When medications are used properly, said substances can provide relief of physical and emotional pain and help people survive bouts with potentially serious illnesses. However, even therapeutic drugs can elicit significant side effects capable of precipitating lasting health concerns. One such product is known as Adderall.
Adderall Overview
Adderall is a substance comprised of primary ingredients amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. These drugs are in a classification of drugs known as stimulants. These types of medications impact the central nervous system.
Once ingested, Adderall increases the brain’s production of chemicals called dopamine and norepinephrine. These substances improve the brain’s capacity to focus and lessen pain and other inhibitions.
The drug is available by prescription only and is presented in two forms. Both are administered through dissolving oral tablets. However, one is labeled immediate release. The other is categorized as extended-release.
Additionally, Adderall is considered a controlled substance. This means the material holds addictive properties and could prove hazardous to the health of those using the drug inappropriately.
Therapeutic Purposes
Adderall has certain notable therapeutic uses.
Physicians often prescribe the substance to children stricken with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is often simply abbreviated as ADHD. Researchers have concluded that the medication has proven effective in helping said subjects improve their attention spans and engage in less impulsive or potentially detrimental behavior.
The material has also found success in addressing a medical condition known as narcolepsy. Narcoleptic persons experience difficulties remaining awake and the drug’s stimulant properties help ebb sleeping episodes.
Long-Term Impact of Adderall Use
Even short-term, therapeutic usage could precipitate side effects. Amphetamines are powerful drugs that may adversely influence bodily networks such as the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, central nervous, reproductive, endocrine, and gastrointestinal systems.
Occasionally, however, these manifestations are mild and brief. Moreover, they might be eliminated by altering dosage or partaking in other mitigating actions.
That said, scientific investigators caution that continued Adderall ingestion may lead to serious health consequences.
Researchers have discovered that chronic intake might result in significant brain chemistry alterations. Such occurrences can adversely impact an afflicted individual’s cognitive functions, in addition to their mental and emotional states.
Furthermore, long-term use has also been known to cause problems including:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Headaches
- Digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, and nausea
- Chest pains
- Increased perspiration
- Sleeplessness
- Dry mouth
- Tiredness
In severe cases, or in those with underlying mental ailments, psychoses might develop. Such events often precipitate potentially destructive behavior and necessitate swift and aggressive treatment.
Dependency
Arguably, however, chemical addiction is the most serious possible outcome of long-term Adderall ingestion. Medical investigators maintain that dependency carries the potential to bring forth numerous untoward or possibly even life-threatening occurrences. Those dependent upon the drug often experience:
- Mental disorders like anxiety and depression
- Appetite loss
- A decline in body weight
- Irritability
- Wild mood swings
- Skin issues
In the most extreme cases, chronic takers could develop discernible heart damage, grow severely psychotic, or even witness hallucinations.
Withdrawal
With addiction comes the potential for withdrawal. Certain dependents yearn to cease use. However, upon stopping ingestion, they encounter withdrawal symptoms. Some of these physical and mental manifestations could be life-limiting and potentially dangerous.
If long-time users quit ingesting the substance for any prolonged duration, they can expect symptoms such as body aches, a decline in cognitive functions like focus and memory, sleepiness, sluggishness, digestive disturbances, nightmares, and in extreme instances, suicidal thoughts or tendencies.
Withdrawal severity will depend on how long the dependent has been using the drug, the amounts of the substance being taken, and if the form is immediate or extended-release. In some people, manifestations reach their peak and subside within several days. However, at other times, the process could last weeks.
Overcoming Long-Term Use
The trick to avoiding long-term Adderall usage issues is not allowing said problems to burgeon out of control. When continued ingestion is necessary, it should be undertaken under the strict supervision of a doctor. Moreover, the user should report any untoward side effects to their healthcare provider as soon as they occur.
Persons with long-standing dependencies will likely require aggressive inpatient treatment at an experienced recovery clinic.
Typically, patients must first undergo detox in which medical professionals gradually wean the substance out of their body. This is often followed by several weeks or months inside a facility where patients will learn to identify the reasons their drug use began, develop coping methods to prevent future relapses, and receive instruction regarding re-entry into the civilian world.
Reaching Out To Us
Persons seeking to overcome Adderall dependencies or those related to any other substance are encouraged to contact us. Our Mississippi facility is staffed by learned, caring, and experienced addiction recovery specialists boasting the accomplishment of helping countless patients kick their habits and recapture their formally happy lives.
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