Adderall is a stimulant typically prescribed for ADHD. It’s a common medication and it’s frequently diverted or misused. It sometimes even misused by people who need it for ADHD. Most of the time, Adderall is misused by students who need to get a lot of studying done, as Adderall’s whole purpose is to increase focus and energy. Sometimes it is also just used recreationally as a stimulant. People use alcohol and Adderall together for several reasons. The most common is that people who are prescribed Adderall sometimes drink. Although this is not advised, it is not particularly dangerous if you take the Adderall as prescribed and don’t drink excessively. The real problems start when you take too much Adderall and drink too much alcohol. People sometimes do this to offset the effects of either drug. For example, if you take a lot of Adderall to study, you will probably feel tense and jittery and you might have a few drinks to try to calm down. Another possibility is to use Adderall more like meth or cocaine and take it while drinking to party longer. Neither is a good idea and may have dangerous results. People who take Adderall to party longer are at a greater risk of alcohol poisoning. Typically, alcohol has a sedative effect, but Adderall offsets that, making it harder to judge how intoxicated you are. Whereas you might normally pass out after drinking too much, the Adderall keeps you awake and you can keep drinking. That makes you more likely to drink too much and get alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. Also, taking Adderall while drinking does not negate the effects alcohol has on your judgment and coordination. Adderall only gives you more energy with which to make mistakes. Drinking is also unlikely to calm you down after taking too much Adderall. Taking Adderall and alcohol together only enhances the side effects of both drugs. These might include nausea and vomiting, aggressive behavior, risk taking, and cardiovascular problems. Drinking while taking Adderall significantly increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. There is also an increased risk of seizures. As with most medications, drinking while taking Adderall is not a good idea. If you take Adderall as prescribed, it’s a good idea to keep drinking to a minimum, since each amplifies the side effects of the other and makes it hard to judge your level of intoxication.
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