People with ADHD have difficulty focusing on a single task at a time, which causes them to fidget and often interrupt others (which can lead to social rejection). Over time, this behavior impacts their academics, family relationships, and work. ADHD is more common in boys than girls. Children of parents who have ADHD are also at an increased risk for developing the disorder. However, many teenagers with ADHD may lack fully developed self-control, which means that their drug use is more likely, to begin with, friends; this risk may increase if they live in neighborhoods where drugs are available.
Adderall stimulates the production of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that activates the brain’s reward system) and norepinephrine (which regulates mood, sleep patterns, appetite, attention span, heart rate, blood pressure), which increases a person’s concentration and their ability to focus.
Adderall is also a central nervous system stimulant that suppresses the appetite, leading to weight loss if taken in larger doses than prescribed. Many college students abuse this medication since it helps them stay up all night studying or writing papers, which ultimately leads to addiction (college students often have more access to the substance, thanks to their peers).
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What Is Adderall, and How Does It Work?
Adderall is a highly addictive amphetamine stimulant medication (dextroamphetamine and amphetamine) that increases the brain’s activity, used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
This medication works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain, affecting how you act and think. It is the most commonly abused prescription medication in the United States. Adderall is often prescribed for children and adults who have difficulty focusing, controlling impulses, and staying still.
Adderall is a federally controlled substance (C-II) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep Adderall in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. It is against the law to sell or distribute Adderall, as well as to give it away. If you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines, or illegal drugs, inform your doctor.
Who Should Not Take Adderall?
Do not take Adderall if you:
- are very uneasy, nervous, or restless
- have an eye problem i.e., glaucoma
- suffers from tics or Tourette’s syndrome, or a family history of Tourette’s syndrome. Tics are hard-to-control repeated movements or sounds involving different body parts like the neck, face, tongue, and arms. Symptoms include sudden movements such as shrugging your shoulders (shrugs), sticking out your tongue, or shaking your head back and forth.
- have severe agitation or anxiety
- have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- are very hyperactive or cannot sit still
- are moderate to severely ill at the time of medication. Do not take Adderall if you have a fever — check with your doctor.
What Are the Possible Side Effects of Adderall?
Adderall may cause serious side effects, including:
- slowing of growth (height and weight) in children
- seizures, mainly in patients with a history of seizures
- eyesight changes or blurred vision
- breathing trouble during sleep
- irritability, severe focusing problems, dizziness, fast heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and personality changes.
These are not all the possible side effects of Adderall. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Some side effects can be severe. Stop taking Adderall and call your doctor right away if you have:
- thoughts about suicide or dying
- new or worsening mental (affective) symptoms
- sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
- sudden and severe headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance
- feeling agitated, restless, angry, irritable
- signs of heart problems – chest pain, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, swelling of the feet or lower legs, unusual weight gain
- A skin condition that develops quickly and causes a burning, red, or purple rash on the face and upper body.
If you take too much Adderall or suspect someone of adderall abuse, call your local emergency room or poison control center right away.
How should I take Adderall?
- Take Adderall exactly as prescribed by your doctor – do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
- Adderall may be habit-forming (causing mental or physical dependence) and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Adderall should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.
- Do not let anyone else take your medication.
- You will probably feel the effects of the medication within 30 minutes to an hour after you take a tablet or capsule and continue taking this medicine several times during the day as directed by your doctor. Do not crush, chew, break, or open an extended-release capsule or tablet. Swallow the pill whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time. Adderall should be taken immediately after a meal, but you may take the medication with or without food.
- Do not suddenly stop taking Adderall – you may develop severe side effects. If you need to stop Adderall, your doctor will gradually lower your dose.
What should I avoid while taking Adderall?
While you are taking this medication
- Avoid drinking alcohol – it may increase specific side effects of Adderall.
- Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather.
- While you are taking this medication, drinking plenty of fluids will help reduce possible side effects.
- Follow any instructions from your doctor about restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.
- Before you have any medical tests, tell the doctor in charge that you are taking Adderall. The results of some tests may be affected by this medication.
What other drugs will affect Adderall?
Tell your doctor about all other prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. Adderall may affect other drugs, causing side effects or possibly causing dangerous drug interactions. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
Can Adderall be taken with other medicines?
Adderall should not be taken by itself. It should not be used if you have
Taking Adderall with certain other medicines can cause side effects or affect how well they work. Do not take Adderall if you are taking a MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). Most MAO inhibitors should also not be taken for two weeks before treatment with Adderall.
