Adderall detox treatment

Detox from Adderall can be very uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be. Learn here how you can detox from Adderall safely and who can help you get through withdrawal.

4
minute read

If you plan to go through withdrawal from Adderall, you need to be careful. It is possible that you will experience serious side effects if the detox process is not managed well. In fact, quitting the medication can result in a number of uncomfortable mental, behavioral, and physical symptoms of withdrawal.

How can you detox from Adderall safely? Can you manage or minimize Adderall withdrawal? Here, we share some tips on how you can detox from Adderall in a safer and more comfortable manner, and prepare you for what you can expect during withdrawal. Then, we invite you to post any questions you might have about Adderall detox treatment at the bottom of the page.

Adderall detox: What to expect

At the moment, there are no medications that can effectively help in the treatment of Adderall withdrawal. Therefore, detoxing from Adderall can be a little difficult to figure out. Below are three ways doctors approach Adderall detox treatment.

1. Reduction in dosage

High levels of stimulants like Adderall can lead to side effects such as:

  • paranoia
  • hostility
  • seizures
  • depressed breathing

In order to avoid these acute symptoms of Adderall detox, doctors usually suggest a tapering of doses. Reducing doses slowly and gradually is a much safer and more pleasant way to detox from Adderall. Tapering allows you to manage acute symptoms while you can identify other modalities to treat pain and other types of discomfort as they arise.

Ask your prescribing doctor for a tapering schedule BEFORE you attempt any type of Adderall detox from home. This type of detox IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR EVERYONE, so asking for a screen for addiction beforehand can be very important. During a tapered withdrawal, be sure that you set up regular check-ins with a medical doctor as come off Adderall. Your tapering schedule is designed specially for you by taking into consideration the duration of your treatment period, doses, general health state, and your individual preferences.

2. Antidepressants

Adderall can cause depression and anxiety. This is the reason why some physicians recommend prescribing antidepressants for the treatment of mood-related symptoms during Adderall detox. Antidepressant therapy can start even before you start reducing doses, and will probably continue during and after acute Adderall detox. Always used antidepressants under medical supervision. It is important for doctors – as well as yourself – to be careful not to replace addiction to one medication with another (from Adderall to antidepressants).

3. Behavioral Management and Psychotherapy

Adderall use can get out of control if you use or misuse the medication to the point of addiction. If you have become addicted to the drug and its effects, simply detoxing from Adderall won’t be enough. After detoxification, when the medication is out of the body, you will need to proceed with follow up therapies, as needed. Behavioral and psycho-educational therapy can help maintain and support the detox process and lead to more positive long-term outcomes.

Rapid Adderall detox treatment

Doctors don’t recommend quitting Adderall suddenly and rapidly.

In fact, detox symptoms can be unnecessarily difficult and uncomfortable if you go cold turkey off Adderall. But, withdrawal doesn’t have to be painful. By tapering down your Adderall doses and slowly decreasing your use over time, you can decrease the severity of the effects and manage the rest of the symptoms with some over-the-counter and/or prescription medications.

Again (we can’t say this enough), … if you want to stop taking Adderall, it’s best to talk to a doctor or a medical practitioner first. These medical professionals can help you decide which course of treatment is most appropriate for your individual needs.

How to detox from Adderall safely

The safest way to detox from Adderall and to minimize the effects of detox on the body is by tapering and reducing your doses of Adderall slowly and gradually. Reducing doses slowly provides your body with the required time to regulate itself and rewire the brain chemistry back towards homeostasis to be able to function without Adderall.

Adderall detox can take a long time and seem like a very slow process when you are tapering. If you have been taking Adderall for a long period of time or have been abusing it chronically, you may experience PAWS, also known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome. PAWS is a set of symptoms that can linger for weeks to months after your last dose of Adderall. You may also experience some sleeping issues for several months after stopping the medication, as well as mental depression or unusual emotions and mood swings.

Remember, if there is anything that you are concerned about throughout the Adderall detox process, you should always seek help from a medical professional. For emotional support, turn to someone you can talk to (like a friend, a close family member, or a spiritual leader).

Detox from Adderall questions

If you still have something that you’d like to ask or add regarding the Adderall detox treatment, we welcome you to post your feedback in the comments section at the end of the page. We appreciate your questions and try to respond to all legitimate inquiries with a personal and prompt response. In the case we don’t know the answer to a question, we will gladly refer you to professionals who can help.

Reference Sources: NCBI: Treatment for amphetamine withdrawal
NIH: Potential Adverse Effects of Amphetamine Treatment on Brain and Behavior: A Review
DrugAbuse: Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide
NIH: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
I am ready to call
i Who Answers?