How Long Does Adderall Stay In Your System
In most cases, Adderall is detectable in your system between 20 and 96 hours after your last use, depending on the test used. Adderall can be detected in urine 72-96 hours after last use, blood up to 46 hours, saliva 20-50 hours, and hair up to 3 months. Several factors influence the length of time it can be detected, including urine pH, weight, frequency of use, dose, age, and last use.
Despite the fact that Adderall is a prescription medication, it is frequently abused. Misuse can result in addiction, overdose, and serious side effects like cardiovascular disease, unhealthful weight loss, and psychotic symptoms. People who have developed a drug addiction may benefit from professional substance abuse treatment.
If you or someone you know is addicted to Adderall, the leading rehabilitation program in the United States, American Addiction Centers (AAC), can help.
What Is Adderall?
Adderall is a stimulant medication used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. This stimulant combination is found in branded pharmaceutical formulations such as Adderall (immediate release), Adderall XR (extended release), and Mydayis (extended release).
Immediate-release forms of the drug are available as oral tablets, while extended-release forms are available as capsules to be taken by mouth. 1,2
Depending on the version of the drug, the effects of Adderall last for varying lengths of time. The immediate-release Adderall version lasts about 4-6 hours per dose, whereas the extended-release Adderall XR version only needs to be taken once a day in the morning.
Adderall is one of the most commonly prescribed ADHD medications. The number of people aged 12 and older who used amphetamine products (including Adderall, Dexedrine, Vyvanse, and similar drugs) increased from just over 12 million (4.5% of this population) to 12.7 million (4.7% of this population) between 2016 and 2017.
Is Adderall Abused?
While many people use Adderall with a doctor’s prescription after being diagnosed with ADHD or narcolepsy, it is a commonly abused medication. The number of people aged 12 and up who misused Adderall increased from 5.1 million to 5.2 million between 2016 and 2017.
Addicts of Adderall frequently use someone else’s medication or obtain it illegally. They may also take it differently than prescribed (by crushing, snorting, or injecting it) in an attempt to increase the intensity of the high.
High school and college students may use the drug to improve their academic performance, while adults may use it to improve their memory or work performance. Addiction, anger, paranoia, psychosis, and heart problems can all result from drug abuse.
How Long Does Adderall Last In the Body?
Adderall is absorbed by the digestive system and either deactivated or excreted unchanged in the urine by the liver. Approximately 20-25% of it is converted to metabolites such as hippuric and benzoic acids.
A number of factors influence how long Adderall remains in a person’s system.
For example, a person’s urine pH can influence how quickly a drug leaves the body. A person with a low urine pH will typically eliminate the drug more quickly, whereas a person with a higher pH may do so more slowly. 5 Other factors that can influence how long Adderall remains in a person’s system are:
- How often the person took Adderall.
- What dose the person took.
- When the person last took Adderall.
- Weight.
- Kidney or liver impairment.
Adderall & Drug Testing
Employers, law enforcement, medical and mental health professionals, and sports organizations all routinely test for amphetamines, a component of Adderall. To determine whether a person has used Adderall or similar drugs, urine tests, blood tests, hair tests, and saliva tests are all used.
- Urine test: This is the most commonly used form of testing. You are most likely to test positive for Adderall on a urine test 72-96 hours after last use.
- Hair test: Though less commonly used than urine tests, hair tests offer a greater window of possible detection time. Traces of amphetamines can be detected for up to 3 months after last use.8
- Saliva test: Traces of Adderall can be detected in saliva for 20-50 hours.
- Blood test: While traces of Adderall can be detected soon after last use, it will only remain in the blood for up to 46 hours.
Is Adderall Addictive?
As stated earlier, Adderall abuse can lead to addiction. An addiction can interfere with many areas of a person’s life, such as their health, relationships, schoolwork, or employment.
Signs of addiction include:
- Taking Adderall in larger amounts or over a longer period of time than intended.
- Inability to cut back on Adderall use.
- Spending a large amount of time acquiring Adderall, using it, or recovering from its effects.
- Craving Adderall.
- Difficulty taking care of responsibilities at work, school, or home due to Adderall use.
- Continuing to use Adderall even though its use is causing social or interpersonal problems.
- Not participating in previously enjoyed activities in favor of Adderall use.
- Using Adderall in dangerous situations.
- Continuing to use Adderall even though it is causing physical or psychological problems.
- Building tolerance to Adderall, so that the person has to take progressively higher doses of the drug to get the same effect as before.
- Withdrawal symptoms when the person cuts down or stops use.
Abuse and addiction also increase the risk of overdose. People who develop tolerance to the drug may steadily increase their intake of Adderall, raising the likelihood of taking too much and overdosing.
Symptoms of an Adderall overdose include:
- Panic.
- Confusion.
- Hallucinations.
- Aggression.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Abdominal cramps.
- Diarrhea.
- Rapid breathing.
- High fever.
- Rhabdomyolysis (breakdown in muscle tissue that releases a damaging protein into the blood, which can damage the kidneys).
- Irregular heartbeat.
- High or low blood pressure.
- Circulatory collapse.
- Restlessness.
- Tremors.
- Overactive reflexes.
- Convulsions.
- Coma.
Emergency medical services may be required in the event of an overdose, which can result in death.
What Happens When You Stop Using Adderall?
Withdrawal symptoms may occur in people who have chronically misused the drug and developed significant physiological dependence.
Stimulant withdrawal symptoms may include:
- Cravings.
- Fatigue.
- Depression.
- Lack of pleasure.
