Why do people compare the street drug speed to stimulants? I assume there is a difference and it’s not a clone?

I’m new to stimulants (Vyvanse/Elvanse).

Here is an excerpt from the American version of The Guardian paper:

In 2014, the adult market for pharmaceutical stimulants in the US overtook the long-reigning children’s market. Thanks to the eagerness of many doctors to prescribe so-called ADHD drugs, every high school in the country is sloshing with enough amphetamine to keep five Panzer divisions awake during an extended Africa campaign. But now, for the first time, you are more likely to find drugs like Vyvanse and Adderall in a corporate office park than a classroom.

There is something unsettling about this continuing growth in prescription stimulants. Even though the pills are as strong as street meth – which in any case metabolizes quickly into dextroamphetamine, the main active ingredient in most ADHD drugs – nobody seems to call this class of drugs by its name: “speed.”

This worries me because I don’t fully understand and am I just reading bad information? I understand there may be similarities in their make up, but what makes the stimulant safer or better tuned to medicated ADHD?

[Birdwatcher19]

The short answer is that amphetamines (Adderall, Vyvanse/Elvanse) are less potent than methamphetamine (“speed”) and prescribed at much lower doses than one would take to get high. Of course, people can and do abuse stimulants; that’s why it’s important to take them only as prescribed. Read more about the differences here: rehabcenter.net/drug-compar...

[Hidden in reply to Birdwatcher19]

I’ve just had a look at the link, thanks for the info. So the the street versions are of a much higher potency, but are they not altered in a way to achieve a different high? I suppose I’m trying to justify to myself taking stimulants and not feel like I’m taking speed as so many half researched reports say :/

[Birdwatcher19 in reply to Hidden]

I’m no expert, but my understanding is that what is generally referred to as speed is methamphetamine, which is very rarely prescribed for ADHD. Most prescription stimulants are either amphetamines or methylphenidate. As you said, they are similar, but not identical. I can understand your concerns, though. For me, I’m comfortable in knowing that when I take my ADHD medication (Ritalin, or methylphenidate), I don’t experience anything like a euphoria or high, as one would with speed (I’m assuming, anyway; I’ve never tried it, so I can only go by what I read). To the contrary, I don’t really feel much of anything when I take it; it just quiets the chatter in my brain enough so I can stay focused on what I need to do (Adderrall was similar when I tried it).

[HadEnuf in reply to Birdwatcher19]

"Speed" refers to any form of amphetamine in abusive quantities.

Meth differs little in potency from prescription stimulants: the difference is in quantity consumed.

>>> Illicit meth users may consume the equivalent of an entire month's ADHD medication (tens of milligrams per day) *in one sitting* (on the order of a gram, give or take). <<<

Methamphetamine itself is merely another "controlled substance"--i.e., illegal to possess without a prescription--and it *is* used therapeutically, in dosage similar to other amphetamines, as well as in mixtures of multiple, amphetamine compounds, *all* of which are*innocuous* in *therapeutic* dosage--and very dangerous in abusive dosage.

As far as I've been able to learn, the prevalence specifically of methamphetamine in illicit use has more to do with ease of synthesis, than anything else.

Incidentally, I know people with ADHD who experimented with street dosage of methamphetamine, with friends: they discovered that they were *unable* to get high on it. By comparison, many people without ADHD experience a high even on therapeutic doses.--some psychiatrists have even claimed this pattern is strong enough to differentiate a diagnosis!

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Yeah. This is sad to read. Netflix also did a documentary on this and I’ve heard of you have adhd, it’s hard to watch. It’s a hard subject to wrap our heads around because adhd only effects about 10% of the population, so 90% of the population view these medications from their perspective. From their perspective it is a drug that is highly addictive, gets them high and improves their performance by increasing focus and alertness. They can stay awake for long periods with it without getting tired. The neuro topical person than wants more because they’re brain is drug seeking. It wants the dopamine rush again. An addicted is born.

But then there is us. The 10%. Our brains work differently. MUCH DIFFERENT!!! We, basically, are already addicts. What I mean by that is, we have a constant dopamine deficiency. Our brains are constantly, relentlessly, looking to fill the void with food or Adrenalin or urgency or pleasures..... it’s never ended. We’re born dopamine seekers. That’s why many of us can fall into substance abuse. We are wired to always be looking. Unfortunately, that’s all our brain think about because it’s deficient naturally. So our brain is constantly busy try to feed the brain dopamine instead of what we should or need to be doing. And it’s very distracting! It takes a lot of control away from us. Someone else is driving up there. For us, these medications don’t get us high. These medications feed our brain the dopamine it’s looking for so that it’s full and we stop seeking. When our brain stops seeking, WE BECOME THE DRIVER OF OURSELVES! We gain control over our own brains (like everyone else already had). Then WE can make decisions, WE can think things through, WE can decide what to do next. Not our dopamine seeking brain. Neuro typical people can’t understand this. I know some try, but unless you have adhd, I don’t personally think it’s possible to understand. We are wired differently. We are a slave to our dopamine deficiency.

