Adderall overdose symptoms should be met with swift and discretionary action for anybody experiencing or witnessing an overdose. The problem is most don’t know how to spot the symptoms. we’re here to help you observe those red flags. Consult the following blueprint to know the signs, dangers, and recovery options for addiction and Adderall overdose symptoms. Then, follow up by speaking to our caring treatment staff about a recovery option that suits your needs.
What are the Physical Symptoms of an Adderall Overdose?
Physical Adderall overdose symptoms are very noticeably evident if you know what signs to observe. Seek immediate medical attention if you or a loved one are exhibiting any of the following Adderall overdose symptoms.
Uncontrollable Shakes
Because Adderall heavily impacts the central nervous system, Adderall overdoses often induce uncontrollable tremors in the arms, legs, or head. This occurs due to an excessive dosage of Adderall overwhelming the central nervous system, overstimulating the nerves throughout the body. If left untreated over the next few minutes or hours, it can lead to seizures and death.
Difficulty Catching Your Breath
Excessive panting or heavy breathing despite being sedentary is a sure sign of an Adderall overdose. This means despite rapid or deep breathing, one experiencing an Adderall overdose will struggle to catch their breath. This is the result of several impacts on the respiratory system that vary per individual overdose response. Eventually, this can cause someone to go dangerously unconscious.
Chest Pains
Dull or sharp aches in your chest following Adderall use can be one of the most dangerous Adderall overdose symptoms. These pains can be due to a wide variety of underlying heart effects caused by excessive Adderall use. These aches can be throbbing, searing, aching, or waves of pain, all variable feelings depending on the individual reaction. Don’t ignore any feelings of chest pain, especially in the case of a potential Adderall overdose.
Heart Palpitations or Heart Rhythm Irregularities
Too much of a dosage of Adderall causes your heart to work overtime. This throws your heart out of its usual patterns, causing palpitations and an irregular heartbeat. If you suspect you are experiencing heart palpitations or rhythm irregularities, seek medical help immediately. Failure to do so can result in eventual cardiac arrest as the heart becomes overloaded by the overdose.
Raised Body Temperature
Your body is built to maintain the regular 98.6 F body temperature. Adderall, when used in excess, takes such a toll on your central nervous system that it destabilizes your body temperature regulators. This, in conjunction with organs having to work overtime due to overdose strain, causes body temperature to rise to dangerous levels. Once the body exceeds 105 degrees Fahrenheit, organs begin to shut down and permanent brain damage can occur. Without immediate emergency assistance, death is not far away once this dangerous overdose symptom is onset.
What are the Mental and Emotional Symptoms of an Adderall Overdose?
Adderall overdose symptoms not only show themselves through physical signs. They reveal themselves through mental and emotional outputs. Here are just a few of those emotional and mental manifestations of an Adderall overdose.
Hallucinations
Adderall is not a hallucinogen, however, in the case of overdose it can cause hallucinatory effects. These hallucinations can be auditory, visual, or both, depending on the overdose severity and personal reaction. From a third-party perspective, it can be difficult to spot an individual specifically experiencing an overdose-induced hallucinatory episode. However, you can notice unusual behavior that indicates something isn’t right. Rest assured, this overdose symptom is no less severe than the others.
Abnormal Aggression
When the mind has been strained with too high a dosage, it can result in unharnessed aggression. This aggression can be manifested vocally or physically, often without any apparent cause. There may not even be a reason for it other than the body’s unharnessed emotional expression that something is wrong. Overdose-based aggression will come suddenly and be completely out of nowhere. The sufferer may not even be angry. This is the body’s way of screaming for help and you should listen by taking swift, immediate action.
Extreme Anxiety and Paranoia
Too much Adderall induces extreme paranoia and severe anxiety to panic degrees. If left unchecked, this paranoia and anxiety can lead to panic attacks stemming from an Adderall overdose. These forms of anxiety and paranoia, though mental symptoms, will often manifest themselves through several behavioral cues. This would include the likes of body tremors, rapid head or eye movements, and other paranoid behaviors. These mental manifestations also lead to possible seizures and other life-threatening issues.
Serotonin Syndrome
This is one of the symptoms that is most likely when mixed with other serotonin-stimulating drugs. Put simply, serotonin syndrome is a condition when serotonin has been so overstimulated that there are too many pleasure cells in the body. This causes serotonin to these levels to become toxic to the body. When this occurs, your body goes into “fight-or-flight” as it struggles to produce oxygen levels sufficient to support the amount of serotonin in your body. This overdose reaction can induce nausea and vomiting as an attempt to reduce serotonin stimulation. It also may knock you out. This means it attempts to repair, resulting in passing out or even comas, as the body repairs best in a state of sleep.
