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Adderall

My stepson takes Adderall XR 20 mg for ADD.  There is something about the medicine that I don't understand and I'm hoping that someone can clear it up for me.  

The information I have found on Adderall suggests that the medication last 6-8 hours for a regular pill and longer for the extended release tablets.  However, the medication bottle says that my stepson should not miss a dose or discontinue without talking to the doctor.  If the medication only lasts for a specific amount of time, how does it affect him if he misses a dose or stops taking it on the weekends or during the summer?

I guess what I don't understand is how he can become dependent on a drug that only stays in his system for 1/2 a day.  And if the drug wears off naturally, why would missing doses cause him to go through withdrawl symptoms?  

Is it the same type of dependency/addiction people can get to drugs like cocaine, heroin, etc.?

(Please understand, my husband and i are not planning to stop his meds on the weekend or in the summer, I am just trying to understand the drug better.)

What can we do to help ensure that he is not losing too much weight?  Should we give him some type of supplement or something?  He's not overly thin, but we want to make sure he does not get that way.

Thanks so much for any help any of you can give me!
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Avatar universal
Thanks a lot :)
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535822 tn?1443976780
That thread is 5 years old , not certain they will see it you could try sending a Pm
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Avatar universal
hey my name is christina, im 15years old and a sophmore and head cheerleader in high school, I have been on adderall since 6th grade and believe me i know everything there is to know about adderall. And missing doses will cause him to go through withdrawl symptoms because ur stepson and every kid with ADD is put on a doesage depending how bad there ADD is. Ur stepson is on 20mg   (which is not bad compared to me) so that doesage will effect him the right way, im on 60mg (started at 5mg in 6th grade but comtinued to grow over period) and lets say i took 20mg for one day, it wont have as much effect on me and most likely wont help me at all. And about ur stepsons weight, its perfectly normal to have a rapid weight loss, as his body begin to adapt and be use to his lifestyle with the medican the weight will become normal to move back and forth( gain and lose). But the best thing to do is have him on it EVERYDAY theres a reason the doctor said so. And i believe it would help if he does what i do, i take it everyday except weekends, so even though he is on summer break still have hm take it cuz not being on the medican will have him forget everything he learned in school....glad to help
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Avatar universal
I was told by my sons pediatrician that you shouldnt stop use of adderall suddenly -without the Dr.'s say so- because adderall is a controlled substance and can lead to dependancy and abuse.
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for the information!  You definitely cleared things up for me so that now I understand why he can't be off the meds on the weekends and in the summer.

The weight loss isn't extreme... yet!  But he's only been on the meds 2 months and he has definitely thinned out.  He's probably at a healthy weight now, but I'll be concerned if it goes much lower.

Thanks again!
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Avatar universal
I dont know too much about Adderall, but Ill try and answer your question.  My stepdaughter is on it as well.  

You are correct that the regular tablets only last about 8 hours, however, there is still a "baseline" amount of the medication that always stays in the system.  In order to treat ADHD, there has to be a certain level of Adderal in teh system.  When the medicine wears off, it drops below that baseline, but the medicine is still in his system, although not strong enough to have an affect.  An abrupt stop would drop that baseline level to nothing.  

After 6-8 hours, the medication begins to wear off.  My stepdaughter would turn into Mr. Hyde later in the evening... you could definitely tell the medicine was no longer having the appropriate effect.  As my stepdaughter grew, the medicine had less and less of an affect and she was switched to teh extended release which has worked better for her.  As she is STILL continuing to grow, that may need to be looked at as well.  

As far as the weight is concerned, that is a definite concern.  My stepdaughter is naturally thin.  When she began taking ADderall she became disgusting.  She was 8 years old, still fitting into size 5/6.  She is tall to begin with, and her ribs and facial bones were just sunk in.  What we ended up doing is having the doctor switch her allergy medication to one that causes a weight gain to counteract the effect of the Adderall.  If you dont have that option, keep an eye on it.  If the weight loss gets considerable, you may need to switch his medication.  

Good luck!!
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