What is the average adderall dose

Adderall and Strattera are both available in brand-name and generic versions. The generic name of Strattera is atomoxetine. The brand and generic versions of Strattera usually cost more than the brand and generic versions of Adderall. Adderall and methylphenidate are both commonly used to treat ADHD. Both are also used off-label for treating similar conditions, such as depression and anxiety , in combination with other medications.

The chewable and solution forms of methylphenidate may be good options for those who have trouble swallowing pills. Methylphenidate tablets may work slightly faster than Adderall. However, Adderall works for a slightly longer time than methylphenidate:.

Adderall and methylphenidate are very similar medications. Adderall is a brand-name medication. Methylphenidate is a generic medication. Brand-name Adderall costs more than generic methylphenidate. However, generic versions of Adderall cost about the same as generic methylphenidate. The exact cost will depend on your insurance. Deciding which medication to use may come down to which is covered by your insurance, the drug form that you prefer, and how your body responds to the medication.

Picking the best medication is often a matter of trial and error. Your doctor will guide you through the process of finding the right medication for you. Consuming alcohol with Adderall can be a dangerous combination for some, especially for those who drink too much.

Drinking alcohol while taking Adderall can make you feel less drunk than you really are. This can lead you to drink too much. In addition to other effects, drinking too much may worsen symptoms of ADHD. Consuming alcohol with Adderall can also increase your risk of heart-related side effects such as:. Adderall can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as some foods. Different interactions can cause different effects.

For instance, some can interfere with how well a drug works, while others can cause increased side effects. Below is a list of medications that can interact with Adderall. Before taking Adderall, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take.

Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Medications that reduce the amount of acid in your stomach can increase the amount of Adderall your body absorbs. This can raise your risk of side effects. Examples of acid-reducing drugs include:. Taking Adderall with MAOIs can increase the risk of dangerous side effects, such as very high blood pressure , chest pain , severe headache , and increased body temperature.

Taking Adderall with medications that increase serotonin in your body can raise your risk of developing serotonin syndrome , a drug reaction that can be dangerous. If you take any of these medications, you may need to start with a lower dosage of Adderall. Taking Adderall with a tricyclic antidepressant can increase the effects of Adderall in your body and increase your risk of heart-related effects and other side effects.

Examples of tricyclic antidepressants include:. Taking Adderall with certain medications that block how the body breaks down Adderall can result in an increased risk of serious side effects, including serotonin syndrome. If you take these medications, you may need to start with a lower dosage of Adderall.

Examples of these medications include:. Adderall and Xanax alprazolam are sometimes prescribed together, especially for those who have both ADHD and anxiety.

Adderall helps improve concentration and focus, while Xanax is calming and can help relieve symptoms of anxiety. Adderall and Prozac fluoxetine are sometimes prescribed together, especially for people who have both ADHD and other conditions. These conditions include depression, anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Adderall helps improve concentration and focus in people with ADHD. Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI antidepressant that can improve symptoms of depression. These medications should only be taken together if your doctor prescribes them. Combining Adderall and Prozac can increase your risk of developing serotonin syndrome , a drug reaction that can be dangerous. Adderall and Zoloft sertraline are sometimes prescribed together, especially for people who have both ADHD and other conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI antidepressant that can improve symptoms of depression. Combining Adderall and Zoloft can increase your risk of developing serotonin syndrome , a drug reaction that can be dangerous. Adderall can interact with certain vitamins, supplements, or herbs you may be taking. Taking vitamin C supplements can make your stomach more acidic and can decrease the amount of Adderall your body absorbs.

This can make Adderall less effective. Supplements that affect serotonin can increase your risk of developing serotonin syndrome. Taking Adderall with marijuana cannabis can increase your risk of heart-related side effects. These include rapid heartbeat , arrhythmia irregular heartbeat , and heart attack.

Fruit juices are often acidic and can decrease how much Adderall your body absorbs. Caffeine in foods and beverages such as coffee might add to the stimulant effects of Adderall. This can increase the risk of stimulant-related side effects such as anxiety , nervousness, trouble sleeping, and others. While taking Adderall, you should avoid consuming large amounts of coffee or other drinks that contain caffeine.

