Dangers of Snorting Adderall
The prescribed way to take Adderall is orally at a dose recommended by your doctor. Some people, though, snort Adderall so they can get high. If you are snorting Adderall, you should know that there are risks involved and you can experience a host of physical and mental negative effects when you snort this drug. This article lets you know why misusing Adderall is a bad idea.
What is Adderall?
Adderall is a prescription medication that is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is also used as a performance enhancing drug, taken by people who want to improve their focus and energy levels. Adderall works by increasing the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, which helps to improve focus and concentration. The exact mechanism of action is not fully understood, but it is thought to work by affecting the areas of the brain that are responsible for controlling attention and activity levels.
Adderall is available as an oral tablet or an extended-release capsule. It comes in these doses: 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, and 30 mg. A standard dose for ADHD is between 5-40 mg. It is usually taken once or twice a day, with or without food. It comes in two preparations, standard Adderall and Adderall XR, which is the extended-release version.
Common side effects of Adderall include insomnia, dry mouth, and weight loss. Adderall can also be addictive, and it is important to take it only as prescribed by a doctor. Taking Adderall for non-medical reasons can lead to serious health consequences, including addiction and overdose.
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a mental disorder that is characterized by problems with focus, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. ADHD can affect both children and adults, but it is most commonly diagnosed in children. symptoms of ADHD include difficulty paying attention, excessive talking, fidgeting, and acting without thinking. People with ADHD may also have trouble completing tasks, keeping organized, and following rules.
While there are no medical tests to diagnose ADHD, doctors often use behavior rating scales or questionnaires to help identify the disorder. Treatment for ADHD typically involves medication, counseling, and behavioral therapy. Some people with ADHD only require one type of treatment while others may need a combination of treatments. With proper treatment, people with ADHD can lead normal and successful lives.
ADHD can cause problems in many areas of life, including school, work, and personal relationships. People with ADHD may have difficulty paying attention in class or at work, which can lead to poor grades or trouble keeping a job. They may also have trouble following rules or instructions, which can result in accidents or conflict with others. In personal relationships, people with ADHD may be impulsive and act without thinking, which can strain friendships and family relationships.
Taking Adderall for ADHD
When Adderall is taken in the way that it was intended for, to treat ADHD, it can be effective. People with ADHD often report that they feel calmer, and that they find it easier to focus on work and day to day activities.
Even when Adderall is taken in this way, there is a risk of addiction. If members of your family have addiction or alcoholism, you should speak with your doctor about this, as it may mean that you are more susceptible to become addicted to prescription drugs such as Adderall.
Adderall Abuse
People abuse the prescription drug Adderall so they can get high. Usually, people who are abusing Adderall take the drug in higher doses than people who are taking the drug medicinally. Some of these people take large amounts of Adderall orally, though others snort or inject Adderall so that they can feel a stronger high due to it crossing the blood brain barrier faster.
Adderall Side Effects
Negative side effects of Adderall include:
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Agitation
- Insomnia
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Diarrhea
- Dry mouth
- Weight loss
- Decreased appetite
- Trouble sleeping
- Brain damage
Snorting Adderall
Someone may start taking Adderall pills orally and then graduate to snorting Adderall. When users are snorting Adderall, users crush Adderall tablets and make lines with them. People usually begin snorting Adderall when they are in Adderall addiction, as the effects of snorting Adderall are stronger than when the drug is taken with oral administration.
Unfortunately, side effects increase when someone is snorting Adderall. Side effects include:
- Nasal septum damage. Repeatedly snorting Adderall damages the tissue between nostrils. Over time, this tissue can become inflamed and begin bleeding. If the user continues snorting Adderall, there is a risk of a deviated septum, where one nostril becomes bigger than the other. A deviated septum can cause sleep apnea, snoring, congestion, difficulty breathing, infections, or nosebleeds.
- Sinus infections. These occur due to foreign matter being introduced into the nasal cavity. Sinus infections can become serious if they are not treated by a doctor.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Snorting Adderall may put the user at risk of more severe problems caused by abusing Adderall in this way. The risk of having a heart attack is increased.
- Risk of contracting diseases. Using bank notes or sharing snorting devices while snorting Adderall can lead to users contracting diseases like Hepatitis C.
Injecting Adderall
Users sometimes inject Adderall, which gives them a rapid onset that provides immediate effects lasting for just a few minutes. This is a very dangerous practice that can lead to track marks, damaged veins, cardiovascular problems, extreme mental health reactions and overdose.
