These include rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and heart attack. Tolerance occurs when your body gets used to the effects of a medication and no longer responds in the same way. In some cases, this can require increasing the dosage of a drug to get the same effect.
Overdose Treatment
It is not known if Adderall® is safe and effective in children with ADHD under 3 years of age. Adderall has a high potential for abuse and over-reliance, especially among people who do not have ADHD. The likelihood of physiological dependence for people with ADHD is very minimal when used properly and monitored by a physician. Only about 70 percent of people get a clear benefit from amphetamine.

What If I Miss A Dose?

Adderall (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine) is a brand-name drug prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy in adults and some children. The dosage varies depending on your age, the form prescribed, and other factors. The typical starting dosage of Adderall IR for children ages 3 to 5 years is 2.5 mg taken each morning when they first wake up.

Symptoms Of An Overdose

Some people crush the pills and sniff them to achieve a high from the dopamine released. When Adderall is abused, it is almost always an immediate-release formulation. As a result, most clinicians favor the extended-release format when there is concern about either abuse or diversion. Others may use the appetite-suppressing side effect to help lose weight. These abuses can lead to serious health risks, such as heart problems.
Adderall Misuse (also Called Abuse)
These medications should only be taken together if your doctor prescribes them. Combining Adderall and Zoloft can increase your risk of developing serotonin syndrome, a drug reaction that can be dangerous. Combining Adderall and Prozac can increase your risk of developing serotonin syndrome, a drug reaction that can be dangerous. Some negative effects have been seen in infants born to people who have taken drugs similar to Adderall during pregnancy. These include an increased risk of being born premature, having low birth weight, or having symptoms of drug withdrawal.
- Selling or giving away Adderall® may harm others, and is against the law.
- These can be mild, such as dry mouth, or more serious, such as rapid heartbeat or a psychotic episode where you start hallucinating.
- Younger children, however, often lack the ability to tell the physician how the medication is affecting their mood and functioning.
- These medications should only be taken together if your doctor prescribes them.
- Your physician can help you decide how to best manage your situation.
Adderall XR Duration
Talk to your healthcare provider if you or your child have side effects that are bothersome or do not go away. The first thing to do is to switch to an extended-release formulation of Adderall. There is little market for Adderall XR because its onset is gradual and smooth. The “buzz” that abusers seek is directly related to how quickly the medication level rises in the blood. When ground up, Adderall XR turns into a paste that does not give much of a buzz.
Initiate with lower doses and monitor patients for signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome, particularly during ADDERALL initiation or dosage increase. If serotonin syndrome occurs, discontinue ADDERALL and the concomitant serotonergic drug(s) see WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS. Most large studies have found no significant link between ADHD medications (including stimulants such as Adderall) and a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke in children and adults. But there could be a small increased risk of cardiac arrest or abnormal heart rhythms in female patients, patients with preexisting heart disease, and those on the drug for a long time.
What Is The Difference Between Adderall XR And Adderall?
The serious side effects are rare, but Adderall may cause you to become dependent on it. As a stimulant, Adderall can raise your blood pressure and heart rate, and cause you to breathe harder. If you take too much of it, you could put your heart and your health at risk. Instead, talk with your doctor about the symptoms you’re experiencing. Or they may recommend other ways to manage your symptoms or prescribe a different ADHD medication.
The typical duration of action is around 4-6 hours for Adderall and 8-10 hours for Adderall XR, according to information provided by the drug manufacturer. You should only take it in consultation with a doctor as part of a prescription and never more than the amount prescribed. According to research, Adderall does seem to help with athletic performance.

If you’re sensitive or allergic to other stimulant medications, you should not take Adderall. That said, medications for ADHD like Adderall may be more effective when used along with behavioral therapy or a comprehensive treatment plan that may include psychological, educational, or social therapies. In this case, Adderall contains amphetamine, which raises the level of norepinephrine and dopamine and prevents these neurotransmitters from being reabsorbed. The other component, dextroamphetamine, is another version of amphetamine with slightly different molecular properties.
Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or see or hear things that are not there. These may be symptoms of a serious condition, called serotonin syndrome. Your risk may be higher if you also take certain other medicines that affect serotonin levels in your body.
Dryness of the mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, other gastrointestinal disturbances. If you decide not to use medication, or if it doesn’t work well for your child, there are alternatives. Behavior therapy, for instance, is a helpful approach for many kids with ADHD. What matters most is finding ways to manage ADHD symptoms so your child can learn, thrive, and enjoy daily life.