Don’t feel bad about taking these medications. We’re not neuro typical people. We have a legitimate deficiency and that deficiency is an extremely disruptive one! We are just filling in the gap. We’re not giving ourselves a high. It was already missing in our brain. We’re just bringing ourselves up to the neuro typical level (well, just below it really, even with medication, adhd is still hard).

I hope this helps.

[Hidden in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Thanks for that I find it hard to explain to family if I bother as I was only diagnosed officially a month or so ago, though I knew before kind of. It’s life changing for some of us when this diagnosis comes along and your past experiences and behaviours fall in to place when Lea ring about it. If your like me, I had the stigmatised thought of a hyperactive young boy. I am mainly inattentive so things didn’t click until I spoke to a psychiatrist for my depression. Where I live (and I think not many places from what I find) there’s not communities or hang outs for people with ADHD to talk face to face and do something. I think there’s something to be done there. I’m kind of fighting with myself that I’ve got it (even though I know I have), guilt, failure at life etc etc.

[Genevieve42 in reply to Hidden]

I would love to find an ADHD support group, too. They must be out there, right? Unless Covid put a stop to all of it.

[Genevieve42 in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

That was a wonderful description. Thanks for taking the time to write all that down. I'll be using some of your words to describe to my family and friends what ADHD is like. Like you said, it's pretty impossible for a neuro-typical person to understand it, but if we can paint a picture that represents the insanity that it feels like.....

[wtfadhd in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Very well said!!!!! Perfectly stated!

[CrabElectronic2650 in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Hi IgnoranceWasNotBliss,

I have had ADHD for a l o n g time. I've been on 30mg of Vyvanse and it has caused me to have high blood pressure (170/120) when my whole 68 years of life I've ALWAYS had 120/80 blood pressure. It has also caused me to get irritable, hostile, and rageful. 4 of my friends have told me I sound like I am speeding. I know I'm NOT getting high. I'm 68 years old, and I've had a friend since I was 18 who told me he wouldn't speak to me until I got off the speed. I got into an argument with him, and was verbally abusive; cursed at him and slammed down the phone on him. I am going to get off the Vyvanse. I was taking a 30mg capsule. When I see my Nurse/Practitioner in 4 days, I am going to ask for three 10mg Vyvanse chewable pills. I have a pill cutter and will cut the 10mg pill in half and slowly get off of Vyvanse. Everyone's body is different and what works for you may not work for me. Even the non-Stimulant ADHD meds Strattera, Qelbree, Clonidine ER all raise your blood pressure & increase your risk of strokes, & heart attacks. My Mom & all the women on my Mom's side of the family died of strokes. My Dad had a major heart attack. Guanfacine lowers your blood pressure sometimes to a dangerous point. Once I'm completely off the Vyvanse, I'm sure my blood pressure will return to 120/80 so I won't need anything to make it lower. I agree with you that people who have ADHD have different brain chemistry. I was wondering if you remember the name of the film on Netflix that was on this subject? If you do, can you please give me the name of it? Thank you. All the very best to you.

[PineapplePrincess]

Doses are much much lower, but the prescription drugs have also been engineered to behave predictably in the body. Let's not forget how meth is made vs prescription drugs.

I've also been diagnosed somewhat recently as an adult, and vyvanse is much safer (per my psychiatrist) than even the levels of caffeine I had been consuming pre-diagnosis. Vyvanse doesn't offer a huge jolt or noticeable "high". As another commentor said, I don't really notice it when it's active in my system, but I do notice when it wears off and I can't grasp a thought long enough to do anything with it.

[Hidden in reply to PineapplePrincess]

Yes same with me. No noticeable high. The problem I’m seeing around different sites and their discussions, is they are describing when it kicks in or a buzz. I expect that would be from say Addedall, but I’m hearing this fro mAddersll users also. To me that’s overdosing surely. Myself, I’m constantly trying to understand how I should feel as it’s a little calming (which is the desired affect, but at the moment (following a large bout of depression before I diagnosis) I have little to gauge my potential focus where it would really really matter in a job as I’m not in work. Strange and frustrating times for me and my experience so far. Hope your doing well with it!