(U-WIRE) WACO, Texas – As finals draw near, many Baylor University students begin feeling pressure to do well at any cost. Often, some students turn to drugs or other sources to help them focus.

“Even at Baylor I hear people are using drugs to stay up to study at night, which is very dangerous because it can have effects on the heart muscle … when it’s not taken for what it’s prescribed for,” Dr. Michael Jahrmarkt, a doctor at the Family Practice Center in Waco, Texas, said.

One of the most popular drugs taken by college students for this purpose is Adderall. According to rxlist.com, this drug uses acidifying agents that lower the absorption of amphetamines. Amphetamines are central nervous system stimulants, which can counteract the sedative effect of antihistamines.

Adderall is commonly used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity and improve the attention span and the ability to follow directions in the patient. It can also decrease the distractibility, stubbornness and aggression in children older than three.

Like Adderall, Methylphenidate, a stimulant known as Ritalin, is also prescribed commonly to children who have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to nida.nih.gov. Ritalin works as a central nervous system stimulant, much like Adderall, and the label calls it a “mild” stimulant.

However, Ritalin’s powerful stimulation has been compared to amphetamines, methamphetamines and cocaine, and is just as addictive.

Many college students may use a prescription they already have or obtained to sell this drug to other students to help them focus on studying.

“I would say we probably do about 10 (prescriptions for Adderall or Ritalin) a day,” Jenny Goff, a pharmacist at the Walgreen’s on Valley Mills Drive, said.

Although these drugs seem to work for concentration, if a student takes them when he or she doesn’t have a prescription, there could be serious side effects.

“There are a lot of side effects,” Jahrmarkt said. “You can have decreased appetite, weight loss, increased nervousness, those things.”

Adderall can cause increased heart palpitations, raised blood pressure, over-stimulation of the central nervous system, dizziness, restlessness, insomnia, headache, diarrhea, constipation and impotence, according to prozactruth.com.

Ritalin may cause a reduced appetite, headaches, jittery feelings, sleep difficulty, irritability, depression, anxiety, increased blood pressure and possibly psychosis or paranoia, according to ncpamd.com, a health information Web site.

In rare cases, Ritalin and Adderall may lead to death.

Matthew Smith, a 14-year-old from Michigan who had been taking the drug since the age of seven died in 2000. Medical examiners told the father, Lawrence Smith, his son’s death was due to small blood vessel damage caused by stimulant drugs, like Ritalin. The examiner said a full-grown man’s heart weighs about 350 grams and Matthew’s weighed 402 grams.

In February, Bloomberg.com ran an article that said Canada pulled Adderall XR off the market after the drug was linked to at least 20 deaths. Because of the withdrawal, shares of Shire Pharmaceuticals Group Plc, the maker of Adderall, fell 10 percent.