led to a variety of effective treatments. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2014) the most widely used medication is a stimulant. There is a wide variety of stimulants available for ADHD subjects. Although, with these stimulants come side effects including sleep problems, decreased appetite, anxiety and other diverse uncommon side effects (NIMH, 2014). Stimulants tend to calm children with ADHD. However, these medications can be detrimental to the patient in many ways. Certain medications have been subject to abuse, including Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are in some cases abused by patients who are over diagnosed. Since these patients do not have the disorder they can feel the side effects and use the drug to achieve a certain kind of high. When using these drugs for non-medical purposes they can seem to replicate the effects of cocaine

Schwarz (2013), shares that Adderall, a prescription given to people with ADHD, is a stimulant that is widely used among college students to have an increased concentration and energy for multiple hours. Fee, who according to his parents, was had never showed any signs of ADHD as a child or anytime before his college years. Fee’s parents were surprised that his son was diagnosed with ADHD and given Adderall to help with ADHD effects. Fee was actually an intelligent college student who used his intellect to fake ADHD symptoms in order to be prescribed Adderall to improve his studies. Very quickly, Fee became addicted to the Adderall and found that it was almost effortless to continue to get prescription for the drug. According to Schwarz (2009), Fee was initially diagnosed with an ADHD without hyperactivity and was given medication (Vyvanese) to treat the disorder. Shortly after Fee was prescribed Adderall where his addiction was formed by the increasing dosage and failure of physicians detecting any type of addiction problem. While Fee’s parents tried to intervene to stop physicians from continuing to prescribe Adderall to their son, physicians were not helpful. One doctor even went ahead and gave Fee two future dated prescriptions without checking the online database that informs doctors of a patient’s one-year prescription history. Fee’s addiction to Adderall ultimately lead to him to his death. Fee hung himself in his closet and was found by his