Mixing Adderall with alcohol

Adderall can make you feel more alert when you are drinking. But the effects of mixing Adderall and alcohol can include masking alcohol intoxication, which can lead to alcohol poisoning and alcohol related accidents. More here mixing Adderall with alcohol.

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minute read

Are you considering mixing Adderall with alcohol?

Mixing Adderall with alcohol comes with both risks and dangers. In this article, we review what happens in your body when you mix Adderall with alcohol. We also outline what can go wrong when you do. Your questions about mixing Adderall and alcohol are welcomed at the end. We respond to all legitimate queries about Adderall with a personal and prompt response.

Adderall and alcohol effects

Adderall is a stimulant medication which can cause a euphoric high when abused.  Is Adderall legal speed? Kinda.  Speed is much stronger than Adderall.  And before you ask –  Yes, Adderall show up on drug test as an amphetamine, so if you take Adderall you need a prescription or medical record which indicates medical need.  Some people take Adderall to counteract the sedative effects of alcohol, allowing them to drink longer and harder. In online anecdotal forums, people have reported the effects of mixing Adderall and alcohol to include:

  • alertness
  • insomnia
  • pounding heart
  • memory loss

Dangers of mixing Adderall and alcohol

The main danger of mixing Adderall with alcohol is in the fact that the amphetamine salt in Adderall acts as a central nervous system stimulant and can counteract the natural sedative effects of alcohol. So when a person takes Adderall and drinks at the same time, they’ll fail to notice the body’s normal cues, such as sleepiness, that would normally let them know that they’ve had enough to drink. Because Adderall counteracts some of the effects of alcohol, you may believe you’re more sober than you actually are, raising your risk of alcohol related accidents significantly. It’s also quite possible for you to accidentally drink too much.

Additionally, taking Adderall for non medical purposes has a number of negative side effects, especially with habitual use.  Do people die from Adderall?  Yes, cases of sudden death after taking Adderall have been reported within therapeutic doses as well as during Adderall abuse.   Some side effects of taking Adderall without medical reason can be quite dangerous and include:

  • anxiety
  • aggression
  • brain damage
  • confusion
  • hallucinations
  • heart attack
  • paranoia
  • seizures
  • stroke
  • violent behavior

Adderall and alcohol overdose

Alcohol doesn’t directly raise the risk of overdose on Adderall, although it’s possible that impaired judgment could cause someone to take more Adderall than they could handle. What’s more likely is that someone high on Adderall won’t moderate their alcohol intake as before. They may believe they are less impaired than they really are and drink more than is safe. Simply because you feel less drunk when taking Adderall, doesn’t mean that your alcohol tolerance is higher than it would normally be.

Adderall and alcohol deaths

Adderall abuse puts you at the risk of a variety of serious medical conditions, including potential sudden death – even in an otherwise healthy person. But mixing Adderall and alcohol also increases the risk of alcohol-related death. NOT DRINKING ALCOHOL is the only way to stay safe while taking Adderall.

Is it safe to drink on Adderall?

No. Mixing Adderall with alcohol just enhances the dangerous effects of both drugs and masks the true impact these drugs are having on your system. You can ask your prescribing doctor for more information on taking Adderall safely and still being able to drink, but it’s better to err on the side of caution and avoid mixing the two to begin with.

Mixing Adderall alcohol questions

Do you still have questions about mixing Adderall with alcohol or other substances? Please leave your Adderall questions here. We try our best to answer all questions personally, and promptly. And if we don’t know the answer, we will refer you to someone who can help. Your experiences with mixing Adderall and alcohol are also welcome.

Reference Sources: NIAAA pamphlet: Harmful Interactions, Mixing Alcohol with Medicines
DEA: Methamphetamine
Medline Plus: Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine
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.
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