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morepinephrine, play an important role in focusing and paying attention to tasks, and that when those two transmitters are not balanced, ADHD symptoms result. Adderall XR, like other stimulant medications, is thought to restore that balance and promote more normal message transmission, thus increasing the ability to focus and pay attention.
Hinshaw says Adderall is safe when used properly and that anyone — ADHD affected or not — will experience a performance boost when taking a stimulant. However, it is a Schedule 2 drug, which means it is approved for medical use but also has the highest potential for abuse.
"Why not put stimulants in the
water supply?
everyone does
little better,
linshaw says.
(You can't)
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buse. When
they're used
to treat ADHD,
they help focus
attention,
they decrease
distractibility
and there is
not much of a
or particularly if you take them in other forms, such as snorting or injecting, then they can become drugs of abuse.
In February, Health Canada (Canada's FDA equivalent) banned the sale of Adderall XR after learning from Shire Pharmaceuticals that the medication had been linked to 20 deaths worldwide. In August, however, Canada put Adderal XR
Even when taken with a prescription, Adderall, like most stimulants, has side effects, like those Sarah experienced when she took Concerta. The most common side effects are dry mouth, difficulty falling asleep, stomachache, headache, loss of appetite and weight loss.
"If you get more [Adderall] than you need,you can get depressed, irritable,manic and even psychotic."
— Mark Romereim,
founder of Wichita's
Attention Clinic
(the country still does not sell Adderall in its original form) back on the market with a new label that warns people with heart problems about the dangers of taking the medication.
uphoria or a rush. But if you start
get into a pattern of higher use,
use it.
Because Adderall is an amphetamine,the FDA warns those.
taking the drug that it has a "high potential for abuse." And if overused
or used improperly. Adderall can pose serious health risks, says Dr.Mark Romereim, founder of the Attention Clinic in Wichita.
"If you get more than you need, you are more likely to have side effects."
often summaries will help anybody concentrate." Romereim says. "But if you get more than you need, you not only have problems with appetite and sleep, you can get depressed, irritable, manic and even psychotic."
So what is "more than you need?" A June
2005 FDA document says that while individual responses to amphetamines vary, toxic symptoms can occur, though rarely, at doses as low as two milligrams. The report says toxic symptoms are rare with doses of fewer than 15 milligrams, and that doses of 30 milligrams or more can produce severe reactions.
In December, New River Pharmaceuticals filed a new drug application for an abuse-resistant stimulant. The stimulant works through technology that prevents the drug's active ingredient from being released unless taken as directed and also limits the high
PRESCRIPTION AMPHETAMINES
patients can get from a stimulant medication.
→ Adderall
→ Benzedrine
→ Bephetamine
→ Dexedrine
→ Obetrol
→ Durophet
Source: San Diego Reference Laboratory, http://sdlr.com
But until that drug is approved,
Romereim and Hinsaw agree
Getting a Fix
Minshaw agree that the biggest issue is how easy it can be to get diagnosed with ADHD and, along with the diagnosis, get a prescription for a stimulant medication. Hinshaw says he knows some doctors give people a short test, sometimes as brief as 15 minutes, and that downsizing
the diagnosis causes false positives and false negatives.
Both doctors agree an ADHD test needs to have diagnostic and personal evaluations, where the patient's history is examined and sought from others, such as parents, who have an understanding of the child's long-term patterns. At UC-Berkeley, Hinsaw says, the ADHD test is eight to 10 hours long.
At the University of Kansas, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center does ADHD testing. CAPS clinician Dr. John Wade says the tests require three to five sessions (one 50-minute session per week) with a CAPS
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