Tolerance to Adderall

Tolerance to Adderall develops more on a weekly to monthly basis, sometimes taking up to 6 months before a doctor has to alter and change the concentration of the medication. However, amphetamines like Adderall usually take longer to develop a tolerance when used for therapeutic purposes. Adderall abuse speeds up the process. More on tolerance to Adderall here.

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Do you still have ADHD symptoms after taking Adderall (amphetamine, dexamphetamine and mixed salts)? Does your doctor have to increase your Adderall prescription doses to increase its effectiveness?

If yes, then you have or are developing a tolerance to Adderall. Tolerance doesn’t mean you are physically or mentally dependent on a drug, that you are addicted, or that you will necessarily experience Adderall withdrawal syndrome when you stop taking amphetamine salts. Note here that Adderall dependence withdrawal requires medical supervision.  However, if tolerance is occurring you want to watch out for Adderall withdrawal symptoms. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Adderall tolerance. We also look at how Adderall tolerance relates to amphetamine dependency and addiction. We invite any questions you may have about Adderall at the end of this article.

Developing tolerance to Adderall

Anyone can develop a tolerance to Adderall but it happens over a length of time. Adderall tolerance, in general, takes longer than other types of drugs. But those abusing Adderall for the euphoric effect will develop tolerance quicker than someone using it for therapeutic purposes. How does tolerance happen? And what does it mean?

Tolerance to Adderall develops because the body “learns” the chemical makeup of amphetamine salts over time. After a while, the end of the nerves become resistant to Adderall effects on the body. Sometimes, developing a tolerance to Adderallcompletely renders the drug useless. Other time,s this tolerance can progress into in a physical dependence on Adderall. When you are physically dependent on Adderall and try to stop taking Adderall, your body experiences withdrawal symptoms which can be both dangerous and painful.

Adderall tolerance symptoms

In general, tolerance symptoms for amphetamines like Adderall include the following and are important to look out for.

1) No longer feeling the focus Adderall provides.

2) Needing higher doses of Adderall to feel its effects on ADHD symptoms.

3) Only being able to maintain the effects of Adderall for a short time after taking it.

Note here that Adderall has a high potential for developing physical dependency and can even trigger addiction in some cases. If you are worried this may be you, you can review our other articles for further information. But as you use Adderall over time, doctors expect that you will develop some form of tolerance to Adderall. Your doctor will work with you to observe which concentration of amphetamine salts works best for you to adjust for and work around Adderall tolerance.

Adderall tolerance: How long?

Amphetamines, in general, take longer to develop a tolerance when used for therapeutic purposes. Tolerance in this case develops more on a week to month basis sometimes taking up to 6 months before a doctor has to alter and change the concentration of the medication. But when Adderall is abused to get high, tolerance develops quickly. In fact, people can develop a tolerance to Adderall after using it just once. Many try to chase the first high with no success and will take more Adderall, thereby increasing their tolerance at the same time as they develop a dependence.

High tolerance to Adderall

There are different concentrations and potencies of Adderall for those prescribed amphetamines to treat ADHD. This varies because of the ADHD spectrum and the variations that exist. What may be a high tolerance for one may be low for someone else.

Doctors are advised to start people out with the lowest possible dose of Adderall because of the high potential your body has of becoming dependent on amphetamines. This also allows room for doctors to tinker with the levels and dosage of Adderall which can works for you. In general, a high tolerance to Adderall exceeds 40mg a day. To even get to this Adderall dosage is considered rare and rather remarkable. If you are taking 30 to 40 mg of Adderall a day, you have a high tolerance to Adderall and may want to try another medication that can help mitigate ADHD symptoms.

How to lower tolerance to Adderall

Because of Adderall’s high dependency rate, it is considered a little more dangerous practice to lower your tolerance to Adderall. It is safe to lower your tolerance to Adderall as long as you have not developed a physical dependency on amphetamines salts. If you have become physically dependent on Adderall, you will then need to taper your Adderall doses slowly under the supervision of a doctor to compensate for withdrawal symptoms.

The best way to lower tolerance is to stop taking Adderall. But when you do this , ADHD symptoms will once again occur. A couple of months should be good enough to lower tolerance enough to start taking it. If may be best to try an alternative drug to help with these symptoms. Talk to a doctor to see what would be your best option. Also, if you’re abusing Adderall and you stop taking it, you will never be able to reach level zero of when you started taking Adderall.

Building up tolerance to Adderall questions

Do you still have questions about Adderall tolerance? Please share your questions and experiences with Adderall in the comments below.

Reference Sources: Pub Med Health: Adderall
FDA: Adderall drug label
National Institute of Drug Abuse: Pharmacology and Toxicology of Amphetamine and Related Designer Drugs
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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