Adderall Side Effects

Adderall is a prescription Schedule 2 drug that is used to treat ADHD in adults and children. Adderall has a very wide range of side effects. The Adderall side effects change from person to person because of factors like gene, weight, tolerance, and sex all play an important role in how the drug works with one’s body.

Side Effects During the First Few Weeks of Adderall

During the first few weeks and months that you are on Adderall, you might have very severe Adderall side effects. This is because your doctor or psychiatrist is still trying to figure out which dosage would fit you and your life best.

If you are here because you can not stand your current Adderall side effects but it has only been a few weeks, talk to your doctor, he might lower the dosage or change medications.

Adderall Side Effects Change by Person

Adderall gets processed by the body at a different rate in different people. This is dependent upon your metabolism. Also, after a few weeks on Adderall, your body will get used to the stimulant and develop a tolerance; because of this, you might feel very bad for the first few weeks but, after that, you might feel better once your body gets used to it.

Adderall Side Effects that are Common

If you have any of the symptoms below, consult your doctor but note that these symptoms might go away within a few days once your body gets used to Adderall.

• Chest Pains: Adderall is a stimulant that increases Central and Peripheral Nervous System activity. So, once you take an Adderall pill, your brain will start to become stimulated at a faster pace. This also stimulates the brain area that is responsible for your heart rate. Some people may feel this increase in heart rate as chest pains.
• Insomnia: Adderall should be taken in the morning. Taking stimulants later in the day would cause insomnia or poor sleep. You might find yourself rolling around at night being unable to fall asleep. This is similar to drinking coffee an hour before bedtime if you have never taken Adderall before.
• Loss of Appetite: Stimulants decrease hunger. You might not want to eat for awhile on Adderall but it is recommended that you eat a meal before you take your first pill. This will decrease nausea.
• Nausea: Taking Adderal with a meal decreases nausea. The reason why you are feeling nausea is that, because Adderal is making your digestive system process food faster, you are feeling uncomfortable at the rate food is being digested. Or, if you have not eaten, you are feeling uncomfortable since your digestive system is working overtime with nothing to digest.
• Throwing Up: Some people can not stand the nausea and throw up.
• Moody: Adderall, in some people. causes strong shifts in emotions. Some people become easily annoyed or aggravated.
• Flat Affect: Adderall is known to cause robotic like affect in people. The reason for this is unknown but some people are just less emotional on Adderall.
• Euphoria: To some, Adderall causes a burst of euphoria during the first few hours. This is one of the reasons it is used as a recreational drug; but, since Adderall has such severe ‘come downs,’ it is not as popular as drugs like Ecstasy or cocaine.
• Frequent Urination: Since your body is working faster on Adderall, drink more water. Your body will go threw water faster. Not drinking enough water on Adderall has been stated to cause kidney stones.
• Jaw Clenching: Adderall causes some individuals to have a tight jaw. This might be a sign that your dosage is too high.
• Chewing: Adderall also causes others to chew their teeth. Some people call this grinding. This usually happens after the climax.

Uncommon Side Effects of Adderall

If you have any of the symptoms below, you should consult your doctor because these are infrequent symptoms that might be a sign that your dosage is too high or that you should try an Adderall alternative.

