Get Informed: Adderall
Active Ingredient(s)
Amphetamine Salts
What does it do?
This product is used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This product contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which are believed to have an effect on norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-21 12:53 AM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:53 PM
Other Names
- Adderall XR
- Adderall
- Amphetamine Salts
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- C
Black Box Warning
This product has a black box warning relating to its risk of abuse, dependence and serious cardiovascular events.
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 19 Jan 1960
- Est US Patients*
- 4,013,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Adderall or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Adderall Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Adderall interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Adderall used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 23,500 patients that use Adderall (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Attention Deficit Disorder | 77% | 
|
| Fatigue | 17% |
|
| Sleepiness | 9% |
|
| Chronic Fatigue | 7% | 
|
| Depression | 3% |
|
| Other | 2% |
|
How well does Adderall work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 23,500 users taking Adderall (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 85%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Adderall outweigh the bad things.
- 17%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Adderall.
Common Side Effects of Adderall
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 23,500 users taking Adderall (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
40% of patients experience side-effects on Adderall
5% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Adderall
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Mood/Behavior Problems
-
Restlessness
-
Loss of Appetite
-
Headache
-
Grogginess/Confusion
-
Fatigue
-
Palpitations
-
Insomnia
-
Addiction
-
Dryness
-
Elevated Heart Rate
-
Sexual Problems
-
Dry Mouth
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Abdominal Pain, Drowsiness, Nausea, Sleep Problems, Tremor, Weight Loss
Global Patient Feedback for Adderall (Amphetamine Salts) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I am a 32 year old female and I take 40 mg Adderall XR. My life has changed since I have been taking this medication. I have always had trouble paying attention or reading a book. Now I read books, and am interested in all kinds of things that could never hold my attention before. The only side effect I have is I am not hungry as much but, that is not all that bad. I have been taking this medication for 2 years now.
32 year old Female
Posted: 2009-11-18 13:31:19
Question/Comment:
I take 30mg IR adderall and 20mg IR adderall at 2.pm but it dose not make me focus and pep my spirt up like it is suppose to, i do take .5mg of ativan at 11,pm and 3mg risperidone at night. Now my question is would these medications clash with each other causing adverse side affects.
16 year old Male
Posted: 2009-11-01 15:46:05
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
When taking Adderall for therapeutic reasons, it will not produce a "pep in spirit" necessarily. If it is not helping you focus though, you need to discuss it with your physician because a different medication could help you more.
Ativan and risperidone can cause drowsiness - if you feel that you are more sleepy than normal when you wake up in the morning, it may be even harder for you to focus and the Adderall may not work as well. Please follow up with your doctor and discuss your concerns with your medications.
Posted: 2009-11-01 22:50:53
Question/Comment:
I have noticed a frightening change in my hair (serious thining-mainly towards the front of my head). I understand that it could be due to stress BUT I came out of the womb stressed out and have always had abnormally thick hair. I'm curious to find out if anyone else has experienced this while on adderral. My dosage is generic peach 5/ 20mg daily (I've taken this for about 5yrs now). The only explanation I can think of is-maybe the adderral intensives the level of stress that I experience and that's why my hair seems to be thinning at a abnormal rate?
33 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-10 23:06:23
Answer/Reply:
I have also noticed my hair thinning out alot since I have started taking adderral. I take 20mg xr and 10mg salt/combo in the am, and 20mg salt combo again in the pm. Went to my doctor when I began to notice my hair and he sent me to get some blood work done and everything came out ok so i to am at a loss about what to do also??
31 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-15 00:40:02
Answer/Reply:
I take adderall also (higher dose than yours); however, as a female who has been your age and experienced the same thing, I think the hair loss is more related to hormonal changes than effects of the medication. I lost a substantial amount of hair in my 30's...it did slow down in the 40's. And if hair loss runs in your family, you've got a genetic factor at work also.
52 year old Female
Posted: 2009-10-16 08:15:25
Question/Comment:
I have a 9 year old son who has been on Adderall xr 20 mg. He recently just started eating the threads of his shirts. My question is why? I Have people telling me its side effect of the medicine. Then i have people who just say its a phase.
34 year old mom
34 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-02 08:36:54
Question/Comment:
Am a 59 year old female. Could NOT take the Adderall XR. Took it for a long, long time along with various anti-depressants, including Wellbutrin, Luvox, Effexxor, etc., and on and on, going backwards. Never worked right and the anti-depressants just made me s l e e p y and groggy, etc. My new, nice, compassionate lady psychiatrist switched me to straight Adderall (little orange tablets) and what a complete difference. Not up all night, or edgy or just out-of-sorts. Finally, function! Take thyroid medication, then the Adderall about an hour or so later. Live where I get lots of insect bites and so most nights, if I went outside, also take Hydroxizine HCL (it has to be the HCL one) (There are two types). Found out this year that that Hydroxyzine HCL is also a mild anti-anxiety medication. The straight Adderall and the Hydroxyzine HCL are both "older" medications, so doctors don't like to prescribe them over the the new, fancy, complicated ones, I guess. Anyway, bottom line is that they work. And, I don't use the Adderall to study or whatever, it just helps me "function". Perhaps this will help someone and it's just my opinion.
60 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-28 12:34:10
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Patient Comments about
Adderall