What is Adderall
Adderall drug is a combination medication containing four salts of the two enantiomers of amphetamine, a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the phenethylamine class which helps increase your ability to pay attention, stay focused on an activity, and control behavioral problems. It may also help you to organize your tasks and improve your listening skills. Adderall is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition in which people have a difficult time focusing or paying attention to a single task and act impulsively. The drug exerts its effect by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain(dopamine).
How Long Does It Take For Adderall to Kick In
Adderall can be habit forming, if you continually use it over time you will develop tolerance to the drug and become unable to function normally or optimally without it. Adderall works by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses. The onset of action of Adderall is around 15 – 30 minutes post dosage. for Adderall XR (extended release) about fifty percent (50%) of the drug is released instantly, and the other 50% is released over the next four hours.
How Long Does Adderall Stay in Your System?
To fully understand how long adderall stay in your system, it is imperative to explain the concept of half-life. The half-life of a drug is the time taken by the human body to eliminate 50% of a drug. The mean elimination half-life for Adderall is 10 hours in adults; 11 hours in adolescents aged 13-17 years and weighing less than or equal to 75 kg/165 lbs; and 9 hours in children aged 6 to 12 years. This implies that an adult who takes 60 mg of Adderall XR will have 30 mg of the drug still in his body after 10 hours. Adderall will be completely eliminated from your system in 3 days. This however depends on several factors.
Testing for Adderall can be done through urine, hair, saliva, and blood.
In urine, Adderall can be detected for up to 4 to 7 days.
In hair, Adderall can be detected about a week after use for up to 90 days.
In saliva, Adderall can be detected 20 minutes after use and can be detected for up to 48 hours.
In blood, Adderall can be detected 12 to 24 hours after dosage and can be detected for 24 hours.
Factors that Influence How Long Adderall Stays in Your System
Body composition Effect on Adderall Elimination –The way your body is made up can affect the length of time it takes for your body to eliminate Adderall. Your body fat percentage, height, weight, and muscle mass all play a critical role in the time frame taken for Adderall to leave your body. The amphetamine mixed salts in Adderall are known to be hydrophilic( water loving), this implies that they will not bind to fat. This explains why someone with low muscle mass and high body fat will probably be clear of Adderall at a much faster rate than someone with high muscle mass and low fat. In general, having more muscle mass means an individual has increased water in the body, and since ingredients of Adderall are hydrophilic, this allows them to circulate in the body for longer periods of time without binding.
Food in the System Effect on Adderall Elimination- Food does not necessarily affect how quickly the effects of Adderall kick in, it can however affect how quickly your body is able to clear the drug. When food and the drug are both in the digestive system, the body will be working simultaneously to metabolize both the food as well as Adderall, implying that it will take a longer time for the system to complete the process for food and the medication.
PH levels Effect on Adderall Elimination – The PH levels of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts may have an effect on how long Adderall stays in the body. Those with a lower pH level are more likely to get rid of the drug faster since the drug is able to remain in its hydrophilic state. However, if an individual has a high pH level, the kidneys will take a longer time to process Adderall for it to be eliminated through the urinary tract. The pH level of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts can be affected by a number of factors such as food and drinks.
Optimal Organ function Effect on Adderall Elimination – Like with almost all medications, principal organs such as the liver and kidney play a critical role in helping the body eliminate by-products of a drug and other unwanted substances. When an organ does not function or does not function as it is supposed to, then this process of eliminating Adderall from the body is slower. For example, if a person has kidney disease, the functions of the kidney are not optimal as such, the drug may remain in the system for longer periods of time than normal or even be recirculated. This also applies to the liver which plays a major role in metabolizing substances in the body, the process of getting rid of Adderall from the body will be slow if the liver is not functioning as it should be.
Dose Effect on Adderall Elimination– Another major factor that determines how long a medication such as Adderall stays in the body is the dose. The dosage of medication greatly affects how long it takes to clear the system. Higher doses of Adderall will take a longer time to be eliminated from the body because the liver has to metabolize more of adderall for excretion from the body.
Frequency of Use Effect on Adderall Elimination – A key determinant of how long Adderall stays in the human body is the frequency of its use by a person. If you are using Adderall regularly or daily, it will likely take longer periods of time for the system to be clear of it in comparison to someone who has only used the drug a few times. SEE How to Spot Fake Adderall (Speed Drug)
