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How Long Does Adderall Stay in Your System?

Adderall is a CNS (central nervous system) stimulant used to treat ADHD patients. The drug helps ADHD sufferers to calm down and focus on individual tasks. The effects of Adderall makes the drug susceptible to abuse.

When taken by persons who don’t have ADHD, the drug has effects such as; increasing dopamine levels in the brain. The drug also causes euphoria. For Adderall to offer such effects, the dosage must be increased with time.

The brain of a person who abuses Adderall keeps adjusting over time and demanding a higher dosage, which creates a cycle of abuse leading to addiction.

When abused alongside drugs like alcohol, Adderall has the ability to reduce indicators of intoxication. People who would otherwise be drunk because of alcohol may use Adderall to reduce effects of alcohol like poor coordination and slow speech that confirm drunkenness.

This makes Adderall a commonly abused drug by alcohol drinkers. The drug is known to increase risks of alcohol poisoning, coma, and even death since it eliminates the body’s natural safeguards such as vomiting for stopping excessive drinking.

How long does Adderall stay in your body?

The effects of Adderall, such as disguising drunkenness, make Adderall testing important. In typical circumstances, 50% of the Adderall taken removed from your system within 9 -14 hours. It takes the drug approximately 3 days to leave the body completely.

However, there are several factors dictating the amount of time it takes for Adderall to leave the body. Before getting into that, it’s worth noting that the drug can be detected in the blood, urine, saliva, and hair.

Adderall presence in the blood, urine, saliva, and hair

Adderall can remain in the hair the longest, i.e., 7 days to three months after dosage. In Urine, the drug can be detected for 4 – 7 days. The drug stays in the urine for up to one week in individuals who abuse the drug excessively.

It takes 12 to 24 hours to be cleared in the blood after dosage. According to the FDA, Adderall triggers peak plasma concentration three hours after use. Studies also show that taking an extended-release (Adderall XR) capsule produces the highest plasma concentration lasting six hours.

Adderall takes the least time in saliva where it can only be detected for about 20 minutes after dosage. However, the drug is detectable in saliva for up to 2 days. It is also worth noting that Adderall tests done using saliva can be contaminated easily if a person smokes or takes other substances.

Factors affecting the amount of time Adderall stays in your system

Below, we discuss eight different factors which affect the amount of time Adderall will remain in your system:

1. Body type and composition: Adderall can spend more or less time in your body based on your body type as well as what makes up your body. Your body fat percentage, muscle mass, and weight affect your body’s capacity to get rid of Adderall. Adderall is composed of amphetamine mixed salts which are hydrophilic i.e. they don’t bind to fat. As a result, individuals who have low muscle mass coupled with high body fat tends to clear Adderall from their system faster than individuals with a high muscle mass coupled with low body fat. A high muscle mass translates to more water in the body. Since Adderall components don’t bind to fat, this makes it easy for them to circulate in the body for extended periods
2. Food: The amount of food inside the system of an individual who has taken Adderall will also dictate how long the drug stays in the body. It’s worth noting that food doesn’t necessarily affect how fast drugs work. However, it can affect the time taken for the body to clear drugs. When you eat, the body starts working to digest the food. Anything in the system alongside the food will also be metabolized, which means, it will take longer for the process to be complete
3. Liver and kidney function: The liver and the kidney are the most crucial organs in the body for getting rid of many substances, including drugs. When these organs are functioning optimally, the body will be able to eliminate Adderall in the body in record time. If the organs aren’t functioning normally, the entire process is slow. In some circumstances, the drugs can even be recirculated
4. Dosage: The higher the Adderall dosage is taken, the more time it will take for the Adderall to be cleared. A higher drug dosage demands more time to metabolize. It can also alter the function of important organs like the liver and kidney slowing down the elimination process
5. Usage: If you use Adderall frequently i.e. daily, it will take longer to clear the drug from your system compared to someone who doesn’t abuse Adderall frequently. As stated above, Adderall is highly addictive. The body usually develops a tolerance for the drug with time. In such individuals, the drug accumulates and take longer to eliminate. The timelines given above on how long Adderall stays in the system are dependent on a single dosage. Adding Adderall into the system before it clears from the body extends the time it stays in the body
6. PH levels in the body: The PH levels in the body, particularly the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts also determine the time taken for your body to eliminate Adderall completely. Individuals with high PH levels in their gastrointestinal and urinary tracts take longer to eliminate Adderall. Organs such as the Kidney work slowly when the PH levels are high. Low PH levels allow the body organs responsible for eliminating drugs to work optimally. It also maintains the drug in a hydrophilic state. Since PH levels in the body are dictated by many things, including the food we eat and what we drink, this factor is directly linked to other factors discussed. For instance, eating food which lower PH levels will increase the speed at which the body gets rid of Adderall
7. Overall health: Healthy individuals have an easier time getting rid of Adderall and other drugs in the body. When you eat well and exercise often, your body will have all the energy and nutrients it needs to have organs that are working optimally. You will also be less susceptible to health problems like stress which also dictate a person’s mood, something which affects how fast the body eliminates toxins. For instance, individuals who suffer from anxiety and stress are more likely to turn to drugs like Adderall
8. Age: Although age doesn’t dictate a person’s health, younger people tend to be healthier than elderly individuals. As you age, your organs become slower. You also become more susceptible to disease. However, older people are less likely to abuse drugs like Adderall. In fact, Adderall is generally a “party” drug. Age is a determining factor mostly when associated with individuals who are healthy and new to Adderall. Such individuals can eliminate the drug faster from their bodies than an elderly individual

Dextroamphetamine (the main ingredient in Adderall) stays for approximately 11 hours or longer in the body of teens who are between 13 and 17 years old and weighing 166 pounds or less.

The drug stays for approximately 9 hours in children who are 6 to 9 years old.

 

Therapeutic effects of Adderall

Adderall has effects that can be felt after a few minutes to 45 or 60 minutes after taking a tablet of immediate-release Adderall. The effects are fastest on an empty stomach. Peak effects are normally experienced 2 to 3 hours after ingesting.

In typical circumstances, effects last for 4 to 6 hours. Some versions of the drug i.e. Adderall XR capsules have a longer-lasting effect since they are formulated to dissolve slowly. Such formulations are bound to stay longer in the body.

Getting rid of Adderall in the body

As discussed above, there are many factors dictating how long Adderall stays in the body. The most notable factors revolve around a person’s metabolism, frequency of use, body weight, and overall health.

However, there are many ways of getting rid of drugs like Adderall present in the body.

For instance, you can take detox medication readily available in drug rehabs and pharmacies. If you are not addicted to Adderall, it’s not advisable to take this route.

Instead, you should let your body get rid of the drug naturally. Eating balanced diets and working out can help you detoxify the body faster and naturally. There are many detox products available today that claim to eliminate drugs.

Most of these drugs produce harmful side effects. Some don’t even work. To avoid wasting money, time as well as risking your health, you shouldn’t take any detox product before you consult your doctor or a qualified medical professional.

Masking agents

Adderall users have attempted to take masking agents in the past to pass drug tests. Niacin or Vitamin B3 is a common masking agent that has been used for many years, yet there is no scientific evidence proving its effectiveness.

Furthermore, some individuals who have taken Niacin in the past have still failed drug tests. Labs can identify drug masking agents easily if they are present in test samples.

Getting help

If you feel you or a loved one could benefit from an Adderall detox in a clinical setting, contact our free helpline today on 0800 138 0722 for more information

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