I just came across a website where people could buy Adderall XR for $1 per pill. That particularly website selling Adderall XR pills will remain nameless, especially in light of a new report from the Ohio State University that points out how the rise in misusing Adderall by users who swallow, inject, or snort high doses without a prescription can lead to dangerous health consequences.
Indeed, a report from the Medicine Abuse Project spells out a list of myths about Adderall being a safe drug to take, and compares the false notions of Adderall XR pill use being a good way to lose weight or gain energy or mental clarity and focus against the truth.
While Adderall can indeed cause weight loss due to the way amphetamines speed up metabolism rates and reduce appetite, it also speeds up the heart rate. As NBC News reported, women in Hollywood have been abusing Adderall to lose weight for years.
“Taking prescription stimulants without a physician’s supervision carries health risks to the nonmedical user because of the possibility of unknown interactions with other drugs, risk for dependence, and adverse health consequences. Specifically, taking high doses of prescription stimulants may result in dangerously high body temperatures, irregular heartbeat, seizures, or heart attack.”
USA Today has noted that the illegal use of so-called prescription “study drugs” like Adderall , Ritalin, and Vyvanse are on the rise among college students, and enters the debate over whether those misusing the drug to help their studying habits and focus improve constitutes cheating. More concerning than whether or not Adderall XR gives students any academic edge are the troubling reports that combining Adderall with substances such as cocaine can prove fatal to the heart.
“People with a pre-existing heart condition can be especially at risk. [Adderall] is addictive and in cases of severe abuse can lead to even psychotic symptoms such as auditory and visual hallucinations.”
Adderall has also been in the news as of late because, as reported by ABC News , use of Adderall caused most Major League Baseball suspensions in 2014.
According to CBS Sports , Adderall also played a role in NFL star Haloti Ngata getting suspended for the last four games of the regular season, because Ngata tested positive for Adderall without having a medical waiver to use the drug. The Ravens player admitted that he took Adderall to help his mental state at home during the holidays with his three small children.
Shire Pharmaceuticals’ Shire PLC division also recently ran afoul with marketing claims that suggested a person with ADHD could take Adderall and appear as if they aren’t afflicted with the condition, a claim that has resulted in Shire agreeing to pay $57 million to settle the claim, as reported by the Inquisitr .
[Adderall XR Image Credit: JB Reed]
