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Interesting that two of the cases discussed mention a prescription of amphetamines, which they describe as harmful. Did these differ substantially to the doses

Interesting that two of the cases discussed mention a prescription of amphetamines, which they describe as harmful. Did these differ substantially to the doses we prescribe for ADHD nowadays?

amanaplanacanal 5y ago
I don’t have an answer to your question, but I will point out that the effects of stimulants on someone with adhd are different from the effects they have on a neurotypical person.
CoastalCoder 5y ago
FWIW, I have ADD and sometimes take (prescribed) Adderall, i.e. amphetamine salts. They absolutely have an unwelcome impact on my mood and thoughts. I judge the tradeoff to be worthwhile, but it's a close call.
- throwawy5777 5y ago
  Me too, and also I think the trade-off worthwhile, which is why I ask this question. I hope in the future people will have found a better treatment for ADHD. Maybe they'll look back at the medications currently used in a similar way as this article does.
briHass 5y ago
I would wager the amphetamine doses given in those 2 examples were quite different than what is typically prescribed by (responsible) Drs treating ADHD today. In Eden's case, it mentions that he was actually using Dexamyl[1], which is actually a amphetamine mixed with a barbituate. Though the dose isn't given, I'd imagine it was 'as needed' and largely uncontrolled. Uppers + downers tends to lead to bad results. In JFK's case, he was treated by Max Jacobson a.k.a. 'Dr Feelgood'[2,3], and it wasn't just amphetamines; he made up injections of all kinds of vitamins, steroids, and speed. Again, it was 'as needed' and likely overdosed. Dr Jacobson would ultimately lose his medical license. For ADHD, the maximum daily limit for amphetamine salts is 60mg in adults, and the recommended dose for ADHD is no more than 40mg/day. At those levels, there isn't a ton of evidence of deleterious effects, certainly not psychosis, as long as sleep isn't overly impacted. A carefully controlled max dose of 40-60mg a day is a far cry from the days of 'poppin' bennies' ad libitum. As a side note, one has to wonder if the last, and almost certainly the current, US Presidents were/are prescribed stimulants. President Trump speaks for himself, but even President Biden seems to range widely in his level of energy and lucidity. With a job so important, where appearances matter, and with a team of doctors that can give you whatever they want, I think it would be naive to think they don't write Adderall scripts. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexamyl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexamyl [2] https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/john-f-kennedy-max-jacobson https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/john-f-kennedy-ma... [3] https://www.historynet.com/jack-kennedy-dr-feelgood/ https://www.historynet.com/jack-kennedy-dr-feelgood/

Interesting that two of the cases discussed mention a prescription of amphetamines, which they describe as harmful. Did these differ substantially to the doses we prescribe for ADHD nowadays?

amanaplanacanal 5y ago

I don’t have an answer to your question, but I will point out that the effects of stimulants on someone with adhd are different from the effects they have on a neurotypical person.

CoastalCoder 5y ago

FWIW, I have ADD and sometimes take (prescribed) Adderall, i.e. amphetamine salts. They absolutely have an unwelcome impact on my mood and thoughts. I judge the tradeoff to be worthwhile, but it's a close call.

throwawy5777 5y ago
Me too, and also I think the trade-off worthwhile, which is why I ask this question. I hope in the future people will have found a better treatment for ADHD. Maybe they'll look back at the medications currently used in a similar way as this article does.

briHass 5y ago

I would wager the amphetamine doses given in those 2 examples were quite different than what is typically prescribed by (responsible) Drs treating ADHD today. In Eden's case, it mentions that he was actually using Dexamyl[1], which is actually a amphetamine mixed with a barbituate. Though the dose isn't given, I'd imagine it was 'as needed' and largely uncontrolled. Uppers + downers tends to lead to bad results. In JFK's case, he was treated by Max Jacobson a.k.a. 'Dr Feelgood'[2,3], and it wasn't just amphetamines; he made up injections of all kinds of vitamins, steroids, and speed. Again, it was 'as needed' and likely overdosed. Dr Jacobson would ultimately lose his medical license. For ADHD, the maximum daily limit for amphetamine salts is 60mg in adults, and the recommended dose for ADHD is no more than 40mg/day. At those levels, there isn't a ton of evidence of deleterious effects, certainly not psychosis, as long as sleep isn't overly impacted. A carefully controlled max dose of 40-60mg a day is a far cry from the days of 'poppin' bennies' ad libitum. As a side note, one has to wonder if the last, and almost certainly the current, US Presidents were/are prescribed stimulants. President Trump speaks for himself, but even President Biden seems to range widely in his level of energy and lucidity. With a job so important, where appearances matter, and with a team of doctors that can give you whatever they want, I think it would be naive to think they don't write Adderall scripts. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexamyl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexamyl [2] https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/john-f-kennedy-max-jacobson https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/john-f-kennedy-ma... [3] https://www.historynet.com/jack-kennedy-dr-feelgood/ https://www.historynet.com/jack-kennedy-dr-feelgood/