Drug Trip: Amphetamines Day 00

See Drug Trip Introduction to learn more about my medically-induced journey of self-discovery.

I will begin my treatment of Adderall in a few days. Actually, no, I will be taking the generic equivalent, Amphetamine Salts (10mg). I am doing so in the hopes of reducing some of the symptoms of my Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis so that I can concentrate on working through some other psychological issues of mine, or better yet, so I can concentrate enough to study on things like Chinese, German, PHP, C, Javascript, studying for the FSOT, or the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers or some other things.

Adderall (10mg):	Amphetamine Salts (10mg):
Dextroamphetamine Saccharate	Dextroamphetamine Saccharate
Dextroamphetamine Sulfate	Dextroamphetamine Sulfate
Amphetamine Sulfate	Amphetamine Aspartate

I chose to take the short term version which only lasts for 4-6 hours at a time. While the instructions tell me to take two daily, I very likely will only be taking one a day on days that I wish to see how it affects me. My doctor recommended I take a half dose first. 10mg of Amphetamine salt has a half life of about 10 hours and supposedly will leave your system in 2 days.

Dextroamphetamine is a stimulant in the phenethylamine class and is used to treat Narcolepsy and ADHD. In addition to that historically it has been used to improve performance in WWII soldiers. Today it is a common "study drug" used by students to make doing difficult and boring tasks more pleasurable. Therapeutic (safe) doses enhance cognitive performance such as:

• Working memory
• Task accomplishment
• Wakefulness
• Concentration
• Decreased impulsiveness
• Decreased fatigue
• Self confidence
• Sociability

Recreational (unsafe) uses of Amphetamines are cited as being used as an euphoriant and aphrodisiac, and are also used to energize and increase the confidence of party goers. My doctor told me about drug abusers who will crush and snort Amphetamines, but recommended against doing so with tablets since they have to be metabolized by the liver. Athletes have also used it for better physical performance such as increased stamina, strength, and acceleration while reducing reaction time.

I will be analyzing very closely how Amphetamines affects me in order to better understand how my own brain works and to decide whether or not I should take Amphetamines on a more long term basis. The things I will be looking closely at include (but are not limited to):

• My general attentiveness to detail and my environment
• Activity and energy levels especially on bad days
• Ability to focus on tasks such as studying, making phone calls, tackling to-do list items etc.
• The intensity of my own emotions and how I react to others'
• My compulsiveness during social interactions such as not taking turns or listening
• Libido and sexual activity levels
• Circulation problems such as irregular heartbeat, or numbness in the toes or fingers
• Psychological problems such as euphoria (which I might mistaken for mania or a mixed state), anxiety, irritability, or mood swings

What I am worried about most are other psychological side effects. Because I have more than one disorder I have no idea what to expect as far as how Amphetamines will affect my moods or social skills or triggers. Documented negative side affects include:

• New or worse behavior and thought problems
• New or worse bipolar illness
• New or worse aggressive behavior or hostility

Other side affects I want to watch out for may be related to documented circulation problems, weight loss, insomnia, and libido increase. These would be serious reasons why I would not want to continue taking Amphetamines.