In these situations, consider an alternative nonserotonergic drug or an alternative drug that does not inhibit CYP2D6 see DRUG INTERACTIONS. The coadministration with cytochrome P450 (CYP2D6) inhibitors increase the risk with increased exposure to ADDERALL. Careful observation for digital changes is necessary during ADDERALL treatment.
What Adderall Dosage Works Best?
Stimulants can be addictive, and it’s possible to become dependent on them if your dosage isn’t monitored by a doctor. They’ll be able to help adjust your dosage or suggest alternative remedies for your concerns. Talk with a doctor if you’re experiencing any side effects from Adderall.
You’ll need to get your heart rate and blood pressure checked at follow-up doctor visits. Expect to see a heart doctor (cardiologist) first. Even without a perfect heart, you may still be able to take Adderall for ADHD.
If you notice that your dosage is no longer controlling your symptoms, talk to your doctor to plan a course of action. For updated information about dosages, interactions, and precautions, see the Adderall XR drug monograph on WebMD. The optimal dosage of Adderall XR varies by patient and is not determined by age, weight, or height but rather by how a person metabolizes the medication. As with all medications, follow your Adderall XR prescription instructions exactly. Stimulants that treat ADHD are some of the most effective medications.
Heart Attack And Stroke

These abuses can lead to serious health risks, such as heart problems. Side effects that persist longer than one week can be quickly managed by lowering the dose or changing to a methylphenidate stimulant. Our longest surveillance of the safety of amphetamine (Adderall) comes from following people with narcolepsy for their entire lives. Doctors also sometimes prescribe Adderall for other conditions, such as narcolepsy – a sleep disorder whose symptoms include sudden attacks of daytime sleep and excessive sleepiness.
What Should I Do If I Accidentally Use Too Much Amphetamine/dextroamphetamine?

Instead, talk with your doctor about the symptoms you’re experiencing. But you should not increase your dosage on your own. Talk with your doctor if you have questions about your dosage. You can refer to the Adderall dosage section for details.

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Finally, Adderall may help people with narcolepsy to get onto a better sleep schedule. Some people with narcolepsy find that their sleepiness can also impact their levels of motivation. The effect that Adderall has on the central nervous system and norepinephrine levels can help promote wakefulness in people who suffer from chronic daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy (2). Adderall, like other central nervous system stimulants, alters the effects of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Specifically, the formula contains amphetamine aspartate, amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate, and dextroamphetamine sulfate.
How Does Adderall Compare With Similar Drugs, Such As Ritalin?

For information about drug-condition interactions, see the “Other warnings” section below. Taking a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. Talk with your doctor before stopping Adderall treatment.
- Amphetamine is known to inhibit monoamine oxidase, whereas the ability of amphetamine and its metabolites to inhibit various P450 isozymes and other enzymes has not been adequately elucidated.
- Prosecutors argued that this case highlighted serious abuses in online mental health care, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
- DOJ also alleged that He and Brody told nurses to keep prescribing Adderall to people who were abusing other medications.
- Originally, Adderall was developed to treat narcolepsy; it should not be used to treat tiredness or other sleep-related problems without a doctor’s specific instructions and prescription.
Children’s Dosages

Another review indicated that, based upon the longest follow-up studies conducted to date, lifetime stimulant therapy that begins during childhood is continuously effective for controlling ADHD symptoms and reduces the risk of developing a substance use disorder as an adult. One review highlighted a nine-month randomized controlled trial of amphetamine treatment for ADHD in children that found an average increase of 4.5 IQ points, continued increases in attention, and continued decreases in disruptive behaviors and hyperactivity. Reviews of clinical stimulant research have established the safety and effectiveness of long-term continuous amphetamine use for the treatment of ADHD. Long-term amphetamine exposure at sufficiently high doses in some animal species is known to produce abnormal dopamine system development or nerve damage, but, in humans with ADHD, long-term use of pharmaceutical amphetamines at therapeutic doses appears to improve brain development and nerve growth. At these doses, it induces physical effects such as a faster reaction time, fatigue resistance, and increased muscle strength.

For more information about potential side effects, see the National Institute of Health’s Guide. This is not a complete list of side effects and considerations. Adderall has been approved for use in patients age 3 years and older.
Is Adderall Safe To Take If I’m Pregnant Or Breastfeeding?
However, the quality of evidence for these findings is low and is consequently reflected in the AASM’s conditional recommendation for dextroamphetamine as a treatment option for narcolepsy. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) 2021 clinical practice guideline conditionally recommends dextroamphetamine for the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy. Dextroamphetamine is a more potent CNS stimulant than levoamphetamine, but levoamphetamine has slightly stronger cardiovascular and peripheral effects and a longer elimination half-life than dextroamphetamine. Recreational doses of Adderall are generally much larger than prescribed therapeutic doses and also carry a far greater risk of serious adverse effects.sources 1 The routine use of Adderall at higher-than-prescribed doses poses a significant risk of addiction or dependence due to the pronounced reinforcing effects that are present at high doses. Adderall is the brand name of a fixed-dose combination medication used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
These doses are approximately 1.5 and 8 times, respectively, the maximum recommended human dose of 30 mg/day child on a mg/m2 body surface area basis. These doses are approximately 2.4, 1.5, and 0.8 times, respectively, the maximum recommended human dose of 30 mg/day child on a mg/m2 body surface area basis. Instruct the patients to notify their healthcare provider if emergence or worsening of tics or Tourette’s syndrome occurs see WARNINGS. Advise patients that motor and verbal tics and worsening of Tourette’s Syndrome may occur during treatment with ADDERALL. Advise patients that ADDERALL can elevate blood pressure and heart rate see WARNINGS.
Like all stimulant medications, Adderall is a controlled substance. For instance, high school and college students may use amphetamine drugs to help them study. It’s true, though, that amphetamine-based ADHD medications are more likely to be misused. In fact, when kids with ADHD take Adderall as prescribed, it actually lowers their risk of abusing drugs. Adderall belongs to a group of medications called stimulants. This medication can be abused and cause your brain and body to depend on it after high doses or long term use.