They started prying open the inhaler, taking out the cotton, and either eating or injecting the drug. By the mid s, newly available Benzendrine salts were put in pills and prescribed for sleep disorders, depression and weight loss.
As America geared up for war, the pills showed promise as a weapon, too. Just days after the United States entered World War II, Northwestern University physiologist Andrew Ivy submitted a proposal that suggested the Office of Science Research and Development , a federal agency that conducted military medical research, test Benzedrine against other wakefulness aids. Ivy immediately began testing Benzedrine tablets against methamphetamine—an amphetamine derivative rumored to have fueled the German Blitz against Britain—and caffeine.
Over time, though, he became more and more convinced that it was worth prescribing, despite test results that showed it was habit-forming and little evidence of its effects on judgment. Decades later, Ivy would be indicted , but not convicted, in connection with boosting a disproven cancer treatment called krebiozen. Soon, Benzedrine could be found on the battlefield. Hundreds of thousands of packets of 5mg pills were issued to soldiers by field medics, and airmen were allotted two Benzedrine inhalers per combat year.
The U. The British military studied and used Benzedrine, too, and stimulants became as normal in battle as flak helmets and canteens. Despite warnings from American top brass to use amphetamines with caution, the drugs gained immediate popularity—and the same top brass that issued official guidelines looked the other way when their recommendations were ignored.
There was good reason for both enlisted men and their officers to like Benzedrine on the battlefield. It was hard to sleep while under, say, artillery fire, and soldiers often had to shelter in inclement conditions. As the war progressed, more and more military members accrued a significant sleep debt. It also changed the way men fought. Under the influence, soldiers who might have otherwise exhibited signs of fear or anxiety in the face of their military duties seemed confident, purposeful.
Military psychiatrists rationalized prescribing amphetamine, he says, by citing its physical properties. By the end of war, estimates Rasmussen , up to 16 million Americans had been exposed to Benzedrine pills. This helped normalize amphetamine use—and when the war was over, civilian use skyrocketed. Researchers had known for decades that amphetamines suppress appetite, but specific formulations for weight loss only took off after World War II.
As soon as the war ended, they hired Charles Ivy—the same man who helped introduce Benzendrine to the armed forces—to conduct a study on amphetamine toxicity.
Unsurprisingly, he concluded that amphetamine was safe for weight loss. SKF went on to diversify its amphetamine business, peddling the drugs for both weight loss and depression for decades. It had competition: drugs like Clarkotabs, which combined amphetamine salts with thyroid and other compounds. Patients in search of weight loss would receive a short consultation and a prescription that was filled in a compounding pharmacy, usually one that gave kickbacks to the prescribing doctor.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet Medication Guide when you begin treatment with dextroamphetamine and amphetamine and each time you get more medication. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
The combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine Adderall, Adderall XR, Mydayis is used as part of a treatment program to control symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD; more difficulty focusing, controlling actions, and remaining still or quiet than other people who are the same age.
Adderall is used to treat ADHD in adults and children 3 years of age and older. Mydayis is used to treat ADHD in adults and children 13 years of age and older. Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine Adderall is also used to treat narcolepsy a sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden attacks of sleep in adults and children 12 years of age and older. The combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine is in a class of medications called central nervous system stimulants.
It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain. The combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine comes as an immediate-relase tablet Adderall and as an extended-release long-acting capsule Adderall XR, Mydayis to take by mouth.
The immediate-release tablet Adderall is usually taken 2 to 3 times daily, 4 to 6 hours apart, with or without food. The extended-release capsule Adderall XR is usually taken upon awakening with or without food. The extended-release capsule Mydayis is usually taken upon awakening and must be taken consistently either with or without food.
Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine combination should not be taken in the late afternoon or evening because it may cause difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take dextroamphetamine and amphetamine exactly as directed.
Swallow the extended-release capsules whole; do not chew or crush them. If you are unable to swallow the extended-release capsule, you may open the capsule and sprinkle the entire contents on a teaspoonful of applesauce.
Swallow this mixture right away without chewing. Do not store the applesauce and medication mixture for future use, and do not divide the contents of one capsule into more than one dose. Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine and increase your dose gradually, not more often than once every week.
Your doctor may tell you to stop taking dextroamphetamine and amphetamine from time to time to see if the medication is still needed. Follow these directions carefully. The medication in each product is absorbed differently by the body, so one dextroamphetamine and amphetamine product cannot be substituted for another product.
If you are switching from one product to another, your doctor will prescribe a dose that is best for you. The combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine should not be used to treat excessive tiredness that is not caused by narcolepsy. This medication may be prescribed for other conditions; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
If you miss your dose of the extended-release capsule the morning, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time the next day. Do not take a dose later in the day. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine may cause sudden death in children and teenagers, especially children or teenagers with heart defects or serious heart problems.
This medication also may cause sudden death, heart attack or stroke in adults, especially adults with heart defects or serious heart problems. Call your doctor right away if you or your child has any signs of heart problems while taking this medication including: chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.
Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine may slow children's growth or weight gain. Your child's doctor will watch his or her growth carefully. Talk to your child's doctor if you have concerns about your child's growth or weight gain while he or she is taking this medication. Talk to your child's doctor about the risks of giving dextroamphetamine and amphetamine to your child. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children.
Store it at room temperature, away from light and excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.
To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet.
Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at Keep all your appointments with your doctor and the laboratory.
Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. Before having any laboratory test, tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. This prescription is not refillable. Be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor on a regular basis so that you do not run out of medication.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements.
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