The following is a chart taken from http://www.myomancy.com/2006/07/adderall_side_e . It represents a sample of long term Adderall users and the negative effects it caused on them. These are the percentages of patients who had to stop taking Adderall because the side effects were so severe.
Adverse Event % of Pediatric Patients Discontinuing
Anorexia 2.9
Insomnia 1.5
Weight Loss 1.2
Emotional Liability 1.0
Depression 0.7
In another study done on adults it was found that:
33% had a loss of appetite
17% experienced insomnia
26% suffered headaches
20% to 40% of all Adderall users suffer from one or more side effects
As you can see, there are some serious risks that come with taking Adderall. In the past year, the FDA received 51 reports of sudden death due to the use of Adderall. Canada also had 20 cases of sudden death in 2005.
Other side effects of Adderall include an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, severe headaches or blurred vision, hallucinations, abnormal behavior or confusion, restlessness or tremor, anxiety or nervousness, headaches or dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth or a bad taste in the mouth, diarrhea or constipation ,and impotence or changes in sex drive.
Adderall is labled as a schedule two drug, because it has a high potential for abuse. Adderall, like other drugs with amphetamines, is very addictive, especially when it is used recreationally or without a prescrition. Amphetamines, before they were used to treat people with ADD and ADHD, were used in a drug called Obetrol. Obetrol was a drug used to help people control their diet. Due to the fact that Adderall has a substantial amount of amphetamine in it, it is likely to cause weight loss. If not monitored closely, users may lose too much weight.
Adderall not only has negative effects on those who have prescriptions, but it is becoming a popular on campus drug. For more information on Adderall's increasing use at colleges go to the link on the Welcome page labeled Adderall and Collge Students.
