Severe to deadly consequences of Adderall abuse:
Widely misused on college campuses for performance enhancement, (and prescribed legally for ADHD), Adderall is contraindicated to be used with some other drugs such as Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI are the old types of antidepressants such as Nardil and Marplan.) Consequently, it can be deadly.

Adderall use or abuse may cause anorexia, dry mouth, sleeping disorders, difficulty sleeping, chronic headaches, migraines, pain in the stomach, high blood pressure, weight loss (suppresses appetite) mood swings or other emotional changes, nausea and vomiting, dizziness or fainting, feeling of weakness or tiredness especially when the effect wears off, increased heart rate, heartburn, chest pains and if the drug is used for an extended period in children can cause slowing of growth. If usage is stopped suddenly it may cause severe withdrawals, and frequent use can cause amphetamine psychosis.

It is one of the most dangerous recreational drugs on the college campus. Obviously if one is not prescribed Adderall, one should not take it. And even if it is prescribed, it can easily be abused.
You can naturally improve dopamine in your brain by exercising to improve your mood and motivation.

As I mentioned in my previous weekly tip, Adderall is a psycho-stimulant that increases dopamine and nor-epinephrine levels and it is the frequently prescribed drug in the United States. It is a class II narcotic. It is the frequently prescribed drug of the internist for the treatment of ADHD and other family issues, school issues, and childhood behavior problem by their internist. Unfortunately, it is frequently used for school age children with no clear indication.

Often it is used simply to treat the issue because we are a nation of drug users and there is a tendency to treat problems with pills. We seem to be trusting the drug companies even at the cost of our children’s health and well being.

In my practice, I have seen this over and over in school age children whose caretakers do not want address the underlying issues but rather want to simply treat the issue with the band aid.

As a parent you need to be aware of your child’s health and personal safety and the facts and side effects on this or any prescription before you allow your child to take the drug. In fact you have to know exactly if your child has ADHD or other issues before you begin him/her on any drug.

I recommend a holistic treatment because the behaviors exhibited by children may be mild to moderate untreated mental health issues that are preventing them from focusing or maintaining the energy or the memory to retain facts taught in school.
In addition to educating our children about the impact and dangers of drug use, I recommend a thorough assessment both by the parents and school or college authority before prescribing drugs.

Zari Alipour, Ph.D.
Making Wise Choices in a Disruptive Age

www.SavingourYoung.org
www.DrZari.com
Zari@DrZari.com
310-849-4680

Dr. Zari is a psychologist for adolescents and adults. She teaches adolescents how to make decisions that are in their best interests and empowers teachers, counselors and parents with the words and accountability tools that reinforce healthy choices.