I have recently been diagnosed ADD, and started on a trial script of Dexamphetamine. I am a 19 year male from Sydney, Australia if that matters?

My question is can anybody point me in the direction of stories/articles of long-term daily use of dex/ritalin etc. pointing out the possible NEGATIVE effects? ie. I want the horror stories, the worst kind of stuff, if there are any.

If not, that's absolutely and totally brilliant. Because I really LOVE being able to think and behave like a "normal" person. You know. Fool them into thinking I;m one too. Or to be serious, handle life and focus properly etc.

Or if you have the time, share your own experiences pointing out the positives and negatives.

So far I have only found positives with my using it, and haven't found any information that tells me anything that is very worrying to me, beyond something about young children dying of enlarged hearts weighing like twice the size of an adults or something. I think possibilites like that are good to be aware of.

I'm trying to weigh up the positives and negatives of daily use, as my doctor has told me I should take them daily.

Any help is very much appreciated.

I think I get what you're asking: "what's the worst-case scenario, just so I know how unlikely it is?"

Ok, just so you understand the numbers, every month roughly 3 million prescriptions for stimulant medications (dextroamphetamine, dextroamphetamine-levoamphetamine mixed, methylphenidate, dexmethylphenidate) are dispensed in the USA. Over the past five years, in which those three million prescriptions are dispensed every month, 25 people have died. Of those 25, at least half (and likely almost all) had a pre-existing cardiovascular condition, and it's fairly obvious that such people should avoid stimulants.

So in five years, out of millions of prescriptions written, 25 people died. For comparison, tylenol (you might call it paracetamol) kills several hundred people every year.

Oh, and dextroamphetamine is the oldest of the ADD medications. It has been used to treat attention and hyperactivity problems since 1937. The only real danger is that people with heart problems, high blood pressure, and related cardiovascular problems should talk to their doctors first, and you should generally check your blood pressure regularly. If you are particularly concerned, you can always get an EKG to check for any unknown pre-existing cardiac abnormalities.

As I said, millions of people use them daily, and have done so since before WWII. For the small minority with cardiovascular problems, it may be dangerous, but most people report only mild side effects (jaw tension, appetite issues, increased sex drive, possible weight loss).

2 questions.
My father suffered a heart attack, but there isn't really a family history of it, do you think I am more at risk?
How can I check my own blood pressure regularly?

I like being able to foreground and back ground stimuli instead of being assaulted by every little sound. I also like the fact that Adderall isn't one of those medications that has to build up in my system so if I want to take a medication holiday I can. I also have dosage flexibility some times I only take half doses all with my doctors permission naturally. I have been on my current medications for years and am experienced in managing my medications.

I don't like having to go to doctor appointments and I dis-like having to take a pills to function. These things may not seem like a big issue at first but after years of having to treat my ADD it can get tiresome.

a year ago I was consuming an inhuman amount of caffeine to self-medicate and the level of that versus the level of dexedrine is more likely to cause heart damage in me and it is the only medicine that has a history with me to be successful... in the venacular I am one of the small percentage of people who are safe to take it, "a good d-amphetamine responder" was the exact phrase. I guess it has this addictive potential but I personally hated the XR LA Concerta idea and ended up having dose issues based on the "graduality" of the meds which caused the wavy level deal and tolerance has been the reason for ritalin failure. I feel it is the safest medicine for me.

2 questions.
My father suffered a heart attack, but there isn't really a family history of it, do you think I am more at risk?
How can I check my own blood pressure regularly?
Depends. Eventually everyone dies of heart failure of some form or another. How old was he when he had a heart attack? If he was elderly, then it was more likely just a symptom of old age. Also, you have to look at environmental factors: did he smoke? Excercise regularly? Was he obese or overweight? Was there arteriosclerosis? High blood pressure? High cholesterol?

What I'm trying to say is that there are numerous factors that can cause a heart attack. What you would worry about with stimulant meds is whether there is a hereditary risk factor at work that would make you naturally more succeptible than an average person.

As for checking your blood pressure, most pharmacies have a little booth with a blood pressure cuff next to the pickup-dropoff window. Usually these are free to use, I know for a fact that the Safeway, Giant, and Rite-Aid pharmacies that I've been to have them. My advice would be to check your blood pressure every time you refill your prescription each month. It is possible to get a home sphygmanometer, but they require some training to use. I think that you would be better off using the pharmacy's machine.

Thanks very much all.

Still not seeing any big negatives.

Hyperion-
If the worst is as you described, the worst is not very bad at all.


meadd823
I like being able to foreground and back ground stimuli instead of being assaulted by every little sound.
Yeah, that's the big bonus isn't it?

Come on guys, where's the big catch?!

My dose is pretty weak. I want to try caps. Are capsules more focusing in a good way than tablets in anyone's opinion?

Thanks again, and in advance.

I came to this site with an interest similar to yours - hoping to find information on long term use (5 - 10 years), and what, if any, are the negative consequences of long term use. You'll find quite a bit of information on this site if you dig deep enough. I've found it very useful.

Read through the sticky called "How to Avoid the ADHD InfoCrush" http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27386

The posting lists a number of threads discussing the use of stimulant medication, and you might find these helpful.

If you have the energy for it, start plowing through old posts on this site. You'll find posts that run the gamut from very positive results, to reports of little efficacy and/or too many side effects, to the occasional negative description of a somewhat troubling experience after a number of years treatment. Some of the negative posts I came across spooked me - no doubt about it - but not enough to dissuade me entirely.

You might also find it worthwhile to research amphetamines in general - their history, chemical structure, mechanism of action, etc.

Read what you can, satisfy your curiousity, and then decide for yourself.

Cool, thanks

Thanks very much all.

Still not seeing any big negatives.

Hyperion-
If the worst is as you described, the worst is not very bad at all.
Yeah, that's my point. There are a few issues for people with specific conditions, but otherwise it's not really a big deal. People get all worried because they erroneously compare it to methamphetamine addicts, which is incorrect because they use much higher doses as well as illicit products which contain all kinds of horrible pollutants. Also, how can I put this politely, drug addicts are not known for their hygeine, which often contributes far more to the deleterious effects than the drugs themselves.

The truth of the matter is that daily administration of low-dose stimulants isn't exceptionally harmful, especially if done under a doctor's guidance. If daily stimulant use were as dangerous as some people would have you believe, Starucks wouldn't be nearly as successful.

The truth of the matter is that daily administration of low-dose stimulants isn't exceptionally harmful-hyperion

So says the doc too, and like I say I haven't heard anything too terrible yet, but from what I've learnt about people it's possible to sell them sh*t and have them believe it's sugar. Doctors have been wrong before. I guess I'm just
sh*t shopping, ie. trying to find the negatives. I'm one of those annoying people who can't just do what he's told, without making it as difficult possible and asking too many questions.

Missing sleep and not noticing.
An irrelevant story.

I've been missing sleep, taking the dex/ too late in the day, and haven't really noticed, and feeling a bit superman-ish about not needing my usual 9-10 hours worth, until yesterday when I realised it was taking me two hours to complete a 5-10 minute tasks.

I wasted the whole day only realising in the late afternoon how bad this was. I was still awake, but couldn't put thoughts together. Kind of like not being on drugs and sleeping "normally" except instead of not being able to sit still and unable concentrate, I could sit still, but still not concentrate.

I wonder how long I've been functioning this poorly and not noticing, just because I don't feel like sleeping?

But this is the worst of my problems with dex/ so far, aside from eating the insides of my own cheeks... I get hungry.

I think I can deal with it.