Adderall History

Final Paper:

Adderall

Jesse Wilde

Professor Ledley

NASC-110

12/15/15

Table of Contents:

Adderall History

Adderall Overview

Gene Overview

Protein Overview

Biological Pathway

Why Do I Care?

Glossary

References

Adderall History

Amphetamine was a drug first synthesized in 1887 by a Romanian chemist named Lazar Edelaenu. The effects of amphetamines were never discovered until 1929, when a biochemist by the name Gorden Alles tested it on himself. He found that the drug gave him a feeling of well-being but also led to the inability to sleep due to racing thoughts. He published his findings in 1932 and patented his own synthesized versions: amphetamine sulfate and amphetamine hydrochloride. (Benson, 2015). A new form of amphetamine soon became a popular decongestant inhaler by 1934 and was known as Benzedrine. It became known as the Adderall of its day as students from all backgrounds began to use the stimulant to stay up late to continue studying. Then during World War II amphetamine, and its close relative methamphetamine, became popular as soldier. Both the allied forces and Nazis used the drugs and it was estimated more than 200 million methamphetamine pills were distributed to the Nazi force from 1939 – 1940.  By the 1950’s amphetamine-based drugs such as Benzedrine Sulfate became popular weight loss and antidepressant for housewives as well as creative sources of fuel for writers. (Benson, 2015). Due to its growing popularity in both the medical and recreational “drug realms”, amphetamine based products soon became targets of legislation. Benson explains, “Using amphetamines without a prescription was made illegal in the U.S. with Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970” but, “many of the same amphetamines were still prescribed by doctors into the 1980s” (Benson, 2015). Today methamphetamines and drugs like Adderall are considered schedule two narcotics. According to the DEA this means they have a high potential for abuse and also could lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

Adderall Overview

Adderall is a combination of salts synthesized with amphetamines, which are defined as, “A colorless, volatile liquid, C9H13N, used as a central nervous system stimulant in the treatment of certain conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and narcolepsy, and used illegally as a stimulant” (“Amphetamine”, 2003). Adderall or amphetamine salts is a primary medication used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. This drug is made up of a combination of salts from the 2 enantiomers of amphetamine: dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine. Specifically it is composed of equally of amphetamine aspartate monohydrate, amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine sulfate and dextroamphetamine saccharate. Adderall works by increasing the activity of the dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. There are two types of amphetamine salts currently offered in the drug market. Instant Release, which releases the dose immediately, with the effects being felt within 15-25 minutes and lasting around 8 hours, peaking at hour 3-4. Extended Release is the other type of Adderall offered, with this pill the dosage is slowly and evenly administered over an average twelve-hour life span. While the effects of the medication are felt slower than the instant release dose, this dose lasts longer and eliminates the major highs and crash. Because this drug effects how neurotransmitters function there are many side effects however the severity is largely based in part by the amount of the medication ingested. The most common and noticeable is the increased heart rate which could lead to increased heart rate, Raynaud’s Phenomenon and even myocardial infarction. Other notable physical side effects include erectile dysfunction, loss of appetite, grinding teeth and weight loss. This drug also has psychological effects, such as anxiety, irritability, mood swings and depression. Due to Adderall’s’ chemical composition and tendencies this drug has been classified as a schedule two controlled substance. This means that it carries a moderately-high chance of addiction, the same risk of other drugs such as cocaine, opium and morphine.