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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by btnd on June 22, 2003, at 13:07:38
I've been using 40 mg adderall daily for my dysthymia/motivation/social anxiety (along with Klonopin). But lately I've been having negative thoughts. Every website/medical library/information centre I check - I read all the negative aspects of amphetamines.
Heart damage, liver damage, kidney damage - are all those true information with responsible amphetamine usage?
Posted by Viridis on June 22, 2003, at 14:07:57
In reply to Adderall - all the negative information true?, posted by btnd on June 22, 2003, at 13:07:38
I haven't seen any evidence to indicate that therapeutic use of amphetamines and related stimulants is harmful. They can raise blood pressure in some people (something to check with your doctor), but my BP is actually a bit lower on Adderall than without, right about normal.
The doses that stimulant abusers take are generally much higher and, in the case of the street versions, there may be dangerous contaminants that you don't get in the prescription meds. Plus, the lifestyle associated with being a speed addict isn't exactly conducive to good health. (By "addict", I mean abuser, not someone who's using the med properly under a doctor's supervision).
There was a thread here a couple of months ago that addressed this issue, including links to various articles etc. The bottom line was that responsible use of Adderall etc. was highly unlikely to have adverse health consequences.
The flip side is that if you have ADD, are unmedicated, and it's affecting your life, the resulting stress could very well have negative health consequences. And, a bit of a tangent, but related -- there have been concerns that use of stimulants (especially Ritalin) in ADD/ADHD kids might predispose them to later drug abuse. A recent study showed the opposite to be true: children who were medicated with Ritalin for these conditions wound up better adjusted than those not medicated, and less likely to turn to illegal drugs and alcohol.
When you read about amphetamines etc., are you focusing on their therapeutic uses, or mainly sites that describe the dangers of drug abuse? If you just look up "amphetamine", you'll probably get a whole bunch of sites that address the consequences of recreational use of speed, which (as described above) is a very different situation from your use of Adderall.
This is the end of the thread.
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