Symptoms of overdose can include:. If you think you or your child has taken too much of this drug, call your doctor or seek guidance from the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or through their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

Treatment of overdose will partly depend on the symptoms you have. In many cases, people who have overdosed will be agitated. Medical personnel may give an injection to calm the person. In some cases, intravenous fluids may be given. Also, tests may be done to check for heart problems, breathing problems, and oxygen levels. And medications may be needed for heart problems or seizures if they occur.

Drug dependence can occur in people who take Adderall. Prolonged use can cause both psychological and physical dependence. This can make it difficult to stop taking the medication. In some cases, it can lead to drug abuse and inappropriate usage, resulting in severe side effects.

Misuse and abuse of Adderall is a growing epidemic , especially on college campuses. Many college students use Adderall to help them study. The half-life of a medication refers to the time it takes for half of the medication to be inactivated or removed from the body.

Half-life is used as a measure of how long the medication will work or stay in the body. The half-life of Adderall is typically from 9 to 14 hours. Each Adderall tablet or capsule contains two stimulant drugs: amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Both drugs cause the body to release increased norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters in the brain.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that send messages, or signals, between cells. Increased amounts of these messengers in the brain can result in more focus and attention. In people with ADHD , it can also result in a calming effect. In people with narcolepsy , it can help reduce daytime sleepiness.

Some research in animals has shown negative effects to a fetus when the mother takes this drug. Some infants born to mothers who are dependent on drugs similar to Adderall during pregnancy have shown negative effects. These include an increased risk of being born premature, having low birth weight, or having symptoms of drug withdrawal. This medication should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit justifies the potential risk.

Adderall can pass through breast milk and cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication. When Adderall is dispensed from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle. This date is typically one year from the date the medication was dispensed. The purpose of such expiration dates is to guarantee the effectiveness of the medication during this time.

However, an FDA study showed that many medications may still be good beyond the expiration date listed on the bottle. How long the medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where the medication is stored.

Adderall should be stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed and light-resistant container. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it. Adderall XR typically works for about 8 to 10 hours. As a result, most people take it just once each day. Adderall is a stimulant that works in the brain to treat symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy.

What we do know is that Adderall affects chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters , such as norepinephrine and dopamine. The effects on these neurotransmitters are thought to help control certain impulses and provide a calming effect in people with ADHD. They also cause increased focus and attention.

It can also cause feelings of physical and mental energy, and a sense of confidence. One review of studies showed that in people with ADHD, stimulant medications such as Adderall made the structure and function of their brains more closely match the structure and function of brains in people without ADHD. 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.

Once an effective dosage is determined, that dosage can often be continued for long periods of time without any loss of effectiveness. Tolerance can also relate to side effects. People who take Adderall for ADHD or narcolepsy sometimes experience side effects when they first start the medication. In many cases, the body develops a tolerance to these side effects, and they go away. Adderall contains amphetamine and dextroamphetamine.

For people who take Adderall, drug screening tests will be positive for amphetamine. If you take Adderall for a medical condition, consider disclosing this information before completing a drug screening related to work or athletics. Afternoon stimulants disrupt sleep. Adderall causes high blood pressure. And other falsehoods about ADHD medication that may put your treatment plan at risk.

Adderall dosing — and all ADHD medication dosing, for that matter — is opaque and variable. Is there an optimal Adderall dosage for adults? Should your stimulant dosage change over time? What are the signs of an ineffective dose?

It scared me off ADHD medication. Janet later learned, after attending a local adult ADHD support group, that it takes weeks for most people to tolerate the Adderall dosage her doctor had prescribed — and that many people were taking half that amount. The bottom line? Be a smart health-care consumer, and take note of these red flag statements and medically reviewed rebuttals surrounding Adderall and other popular ADHD medications.

Adderall is among the most commonly prescribed ADHD medications. Simply put, there is no way to predict how a patient will respond to Adderall or any stimulant, whether a methylphenidate MPH or amphetamine AMP , until they try it.

For example, Ritalin LA and Concerta are both long-acting methylphenidates. Due to their different delivery mechanisms, however, each brings different results — and potential side effects. The ideal dosage of Adderall or another ADHD medications is identified using a method called titration: carefully increasing the dosage over time, until noticeable benefits are achieved and side effects are kept to a minimum.

