Researchers say their higher scores could mean that their medication helped them do better on the test, or it could mean that the adults who would have done better on the test anyway were the same ones who would have sought out treatment.
Although stimulants help people focus and pay attention, they don't necessarily improve academic performance in students with ADHD. They may help people sit still longer and lessen disruptive behavior in class, but few direct cognitive improvements have been shown.
Researchers recently had a small group of young adults perform a series of tasks related to creativity to see the kind of impact Adderall might have. Adderall didn't affect performance on all tasks, but on the tests in which it did have an effect it seemed to help those who were low-performing. However, people who had performed well on the test without taking stimulants showed either no change or did worse while taking Adderall.
Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin release a rush of dopamine in the brain, giving many people a sense of euphoria. They help people feel alert, awake, and focused, but they also make it hard to sleep — making it more tempting to take another pill when you're exhausted the next day.
People also develop a tolerance to these drugs, requiring more and more over time to achieve the same effect. Stimulants are considered addictive because it can be easy to become dependent on them.
Though some don't see them as drugs, stimulants — methylphenidate or amphetamines like speed — carry real risks. Emergency-room visits for people 18 to 34 attributed to nonmedical stimulant use tripled from to , though those numbers also include things like caffeine pills. Stimulants can cause circulatory problems and constrict blood vessels, leading to increased blood pressure.
This can increase the risk for a heart attack or a stroke, and you should contact a doctor if you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting after taking Adderall. Lots of college kids and young adults take stimulants like Adderall when they go out, either to stay up or just for the euphoric effect.
But drinking may increase the risk of heart problems for people taking stimulants, even when they don't take an excessive amount of medication. In at least one case, researchers documented a heart attack in an otherwise healthy year-old who took 30 mg of Adderall after drinking. By increasing heart rate and enhancing the effects of neurotransmitters like dopamine, stimulants can significantly increase anxiety.
This can cause shortness of breath, dry mouth, nervousness, paranoia, and other side effects. One of the main reasons people take stimulants without a prescription is to do better at school or work. Although the cognitive benefits of Adderall and Ritalin are far from clear, one thing they do seem to help with is rote learning.
A few studies have shown that people who memorize things while on stimulants may be better at remembering those words or terms when tested later on. A review of different studies on the cognitive benefits or harms of stimulants found limited effects on working memory, the ability to hold and manipulate different pieces of information simultaneously. That's not very significant for most people but may provide "a small advantage" in certain situations. Another review found that people who performed poorly on tests to begin with saw the most improved performance , leading researchers to think that stimulants may be better at correcting deficits than at enhancing cognitive abilities.
Some research shows that people who think they are going to be given a drug like Ritalin or Concerta don't show cognitive improvement but do pay better attention and act more engaged.
In a recent study , college students were given either a placebo pill that they thought was Ritalin or no pill before taking a series of cognitive tests. Prescription stimulants have chemical structures that are similar to some neurotransmitters. When someone takes them, the drugs boost the effects of those neurotransmitters in the brain and body. This can lead to pumped-up brain activity, including increased focus and concentration. The feel-good period only lasts a few hours.
After the effects wear off, people can crash. They might feel sluggish, disconnected, or even depressed. They also might be disappointed when they look back at the work they did while taking the drugs. When doctors prescribe stimulants for medical conditions like ADHD, they start with a low dose.
If someone needs more, they build up slowly and carefully. Doctors do this because large doses of stimulants can cause serious medical problems. These include:. Using stimulants too often can lead to intense anger, paranoia, heart problems, and mental health problems. Mixing study drugs with over-the-counter cold medicines that contain decongestants increases the chance of developing high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat.
Therefore, they perform at least a little better in reality, yet not as well as they think. Despite the short-term academic gains, there is no evidence that Adderall improves learning overall or that short-term gains in learning persist without the continued use of the drug.
What a user produces on an exam will not necessarily translate to long-term knowledge or improved performance without the continued use of the drug.
Common side effects of Adderall are loss of appetite and trouble falling asleep—for some, desired effects. While highly publicized, psychotic reactions to occasional oral doses of Adderall are rare.
More gravely, snorting crushed Adderall increases the very small risk of a cardiac arrhythmia that can be fatal. Government data from surveys conducted in suggest that about one in 10 casual college-age users of illegally obtained Adderall reports his use as consistent with clinical levels of abuse and addiction. These include rapid heartbeat , arrhythmia irregular heartbeat , and heart attack. Fruit juices are often acidic and can decrease how much Adderall your body absorbs. Caffeine in foods and beverages such as coffee might add to the stimulant effects of Adderall.
This can increase the risk of stimulant-related side effects such as anxiety , nervousness, trouble sleeping, and others. While taking Adderall, you should avoid consuming large amounts of coffee or other drinks that contain caffeine.
