Adderal Long Term Effects
took to much I took maybe 50mg instead of 25 but never ridiculuously high
doses. [QUOTE=JhnZ71]Ive heard that Adderall can cause everything from bipolar disorder, to
memory loss, Ive also heard that It can fry your brain over time.
is this true? Im pretty scared... this med freaks me out.[/QUOTE]
The only way any of these side effects could be possible.
Is if you abused the medication very severely.
The stimulant medication for ADHD has all been around for several
decades. Ritalin has been prescibed for over 60 years, and Dexedrine/
Adderall have been around for almost as long in various forms. If these
sorts of long-term side effects existed in any substantial numbers then
we would know by now. Not a lot is actually known about these
medications, but that's because historically the meds worked so
effectively (the idea of a medication that works in about 70-80% of people
is almost otherwise unheard of in psychiatry) with so few problems that it
never dawned on anyone to bother.
However, this relies on the assumption that you are taking it as
prescribed. While they're powerful stimulants, the dosages we take them
in are miniscule (try taking 12.5mg of tylenol and tell me what effects you
get!). Taking more than prescribed can cause the same serious problems
that overuse of stimulants always causes, including psychosis and such.
Stimulants can induce manic episodes in people who have bipolar
disorder, and they can make existing manic episodes much, much worse.
When someone on say adderall suddenly goes into a manic/depressive
state, what is really happening is that they were bipolar all along and the
stimulant made the cycling worse or sped it up. Bipolar disorder and
ADHD + Depression look very similar to the untrained eye. They're
constantly misdiagnosed (especially Bipolar Type II which has symptoms
of hypomania instead of full mania and adolecent bipolar disorder which
is more often characterized by "mixed states" of both depression and
mania at the same time, resulting in irritability and moodiness which is
common in people with ADHD).
Don't worry about your meds. Just take them responsibly, make sure
you're watching over the rest of your life (eating and sleeping habits in
particular), and be thankful that someone found out what was wrong with
you and got you medicated!
[QUOTE=JhnZ71]Ive heard that Adderall can cause everything from bipolar disorder, to
memory loss, Ive also heard that It can fry your brain over time.
is this true? Im pretty scared... this med freaks me out.[/QUOTE]
When you research information, the information is only as good as the source of information. There is no medical dcumentation or conclusive evidence claiming that there is any shred of truth to what you have heard. Dangerous side effects can occur with any medication on the market if it is abused meaning, not taking as prescribed. It's wise to make a decision based on accurate information, never fear because fear stifles one from making an educated decision. Whether one decides to medicate or not, the best decisions are made based on accurate information. not junk science.
Ive heard that Adderall can cause everything from bipolar disorder, tomemory loss, Ive also heard that It can fry your brain over time.
is this true? Im pretty scared... this med freaks me out.There's no credible evidence of any of the above things you mention. There are side-effects but they are minor compared to the above. Typical side-effects include things like sleep issues, weight loss, etc. However, side-effects only last as long as the meds are in your system.
MaxDad
This is what we told our family when they expressed concern about the longer term effects of taking stimulants: There is no evidence of long term side effects from the medication. However there are tons of evidence of the long term effects of leaving ADHD untreated, or improperly treated, including dropping out of school, substance abuse, risk taking behavior, parenthood at an early age, the inability to hold a job, pay bills or have a meaningful relationship. No one wants that for themself or for their child. Taking medication means balancing the potential risks with the benefits, and for most people with ADHD the benefits of stimulant meds far outweigh the minimal short term side effects.
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