Without An Rx, ADD Drug Is Like Cocaine

Young people seem to be dealing with more and more stressors—socially, at home and in school. As a result, they are finding their own way of coping. One troubling trend is the increasing abuse of stimulants, such as Adderall, a prescription drug traditionally used to treat patients with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Narcolepsy.

Adderall is well-known among high school and college students as a “study” or “party” drug, because of its impact on a person’s ability to focus and perform under stress. Recent figures are showing that over one-third of all college students have used a stimulant like Adderall for non-medical purposes. While some people cite how much caffeine they ingested in college to get through exams, today’s kids are playing with a much stronger drug that has more dangerous side effects, if misused.  In addition, some teens will snort, smoke, or inject stimulants to get “high.”

The most concerning side effect is addiction. Kids often assume that stimulants are safer than cocaine or other illicit drugs because they are prescribed by doctors. But they are actually considered to be as addictive as cocaine when used inappropriately.

ADD and Narcolepsy patients are much less likely become addicted to Adderall because it is thought to make up for a chemical imbalance in the brain. When there is no imbalance, Adderall is not being used like a natural brain chemical. Instead, it creates a ‘high’ much like what one would get from using cocaine or methamphetamine.

As misuse continues, a person’s tolerance for the drug increases so that more of it is needed to achieve the same high, which leads to addiction. Signs of addiction might include: increasing tolerance to the drug, snorting, smoking or injecting the drug to get a “quick high”, depending on the medications to feel normal, making getting access to stimulants a priority and continuing to use them despite knowledge of negative consequences.

Adderall has several other medical side effects including:

• High blood pressure
• Irregular heart beat
• Paranoia
• Depression
• Hallucinations
• Liver damage

People who overdose or become addicted to Adderall run the risk of even more serious conditions:

• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Psychosis
• Seizures

From time to time, I do see patients who divulge that they’ve tried their friend’s Adderall or some other stimulant, and it resulted in their ability to finally focus in school. In those cases, I conduct a thorough evaluation of past performance and behaviors to determine if those patients do have ADD and would benefit from medication. However, like most doctors, I do not hand out Adderall or other stimulants easily. I am very conscious of the fact that ADD is often over-diagnosed and misdiagnosed.

What Parents Can Do

If your child has a prescription for Adderall or another stimulant, make sure to talk with him or her about the serious repercussions that can result from sharing or selling their medication. Adderall is considered a schedule II controlled substance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which means that buying or selling Adderall to someone without a prescription can carry the same punishment as buying or selling cocaine, morphine and methamphetamine.

If you are concerned that your child might be using or abusing stimulants for school performance, or to get high, talk to them about what is stressing them out. Notice if there are any changes in behavior or if their school performance has shifted suddenly. Also, talk to them about the risks associated with using Adderall and other drugs. There is a lot of good research out there demonstrating that kids who are educated about the risks of drug abuse are less likely to become abusers.

If your adolescent, teen or college student has a stimulant addiction, it must be treated like any other substance abuse problem with therapy and drug rehabilitation.

Karen Bernstein, MD, MPH is an Adolescent Medicine Physician at who sees teens and young adults from ages 12 to 21. She diagnoses conditions, helps adolescents cope with stress and helps families find appropriate drug treatment programs. She can be reached at (847) 318-9300.

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