More young adults are taking Adderall, according to a recent study. But the problem with those rising numbers is that the number of prescriptions have remained about the same, which suggests more young adults are abusing the drug.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say the non-medical use of the drug went up by 67 percent, and emergency room visits associated with Adderall use went up by 155 percent. Half of those the study says mixed Adderall with other drugs, such as alcohol.
Most of the young adults were getting the drug from a friend or relative, who has a prescription. Adderall is used to treat attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.one area doctor says sharing medicine is not a good idea.
"The medicine was described for a person at a certain set of circumstances, and their friend may not have that circumstance, so therefore their friend gets an overdose," said Dr. Glen Auckerman at St. Rita's Family Practice. "You're naive to that medicine, so now you're taking it and it's a huge dose for you, and for you friend, that was their maintenance level. A lot of medicines, when you're tempering with it they release differently, and they can literally kill you."
Doctor Auckerman says the non-medical use of Adderall becomes even more dangerous when mixed with tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or other mood drugs.
"Sometimes they lose track of where they are, who they are. I saw a patient the other day, they just woke up and they didn't know who they were, someone said something to them and didn't couldn't interpret the words. It's called a dissociative feeling, when you dissociate from the world you are in," he said.
Doctor Auckerman says the long-term effects of Adderall abuse is just like any other drug - people's quality of life becomes dependent on it.
