Adderall: how long does it last and taking different amounts??
Question posted by alyssanicole213 on 16 Sep 2014
Last updated on 21 November 2014 by Sandra 7
I've recently been prescribed 15mg of adderall instant release for my ADD. I'm 19 year old, female, college student.
I've been taking the adderall for about 2 and a half months now and find that it usually kicks in after about 20 mins and I only feel the effects for about 3.5 hours, 4 hours if I'm really lucky. I have heard that the average time is around 5 hours or more. Why do I only feel the effects for such a short amount of time?
Also, does anyone take more doses of adderall on days that they really need it? Some days I have a huge workload for school, so I wake up earlier and stay up later studying, or doing homework; thus I take more doses... usually 3-4. Other days when I do not need my attention at 100% for a long period of time I usually only take 2 doses. This is usually when I don't have much homework or on the weekends. Is this unheard of? And is it okay for me to do?
For anyone that thinks to recommend Adderall XR as a solution: I do not want to be put on an extended release drug for ADD. I have taken them before and have had bad reactions. I also like to control how many hours the effects last; hence me taking different amounts.
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Answers
SA
Sandra 7
21 Nov 2014
Im sure you already know that you should only take your meds exactly as directed by the prescriber. Tell your MD your concerns and maybe he will either increase your dose, number of pills, or give you the okay to skip days, etc.
That being said, it has been my experience that IR Adderal for some reason lasts longer by opening capsule and taking with applesauce on an empty stomach. I don't know why. I've read that Adderal can be less effective if you're also taking stomach acid blockers such as Prevacid, so maybe the slightly acidic applesauce helps it get into your system more efficiently..not sure.
I know people who take their Adderal strictly as needed: skipping weekends etc, to save the medication and also to avoid becoming habituated or developing a tolerance to it, so it's not a bad idea as long as your doc okays it for you. Good luck.
