Adderall expedites your studies, but not without harm

I lead a busy life. I'm a college student. I read a lot, write a lot and do a lot of homework. I stress about accidentally tripping onto the Gilman seal before graduation. I worry that my ceiling is going to collapse on me thanks to my sexually ambitious neighbors. With all this bustle, it's very hard to concentrate on my homework sometimes. So I take drugs. One drug, actually - I guzzle liquid caffeine by the latte, and it keeps me up and makes me work.

It never really occurred to me to try something else, until a friend offered me some of her Adderall. I declined, but I was surprised by how many people use Adderall without a prescription.

Adderall is an amphetamine prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It increases your ability to concentrate, calms you down and decreases fatigue. Sometimes it is prescribed for patients suffering from narcolepsy, but is generally for people that are able to concentrate or pay attention for only short periods of time and who are easily distracted.

Adderall is a mix of amphetamine salts and dextroamphetamines. These work stimulate the central nervous system to release norepinephrine, and, in higher doses, dopamine. Norepinephrine and dopamine are similar in chemical structure and are thought to be important neurotransmitters in the parts of the brain that control alertness, attention and cognitive function.

Neurotransmitter norepinephrine is synthesized from cell bodies located within the locus coeruleus (LC), an area in the brainstem, and from there it diffuses to other areas of the brain through discrete pathways. While the exact cause of ADHD is unknown, some studies have shown that when the LC-norepinephrine system isn't functioning correctly, cognitive alertness can be detrimentally affected because norepinephrine is not being distributed properly throughout the brain.

Adderall helps with attention span and cognitive function by turning on the flow of norepinephrine again to the appropriate areas of the brain.

But Adderall is not a dream drug - unless you dream of hypertension, elevated heart rate and dependence. In particular, all amphetamines have the potential to become addictive, because long-term use increases your tolerance.

In studies conducted by the Adderall XR development program, Adderall was shown to cause mild transient hypertension in patients, which increased with dosage. Because of this, it's more dangerous for people with cardiovascular problems to take Adderall without a prescription, because it may have serious side effects. Depending on the consumer, Adderall may cause heart palpitations and after long-term inappropriate use, it may result in irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

Another noticeable side effect is loss of appetite and dry mouth, generally resulting in weight loss. Although most consumers might not think this is an undesirable side effect, Adderall can also cause diarrhea and constipation, as well as nausea and headaches - an all around icky feeling.

Side effects associated with the nervous system are less common, but no less serious. As a stimulant, Adderall can exacerbate tics and twitches, particularly in people with Tourette's Syndrome. Short and long-term psychological effects include psychotic episodes, agitation, anxiety, dizziness and, most commonly, insomnia.

Another problem presented by Adderall: As a stimulant, many consumers use it to counteract the depressive effects of alcohol. If Adderall is taken before alcohol is consumed, the consumer can drink more alcohol without noticing its effects, but the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream may be much higher than realized because they do not suffer from the sleepy/drunk feelings. This can lead to too much alcohol consumption, possibly to the point of alcohol poisoning.

Adderall can cause increased tolerance to the drug, which may lead to addiction. For the same reason that Navy Seals and Army Green Berets can perform their duties with little accelerated heart rate, Adderall and other amphetamines can cause pill poppers to build up tolerance, so eventually, they barely notice any effects. Experience and repeated use of a neurotransmitter can alter the sensitivity of a response.

On his first mission a Seal might be practically jittering with adrenaline, but by his last, he's probably used to the danger and his body has tolerated so much epinephrine already that it no longer bothers to induce a huge response - this means his tolerance has increased.

Likewise, the longer you take Adderall, the more tolerant you become, and the more you need to help generate the typical response that you seek. The worst part, of course, is when you try to quit, and the sudden depletion of norepinephrine in your brain leaves you with undesirable withdrawal symptoms, such as exhaustion and depression.

While Adderall is clearly helpful in treating ADHD, consuming these pills without a prescription can have unpleasant side effects and may lead to dependence. Like any drug, risky consequences cannot always be predicted. I for one will be sticking to my coffee - as a psychostimulant, caffeine has many of the same cognitive effects as amphetamines, but it's safer, hotter and sweeter.