Is Adderall Speed? (Page 4)

Why are so many responders referring to Adderall as Speed? From my understanding, speed is a methamphetamine? Just wondering because I am considering Adderall as a possible alternative to Ritalin but don't want to take Speed!

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Adderall and Ritalin are both close enough to the the classic idea of what most people would think of when they think of 'speed'.
The thing is, (have not read all the replies, hope this isn't just rehashing what others may have written here), Anyway, the thing is that Ritalin does in fact stimulate the brain, but in a **properly** diagnosed case of hyperactivity, you have to know just what it is that it is 'stimulating'. The thinking goes that Ritalin, (and maybe Adderall, which I know less about, since I don't believe that it works as well for me as Ritalin), that Ritalin is stimulating the reticular activating system. Here's a snippet from a relevant article: *** "In addition, the RAS acts as a filter, damping down the effect of repeated stimuli such as loud noises, helping to prevent the senses from being overloaded."*** THIS is the reason that it works for me, (the Ritalin, that is). The damping effect on certain stimuli, which is thought to have an effect on 'distractibility'. Long story short, the 'paradoxical effect' of giving a child speed *to calm them down*, is because it's 'speeding up' a part of the brain that NEEDS 'speeding up' because it's not doing it's job. The sharpest neurologist I ever worked with put it best: “The system is like a traffic cop directing things, prioritizing things, making sure the higher brain centers aren't deluged with a lot of useless information. In your case, you've got your traffic cop all dressed up in uniform, standing at his post, and eating a donut instead of directing the traffic.” I loved that analogy.

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That's the highest dosage I've ever heard 120mg/ daily? Wow, but if it works, then you do what ya gotta do.

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Adderall's generic name is amphetamine salts. I have never seen it called METHamphetamine.

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I guess I am different from other people but I have actually decreased my intake of adderall. I was at 40mg and my new doctor reduced it down to 20mg and I prefer to take 10mg. I take it once in the morning and I am okay for the rest of the day. My mind runs like crazy and with the adderall I am able to concentrate better. I wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult at 24 but I was able to control myself in grade school, high school, and college and did quite well in all. I went from 40mg to cold turkey and was really tired and lethargic for a month but I didn't have any weird withdrawal symptoms. I prefer being at 10mg even though I am supposed to take 10mg BID but I have noticed I don't need the 20mg unless I have to concentrate well into the evening which is not very often. I am one of those individuals that have ADD and an anxiety disorder. Maybe that is why I did well in school the anxiety part always made me want to do well so I was able to cope with my ADD. I do remember my mind just wondering off in class and other places but I was still able to get my work done at home. I had to be alone in a room and it needed to be quiet nothing to distract me.

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It's got a reputation for abuse amongst people who do, in fact, get a spurt of energy from it. I've mentioned before it is a stimulant, but it's one that has the often-mentioned "paradoxical effect' of calming true ADD brains down, because of WHAT it stimulates. No need to go into that further, my description is on this page somewhere. I will say, for my part, Ritalin works quite a bit better than Adderall did.

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I took it for a while four at a time and it sped me up. I quit because I was becoming dependant on it. It didn't do me that way as a child but when I got older and took more than my dosage I never ate or slept.

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irresponsible is all I have to say on that statement.

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What did you find the difference between the Ritalin and the adderal was? Thank uou

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I've been taking 40miligrams and as an adult have never abused it or taken more than prescribed. Sorry you had such a hard time. But it sounds like since you had a bad experience knowing full well the consequences. Attempting to scare people is irresponsible and helps nothing. Sounds like it's a issue you have that needs to be addressed and not the adderal's fault but good luch

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#1 it's been a few minutes since the 80's. So to think things in medication hasn't changed makes you purposely un-educated.
#2 sounds like you didn't follow a schedule.
#3 adderal is usually in addition to therapy.
#4. Sorry you've had a hard time. But you've had at minimum 2 decades to deal with this issue.

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i read these posts because i wanna use adderal as an aid to get off the chrystal. yes the body builds immunity and side effects go away after a few weeks but the nightmare gets worse in a kind of comfortsble way. from 13-maybe 18/20 packets 20$usd converted i assume 1g ,will adderal even work. the GP prescribed me benzos snd i feel terrible from it , valium is less synthetic and works but the doctors on south africa refuse to prescribe it. 5x rehab in 10years is clearly not the answer, but what they taught me is,and that needs to wait a week or three..pls any advice may help alot ..preferably from own experience

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That's called addiction! If you built up that high of a tolerance, you kept taking more and more cuz you needed that feeling and didn't want to go without it!

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Good advice - HOWEVER, I was on 180 mgs a day for several months. I am only 5' tall and weigh 115! My doctor, a GP, decided I need to get it from a psychiatrist instead of him. I went to a psych and he will not script anybody for more than 60mg a day, yet I need 80mg minimum to function from 8am to 7pm. One pill wears off in an hour - maybe because they have too much fillers in them...too bad right? So, I am out half the month and I have to make ALL my arrangements to fit into those two weeks, because without adderall, my brain is scrambled and unmotivated. Then depression rears its ugly head from hiding in the adderall. I KNOW 180mgs is a lot, but I didn't die! OR get sick...I just took less because I didn't need that much. My psych is merely a legal drug dealer and he thinks ONE SIZE FITS ALL. This is one big expensive, half-fruitless effort to keep a straight mind. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I DO HAVE A STRAIT MIND! It takes me FOREVER to write these things...sheesh...btw, the drug abusers aren't necessarily victims of ADD...they just love to feel euphoria...doesn't everybody?

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