{"id":487,"date":"2023-07-11T11:24:47","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T11:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/?page_id=487"},"modified":"2025-02-07T12:36:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T12:36:56","slug":"adderall","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/drugs\/adderall\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Adderall? Uses, Side Effects & Addictive Potential"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Adderall is a prescription stimulant medication that people abuse to help them focus. Unfortunately, it can be very addictive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adderall is the brand name for a prescription stimulant drug<\/a> that has a reputation as a \u201cstudy drug.\u201d Adderall can be found on college campuses<\/a> across the country for legitimate and illicit purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adderall is a Schedule II medication according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Schedule II medications have recognized medical use but also have a high potential for abuse and addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a stimulant, abuse of Adderall may lead people to abuse more potent stimulants like methamphetamine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Adderall?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The active ingredient in generic Adderall is amphetamine salts<\/a>, which is a combination of dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine as right- and left-handed versions of each other. They have the same, mirrored shape, like a left and right hand, but are not exact copies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adderall can be prescribed in both immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (XR) formulations. Both formulations treat the same conditions, but the XR versions are more convenient because they can be taken once a day. IR formulations last between four to six hours and sometimes need to be taken more than once each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Adderall Used For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adderall can treat attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with ADHD have problems with attention and impulse control. They also have low levels of dopamine, which is a chemical signal used in the brain to produce attention. Adderall helps restore dopamine to healthy levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder where someone is too sleepy during the day and can fall asleep without warning. They also experience hallucinations and sleep paralysis when they try to sleep. Adderall helps \u201cteach\u201d the body when it should be awake and when it should be asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Adderall Classified As?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adderall is a Schedule II medication as classified by the DEA. Schedule II medications have a known medical use, but a high potential for addiction and abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People abuse Adderall because it increases focus, causes euphoria and increases energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tolerance to Adderall can build quickly. Drug tolerance develops as someone has to take more and more of the drug to achieve the desired effect. When someone takes high doses of Adderall, they may experience symptoms of withdrawal<\/a>. If they take more Adderall to treat those symptoms, they may find themselves in a cycle of addiction: euphoria, crash and craving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administration and Dosage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adderall IR is taken two to three times daily, usually four to six hours apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adderall XR is taken once a day because the capsule contains beads that slowly release the drug into the body. Some people are prescribed both IR and XR if the XR wears off too soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The maximum daily dose of Adderall considered safe is 60 mg. Some people may be prescribed more than that amount, but the doctor should be monitoring them closely for side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who abuse Adderall may take doses above 300 mg per day or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does Adderall Look Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adderall comes in two dosage forms: immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (XR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adderall is made as a tablet with a variety of numbers and coloring. The numbers on the tablets usually match with their strength, which may be: 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg or 30 mg. The most common colors are orange or blue. Since Adderall pills are available generically, many companies make Adderall, so the markings and colors will vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adderall XR is made into capsules, and the capsules contain beads that slowly release the drug once in the body. XR capsules are most commonly blue or orange and sometimes have markings designating their strength. The available Adderall XR dosages are: 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 25 mg and 30 mg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adderall Street Names<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adderall prescriptions are illegal to give or sell to someone else. However, a large market exists for illicit Adderall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some common Adderall street names include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n