According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center, 10 percent of college use stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall illegally at some point. Typically used to treat ADHD, illegal use of these drugs jumped 20 percent between 2004 and 2005.

"'Most students who use their friend’s stimulants do it to improve performance,' said Scott Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of the Florida Recovery Center at UF. 'It's like athletes taking steroids - the idea that you can study better, harder, longer, as if you were hitting a ball farther.'"

Students who abuse prescription drugs are often already behind in school, which is why they need to cram. Overall, their academic performance is worse than that of other students. Abuse of prescription drugs has increased sharply in the past several years, and is now more common that the uses of crack/cocaine, Ecstasy, heroin and methamphetamine combined.

Read more at News-Medical.net.

Labels: college_students, prescription_drugs, stimulants

Because substance abuse is prevalent among people with ADHD, doctors have struggled to determine which should be treated first and how best to treat them simultaneously. Scott H. Kollins, Ph.D, of Duke University recently presented his recommendations at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress meeting.

"In assessment of ADHD, Dr. Kollins suggested collecting a detailed substance abuse history, particularly for high-risk patients - adolescents, those with a family history of substance abuse, and those with comorbid conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder."

Patients who are at a higher risk for substance abuse should be monitored more closely, and there are alternative medications available for use to treat the ADHD symptoms. The stimulant medication Vyvanse was recently approved by the FDA and is believed to have much less abuse potential than other medications. Read more at PsychiatricTimes.com.

Labels: adhd, medications, stimulants

The drug is nicknamed "dex", but is commonly known as Dextroamphetamine or Dexedrine. It's a stimulant that prescribed to patients who have ADHD, but some Canadian college students have begun using it to help them cram for finals.

"One first-year U of C business student told a Calgary TV station that he buys Dexedrine for $5 a pill from a friend with ADHD. He said dex keeps him extra-focused for hours of hard-core studying and also while he's writing exams."

One of the dangers of misusing Dexedrine is that is can aggravate existing medical conditions like high blood pressure, and there is a risk of psychological addiction. Read more at EdmontonSun.com.

Labels: prescription drugs, stimulants, students

A recent study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has found that cocaine and amphetamine users are at an increased risk for strokes.

"Stimulants such as cocaine raise blood pressure and trigger spasms in blood vessels, causing vessel narrowing, according to the study. Amphetamine abuse is linked to a higher risk of death in hemorrhagic strokes..."

Cocaine and methamphetamine are the second- and fifth-most abused drugs in the nation, and methamphetamine use has been increasing recently in southwestern and Midwestern states. Read more online.

Labels: cocaine, death, stimulants