Adderall is available in several formulations and doses. Immediate-release tablets can be taken several times a day, or during specific activities, depending on patient need.

Adderall XR is a one-daily, timed-release stimulant. How a patient responds to a prescribed dose depends on many factors, including:. Clinicians, however, typically start adults at a low dose usually 5 mg , and then adjust as needed.

Adderall is linked to increased blood pressure and heart rate, 1 so adults with ADHD should have a thorough physical, including screening for heart problems, before starting Adderall or any new medication. And, in fact, there are medications for ADHD that lower blood pressure.

These medications are often used as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, stimulants. Many adults with ADHD rely heavily on coffee or caffeinated sodas. Yet caffeine may exacerbate the effect of Adderall and other stimulant medications, creating anxiety and heart palpitations. Try to break the habit in advance, though, to avoid mistaking a headache due to caffeine deprivation for a medication side effect.

During this titration phase, experts recommend talking with your physician weekly and using an ADHD medication tracking log like this. In-office visits should take place every three to four weeks to review side effects, physical health, patient and family well-being, and other therapies when indicated. Many experts and patients report that too few physicians closely monitor medications used in adults.

The Weiss Functional Impairment rating scale is a good place to start. Having a tangible method for observing change makes the target concrete and keeps it in focus. As you face challenging situations in your life, you can gauge how your responses differ from those in the past.

The causes of sleep problems among adults with ADHD are multi-faceted, and may not be fully understood by the treating physician. Increasingly, research on the ADHD brain is pointing to neurophysiological differences in circadian rhythm, the inner biological clock that tells us when to go to sleep. In that case, you should try taking the medication earlier in the day or taking a nap midday while the full dose is in effect.

My Account. Overcoming Underachieving. Avoiding the Back to School Homework Blues. Assessment Products. ADHD Articles. About Us. Click here to Register. I forgot my password. Short Acting Tablet 5 mg 10 mg 20 mg. Starting dose for children is 5 mg twice daily, hours apart.

Add third dose about 4 hours after second. Adjust timing based on duration of action. Increase by mg increments. Daily dosage above 60 mg not recommended. Estimated dose range.

Insomnia, decreased appetite, weight loss, headache, irritability, stomachache, and rebound agitation or exaggeration of pre-medication symptoms as it is wearing off.

About hours. Most helpful when need rapid onset and short duration. Works quickly within minutes. Use cautiously in patients with marked anxiety, motor tics or with family history of Tourette syndrome, or history of substance abuse. Don't use if glaucoma or on MAOI. Short Acting Tablet 2. Start with half the dose recommended for normal short acting mehtylphenidate above. Dose may be adjusted in 2. There is suggestion that Focalin dextro-isomer may be less prone to causing sleep or appetite disturbance.

Only formulation with isolated dextro-isomer. Possibly better for use for evening needs when day's long acting dose is wearing off. Expensive compared to other short acting preparations. Start with 20 mg daily. Onset delayed for minutes. Duration supposed to be hours, but can be quite individual and unreliable. Wears off more gradually than short acting so less risk of rebound.

Lower abuse risk. Note: If crushed or cut, full dose may be released at once, giving twice the intended dose in first 4 hours, none in the second 4 hours. Starting dose is mg once daily.

May be adjusted weekly in 10 mg increments to maximum of 60 mg taken once daily. May add short acting dose in AM or 8 hours later in PM if needed. Insomnia, decreased appetite, weight loss, headache, irritability, stomachache, and rebound potential. May swallow whole or sprinkle ALL contents on a spoonful of applesauce. Starts quickly, avoids mid-day gap unless student metabolizes medicine very rapidly. Long Acting Tablet 18 mg 27 mg 36 mg 54 mg. Starting dose is 18 mg or 36 mg once daily. Option to increase to 72 mg daily.

Given only once a day. Longest duration of MPH forms. Doesn't risk mid-day gap or rebound since medication is released gradually throughout the day. Wears off more gradually than short acting, so less rebound. For ages 3 -5 years: starting dose is 2. Increase by 2.