Since taking adderall my bf hacks, coughs, scrocks, whatever you wanna call it, CONSTANTLY. It's gross and it actually seems to be unproductive. He will do it for five minutes straight, claiming it feels like something is stuck way back in his throat but he never actually splits anything out. Ten minutes later, he starts again. Sometimes a teeny chunk of white (I'm sorry this is so gross) will come of it but not anything the warrants hours of phlegmatic coughing. He's also a smoker and def smokes more when on adderall but I'm convinced it has to do with the dry mouth effect more than cigs bc he did not used to do this. It drive me absolutely insane as I find it repulsive to hear it constantly. Anyone know of this being a dude effect and if there is anything to help stop it??
Adderall - Anyone else have a side effect of obsessively hacking up what turns out to be nothing?
Question posted by Adderall users gf on 10 Nov 2014
Last updated on 1 March 2025
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
49 Answers Page 3
I am on this site for this very reason plus some. I DO cough considerably more although mine does produce phleghm. I am also a (longtime) smoker. The "gross" factor is also noticably different. My first coughing attack produced coca-cola colored chunks of solid "phleghm" and happens more on days that I take two. I am on 30mg vs.time released because insurance won't pay for the time released. I've also noticed an increase in nasal mucous. I've been consciously paying attention to this and it seems to me that yes, I definitely have noted increase in coughing (especially the brown phleghm which doesnt happen with taking just one) and the nasal/sinus mucous increases as if I've got a cold. I will not, cannot go without the adderall and these symptoms have been bothering me for so long now that I'm 99.9% sure they are caused by/side effects of the adderall.
I haven't discussed this with my physician as the thought of going without the adderall bothers me more than the thoughts of "what the heck is going on"? The phleghm I cough up sometimes is so dark and " chunky" that lung cancer, coughing up a piece of lung enters my mind frequently.
I have been taking Adderall on and off for 5 years. I don’t hack and cough, but I do produce mucus when ever I eat any gluten and I’m eating sugar or drinking alcohol. I have taken a probiotic and digestive enzyme that makes me mucus free and healthy called Floratrex and the enzymes are Veganzyme. It’s pricey but it cleared me up and I felt clean literally.
Just wondering if he ever found a solution?
I have Cystic Fibrosis and I take Adderall for ADHD. For my CF I take bronchodialators and other breathing medications to loosen secretions in my lungs (strong stuff). After I take my breathing meds I feel open and clear, but when my Adderall takes affect, my lungs feel so open you can actually see an increase in the numbers on my lung function tests. Adderall is a stimulant and among other things it dilates your airways. I'll spare you the details, but my cough is so productive its unreal. Just a side bare before ADHD was discovered, amphetamines were prescribed for many things including a broncho stimulant and and expectorant. So this could be the true reason for the coughing, especially for smokers, as it would help clear the junk out of your lung. Feedback on this is welcome.
Well, that explains a lot. Thanks!
I'm so glad I'm not imagining this. So this is odd. It's been about a year and a half since I was prescribed adderall for managing symptoms of ADD and anxiety.
Sort of long story but I thought I'd explain just for fun I guess. About a month ago I went in for a medication refill since it's a controlled substance and doesn't have automatic refills. Unfortunately my normal doctor was out of town unexpectedly so I saw another doctor who I had never seen before. He seemed extremely suspicious of me trying to refill the meds which I guess to some small extent I understand if had suspicions of everyone taking the medication are simply taking it to abuse it or possibly even sling it.
It seemed to get worse after I explained that I was a senior in college and ever since I was prescribed it my grades and ability to function and participate in class had improved greatly and I wished I had gone to the doctor way earlier in my undergrad days, even my high school days. He was reluctant but still granted me the refill. I go to a military clinic which has the pharmacy included in the institution. He tells me that the pharmacy is currently out of the the 20mg dosages that I take. He suggested an alternative which was taking 10mg twice a day and see if that's helpful and try to play around and figure out the timing to see what's right for me. Sure, why not I thought. So I go to the pharmacy and wait an oddly long time and finally it's filled. All is normal except not only are they the 20mg pills but they are name brand Adderall, not the generic which I normally get.