• Restlessness: If you are feeling uneasy about sitting in one place or are unable to remain still, you are restless. The Adderall dosage might be too high and your brain is unable to filter out all the incoming stimulus.
• Urinary Track Infection: Frequent urination can cause UTI in females.
• Hives: Some people have allergic reactions to Adderall. If you have hives, stop taking the pills and talk to your doctor immediately.
• Fever: Adderall can cause fevers in some cases. Talk with your doctor if you are feeling hotter than usual.
• Rash: This is another Adderall side effect that is caused by an allergic reaction. This is similar to hives.
• Breathing Problems: Your PNS might be too excited and cause you to breath quick, short breaths. This will reduce the amount of oxygen in your body and cause you to be light headed. Talk to your doctor if you have this.
• Drug Interactions: Adderall can interact with other medications that you are taking. Even something as simple as Ginseng can cause troubles with medications. Tell your doctor and pharmacist everything you are taking.
• Anxiety: This is a more severe form of moodiness. If you are feeling anxious, do not talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for benzos like Xanax. Xanax will cancel out Adderall.
• Dry Mouth: Adderall can cause dry mouth. This is not a severe symptom but make sure you drink lots of water.
• Bowl Movements: Frequent bowl movements are the result of a faster than normal digestive system. Food moves threw your digestive system at a faster pace when you are on Adderall.
• Erection Difficulties: Adderall causes blood to divert from the gentiles and into other parts of the body. It also suppresses sexual arousal. A simple cure for this is to wait until the Adderall side effects ware off before you have sex.
• Drowsiness: Adderall can cause some people to become drowsy. This might be a symptom of poor sleep.
• Dizziness: An over active visual cortex can cause your eyes to focus on too many things: the result is a dizzy feeling.
• Lethargic: Somehow, some people feel lethargic on Adderall. This is opposite than the desired result.
• Sweating Excessively: Adderall stimulates all parts of the body, this includes the sweat glands. However, if you are sweating excessively (soaking shirts), talk to your doctor.
• Pallet Changes: People have reported that their sense of taste is altered on Adderall. Some have also reported that they no longer love foods that they once loved before. The pallet change takes a few weeks to return to normal once you quit Adderall.
• Weight Loss: Since Adderall suppresses hunger and, at the same time, increases metabolism, weight loss is common. Adderall is also used as a weight loss drug in eating disorder circles. Weight loss on Adderall is more common than weight loss on Ritalin or other non-mixed ADHD pills.
• Extremely Fast Heart Rate: If your heart rate is so fast that it is uncomfortable, talk to your doctor. This means that your dosage is too high.
• Throbbing Heart: If your blood pressure is so high that you can feel it when you are standing still, talk to your doctor. This is a sign that your prescription is too high.
• Diarrhea: Diarrhea should not occur when taking Adderall. This is a rare and severe side effect of Adderall.
• Weakness: Some people feel weakness when they take Adderall. Stop to ask your doctor if you feel this.
• Low Sex Drive: Adderall causes decreased libido. If you are feeling this, stop taking Adderall. This is one of the most annoying Adderal side effects.

Rare and Dangerous Side Effects of Adderall

Adderall has been linked to 16 deaths in Canada. Take caution.

Adderall can be dangerious.

• Addiction: Adderall can be addictive and meets all the DSM requirements of an addictive drug.
• Depression: A lot of people online have reported depression from taking Adderall. If you feel down, unable to work, or a general dislike, talk to your doctor. This may be depression and it may be caused by Adderall.
• Aggressiveness: Adderall can cause an over active amygdala and, because of this, increased aggressiveness.
• Tourettes: Adderall worsens Tourette’s syndrome.
• High Blood Pressure: If you have high blood pressure from Adderall, stop taking Adderall and talk to your doctor.
• Heart Attack: Call 911.
• Abnormal Heart Rhythm: See a heart specialist right away. This is a severe side effect of Adderall.
• Stroke: Call 911.
• Hepatitis: Adderall causes increase work for the liver and this can cause hepatitis if there are other drugs involved.
• Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TED): TED is a rare and life threatening skin condition that is caused, most of the time, by medications. This is when the top layer of the skin peels off from the bottom layer. TED is believed to be a severe form of Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
• Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome: This is similar to TED and, if you are having this condition, seek emergency medical aid right away.
• Mental Impairment: Adderall is known to cause decrease memory as well slower cognitive processes.
• Hallucination: This is caused by the Basel Ganglia’s decreased ability to filter unnecessary from necessary stimulus. If you are hallucinating on Adderal, talk to your doctor.
• Faintness: This occurs when your blood is not having enough oxygen. This might be caused by rapid heart beat or rapid breathing.
• Seizures: If you experience a seizure on Adderall, seek medical attention now.
• Chest Pains: If you experience severe chest pains, it might be a sign of heart conditions. This is a very severe Adderall side effect.
• Double Vision: This is caused by an over active visual cortex.
• Blurred Vision: This results when your retina can not correctly focus in on an item.
• Dilated Pupil: This is a common side effect of stimulants but should not be seen in Adderall.
• Hair Loss: This is a rare and non-severe symptom.

Quitting Adderall

If you want to stop using Adderall, take your dosage and level of treatment into consideration as well as your doctor’s guidance. Long time, high dosage users of Adderall often feel lethargic, sleepy, fatigue, irritable, and depressed after going cold turkey on Adderall. It is recommended to slowly reduce your dosage if you are a high dosage user. Low dosage users should also talk to their doctor if they do not like the Adderall side effects. You might also be able to get different strengths of Adderall if you are having too many side effects. Or, your doctor might give you a different pill such as Concerta if Adderall side effects are too much.

Share Your Adderall Story

Do you have some Adderall side effects that are listed or not listed above? Share your Adderall side effects story with us using the comment box below–you can remain anonymous if you would like.