Adderall Withdrawal Symptoms
Adderall withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Fatigue. When someone is abusing Adderall, they often do not sleep for long periods of time, and frequently do not even stop for rest. Once this person stops their Adderall abuse, their system must spend some time repairing and recuperating. During this period, the person will probably feel low energy.
- Depression. Adderall works on dopamine receptors in the brain. Constantly stimulating these receptors causes down-regulation, which means that people feel lower than when they started.
- Anxiety. Part of the withdrawal process for many people, this anxiety may only last for a few days or it can last longer. If someone was taking Adderall due to a medical history of anxiety, when they stop taking the drug they will have to deal with this underlying condition. This applies to all other mental health issues that someone might have been taking Adderall to self-medicate against.
- Irritability. When someone stops taking Adderall, they will experience mood swings that cause them to get easily irritated.
- Headaches. These can happen as the brain is rewiring following abusing Adderall.
- Difficulty concentrating. This is particularly pronounced for people who abuse Adderall and have ADHD.
- Drug cravings. When any kind of substance addiction is stopped, it is likely that drug cravings will occur. The severity of these depend on a number of factors, including how much of the drug was taken, how long the user was taking the drug for, and whether the user had any underlying mental health problems.
Adderall Overdose
Like all other stimulants, if Adderall is not used in the proper way, it can cause a user to overdose. The risk of an Adderall overdose is increased if the drug is either snorted or injected. Symptoms of Adderall overdose include:
- Excessive sweating
- Racing heart
- Severe confusion
- Hallucinations
- Fever
- Cardiac arrest
- Death
Mixing Adderall with Other Drugs
People may combine Adderall with combinations of drugs so that they can increase the high. A user might supplement Adderall with another stimulant so they feel increase Adderall’s stimulant effects, or they may take a downer like Xanax or heroin with the drug to combat the anxiety that they may feel from Adderall, and reduce the insomnia that Adderall causes.
Adderall is also frequently taken as a party drug when people drink alcohol. This combination can cause people to act particularly reckless, as alcohol reduces inhibitions and Adderall increases energy levels and confidence.
Mental or physical dependence to a number of different substances causes additional complications. The risk of overdose is increased, and the damage done to the body and mind is also greater than when someone is abusing only Adderall.
Poly drug abuse can also cause complications when people are going through the treatment process, as withdrawal symptoms are increased, and it may take longer for the person’s mind to recover.
Adderall as a Study Drug
Some people take Adderall to help them revise for exams, or to assist them in doing work for school or college. Using study drugs in this way may help for a while, but dependency can creep in, and ultimately this practice is unhealthy.
Instead of using study drugs, it is far healthier and more effective in the long term to put aside plenty of time to study . Developing a healthy study strategy also involves getting plenty of sleep, something that can be challenging when someone is taking Adderall.
Rather than taking Adderall to study with, you can also try:
- Practicing meditation. Increases your levels of concentration, meaning that you will be able to focus on your studies for longer. Meditation also reduces anxiety and depression, and increases creativity.
- Doing yoga. Yoga, like meditation, is a mindfulness practice. Yoga also helps to relax your body and releases pent up energy. This will also improve your ability to study.
- Improving your diet. Your brain needs good quality sustenance to function well. Make sure that you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. You should make sure that you are getting the right amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates and that you’re eating a diet that is fairly low glycemic index. This will also help to keep your energy levels up.
- Reducing stress in your life. Any stress that you have will impact your ability to do well academically. Try writing down the things in your life that are causing you stress. Are you able to reduce or let go of some of these things?
Treatment for Adderall Abuse
If someone is struggling with Adderall abuse, they may find that they are not able to give up by themselves. The nature of addiction means that they become completely dependent on Adderall to get them through the day, and they feel like they cannot continue to function without it.
When someone gets this deep into addiction, they may need addiction treatment for them to find sobriety. Addiction treatment involves firstly detoxing the person from Adderall in a safe environment. The next stage of addiction treatment is helping the person addicted to Adderall to see why they were addicted to the drug, and help them to address these issues.
The last step involved in treating people who are addicted to this Schedule II controlled substance is aftercare. This is a continued program of recovery that helps the person address the problems that they have in their life so they will be less likely to relapse. These programs often involve counseling and attendance at recovery meetings.
Most treatment centers that treat people with substance use disorder will also be able to treat people who are addicted to Adderall.
Conclusion
Adderall addiction is serious, ruins lives and can kill. Snorting Adderall brings with it even more complications.
If you want to get help for your Adderall addiction, contact Ebb Tide today. We help people with Adderall addiction recover, with the aid of EBT, CBT and DBT counseling therapies.