How Long Does Adderall Last? Understanding Its Duration and Effects

What is Adderall and How Does it Work?

Adderall has become a popular stimulant on the black market in recent years, and I had the great misfortune of getting hooked on it while I was in college. I first started using it in order to stay up late studying. Slowly but surely, I developed a full-on Adderall addiction that required a stay at South Shores Detox and Recovery Center.

For me, the answer to, “How long does Adderall last?,” was ‘never long enough.’ The actual high from the drug, depending on what form of the drug you take, tends to be from 4 to 8 hours (or more with the XR) but this can vary based on body type and tolerance.

You likely already know that Adderall is a prescription stimulant that is used primarily to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adderall contains a mixture of both amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which work by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain.

It’s important to know the risks of Adderall abuse so that you can recognize if someone you love has been abusing it. Read more to learn about some of the dangers and warning signs, and how I was able to get help to overcome Adderall dependence at a place called South Shores Recovery.

How Easy Is It To Acquire Adderall?

Because it can be obtained with a prescription, it isn’t that difficult to get your hands on Adderall. It is available in immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (XR) formulations, including Adderall IR, Adderall XR, and Mydayis (XR). The medication increases focus and control behavior problems by stimulating the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures.

By the time I got to South Shores, my Adderall addiction was brutal. My use of Adderall and other stimulants left my brain warped and in a fragile state. When I showed up on my first day in rehab, I had been awake for three days straight and was at my wit’s end.

The Very Real Risks of Adderall Misuse

Like a lot of other drugs, Adderall seems harmless once you begin using it. As a prescription stimulant, the effects vary depending on how much Adderall you take. No matter what, if you take Adderall on a regular basis without a prescription, it can lead to devastating effects.

Adderall misuse can lead to addiction, anger, paranoia, psychosis, and heart problems. One of the biggest issues with Adderall is it’s use among young people. Teens and young adults may use the drug to improve their performance in school, and adults may take it to improve their focus or performance at work.

An Easy Drug To Abuse And Lie About

Because of its use in treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, many people who use Adderall can obtain it under false pretenses. I had a friend who got a prescription for it just by telling the doctor they had a hard time paying attention at work. Once they got the prescription, they started snorting it and selling the rest illicitly.

This makes it an easy drug to abuse and lie about why you are using it. As is true with any other form of substance abuse, addicts will come up with all kinds of excuses as to why they need the drug. An opiate addict will tell you that they need to use heroin for their back problems. It’s not that much different when it comes to the reasons people tell you that they need to use Adderall.

It isn’t that difficult to fake ADHD symptoms, or simply tell a doctor that you have a hard time sitting still or paying attention. I grew up during an era when it seemed as if doctors were giving ADHD drugs out like candy. It was as if an entire generation of 90s kids got put on them overnight. Luckily now, we know more about the dangers of giving them out so easily.

Adderall Addiction Can Be Deadly

Misusing the drug is dangerous and can lead to addiction, especially when taken without a doctor’s supervision. Adderall is not a safe way to get high, and anyone can develop an addiction or experience withdrawal, regardless of age or background. I’ve seen it happen to dozens of people. Once it happened to me, it took full control of my life and I was absolutely powerless to it.

When you get a prescription for Adderall, there is a recommended dose like any other prescription medication. This is dangerous because it is up to the user of the medication to follow these instructions. It’s very easy for someone to simply take more than necessary, which can lead to a higher tolerance. Prescription drugs are so often abused because there is no medical supervision once you take it home.

Adderall XR vs Adderall IR

How long the effects of Adderall last depends on a few factors. First of all, immediate-release Adderall lasts around four to six hours, while extended-release Adderall can last up to twelve hours. Other factors including your level of addiction and tolerance come into play as well. If you’ve abused Adderall for long enough, you will need more and more to keep the effects coming.

How long Adderall would last for me depended on how much I was taking and how long I had been awake on it. I always preferred the immediate release Adderall so that I could feel the effects immediately. This was also due to my high tolerance. I started out with one at a time. One became two at a time, then three at a time.

Adderall Withdrawal Symptoms: A Mental Health Disaster

The withdrawal symptoms from Adderall were some of the worst I ever experienced, and I dabbled with a lot of drugs during my youth. Common withdrawal symptoms of Adderall include depression, irritability, fatigue, and sleep disruptions. This creates a dangerous mind game that can be hard to overcome.

If I didn’t have Adderall, I couldn’t function normally. I tossed and turned all night long with barely any sleep. I was obsessed with getting more of it. My frustration and irritability were at an all-time high, and I became unapproachable.

Any minor inconvenience would send me into a rage spiral. I would do just about anything for one Adderall dose, even if I barely felt the effects. Just getting the drug into my body was like a weight lifted off of me. All of my time and energy was wrapped up in trying to get more Adderall, and panicking if I didn’t have enough.

How Long Does Adderall Stay In Your System?

Although there are a number of factors involved, the average half-life of Adderall is around fourteen hours at the longest. It typically takes about two to three days for the stimulant to clear out of your system entirely. Because of this, it can be easy to pass drug tests. Because I was so addicted, there was no way I could go three days without it. So in my case, it was actually pretty difficult to pass a drug test.

My Adderall abuse got me into quite a bit of legal trouble, which culminated in me totaling my car after a four-day binge. I was arrested for driving under the influence and was given probation. This included regular drug tests. I failed every test they gave me until I was given the option of jail or rehab. Luckily for me, I made the choice to enter recovery at South Shores.

Eliminate Adderall and Stimulant Addiction Once And For All

When I first got into detox, I was craving Adderall every minute. By the end of my detox, I was still craving it intensely, but the time between cravings was slowly extending. I went from thinking about it minute by minute to around once every hour, and then less and less after that. It was still on my mind all the time, but I started to make a lot of progress retraining my brain to work without it.

When you suffer from drug addiction, getting clean requires you to rewire your brain. Your brain becomes used to the drug and can’t function normally without it. This is why detox and withdrawal are so difficult for so many addicts. Once you push through that initial withdrawal period, the real work can begin once you have a clear mind.

Addiction Treatment And Early Recovery

I had a lot of trouble sleeping during my initial recovery, but it leveled out after a few weeks, and got back to sleeping normally each night. I can’t stress how much of a positive effect this had on my continued recovery. Sleep is everything when it comes to normal brain function. A good night’s sleep goes a long way, especially when you are trying to avoid a relapse with substance abuse.

It’s amazing how many people I met in recovery who were dealing with the same situation. There are so many young people out there struggling with Adderall misuse. The thing that makes it so sad is that a lot of these people started using it to help with their studies. Even when you begin using a drug for what you think is the right reason, it can still come back to bite you.

Get Help for Yourself or a Loved One at South Shores

I was able to overcome my Adderall addiction by focusing on getting my mental health right. South Shores Recovery gave me the tools and the confidence to live a life free of stimulant addiction. Once I got off of it, I was pretty amazed that I was able to last as long as I did during my addiction. Adderall had full control of me, but now I am back in control and I never felt better.

If you or someone you love is having trouble putting down Adderall, give the people at South Shores a call today. They keep things confidential, and, at least for me and a lot of the peers I went to treatment with, they provide a very solid foundation and path to living clean and sober successfully.