How are ADHD drugs being abused?

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Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a neurologically based behavioral disorder that bothers children and adults to a greater extent currently. Research in 2007 indicates that the abuse and mistreatment of medication prescribed by ADHD is rapidly becoming a country-wide crisis. Every now and then, students feel the need to take some types of drugs as they believe the drugs will assit them to have better concentration, increased stamina, or better overall performance in school. The most commonly used and abused drugs by students are known as study drugs. As a general rule, study drugs are stimulants that can only be found by prescription or through illegitimate ways. They cannot be bought over the counter. Some of the conditions for which these drugs are regularly prescribed are narcolepsy, depression, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is commonly known as ADHD.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a common childhood disorder that occasionally persists into adulthood. People with ADHD have problems paying attention, controlling behavior, or curbing hyperactivity. The medications most often used to treat ADHD are stimulants, which actually have a calming effect in those with the disorder.

How do AHAD medicines work to improve concentration in students?

Dopamine is a brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) that is linked with pleasure, movement and attention. All stimulants work by escalating dopamine levels in the brain. The healing effect of stimulants is attained by gradual increases of dopamine which are similar to the natural production of the chemical by the brain. The doses prescribed by physicians start low and increase gradually until a therapeutic effect is reached. Nevertheless, when taken in doses and ways other than those prescribed, stimulants can augment brain dopamine in a fast and rapid manner, as do most other drugs of abuse, upsetting normal communication between brain cells, producing joy and elation that in turn increases the danger of addiction. According to Craig Donnelly, Director of child and Adolescent psychiatry at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, by increasing the release of the neurotransmitters called dopamine and non-adrenaline in the brain, the stimulant medications improve vigilance, concentration and focus. He also says that it makes the students so that they do not want to really get up from their work. It also keeps them awake for a long time.

What are the medicines prescribed for AHAD?

Adderall is a medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a mental stimulant made up of mixed amphetamine salts and has a high risk for abuse. Although it is generally prescribed for children and adults with ADHD, this medication is also being greatly used by many college students who don't have the disorder. They use it as a brain augmentation drug to assist them concentrate, keep hold of information and get better grades. Although, these stimulants are usually used to deliver a soothing and calming effect for those who are identified with ADD/ADHD, if they are taken by people who are normal, it has a conflicting effect. The two types of stimulant ADHD drugs are methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin) and amphetamines (e.g., Adderall).

How are the ADHD medicines abused?

Stimulants or ADHD medicines are abused for both performance improvement and fun purposes.

•  For performance improvement, they suppress appetite and lead to weight loss, increase wakefulness, and increase focus and concentration.
•  The delighted or overjoyed effects of stimulants normally take place when they are crushed and then snorted or injected. Some abusers dissolve the tablets in water and inject the mixture. Since insoluble fillers in the tablets can block small blood vessels, serious risks from this technique of use can occur.

What are the side-effects due to the abuse of prescription AHAD medicines?

Some of the side-effects are:

•  Stomachache and headache
•  Dry mouth, loss of appetite, and weight loss
•  Depression, anxiety, and irritability
•  Hallucination and other psychotic episodes
•  Difficulty sleeping
•  upset stomach,
•  mood swings,
•  racing heartbeat
•  Dizziness.
•  Fainting
•  Motor tics
•  Insomnia
•  Chest pain and blurred vision.
•  Stimulants can increase blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and decrease sleep and appetite, which can lead to undernourishment and its consequences.
•  Repeated use of stimulants can lead to feelings of hostility and paranoia.
•  At high doses, they can lead to serious cardiovascular complications, including stroke.

What do the suvey indicate?

The non-medical use of prescription stimulants among U.S. college students is now at its highest level in 15 years. A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin, in 2004 indicated that 14 % of the students used some type of drug usually prescribed to treat ADHD, such as Adderall. A study of 119 college campuses on a national scale exposed that about a quarter of students used ADHD medication. In 2007, a Web-based survey of 3,407 students was conducted at UNC-Greensboro and at Duke. 90% percent of students reported the usage of the medication without a prescription. Students get them from a friend or family member with a prescription. Actually, studies predicted that up to 29 percent of students with such prescriptions have been requested to give, sell, or trade their medication.

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