How Does Adderall Compare to Cocaine?

Many stimulants are available today, with some being used for legitimate medical purposes, especially as a treatment for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and others more commonly known as illegal street drugs. While these different substances share many similarities in terms of providing a rush of energy and a boost of dopamine in the brain, there are significant differences between each drug, especially when considering Adderall vs. cocaine. Unfortunately, both can lead to dependence, misuse, and major health problems, including severe drug addiction.

Table of Contents

How Are Adderall and Cocaine Similar in Their Effects?
Can Adderall Be as Addictive as Cocaine?
What Are the Long-Term Risks of Using Adderall or Cocaine?
What our customers are saying
Can Using Adderall Recreationally Lead to Cocaine Use?
Key Takeaways on Adderall vs. Cocaine
Resources

How Are Adderall and Cocaine Similar in Their Effects?

In the context of comparing Adderall vs. cocaine, there are many overlapping similarities, and cocaine can even mimic how medications to treat ADHD affect the user to some extent. Both are stimulants, so they work by speeding up the central nervous system. Users experience things like improved focus, energy levels, and memory. Stimulants boost dopamine in the user’s brain, and people who have ADHD can have problems regulating the level of dopamine in the brain, which is why stimulants at low levels can help them counteract things like poor impulse control or restlessness.

Unlike prescriptions like Adderall, the brand name for stimulant medication mixed amphetamine salts, cocaine can cause many side effects that become serious, including:

• Irregular or fast heartbeats.
• Twitching.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Appetite or sleep changes.
• Cardiac arrest.
• Seizures.
• Strokes.
• Death.

People with ADHD are at a higher risk of eventually developing a substance use disorder, or addiction, and even someone who is legitimately prescribed a medication like Adderall to treat ADHD can start to misuse or depend on the drug beyond the bounds of its medical intent.

Can Adderall Be as Addictive as Cocaine?

Stimulants have a powerful effect on the brain, causing users to feel a rush of energy, renewed focus, and decreased fatigue. That’s why, when looking at Adderall vs. cocaine, there aren’t major differences, with both considered to be highly addictive when misused or abused.

Adderall, a prescription medication primarily used to treat ADHD, can be addictive after misusing it or taking the drug for a long time. That’s why it’s classified as a Schedule II-controlled substance, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and addiction. People who are addicted to Adderall may display many warning signs of a problem, especially a markedly increased tolerance or need to use more of the drug to experience the same effects. Other warning signs include being preoccupied with getting or taking the drug, having intense cravings to use more, and suffering from withdrawal symptoms if they try to stop or reduce how much they’re taking.

Cocaine is considered by some to be the most addictive substance because of how powerful it is and how it affects the user’s brain. People who use this drug can feel euphoric, energetic, happy, focused, and alert, but they can also quickly become irritated, anxious, or even paranoid as their brains’ dopamine levels are increased. Cocaine users often experience debilitating fatigue, depression, and anxiety when they stop using the drug or don’t use as much, and these cocaine withdrawal symptoms can make it extremely difficult to avoid relapsing in order to feel better again.

What Are the Long-Term Risks of Using Adderall or Cocaine?

When considering Adderall vs. cocaine, it’s crucial to realize that both can lead to misuse and addiction, and each drug carries many long-term risks of use.

The many side effects of cocaine addiction include:

• Brain chemistry changes can cause withdrawal symptoms when the drug is no longer used.
• Higher tolerance, or the need to use more of the drug to feel the same effects.
• Anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and panic attacks.
• Paranoia or psychosis.
• Hallucinations.
• Nasal damage (if snorted), such as irritation of the septum, a runny nose, and nosebleeds.
• Cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and strokes.
• Brain bleeding, movement disorders, and cognitive impairment.

Long-term use of Adderall can also cause many problems, such as:

• Misuse or abuse of this prescription drug, such as taking more than prescribed.
• Physical dependence, or a need to use the drug to feel better.
• Possible heart problems, though more research is needed to see if there’s a higher risk of cardiovascular issues from taking ADHD
• medications.
• Psychosis, mania, or aggressive behavior.
• Slowed growth if taken by children.
• Sexual dysfunction, such as a loss of sex drive.

What our customers are saying

Can Using Adderall Recreationally Lead to Cocaine Use?

Some research has shown that people with ADHD might be more susceptible to eventually having an addiction, including to cocaine. One review found nearly one in four people with substance use disorder also have attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Meanwhile, 19% of adults in another study who had cocaine use disorder also had ADHD.

However, there are clearer ties between misusing or abusing Adderall or other prescription stimulants and eventually using cocaine. If not properly treated, the impulse control and attention problems of ADHD can predispose someone to seek out ways of self-medicating to solve the problem, and that can include taking cocaine. Even if someone is diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed a stimulant like Adderall, if they start to misuse this medication, they’re playing a dangerous game that often leads to experimenting with and becoming addicted to other drugs.

One major problem is that stimulants greatly affect the user’s brain chemistry. Enough use allows them to rewire how their brain processes things like motivation, rewards, impulse control, and decision-making. If someone abuses something like Adderall, their brain can start to crave more of these euphoric, energized highs, and that can lead to them seeking out any other drug they can find to accomplish this, even if it means switching from the prescribed and controlled substance Adderall to an illegal street drug like cocaine.

Key Takeaways on Adderall vs. Cocaine

• Stimulants have a powerful effect on the user’s brain chemistry, leading to increased motivation, focus, and a euphoric energy boost.
• Adderall vs. cocaine are different in many ways, but share many common traits of how they affect the people who use them.
• Adderall is a prescription stimulant medication most often used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.
• Cocaine is an illegal street drug known to give users a rush of energy, focus, and a sense of euphoria.
• Both cocaine and Adderall are considered to have a high potential for physical dependence, misuse, and addiction.

There are many stimulants available today, including legitimate prescription medications like Adderall, that can help people with ADHD improve their focus and concentration. However, stimulants have a high potential for misuse and addiction due to their powerful effects on users’ brains, which can quickly lead to a cycle of physical dependence and addiction.

If you or a loved one is struggling with the damaging effects of stimulants, help is available. In California, Muse Treatment’s drug rehab center offers specialized treatment that can help you break the cycle of addiction and learn how to live a better life without these damaging substances. Call us at 800-426-1818 today and learn how we can assist you.

Resources

• Healthline – Understanding the Effects of Cocaine on Those with ADHD
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – Cocaine
• GoodRx – Are There Long-Term Effects of Adderall? 5 Risks and How to Prevent Them