Do not take the following medications within 14 days before or five days after you take Adderall. If you take any of the medications mentioned below, you may not be able to take Adderall or require dosage changes or special tests during treatment:
- medicines for depression, especially tricyclics – amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine pamoate (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor);
- medicines for anxiety, mood disorders, thought disorders;
- antivirals – delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva, Atripla), fluconazole (Diflucan), interferon alfa-2b;
- medicines for high blood pressure – nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Nifedical, Procardia), reserpine (Serpasil);
- medications for pain and arthritis, especially narcotics;
- treatment for allergies or colds;
- therapy for mental problems;
- seizure medicine – carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital (Luminal), phenytoin (Dilantin);
- tuberculosis medicine – isoniazid (INH). Your doctor may need to change the dosages of your medications and will monitor you carefully.
If you take an antacid containing aluminum hydroxide, take it at least 2 hours before or after taking Adderall.
What are the possible side effects of Adderall?
The most common side effects are nervousness, dizziness, upset stomach, vomiting, mental depression, blurred vision, dysphoria (feeling like something terrible will happen), insomnia (inability to sleep), and rash.
These symptoms usually go away quickly after you take Adderall. If they bother you, check with your doctor, and he may be able to suggest ways to reduce or prevent them.
You may feel more anxious than usual. Talk with your doctor if this effect continues or is severe. Other side effects that have been reported are fast heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and unusual taste.
If you are taking Adderall, call your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms: mental or mood changes, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, nervousness, agitation, aggressiveness, restlessness, new or worsening irritability, panic attacks, hallucinations (seeing things that are not there), unusual sadness, crying spells.
Adderall can cause a severe heart problem called prolonged QTc interval. Do not take Adderall if you have congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, congestive heart failure, or low blood potassium or magnesium levels.
You may need to get an ECG to check your heart rate and rhythm when starting and stopping Adderall.
Adderall can cause physical and psychological dependence. Do not stop taking Adderall all of a sudden without first talking to your doctor, and you may need to decrease the amount you are taking before stopping completely slowly.
Stopping suddenly may cause unpleasant Adderall withdrawal symptoms from Adderall addiction such as tiredness, mental depression, sleep disturbances (including insomnia), diarrhea, crying spells, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headache, irritability.
Adderall addiction may also cause increased use of or increased craving for drugs and alcohol.
Your doctor will check your progress at regular visits while you are using Adderall to treat your ADHD. Be sure to keep all appointments with your doctor, as you should not stop taking Adderall without talking to your doctor first.
Adderall may cause some people, especially older persons taking it for the first time and those with advanced liver disease, to become drowsy or less alert than they usually are. Ensure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert.
What should I avoid while taking Adderall?
Adderall can be habit-forming, and you should not take a larger dose, take it more often, or take it for a more extended period than your doctor tells you. If you take too much Adderall, call your local Poison Control Center or go to an emergency room right away.
Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how Adderall affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, which can cause dizziness. Alcohol may intensify the effect of Adderall on your blood pressure and pulse rate.
Adderall should not be given to children under six years old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
Take a missed dose as soon as you remember. If the next dose is approaching and you skipped the missed one, go back to your normal dosing schedule. Unless your doctor tells you to do so, do not take two doses at once.
Beware of too much Adderall XR and withdrawal symptoms
If you take too much Adderall or overdose on Adderall XR, call your local Poison Control Center or emergency room immediately. Symptoms of an Adderall overdose or drug addiction may include coma (from severe overdose), confusion, delirium, fast or abnormal heartbeat, fever, hallucinations (seeing things that are not there), irritability, lack of coordination, lightheadedness, muscle twitching.
Adderall is one of the prescription stimulant medications to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. Adderall comes in either tablet or extended-release capsule form, and you take it orally once daily.
Adderall may not be safe to use in some people. Tell your doctor if you have any of these conditions: a history of addiction or drug abuse; angioedema (swelling under the skin); heart disease or previous heart attack; high blood pressure; hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).
Adderall Withdrawal Symptoms
If you have been using Adderall regularly for a long time or in high doses, do not withdraw from Adderall cold turkey without first checking with your doctor. Your doctor may want to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping it thoroughly so that your body has an easier time adjusting to stimulant withdrawal. Stopping suddenly may cause adverse Adderall withdrawal symptoms, and Adderall withdrawal may be the most difficult during the first few days after stopping it.
The symptoms of withdrawal when you go on an Adderall detox may just be too much for some people to handle and can last a few weeks. Some suffer from intense withdrawal symptoms such as severe depression, psychological symptoms, and even mental health issues. The patients may need to seek emotional support from friends and family or undergo behavioral therapy and adderall detox for a while.