Symptoms of overdose can include:. If you think you or your child has taken too much of this drug, call your doctor or seek guidance from the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or through their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Treatment of overdose will partly depend on the symptoms you have. In many cases, people who have overdosed will be agitated. Medical personnel may give an injection to calm the person. In some cases, intravenous fluids may be given. Also, tests may be done to check for heart problems, breathing problems, and oxygen levels.
And medications may be needed for heart problems or seizures if they occur. Drug dependence can occur in people who take Adderall. Prolonged use can cause both psychological and physical dependence. This can make it difficult to stop taking the medication. In some cases, it can lead to drug abuse and inappropriate usage, resulting in severe side effects.
Misuse and abuse of Adderall is a growing epidemic , especially on college campuses. Many college students use Adderall to help them study. The half-life of a medication refers to the time it takes for half of the medication to be inactivated or removed from the body. Half-life is used as a measure of how long the medication will work or stay in the body.
The half-life of Adderall is typically from 9 to 14 hours. Each Adderall tablet or capsule contains two stimulant drugs: amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Both drugs cause the body to release increased norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that send messages, or signals, between cells. Increased amounts of these messengers in the brain can result in more focus and attention.
In people with ADHD , it can also result in a calming effect. In people with narcolepsy , it can help reduce daytime sleepiness. Some research in animals has shown negative effects to a fetus when the mother takes this drug.
Some infants born to mothers who are dependent on drugs similar to Adderall during pregnancy have shown negative effects. These include an increased risk of being born premature, having low birth weight, or having symptoms of drug withdrawal. This medication should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit justifies the potential risk. Adderall can pass through breast milk and cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication.
When Adderall is dispensed from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle. This date is typically one year from the date the medication was dispensed. The purpose of such expiration dates is to guarantee the effectiveness of the medication during this time. However, an FDA study showed that many medications may still be good beyond the expiration date listed on the bottle.
How long the medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where the medication is stored. Adderall should be stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed and light-resistant container. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it.
Adderall XR typically works for about 8 to 10 hours. As a result, most people take it just once each day. Adderall is a stimulant that works in the brain to treat symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy. What we do know is that Adderall affects chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters , such as norepinephrine and dopamine.
The effects on these neurotransmitters are thought to help control certain impulses and provide a calming effect in people with ADHD. They also cause increased focus and attention. It can also cause feelings of physical and mental energy, and a sense of confidence. One review of studies showed that in people with ADHD, stimulant medications such as Adderall made the structure and function of their brains more closely match the structure and function of brains in people without ADHD.
Tolerance occurs when your body gets used to the effects of a medication and no longer responds in the same way. In some cases, this can require increasing the dosage of a drug to get the same effect. Once an effective dosage is determined, that dosage can often be continued for long periods of time without any loss of effectiveness.
Tolerance can also relate to side effects. People who take Adderall for ADHD or narcolepsy sometimes experience side effects when they first start the medication. In many cases, the body develops a tolerance to these side effects, and they go away. Adderall contains amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. For people who take Adderall, drug screening tests will be positive for amphetamine. If you take Adderall for a medical condition, consider disclosing this information before completing a drug screening related to work or athletics.
This drug has a boxed warning. A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous. Adderall and similar medications have the potential to be misused. Taking these medications for long periods of time can cause psychological and physical dependence. This may lead to obtaining Adderall illegally and using it for nonmedical purposes. Misuse and abuse of Adderall may cause serious side effects, including heart problems and death.
Before taking Adderall, talk with your doctor about your health history. Adderall may not be appropriate for you if you have certain medical conditions. These include:. If you think your pet has consumed this medication, call your veterinarian right away.
Amphetamines are sympathomimetic amines that stimulate the central nervous system CNS. Amphetamines stimulate norepinephrine and dopamine release in the CNS, increasing their levels in the extraneuronal space.
Amphetamines decrease fatigue , increase alertness, and cause mild euphoria. Outside the CNS, amphetamines increase blood pressure and stimulate heart rate and respiration. After an oral dose of Adderall, peak plasma concentrations occur in about three hours. For Adderall XR, the peak concentration occurs in about seven hours. Amphetamines are excreted in the urine. Typically, 30 percent to 40 percent of the administered dose is recovered in the urine as amphetamine, and 50 percent is recovered as the inactive metabolite alpha-hydroxy-amphetamine.
Amphetamines contained in Adderall are extensively abused. People taking amphetamines can develop extreme psychological dependence and tolerance. In some cases of amphetamine misuse, people have used doses several times higher than what is recommended.
In those dependent on amphetamines, severe withdrawal can occur when the medication is abruptly stopped. Withdrawal symptoms can include extreme fatigue , depression , and sleep disruption. Adderall should be stored in a tightly closed, light-resistant container. Disclaimer : MedicalNewsToday has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date.
However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.
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