Long-term effects of Adderall

[Jennita]

Originally Posted by malibubarbie999

I wouldn't go so far as to say that stimulant medication "causes" heart attacks. Though it may definitely be a contributing factor in people with underlying medical conditions they may be unaware of. A credible physician would not prescribe stimulant medication to a patient without first checking for possible underlying medical conditions that may predispose the patient to myocardial infarction.

In healthy individuals with no underlying risk of heart disease/cardiac disorder, heart attack is actually very uncommon with the regularly prescribed LOW doses of amphetamine. At 75mg/day Muztang's doctor was setting her up for trouble -- as 75mgs is WAY MORE than the dosage deemed safe by the FDA. Also, we should take into account that Muztang was taking Dexedrine which is made up of dextroamphetamine -- more potent than drugs like Adderall which are made up of a mixed amphetamine salt (dextro- and levo- amphetamine).

Also, women are more likely than men to suffer congential valve defects that almost always go unnoticed and very rarely lead to a serious problem UNLESS unnecessary stress is put on the heart (like with high doses of stimulant medication).

I am just trying to put things in perspective. Just because someone takes stimulant medication does NOT predispose them to heart problems down the road. If they are taking a low dose and are an all-around healthy individual, their chances of suffering any serious cardiac consequences are slim. Also, it is suggested that patients taking stimulant medication undergo an EKG for every year of treatment to detect any abnormalities in cardiac function. Obviously, Muztang's doctor didn't order this test, because if s/he had, Muztang would have likely been taken off the meds immediately and could have avoided the heart attack.

Just the fact the Muztang was "speeding so hard" and was basically feeling high from the drug should have raised a red flag. Stimulant medication is meant to treat ADD/HD... not make the patient high. If the med is causing euphoria and the like, the patient is on a completely unreasonable dosage. At normally prescribed low doses, amphetamine will NOT cause euphoria of any sort, it will simply treat the disease at hand. Consistently bombarding the brain and circulatory system with these extreme doses of amphetamine would surely lead to something devastating, the same way "street speed" would. But at normal doses and in a healthy individual, there is no reason to be worried!!!!!

You make some valid points, however, the logic you present would also dictate whether someone who drinks alcohol got liver disease or not, only basically taking into account any pre-disposed tendency or undiagnoised liver problem.

In other words, one shouldn't worry about liver related problems with alcohol if they do not have a previous condition, according to your theory......now, this doesn't make sense, does it, we all know alcohol is hard on the liver, so anyone could get liver problems from it!

But some people don't realize drugs like amphetamines and others are even more potent than alcohol is on the liver function. And amphetamines are definately known to be very hard on the circulatory/heart/vascular systems.


You see, if a drug is known to be hard on a particular organ or system, a pre-disposed condition would not necessarily be needed to cause a problem. You could have a great, normal liver function, and then years of dealing with drugs of any kind could send the liver into problems. I think if amphetamines are hard on the heart/circulatory system, this could lead to problems whether or not one had them previously.

But of course, the point that if one already has a condition....the outlook would be worse for them using a particular drug.... is valid but not the only thing to consider.

A boy died on Ritalin years ago who had no previous heart condition and the father decided to have an autopsy done.....it revealed that the valve damage was indisputibly typical of the damage seen from amphetamine use. I think had the father not ordered the autopsy, that precise damage would have not been discovered. Look up Ritalin Death for the story.

With amphetamines, they basically speed up/stimulate the nervous system, whether mildly or not, it's still not at normal speed. It is artifically induced. They do this by way of dopamine, which is an intermediate to adrenaline.

Did you know adrenaline is produced by the adrenal gland? It occurs to me that over-stimulation by drugs artificially of this eventually would lead to a sort of shut down of natural production, maybe this is why long term amphetamine use has been linked to depression?

Anyway, I for one believe these drugs and other psychoactive drugs that effect brain function (which in turn effects body function) are definately causes of many health problems. IMHO>

[malibubarbie999]

I'm sorry Jennita, but I'm not sure what you're getting at with the whole drinking/liver analogy. It can hardly be compared to my statement regarding stimulant medication and heart disease for these reasons:

1. I was referring to the use of a LOW-DOSE stimulant in the tx of ADD/HD over a relatively short period of time (like maybe a couple years at most).

2. An individual who consumes only SMALL AMOUNTS of alcohol will most likely not end up with liver disease. In individuals who drink a 1/2-pint to a pint of hard liquor every day, for 15 YEARS or MORE, only about 1/3 of those individuals will develop cirrhosis. The next 1/3 will develop fatty liver disease. The remaining 1/3 will sustain some liver damage (obviously), however, it will not be enough to cause any major problems. This is something I have studied... those are the cold hard facts...

3. In a healthy individual it is UNLIKELY (unlikely, NOT impossible) that one would suffer extensive damage to the circulatory system following a short-term, low-dose tx with stimulant meds.

4. Sure, I believe that there are people that have died as a result of these medications. However, let's be realistic here. If we are going to debate the toxicity of medications, why not look at the most widely-used medication in the world: acetaminophen or ASPIRIN...

Unlike stimulant medications, aspirin kills 300-500 people/year (when taken as directed). If it doesn't kill you, it still has the potential to cause hearing loss, chronic catarrh, GI/stomach bleeding, ulcers, abnormal liver function, hepatitis, kidney damage, severe metabolic derangements and hemorrhaging... and that's just the beginning...

And even with all these *potential risks* we, as a society, continue to use aspirin to relieve aches & pains, fever, and more recently it's even being used (by millions) to "prevent heart attacks."

Some people go their whole lives using aspirin with no problems. Some die from it. Just because there is the POTENTIAL for a fatal reaction, should everyone stop taking it? Should hospitals stop trusting it?