Now I didn't have this problem ever before with the coughing until a week ago, which is when I started taking them. It's just like everyone else said. It feels like a lump way down at the end of my throat which indeed does feel like acid reflux (which I've experienced a few times but not regularly) and also a SLIGHTLY productive cough. If I clear my throat enough I feel something come out. Not enough for me to cough it out of my mouth but instead goes down like post nasal. (I don't smoke by the way but my mother smoked inside the house until I was about 15 and either I developed mild-moderate asthma because of it or it was just exacerbated because of it)
So I'm curious now to how many people experience this, is there some ever so slight thing in name brand that isn't in the generic that causes this to happen? I don't know what anyone else here takes but that's just what I figured since I hadn't felt this before the days I would take Adderall. Maybe a coincidence who knows. I want relief by taking something for acid reflux but it seems like that could affect the Adderall in some way which I don't want to happen. Weird!
I am thinking I might have ADHD and will be undergoing screening tests after Christmas. I have a few questions for you 65_ROSES
-How old are you?
-Have you had long transplant if so, how long ago?
-What is your gene mutation number?
Thanks a lot!
Hi. I started a higher dose of Adderall a few months ago (20mg twice a day )and noticed, besides having constipation (for which I take stool softener daily), that my BM's are a lot more pungent. I recognize the smell as mucus being dumped into my system. I don't have the dry cough so many of you have reported (or really a cough at all) but I'm assuming I'm producing a lot more extra mucus; which is dumped right into my stomach.
Occasionally I become quite dizzy. I recognize this as excess mucus deep in my sinuses which is not draining correctly. My solution is to take a decongestant/expectorant cold syrup and then drink water like a camel. Within an hour I'm usually feeling better. Do NOT use an antihistamine unless you are suffering post-nasal drip at night. Antihistamines thicken mucus (ref: Sinus Survival by Robert Ivker, MD).
For those of you with persistent coughs, have you tried nasal irrigation? Warm and properly prepared saline solution results in no pain whatsoever to your sinuses. It clears your lower sinuses and throat and shrinks related sinuses. You can do it as often as you like with no side effects. I do it as a prophylactic before bed (for post nasal drip) and upon rising, when mucus is its thickest. It is also the best way to treat post-nasal drip during the day and, in my opinion, morning breath.
Here's the recipe: 2 C's warm, previously boiled (for 10 minutes), water with 1/2 tsp salt fully dissolved. If this produces discomfort, add more salt. Why boiled? Tap water can occasionally have microorganisms which can cause a severe sinus infection.
Pour some saline into the palm of one hand, pinch a nostril shut with the other hand and sniff hard. See how far you can get it up your sinuses (it will never reach your forehead sinuses but may fill your maxillary sinuses). If you have a normal septum, the saline and mucus will exit out of both nostrils and your mouth. If you're like me and your maxillaries fill up, you may not feel that and find yourself gushing saline out your nose the next time you bend over. Prevent this by holding your head upside down over a sink when you drain (i.e. the maxillaries drain from the top only).
As bad as I'm bummed out right now for knowing my thoughts were correct I'm also glad I seen this to really push it into my head cause now I know how to get rid of this horribly annoying & beginning to be painful cough. This is one time I didnt wanna b right but on the plus side I can let my wife know once again I'm right & shes wrong & get rid of cough as well haha.
I'd say over a year ago I developed a dry cough where felt like there was something in my throat preventing me from swallowing I thought so Id cough over & over then hark real hard with the intent of pulling it up to spit out or take a drink or bite of food with the intent of pushing it down but nothing ever came up & nor took the feeling of blockage away so I started going to doctors after listening to my wife & boss complain of the rukus that was inconveniencing them to have to listen to or the occassional show of concern & doctors really didnt do much besides walk n for a second listen to the parts they wanted to hear, say allergies & send me out the door with a new medicine & mail me a fat bill for their use of a wasted education & I saw no results so the doc would give me another allergy medicine or inhaler & after about 5 times I gave up & 2 weeks ago i ran out of my adderall & it went away then once I was able to afford refill & started back bam theres the cough again so I told my wife I bet money it has something to do with adderall & she argued with me & when i found this describing word fot word every single detail of my experience.
Sounds like tonsil stones to me..
