Adderall&reg CII is a pharmaceutical amphetamine usually used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. It was first prescribed in the 1970s as an anorectic (under the brand name Obetrol®), but such usage is now rare.

Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant composed of four amphetamine salts: amphetamine aspartate, amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate, and dextroamphetamine sulfate (the last salt is also prescribed alone as Dexedrine®). These four component salts are metabolised at different rates, making its effects smoother, with softer highs and lows, than those of other treatments for the same disorders. Its effects are otherwise similar to other central nervous system stimulants (see amphetamine for details.).

Adderall is manufactured and marketed by Shire Pharmaceuticals, and is available as either as an immediate-release tablet or an extended-release capsule, marketed as Adderall XR. Doses range from 5mg to 30mg per tablet for the instant-release formulation, and from 5mg to 30mg per capsule for the extended-release Adderall XR capsules.

Contents

1 Performance Enhancing Use 2 Manufacturers 3 See also 4 External links

Performance Enhancing Use

Many students today request Adderall from doctors in order to use it for tests and finals. It can improve concentration, but only for a small period of time because of its short half-life. It is becoming very popular for this method and could be considered abused and highly dangerous. Additionally, as with other CNS stimulants, recreational/social abuse is popular, and becoming more and more prevalent on college campuses. In addition to the college/young adult population, Adderall is increasingly being abused by those who are looking to loose weight quick.

Manufacturers

Brand-name Adderall is produced by Shire Pharmaceuticals, but generic equivalents (known to pharmacists as "amphetamine salts," "mixed amphetamines," or simply "amphetamines," inter alia) are also distributed in the United States by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Ranbaxy Laboratories .

See also

• amphetamine
• methamphetamine
• methylphenidate
• dextroamphetamine
• HT-0712

External links

• Report of study indicating Adderall more effective than Ritalin for ADHD treatment
• Article by a medical doctor outlining the benefits of Adderall as an ADHD medication
• Adderall Abuse
• Adderall a crutch for students pressed for study time
• Adderall XR® barred in Canada