Does Adderall have any effects on the liver...(alcoholics)?I am asking this for my dad, he has been an alcoholic for 25 years and has recently been introduced to Adderall through some coworkers. He thinks because it helps him work through the night and concentrate he has ADD.
I tried to tell him NO doctor in their right mind is going to prescribe him this medication with his history of alcoholism, as that is one of the main questions they ask when you are going through the testing period.
I'm not sure of his exact medical conditions, but with drinking excessivly for 25+ years, I'm sure his liver is shot....he says he had a mini stroke while trying to detox a couple of years back, has pre-cancer cells in throat and he STILL wakes up to a shot of vodka in the am.
I am specifically looking for info on adderall/alcohol/effect on the liver...I know the basics of the meds as I have taken it for 2 years (I myself don't drink simply because of my father).
I am not a moron and know not to mix meds/alcohol, but I need a way to make my dad "get it
Answer by Mona Lisa
Have you had any success in getting your dad to "get it" about anything?
I didn't think so.
People "get" things when they want to, not necessarily when they need to, and that's just something you can't control.
Answer by Daisy
Well, I looked it up on webmd.com and I don't see where adderall has an effect on the liver but it certainly could. I'm not sure if a doctor would prescribe it to him or not but I'm thinking not. Adderall is an amphetamine so I'm sure it is helping him big time to work thru the night as that's what amphetamines do. The problem with amphetamines though is that they are highly addictive and once the body becomes accustomed to them, it needs higher and higher doses to achieve the same feeling. What concerns me about this is that he already has an addictive personality so this is something he could be abusing and will continue to abuse in addition to the alcohol problem.
Now as for finding a way to make him "get it", I do not think it is possible for you to do that. I'm not trying to be mean or anything but I was in the exact same position as you so I completely understand. My dad has been an alcoholic for years. We first became aware that it was a problem in 1990. None of us (me, mom, brother, his employer) could never make him get it. Two DUIs didn't make him get it. He had to get it for himself. He was very sick for the last 5 years and his liver was shot. We helped keep him alive and it took him almost dying several times to finally get it and to seek treatment and even then he didn't want to go and we had to bully him into it. He went to treatment for a month and dried out and almost a year later he got a new liver and is doing much better and not drinking.
Anyway, long story, sorry to go off on a tangent like that but I thought it might help in your situation. I wish you the best as I know just what you're going thru.
Answer by mimisnan
I recently researched the effects of Adderall on the liver and found almost nothing. But I do know from personal experience that it can interfere with liver function in "some" people. I have grandchildren who live with me, a girl (mildly Hyper but severe ADD) and a boy (severe ADHD). They were both taking Adderall. His Liver Function tests showed only moderately elevated levels and his dosage was much higher and he had been taking it for several years. Her's were so elevated after taking it for only a few months that she was taken off meds completely and the doctor's office scheduled an appointment at Texas Children's Liver Center. He was immediately changed to another medication and further test levels were back to normal. We had to wait three months for the hospital appointment and she had tests done once per month while we waited. Her test levels returned to almost normal and the appointment was canceled. It was apparently the Adderall that caused the abnormal liver function. Since there may be no symptoms of liver malfunction in the early stages, I suggest the next time you see your doctor ask for a Liver Function test, just to be safe.
I would think that the reason he says he can better work all night and concentrate better with the Adderall is that it may be counteracting some of the alcohol's effects. Adderall to those who do not have ADHD is a stimulant and alcohol is a Central Nervous System depressant. He is just making an excuse for adding another addiction to the one he already has, alcohol.
There may be nothing you can do to convince him. I've always heard it said that you can't help someone that isn't ready to be helped. I guess that's true or I would have given up cigarettes long ago.
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