As I sit here hacking my head off I was determined to prove I'm not crazy. I knew my Adderall had to be causing it! I drive my coworkers, family and myself with it. It gets worse when I'm sitting and at night but it's pretty much all day. I have taken it for years but it's only been the past 2 or so that I've had the cough. I've had very little mucus ever come from it but when I do it's thick and tacky. I will be discussing this with my doctor when I go back. I'm so glad I Google this.
Same exact issue. Did you ever talk to your dr about it? What did they say or do?
I have the same exact thing happen. However, I also have this reaction with sudafed, coffee, caffeine in pill form (like excedrin). So it is based on stimulants alone not just adderall. FYI I am also a smoker and have a history of acid reflux. The coughing almost always accompanied by gagging. Also happens if/when I overheat or over exert myself.
So, I've been pondering. Whilst I'm an optimist by nature, I do sometimes run the "devil's advocate" or worst case scenarios through my head. What do you think of this theory:
So we know that Adderall acutely increases blood pressure, both in therapeutic doses as well as those associated with abusive usage. We can agree, and thus assume for this discussion that this effect can and will be more pronounced in certain individuals based on some unknown, however possibly related variables. Let's also for the sake of reference that the blood pressure increase experienced by a given population of those administered Adderall would display broadly as a classic bathtub curve. On the far right is the sample of the population which for undefined reasons experience a higher than average increase in blood pressure.
My theory states that those of us who experience this "Adderall Cough" are either included in this sample of the population, or another sample based on a yet undetermined set of variables. Whatever the common variable is, I contend that it is causing a very mild (or mimicking the biological triggers of) cardiac overload condition resulting in a small amount of fluid collecting in the lungs and resulting in what I call the "Adderall Cough". If we were 80 years old and had a host of other symptoms, we would likely be diagnosed with a pulmonary edema condition which is associated with left side congestive heart failure (CHF).
I know, that's a huge leap, and listen, I'm not saying in any way that I believe we are all dying of CHF because of Adderall. What I am saying is that some of Adderall's key demonstrated and known side effects which directly affect a patient's respiratory and cardiovascular systems are, as I read it, very similar to, if not consistent with some of the specific conditions associated with the causes and/or symptoms associated with left-side CHF. One of the initial cardinal symptoms associated with a left-side CHF diagnoses is a pulmonary edema which is characterized by fluids backing up in the lungs. A pulmonary edema manifests initially as a progressive cough very similar to our Adderall cough, albeit much more severe quickly deteriorating into audible signs of fluid when breathing.
One of the root causes of the more serious pulmonary edema condition associated with CHF is a hypertensive crisis event, which is defined as an acute and dangerously severe increase in blood pressure. I submit that the must less severe, but nonetheless acute increase in blood pressure associated with the administration of Adderall is manifesting in some individuals as a minor, and apparently reversible pulmonary edema condition.
The cough for me is progressive, meaning stuff comes up. That tells me that there is stuff somehow getting into my lungs. My nose and sinuses are dry, so that limits the possible sources.
So thoughts, arguments, agreements, emotional and/or intellectual beat-downs? I'm OK with cyber-bullying too, as long as we can cuddle after!
What do you think? If enough people say it sounds good, I'll start telling people I'm a doctor. I'm pretty sure that's what Dr. Phil did!
You're funny
This is a really well thought out answer. I actually could see this being very plausible. Makes perfect sense
Makes sense to me i actually cough stuff up as well ive been researchong side effects all day the coughing only hits me in spurts but its really annoying. I just restarted my adderall like 2 days ago i take 20 mg twice a day Im still getting use to being back on it but i think there is something to what your saying cause i was breathing weird before and then started the coughing so i googled if i was the only one and ended up here. I am a smoker but this cough is different and its crazy but now i know im not thought i was the only one thanks.
Well idk about the Doctor part but your post is the first one I've found who, like me, produce phleghm vs.most others complain of a dry cough. I originally posted my question about adderall due to excessive coughing with phleghm..yes I smoke and yes I've also hacked up grossness but the coca-cola colored chunks that come up when I do more than one if my 30mg.adderall had me seriously thinking about lung cancer. My insurance won't pay for the time released adderall. Most days I'm up at six a.m. After my morning dose I usually need another by two-three p.m. I've also paid attention and am thinking that sinus/ nasal mucous is increased as well. That I can deal with but the phleghm, the color, the chunks! Ick! Maybe adderall helps, somehow "cleansing" the lungs I thought?(after wondering about lung cancer!) Idk..it us what it is but I want to share, hopefully learn and possibly get some valuable information.
