Adderall

[Michele71]

My stepson takes Adderall (adderrall) 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 (adderrall) 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!

[lilcountriegal]

I dont know too much about Adderall (adderrall), 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 (adderrall) 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 (adderrall).  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!!

[Michele71]

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!

[sourjellybeans]

I was told by my sons pediatrician that you shouldnt stop use of adderall (adderrall) suddenly -without the Dr.'s say so- because adderall (adderrall) is a controlled substance and can lead to dependancy and abuse.