Finally, YES, I agree with your statement that certain medications can trigger health problems. But the fact is, most people realize that their is a risk that goes along with taking medication. Most pharmacies (I would assume) even give you a slip with your prescription information along with the drug. This includes side effects, contraindications, etc. If not, you can find info about your prescriptions almost anywhere these days. Many people find it's more important to treat their existing disease than to just "deal with it" because they may have some bad reaction to medication.

Oh and as a side note, I am familiar with the case of the Ritalin death. There is a reason it has been so widely publicized: it is not typical.

Also, a weakened ability to produce adrenaline is not linked to depression. Depression is typically linked to inadequate production of serotonin in the brain.

[Jennita]

Originally Posted by malibubarbie999

I'm sorry Jennita, but I'm not sure what you're getting at with the whole drinking/liver analogy. It can hardly be compared to my statement regarding stimulant medication and heart disease for these reasons:

1. I was referring to the use of a LOW-DOSE stimulant in the tx of ADD/HD over a relatively short period of time (like maybe a couple years at most).

2. An individual who consumes only SMALL AMOUNTS of alcohol will most likely not end up with liver disease. In individuals who drink a 1/2-pint to a pint of hard liquor every day, for 15 YEARS or MORE, only about 1/3 of those individuals will develop cirrhosis. The next 1/3 will develop fatty liver disease. The remaining 1/3 will sustain some liver damage (obviously), however, it will not be enough to cause any major problems. This is something I have studied... those are the cold hard facts...

3. In a healthy individual it is UNLIKELY (unlikely, NOT impossible) that one would suffer extensive damage to the circulatory system following a short-term, low-dose tx with stimulant meds.

4. Sure, I believe that there are people that have died as a result of these medications. However, let's be realistic here. If we are going to debate the toxicity of medications, why not look at the most widely-used medication in the world: acetaminophen or ASPIRIN...

Unlike stimulant medications, aspirin kills 300-500 people/year (when taken as directed). If it doesn't kill you, it still has the potential to cause hearing loss, chronic catarrh, GI/stomach bleeding, ulcers, abnormal liver function, hepatitis, kidney damage, severe metabolic derangements and hemorrhaging... and that's just the beginning...

And even with all these *potential risks* we, as a society, continue to use aspirin to relieve aches & pains, fever, and more recently it's even being used (by millions) to "prevent heart attacks."

Some people go their whole lives using aspirin with no problems. Some die from it. Just because there is the POTENTIAL for a fatal reaction, should everyone stop taking it? Should hospitals stop trusting it?


Finally, YES, I agree with your statement that certain medications can trigger health problems. But the fact is, most people realize that their is a risk that goes along with taking medication. Most pharmacies (I would assume) even give you a slip with your prescription information along with the drug. This includes side effects, contraindications, etc. If not, you can find info about your prescriptions almost anywhere these days. Many people find it's more important to treat their existing disease than to just "deal with it" because they may have some bad reaction to medication.

Oh and as a side note, I am familiar with the case of the Ritalin death. There is a reason it has been so widely publicized: it is not typical.

Also, a weakened ability to produce adrenaline is not linked to depression. Depression is typically linked to inadequate production of serotonin in the brain.

Actually, there is another theory (as is serotonin...pure theory) that inadequate adrenaline is linked to depression.....for example, Wellbutrin, a popular antidepressant, is a norepinphrine reuptake inhibitor with some inhibition of dopamine. Norepinphrine is really adrenaline. And interestingly enough, dopamine is an intermediate to adrenaline. Now there's talk of using Strattera for depression as well, yet another norepinphrine re-uptake inhibitor.

Now, I'm not saying everyone who takes Ritalin or Adderall will drop dead of heart failure, but even just living with heart disease or other nervous/circulatory/vascular disease is probably not worth it to most people.

I've seen the stuggle and depression when health is gone in some of my family and friends....it's not a happy or productive life I assure you.

But like you said, some are willing to take the risks/damage.

Another point I was making was one does not need to be an alcoholic or even a heavy drinker to suffer from it's use; a family friend died of liver cancer and he was a very moderate drinker, but alas he did drink regularly....a little can do alot over time was my point. It wasn't even hard liquor, mainly wine.

Now I agree, a short period of time for amphetamines may not cause any problems but for some it does, that's a gamble most will take. But if only the trend was for "temporary" use of amphetamines; that would be nice. Unfortunately, the trend is to validate lifelong use of amphetamines for ADD these days, prescribing it to kids and adults alike under the guise of a lifetime disorder.

At any rate, everyone deserves to know the possible long-term effects, whether they do or don't happen to everyone, don't you think so?

And I agree, although relativily safe, aspirin can and is over-used! Some people also can die if they are allergic.

Actually, fish oil has the same blood thinning effect as aspirin, that's why they warn on the fish oil bottle not to take if you are having any blood thinners like aspirin or others.

[MariaMarchita]

The long term effects of Adderall...without going into too much detail, let's just say I was a healthy, normal 25 year old when I was started on the regular "theraputic" dose of Adderall XR. 3 years later the drug has ruined my life. I am a junkie. I have amphetamine poisoning and psychosis on it, and I have no life off it. It has taken everything from me and I will never be the same. So many times I have thought suicide must be the only way to escape what this drug has done to me. My physical and mental health is shot. Now I am a sickly, lethargic 28 year old woman in constant pain. I am agoraphobic, hostile, depressed and suicidal. My attention span and ability to concentrate is 100 times worse than it was before this drug got me. I am ruined.

Everyone will do what they want anyway, all I know is what Adderall did to me and that I would sooner die than give this drug to anyone I cared about.

Maria

[feelbad]

Thanks konamom, i was just going to post this info myself but you beat me to it,and in much more detail than I would have.Thank you,Marcia