Prescription Stimulants Affect People With ADHD Differently
There’ve been lots of headlines lately about the dangers of prescription drug abuse—like taking a friend’s.
BUT—for people who do not have ADHD, stimulants flood the brain with dopamine, causing a dopamine overload. So instead of having a calming effect as they would on people with ADHD, stimulants taken without a medical reason can disrupt brain communication and cause euphoria. It might feel good at first, but repeated abuse of stimulants can:
Increase blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature.
Decrease appetite and sleep.
Cause feelings of hostility and paranoia.
Increase a person’s risk for addict...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - November 1, 2012 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse: Ask Mom and Dad To Clean Out the Medicine Cabinet
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are among the most commonly abused drugs by high school seniors. Many teens think that abusing prescription drugs like Adderall or Vicodin is safe because they are medications prescribed by doctors.
That’s not true—prescription drugs that are not taken as prescribed can have powerful and dangerous effects on the brain and body. When doctors prescribe medication for a patient, they have taken into account that person’s age, body weight, other health conditions, and other medications or supplements.
Taking someone else’s prescription, like Adderall, can cause irregular heart be...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - April 10, 2012 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
How Many Teens Actually Smoke, Drink, or Do Drugs?
It’s natural to be curious about your peers—especially when it comes to things that we know can be dangerous, like alcohol and drug use. You’ve probably heard rumors of kids drinking beer at a party or may have a friend who smokes cigarettes.
You may wonder how many teens actually smoke, drink, or do drugs. It’s a question we hear frequently from teens. During NIDA’s 2011 Drug Facts Chat Day, students from the around the country asked NIDA scientists questions such as:
“How many teens smoke every year?”
“Has the number of people who abuse drugs increased or decreased in the past 5 years? And why?”
“...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - January 5, 2012 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
Choose Your Path: "The Big Test"
Imagine that you have a big test tomorrow and you haven’t finished studying. You feel unprepared and stressed out, but the last thing you want to do is open that book. What do you do? Cram all night? Schedule a last-minute study group with friends? Don’t study and take your chances?
What if someone told you to take a prescription stimulant like Adderall to help you focus, but the prescription didn’t belong to you?
Which path would you choose?
Today, NIDA is launching the second Choose Your Path video, “The Big Test” on the PEERx section of the NIDA for Teens Web site. Choose Your Path puts you in control of the d...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - December 14, 2011 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
Alcohol and Drugs Don't Mix
A recent episode of the hit TV show “Glee” focused on the problem of underage drinking. Called “Blame It on the Alcohol,” the episode depicted glee club members narrowly avoiding school suspension for drinking on school grounds—never a smart idea!
Not only is it illegal to drink before age 21, but drinking too much alcohol can impair brain function and motor skills and lead to addiction. Mixing alcohol with illicit or other drugs—even legal ones—greatly increases the dangers:
Combining alcohol with another central nervous system depressant like Xanax or painkillers like Vicodin can slow your heartbeat and bre...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - April 8, 2011 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
First Get Drug Smart, Then Think Twice
The Shoutout is gathering volume and the message is coming through loud and clear: JUST THINK TWICE!
Myth: If I smoke cigarettes now and then, I won’t get addicted.
Think twice: Each puff of a cigarette gives a smoker about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine. Although that may not seem like much, it is enough to make someone addicted. Learn more.
Myth: Huffing – like sniffing Sharpies or household cleaners – really doesn’t do anything bad; just gives me a quick high.
Think twice: In the short term, these chemicals can cause dizziness, loss of consciousness, bad mood swings, and headaches. In the long term, toxic fu...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - November 2, 2010 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
Real Teens Ask: What are stimulants?
In a recent Drug Facts Chat Day, freeman-jones of Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School, Maryland asked:
Can taking Ritalin help you if you have not been prescribed Ritalin?
Ritalin is a drug used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is classified as a stimulant. The term stimulants can be used to refer to any number of drugs, including prescription drugs like methylphenidate (Ritalin’s scientific name) and dextroamphetamine (Adderall).
People diagnosed (by a doctor) with ADHD can benefit from these drug when they’re used as prescribed. However, teens with an ADHD prescription are sometim...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - August 31, 2010 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
Virtual Brain Training
Imagine you are a teen with ADHD. It’s hard for you to focus in class, your mind wanders everywhere, and even though you want to do well in class you’d much rather be outside shooting hoops. Although you take notes, it’s hard for you to remember the teacher’s instructions. So after a medical evaluation, your doctor prescribes stimulants to help you focus. That’s what happened to NIDA’s second place Addiction Science Award winner, Kevin Knight, a 17-year-old junior at Collegiate High School in Niceville, Florida. Based on his own experience, Kevin wanted to know if there were other ways besides medication to tra...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - June 17, 2010 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
Rx Drug Abuse
Have you ever wondered about whether medications prescribed by a doctor could actually be dangerous? Or whether giving a friend a prescription pill you take for ADHD could be bad for them?
Sometimes, people assume that if your doctor prescribes you medications, then they are safe for anyone. Prescription drugs, like Ritalin or Adderall for ADHD, or Tylenol 3 or Percocet for pain, can be extremely effective when used as prescribed…by the people they were prescribed for.
But people who have not been seen by a doctor for these conditions are asking friends to share their drugs for a variety of reasons. For example, Adderall...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - November 24, 2009 Category: Addiction Authors: Sara Bellum Source Type: blogs
