These days it almost seems like everyone is taking Adderall. If someone isn’t already prescribed it for their ADHD, it is not uncommon that college students buy Adderall from their friends in order to pull an all-nighter or get through a long study session. Unfortunately, this prescription medication is quite easy to come by on college campuses. However, there is another reason that many students are taking Adderall that is posing serious health risks. Students are combining alcohol with Adderall in order to party longer and harder.
“Taking Adderall before drinking makes you feel like you haven’t drank as much as you have. You can stay up way later and drink for longer than you would when you don’t take it. It takes away the feeling of hitting a wall,“ Western student Jason* explains.
Though it may sound like Adderall can lead to a longer night of drinking and fun with your friends, there are some major health risks that can occur by combining the two. Alcohol is a depressant and Adderall is a stimulant. This does not mean the two cancel each other out. Healthline explains that in reality, they are competing with each other, which puts you at risk for some serious health issues.
Two doctors talk about some of the potential dangers.
“Using the two in combination can cause irregular heartbeats and upset stomachs…We see psychotic features — almost like schizophrenia — where the patient is anxious, extremely uncomfortable, and has headaches and a decrease in motor skills,” according to Dr. Christopher Boe, an emergency room physician.
“Combining Adderall and alcohol can alter the user’s mental state, even cause seizures. When people use Adderall to stay up longer to drink, they also put themselves at risk for alcohol poisoning. You could go into a coma,” according to Dr. Mark Christenson, medical director.
Alcohol poisoning is a serious risk when you take Adderall before going out. Since the prescription dulls the symptoms of being drunk, people are often unaware of how much they’ve actually had to drink. Because of this they are more likely to over drink and face the possibility of alcohol poisoning.
“Your internal cues of whether you have had enough are no longer accurate. Although your mind may not be telling you there is a problem, your body is taking the toll of the alcohol without your realizing it,” an article from Health Central explains.
Users may pop a pill with their booze, while others snort it. Snorting Adderall puts you at an even higher risk for side effects. The speed of the onset greatly increases when you snort it, in addition to higher potency of the drug. “The risk of dangerous respiratory problems, cardiac arrhythmias, and paranoid or psychotic reactions are all significantly greater,” Jeff Benson, M.D. describes.
The abuse of Adderall from people without prescriptions is becoming more and more common. The bottom line is that Adderall is a serious prescription medication intended for people suffering from ADHD. It’s there to allow them to live better and more productive lives on a daily basis. If you are not prescribed this medication, don’t take it. If you are prescribed Adderall, educate yourself and be very careful with it.
* = Name changed to protect identity