The psychostimulant Adderall is an amphetamine drug that is most commonly used to treat the symptoms of ADHD in both children and adults. It is also sometimes used for other health conditions, such as narcolepsy and other sleep\/wakefulness disorders. Read on to learn how it works and what it’s officially used for.<\/p>\n
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Disclaimer:<\/em><\/strong> This post is not a recommendation or endorsement for Adderall. This medication is only FDA-approved for the treatment of certain specific medical disorders, and can only be taken by prescription and with oversight from a licensed medical professional. We have written this post for informational purposes only, and our goal is solely to inform people about the science behind Adderall\u2019s effects, mechanisms, current medical uses, and potential risks.<\/em><\/p>\n Adderall \u2014 otherwise known as dextroamphetamine-amphetamine<\/em> or just \u201cD-amphetamine<\/em>\u201d \u2014 is one of the most commonly prescribed medications used to treat the symptoms of ADHD and several other health conditions. It belongs to a class of compounds called amphetamines<\/em>, which act as stimulants in the central nervous system (CNS) through a wide variety of different mechanisms, such as by increasing levels of the major neurotransmitters dopamine<\/a>, norepinephrine<\/a>, and serotonin<\/a> [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Over 3 million children have been prescribed Adderall or other stimulants to treat psychiatric conditions such as ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD include lack of focus<\/a>, impulsiveness, and trouble staying still [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Adults are also commonly prescribed Adderall. The number of American adults who take Adderall for ADHD increased by more than 90% between the years of 2002 and 2005 [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Adderall is so widely-used in large part because it is believed to be highly effective and well-tolerated (i.e. it causes relatively few side-effects when used properly) [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n However, Adderall is classified as a Schedule II<\/em> drug by the FDA, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse and addiction. This also means that it can only be legally purchased and possessed with a doctor\u2019s prescription<\/strong> [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Additionally, there are potential downsides to stimulants like Adderall \u2014 especially when they are abused<\/strong> (i.e. taken without a prescription, or outside of ongoing medical supervision). In fact, stimulants are the second-most commonly abused drugs by college students, who use Adderall and other stimulants illegally in order to enhance their ability to study for prolonged periods of time [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The total extent of Adderall abuse among college students is difficult to know for certain, but it has been estimated that between 2-8% of all university students have abused it within the past month, while 3-16% have abused it at some point during the past year [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Many people abuse Adderall to improve school or work performance. Student-athletes have also been reported to abuse Adderall in order to improve their exercise<\/a> performance and increase energy [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n When not being used for performance improvements, it is also illicitly used by some people to induce a euphoric \u201chigh\u201d [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n While there are many different reasons that people choose to abuse Adderall, it has been estimated that a considerable proportion of this abuse occurs because students mistakenly believe that the illegal use of Adderall is \u201cphysically harmless\u201d \u2014 which it definitely isn\u2019t [R<\/a>, R<\/a>]!<\/p>\n Adderall consists of a mixture of several different dextroamphetamine<\/em> and amphetamine<\/em> salts [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n \u201cD-\u201d (right) and \u201cL-\u201d (left) amphetamine are the same molecule, but they are mirror images of the same structure (\u201cenantiomers<\/em>\u201d). Although this might sound like a minor difference, it is actually quite important that Adderall contains both L-amphetamine and D-amphetamine components. This is because they each have subtly different molecular properties and effects on the nervous system, and may, therefore, complement each other in treating disorders like ADHD [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n For example, one small-scale study of 11 children reported that L-amphetamine appeared to work better in some children, while D-amphetamine was more effective in others. Therefore, having both components is useful because it caters to both types of patients [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n According to one preliminary study, Adderall was reported to relieve certain ADHD symptoms (such as disruptive behavior, reduced academic productivity<\/a>, etc.) more effectively than another commonly-prescribed stimulant, Ritalin (methylphenidate<\/em>). The differences in these drugs\u2019 effects were especially apparent at relatively low doses [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Adderall\u2019s effects have also been reported to last longer throughout the day \u2014 sometimes as much as twice as long at higher doses. This potential longer-lasting effect is one of the reasons that doctors have been reported to prescribe Adderall up to three times more often than Ritalin [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Similarly, another study comparing Adderall to Ritalin (methylphenidate<\/em>) in 58 children reported that Adderall was reported to work better and last longer overall [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Adderall is classified as a central nervous system stimulant, and its stimulant properties stem from several different mechanisms.<\/p>\n Adderall stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine<\/em><\/a>, by activating \u03b1- and \u03b2-adrenergic receptor sites. Adrenergic receptors are those that specifically release the neurotransmitters noradrenaline<\/em> or adrenaline [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Stimulating the \u03b1-adrenergic receptor sites causes [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Whereas stimulating the \u03b2-adrenergic receptor sites causes [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Adderall also releases adrenaline<\/em> in the body, which results in increased perceived energy levels [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Together, each of the above effects contributes to some of the physically \u201cstimulating\u201d effects of the drug [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Adderall also prevents neurotransmitters from being taken up (transported<\/em>), broken down (metabolized<\/em>), and stored inside neurons. This is generally achieved by blocking the molecular transporters<\/em> that bring neurotransmitters from the outside of the cell to the inside of the cell, which stops their activity at the neural synapse. Specifically, Adderall blocks [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n This results in increased neurotransmitter activity at the neuron\u2019s connection to the next cell (the synapse<\/em>), which is a part of why the drug is referred to as a \u201cstimulant\u201d (i.e. it \u201cstimulates\u201d neuronal activity).<\/p>\n Amphetamines also prevent the storage of dopamine in compartments within the cell (vesicles<\/em>). This increases the availability of dopamine for later use.<\/p>\n Finally, Adderall also inhibits the activity of various proteins and enzymes that break down dopamine (such as monoamine oxidase-A<\/em> and –B<\/em>), which further increases the amount of dopamine available for use in the brain [R<\/a>].<\/p>\nWhat is Adderall?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Overview<\/span><\/h3>\n
Prescription Patterns<\/span><\/h3>\n
Potential for Abuse and Addiction<\/span><\/h3>\n
Components<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Ritalin vs. Adderall <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
How Does Adderall Work?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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