How Much Adderall Can Lead to an Overdose?
Dosages for those with ADHD customarily range anywhere between 5-40 milligrams per dose. Consequently, reports show that a dose of around 120 mg is enough to kill an adult. Even less can have fatal consequences for an individual under the age of 18. With the rising tolerance levels of an addict, it’s vital to stop the inevitable increased dosages required to continually chase the high. Get the help you need before it’s too late.
What is the Role of Polydrug Use in Adderall Overdoses?
Polydrug use, meaning the use of one or more drugs in conjunction with Adderall simultaneously, magnifies the likelihood of overdose. Using any other substances while under the influence of Adderall, magnifies Adderall potency, taking less dosage to induce fatal outcomes. The magnitude of Adderall’s heightened potency depends on the type of drug used in conjunction with it. Bear in mind, that the dosage of other drugs used also plays a role in heightening Adderall’s effects, potency, and potential counteractive effects.
What are the Potential Long-Term Effects of an Adderall Overdose?
There are a wide variety of long-term or permanent consequences of an Adderall overdose. The following potential long-term effects can be life-threatening without continued medical maintenance.
Neurological Deficiencies
Adderall overdoses can be so taxing on the body that your central nervous system becomes permanently compromised. This opens the floodgates to several neurological deficiencies such as ALS, strokes, Alzheimer’s, and even Parkinson’s. Though some of these conditions are developed later in life, an Adderall overdose increases the likelihood of developing these conditions later in life. Though these deficiencies may always remain, there are medications that can help diminish some permanent damage done by an Adderall overdose. However, the most helpful remedy to diminish long-term neurological deficiencies is to stop abusing Adderall immediately.
Intracerebral Hemorrhage
As given away by the name, an intracerebral hemorrhage is internal bleeding in the brain. This is caused by bursting blood vessels anywhere in the brain’s tissue structure. In Adderall overdose cases, intracerebral hemorrhages are caused by abnormally high blood pressure, clotting, or drug-induced trauma to the brain. If a brain hemorrhage occurs, death soon follows unless medical help is nearby. Even if one with an intracerebral hemorrhage recovers, there is likely irreparable damage done to the brain’s tissue structure.
Rhabdomyolysis
This is a condition where muscle tissue destroys itself through rapidly weakening muscle structure. This process triggers an unnatural chemical release of myoglobin proteins. This mass release of myoglobin comes from the skeletal structure. Once in the bloodstream, these proteins, in conjunction with muscle breakdown, cause significant, potentially permanent damage to the kidneys and heart.
Adderall Dependency
Even if you recover from the initial danger of an Adderall overdose, the excess dosage may inflict an SUD problem. This can also be the case even if it was your first time using Adderall. This means you’ve consumed so much of the drug in one sitting that your body has developed a dependency on amphetamines. This is no less harmful than other long-term effects, making the other long-term harms a continual threat with prolonged use. If you believe you or someone you love may have developed an Adderall addiction, get the help you need now.
What Do You Do When You Suspect an Adderall Overdose?
If you suspect you are witnessing or experiencing an Adderall overdose, immediately seek medical help. As simple as it may seem, you’d be surprised how many ignore the signs or pass them off as simply odd behavior. This is mainly because, as alluded to earlier, many don’t know how to pinpoint the warning signs of an overdose. Now you know the warning signs and can take appropriate action under such conditions of a suspected Adderall overdose.
Seek Help for Adderall Misuse and Addiction Today
Agape Treatment Center is the go-to solution for all of your addiction struggles. Seeking help through our state-of-the-art treatment programs will give you the peace of mind you’ve always dreamed of. We fortify your support system by equipping you with all the training, and relapse prevention techniques in coordination with family and doctor support. Our unmatched treatment methods give you the thorough structure you need to live a life free of addiction.
Stephanie Robilio is an accomplished Clinical Director at Agape Behavioral Healthcare. With a Master of Social Work degree, LCSW license, and extensive training in Rapid Resolution Therapy under her belt, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Her unique combination of education and experience allows her to provide exceptional care to clients and lead her team with confidence. Stephanie’s joy comes from witnessing the moments when her patients creatively connect the dots and bravely move toward reclaiming their power. Her purpose is to help individuals understand their past so they can create a future full of hope, growth, and success. Stephanie attributes a large portion of her success to the supportive culture and strong sense of community fostered by the Agape team.
