How Long Should You Wait Between Doses Of Adderall?

If you’re taking Adderall, how often you take your prescribed dose will be determined by your doctor, based on variables that include how well you are functioning, your age, and other health considerations. So what is Adderall, exactly? While most people are familiar with the name of the drug, you might not realize that Adderall is actually the brand name for a combination of two drugs—amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. There are four active molecules in the medication: amphetamine aspartate, amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate, and dextroamphetamine sulfate.

Adderall has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

What Is ADHD?

Some days you feel like you are being pulled in a million directions. During these times, finding your focus can feel almost impossible. ADHD is more than that feeling. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects about one in 10 school age children, according to the organization Child and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. In the majority of these cases, symptoms continue into adulthood and cause issues severe enough that they interfere with every aspect of life.

How Does Adderall Work?

Adderall is classified as a stimulant. How exactly it works to relieve ADHD symptoms, which include lack of focus, irritability, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, is not entirely understood, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One theory is that Adderall helps chemical messengers released by your brain—ones that help you to focus on a specific task—stay on the job longer. When well-tolerated, these medication-induced changes in brain chemicals can help a person stay on track so they can complete whatever activity they’ve started.

Because of its reputation for helping with laser-like focus, Adderall is also sometimes misused by people without ADHD—an obvious mistake, according to Craig Surman, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. “Compared to someone with ADHD, brains without ADHD adapt more easily to do a task that a person needs to complete compared to a brain without ADHD,” he explains. “Using Adderall for non-medical conditions would be like putting glasses on when you don’t need them—it would be the wrong adjustment for your brain and could be potentially devastating.”

Adderall Dosing Guidelines

If your doctor does recommend Adderall for treating your ADHD, it is only available with a provider’s prescription and comes in either an extended-release capsule or a tablet that you may be required to take several times a day. “Most patients on multiple doses of Adderall take it every five to six hours,” says Keith Plowden, Ph.D., a psychiatric nurse practitioner in Greenville, SC. “It’s common that children take their first dose of Adderall in the morning and then their second dose after lunch.” Adults may be on a similar schedule, according to Plowden.

Variations in Adderall Dosing

But those are guidelines and not set in stone: Your exact dosing schedule will vary depending on your symptoms. “Exactly how often you need to take the medication will be based on your functioning and part of a customized plan that you and your doctor will work out,” says Dr. Surman. For instance, your doctor will work with you on your understanding of not only how you are functioning on Adderall, but also how you function off the medication.

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What’s more, Adderall, like any medication, comes with its own set of potential side effects, including heart problems, psychosis (hallucinations), circulation issues, and higher risk for seizures. You and your doctor will work together to assess possible risk of this medication and keep an eye on any changes in your overall health while on Adderall.

How Much Adderall Do You Need?

“One tool that your doctor may use to determine your medication dosing is an ADHD symptom scale,” explains Dr. Surman. This tool can help your doctor see how you are functioning in different settings. “A third party may also be brought in to help your doctor determine how you are finishing tasks moment to moment.” Ultimately, he says, the goal with Adderall dosing (or any long-term medication) is to find a “set it and forget it” schedule, so that symptoms remain under control and you can get on with living your daily life.

This article was originally published August 21, 2008 and most recently updated June 6, 2022. © 2025 HealthCentral LLC. All rights reserved.Sources

ADHD General Information: CHADD.org. (2022.) “About ADHD.” https://chadd.org/about-adhd/overview/

How It Works: Food and Drug Administration. (2007.) “ADDERALL® (CII).” https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2007/011522s040lbl.pdf

Adderall Dosing: Chadd.org. (2022.) “Clinical Practice Tools.” https://chadd.org/for-professionals/clinical-practice-tools/

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