Claim: Adderall's active ingredient is a chemical.

Amphetamine -LRB- contracted from -RRB- is a potent central nervous system -LRB- CNS -RRB- stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -LRB- ADHD -RRB- , narcolepsy , and obesity . Amphetamine was discovered in 1887 and exists as two enantiomers : levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine . Amphetamine properly refers to a specific chemical , the racemic free base , which is equal parts of the two enantiomers , levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine , in their pure amine forms . The term is frequently used informally to refer to any combination of the enantiomers , or to either of them alone . Historically , it has been used to treat nasal congestion and depression . Amphetamine is also used as an athletic performance enhancer and cognitive enhancer , and recreationally as an aphrodisiac and euphoriant . It is a prescription drug in many countries , and unauthorized possession and distribution of amphetamine are often tightly controlled due to the significant health risks associated with recreational use .   The first amphetamine pharmaceutical was Benzedrine , a brand which was used to treat a variety of conditions . Currently , pharmaceutical amphetamine is prescribed as racemic amphetamine , Adderall , dextroamphetamine , or the inactive prodrug lisdexamfetamine . Amphetamine , through activation of a trace amine receptor , increases monoamine and excitatory neurotransmitter activity in the brain , with its most pronounced effects targeting the catecholamine neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine .   At therapeutic doses , amphetamine causes emotional and cognitive effects such as euphoria , change in desire for sex , increased wakefulness , and improved cognitive control . It induces physical effects such as decreased reaction time , fatigue resistance , and increased muscle strength . Larger doses of amphetamine may impair cognitive function and induce rapid muscle breakdown . Drug addiction is a serious risk with large recreational doses but is unlikely to arise from typical long-term medical use at therapeutic doses . Very high doses can result in psychosis -LRB- e.g. , delusions and paranoia -RRB- which rarely occurs at therapeutic doses even during long-term use . Recreational doses are generally much larger than prescribed therapeutic doses and carry a far greater risk of serious side effects .   Amphetamine belongs to the phenethylamine class . It is also the parent compound of its own structural class , the substituted amphetamines , which includes prominent substances such as bupropion , cathinone , MDMA , and methamphetamine . As a member of the phenethylamine class , amphetamine is also chemically related to the naturally occurring trace amine neuromodulators , specifically phenethylamine and , both of which are produced within the human body . Phenethylamine is the parent compound of amphetamine , while is a positional isomer of amphetamine that differs only in the placement of the methyl group .