- Agitation.
- Insomnia or sleeping more than normal.
- Vivid dreams.
- Increased appetite.
- Slowed movements.
- Slowed heart rate.
Withdrawal typically develops within a few hours to several days after stopping Adderall and can last up to 2-3 weeks.
A supervised medical detox can be beneficial for people who are severely addicted to stimulants. Close patient monitoring and medications to help ease withdrawal symptoms, manage any medical or mental health issues, and reduce the likelihood of relapse could be included.
According to studies, relapse is common in amphetamine users and usually occurs within 4 weeks of quitting.
Does Adderall Expire?
Adderall, like most medications, has an expiration date, but what does this mean? Most drugs retain their full potency for years after they have expired, and Adderall is likely no exception. It may gradually lose some potency over time, but the majority of the original active ingredient is likely to remain. This does not imply that it is safe to consume.
Before taking an expired Adderall tablet, consider whether anything has changed in your health that would make taking the same dose you did on the expired prescription dangerous. As our bodies and health change, so do our needs and reactions to medication, rendering previous prescriptions ineffective, inappropriate, or even dangerous.
If you were prescribed the medication for ADHD or a sleep disorder, you should consult your doctor before restarting an old prescription, and you should never use someone else’s prescription.
More on Drug Safety & Expiration Dates
Drug expiration dates have been around since the late 1970s, when a law was passed requiring drug manufacturers to include an expiration date on their products. The marked expiration date denotes the date on which the drug’s manufacturer guarantees that the drug is completely safe and still works.
While it is a regulatory issue, a study conducted at the request of the military by the Food and Drug Administration discovered that when looking at a massive stockpile of drugs about to be thrown out, more than 90% were still good even 15 years after the listed expiration date. This study looked at over 100 different types of drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter.
Tetracycline (an antibiotic) is one of the exceptions that may become unsafe or less potent after its expiration date. If used after its expiration date, it can be toxic to the kidneys. Furthermore, certain medications, such as insulin, nitroglycerin, and liquid antibiotics, should not be used after their expiration date because they degrade quickly and lose potency.
Many drugs in tablet form, on the other hand, retain their potency well after their expiration date if properly stored. Any medicine should be stored in an airtight container away from heat, light, and places with high humidity.
To reiterate, Adderall is highly addictive and should always be kept away from children and people who may abuse it.
The Dangers of Keeping Expired Adderall
Expired medicines should not be stored because studies show that recreational use and misuse often begin with drugs obtained from friends, family, or home medicine cabinets. Having said that, Adderall is a controlled substance with a high potential for abuse and addiction. It should be kept away from children and anyone who could potentially abuse it.
It is also critical that you never use Adderall without a prescription, whether it is expired or not.
How to Safely Dispose of Expired Adderall
When disposing of expired Adderall, follow the FDA-approved guidelines. It can be returned to authorized collection locations such as retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, or police stations. If no drop-off location is available, it can be discarded in a sealed plastic bag in the trash, mixed with foul-smelling food to help small children and pets avoid it if necessary.
More on Drug Safety & Expiration Dates
Drug expiration dates have been around since the late 1970s, when a law was passed requiring drug manufacturers to include an expiration date on their products. The marked expiration date denotes the date on which the drug’s manufacturer guarantees that the drug is completely safe and still works.
While it is a regulatory issue, a study conducted at the request of the military by the Food and Drug Administration discovered that when looking at a massive stockpile of drugs about to be thrown out, more than 90% were still good even 15 years after the listed expiration date. This study looked at over 100 different types of drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter.
Tetracycline (an antibiotic) is one of the exceptions that may become unsafe or less potent after its expiration date. If used after its expiration date, it can be toxic to the kidneys. Furthermore, certain medications, such as insulin, nitroglycerin, and liquid antibiotics, should not be used after their expiration date because they degrade quickly and lose potency.
Many drugs in tablet form, on the other hand, retain their potency well after their expiration date if properly stored. Any medicine should be stored in an airtight container away from heat, light, and places with high humidity.
To reiterate, Adderall is highly addictive and should always be kept away from children and people who may abuse it.
Getting Help for Adderall Misuse
Individuals suffering from ADHD and narcolepsy may find Adderall to be life-changing. However, many people abuse Adderall and put themselves at risk of addiction.
Substance abuse treatment programs can assist people in overcoming Adderall addiction.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management, for example, can help people quit using and learn how to stay clean. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches people how to manage triggers and change thought patterns that may lead to Adderall abuse, whereas contingency management rewards people for sobriety-related behaviors.4
To overcome the symptoms of Adderall withdrawal, treatment may typically begin with medically supervised detox. Following that, patients may choose to enter an inpatient treatment program, where they will receive therapy and learn coping skills in a highly supervised and structured setting.
If you’ve been abusing the drug, get help right away.
Sources
- Food and Drug Administration. (2007). Adderall.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine, Medline. (2017). Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Prescription Stimulants.
- Redwood Toxicology Laboratory. Amphetamines & Methamphetamine.
- Moeller, K., Kissack, J., Atayee, R., and Lee, K. (2017). Clinical Interpretation of Urine Drug Tests: What Clinicians Need to Know About Urine Drug Screens. Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
- Verstraete, A. (2004). Detection Times of Drugs of Abuse in Blood, Urine, and Oral Fluid. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, 26(2).
- MedlinePlus. Toxicology Screen.
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
- Australian Government Department of Health. (2004). The amphetamine withdrawal syndrome.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2010). Protracted Withdrawal.