Almost feeling like I wish I were in a "study" and could get legitimate answers instead if comparisons and hypothesis.. oh well, maybe I'll make "a friend or two" if nothing else. Ty for your thought provoking comments and please continue to share!
That's really weird I've had the same problem with my Adderall. I went to the doctor and they said I had a sinus infection and ear infection so I took antibiotics it was sick as a dog. I stopped taking them and then I started again and now I'm getting sick again. I was coughing up a lot of white phlegm so I know what you're talking about. I'm getting off my them before I get pneumonia. I'm glad I pose this question always extremely worried but I know what I got to do now unfortunately.
I have just switched to Adderall and keep having a dry cough. I thought it was allergies but now I believe it's from the meds. Any pointers on getting it under control??
I have had this issue since I started a year ago. I've been to my primary care doctor, my allergist, and recently an ENT. The ENT did a sinus CT and no mechanical issues were found. He said he couldn't help me. None of them even mentioned side effects of a drug causing it. I am afraid to quit my Adderall. I will try Mucinex and pray it works!
I get the same, it annoys the hell out of co-workers. If you guys do find that it is acid reflux and start using antacid to treat it, be careful with dosing. Antacids potentiate the effects of Adderall by inhibiting the breakdown of the drug in your digestive tract and causing a higher level of absorption into your system.
Interesting! Ya the acid blockers & PPI's all that crap they use to treat acid reflux are really not good for your body actually, and counter-effective for what they're supposed to treat. i personally won't take them. But interesting to know that they actually affect Adderall as well
omg!! i can't believe i'm reading everyone's comments & so many people experience this... I have been STRUGGLING with this too & like everyone says it's not only agonizing, even worse, it's embarrassing. :-( I always have a bit of a cough & issue with chronic post nasal drip, but when I take adderall it becomes so aggravated it's almost impossible to deal with. However it's the most helpful medication I've ever experienced in helping keep focused & diminishing anxiety. I also end up taking expectorants like Mucinex, cough suppressants, & decongestants, but like someone else mentioned they barely do anything, they work for a few minutes & then the coughing comes back. My conclusion about my cough minus the Adderall is that it's from a form of GERD (acid reflux) - that manifests in the throat as opposed to simple heart burn.
I wonder if Adderall increases the stomach acid content or somehow aggravates the GERD. Anyone have any ideas? Or does anyone have experience in managing this issue, like ways to try and suppress the cough?
Well I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one coughing up lungs! Sucks because when I told my doctor he looked at me like I had 3 heads, and didn't understand what I was talking about. The medicine helps me stay on task, and also helps with my anxiety, but I'm torn because I cough all the time! It's embarrassing! In the end I'm not coughing up anything, like you said before a nervous tick. I have tried Mucinex, cough suppressants, inhaler, you name it I have tried it, but nothing seems to work. Does anyone take anything other than Adderall, and still deal with this? Thanks for posting I thought it was only me, and I was going crazy.
Thanks,
The cougher
I'm dealing with the same stuff and im glad im not alone in this matter. 4 me it seems to worsen if i yell a little more that day or if I'm awake longer than usual . What the hell is happening because i hate the fact that my medication works but im stuck dealing with this godawful cough that i have but never cough up anything what can i do because i miss out on sleep and I've even lost my voice because of this matter. Not to mention GOING CRAZY because i cant fix the problem. I think i would rather put up with having ADHD and never slowing down without the proper medication then coughing all day everyday. Can anyone tell me how to deal with this situation please?
I'm dealing with the same stuff and im glad im not alone in this matter. 4 me it seems to worsen if i yell a little more that day or if I'm awake longer than usual . What the hell is happening because i hate the fact that my medication works but im stuck dealing with this godawful cough that i have but never cough up anything what can i do because i miss out on sleep and I've even lost my voice because of this matter. Not to mention GOING CRAZY because i cant fix the problem. I think i would rather put up with having ADHD and never slowing down without the proper medication then coughing all day everyday. Can anyone tell me how to deal with this situation please?
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- Adderall uses and safety info
- Adderall prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Adderall (detailed)
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