Adderall, a prescription medicine which is manufactured by a company called Shire Pharmaceuticals contains amphetamine salts (25% levoamphetamine and 75% dextroamphetamine) mixture. FDA first approved it back in 1996 for management of Attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder – ADHD. Later on, it went ahead to get an approval as a drug used for treating narcolepsy. Adderall’s manufacturing is done in several formats. One of them is used for IR (immediate release) tablet, which delivers an effect that would last for about 4 hours to 6 hours. The other one is a used for XR (extended release) encapsulation which creates effects that would last for about 8 hours to 12 hours. It has been predicted that Adderall’s popularity might ultimately fade away. Nevertheless, it still is recognized as one of the most well known medications for ADHD.
Apart from being an FDA approved medication for ADHD, Adderall is also at times prescribed as an off label intervention for atypical anxiety and many depression’s refractory cases. In such cases, the implication of dopaminergic dysfunction occurs. Moreover, people also this use this drug illicitly many times as performance enhancer, that is, athletically or academically. For those trying to attempt attaining stimulatory intoxication, they also used it as a party drug. Even though Adderall is widely used as an effective medication for treating narcolepsy and ADHD, many users tend to stop taking it, given the side effects of the drug and some more long term effects of using it. Many people stop taking it for a fear of failing a drug test. Now if you happen to fall into either of the above mentioned categories, you would definitely wonder how long the drug will actually stay in your body, once you stopped taking it.
20 mg Adderall tablets PictureImage source via wikipedia commons
How Long Does Adderall Stay In Your System ?
If you have taken your last dose of Adderall, you might be wondering as to how long it will stay in your body. However, you need to know that after quitting Adderall, you’re going to face some severe withdrawal effects. From a fully functional, energetic person, you’d feel that you are turning into a zombie, and that is completely fine. Here are the stages you’ll go through, once you have quit taking the drug – Adderall crash, Adderall withdrawal and then after, PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome). The last one is highly likely to happen if you have been using it for a long time, or if you have abused the usage of the drug. Now to know how long it will stay in your body, the first thing is to understand the half lives of amphetamine isomer constituents – levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Dextroamphetamine isomer’s elimination half life is about 10 hours to 12 hours, while levoamphetamine’s elimination half life is about 11 hours to 14 hours. Now that we know the elimination half lives of amphetamine salt constituents, it can be understood that dextroamphetamine would be out of your body in about 55 hours to 66 hours after your last dose, which means it would take about 2.29 days to 2.75 days. Levoamphetamine, on the other hand, would take about 60.5 hours to 77 hours to be eliminated out of body, which comes up to about 2.52 days to 3.2 days.
It is important to note here that within Adderall, a part of amphetamine isomers will undergo some more metabolism leading to formation of some metabolites like p-hydroxy-amphetamine (3%), benzoic acid (20%) and benzyl methyl ketone (3%). However, these metabolites tend to get eliminated out of the body much quicker than the parent compounds. Hence, you can expect the Adderall to be out of the body in about 3.2 days, once you have taken your last dose. If you if feel that Adderall is present in your body after this time frame, understand that is not. An exception is when you have an extreme alkaline pH, which is condition where the ability of metabolism and excretion of drugs is compromised. Another exception is that you used the drug the heavily. Only in these 2 cases, chances are, you’d feel Adderall to be in your body and you are probably right.
Factors influencing the stay of Adderall in your body
To be precise in knowing how long Adderall can stay in the body, you need to understand about several factors that play a role or influence its speed of elimination. Some important factors which influence it are – dosage ingested, formatting, individual factors of the user, frequency of administration, etc. All these factors put together will collectively decide how long Adderall will stay in your body and how long it will be, before the drug is completely out of the body. If two people have taken the same dose of Adderall at the same time, even then the elimination speed for both the individuals will vary. A lot of individual factors play a role here. Let us study each of these factors in details:
Intake of food:
On the packaging of Aderall, it suggests that food is not likely to affect levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine’s absorption. However, food can lead to prolonging the time taken for Adderal to be able to reach the plasma concentration at maximum level, by almost 2.5 hours. For people who tend to consume meals rich in fats, they will be attaining the plasma concentrations’ peak of levo- amphetamine and dextro amphetamine 8.3 hours and 7.7 hours later, respectively. Having considered this information, the people who might have taken the last Adderall dose along with food will obviously have a slower process of metabolism and elimination of the drug as compared to someone who might have taken the drug without eating anything else. However, it is important to note that the kind of food and the kind of beverages that you consume should be considered. For example, if someone has had an alkaline meal or has drunk alkaline water, they will have Adderall in their bodies for a longer period of time than someone who has had some acidic meal like steak and a kombucha glass.
Liver function:
Adderall’s amphetamine constituents along with the respective metabolites undergo the process of metabolism through the hepatic isoenzymes, like CYP2D6. Hence, it is understandable that for the people who have any kind of hepatic impairment or have some dysfunction, they will retain Adderall for a longer period of time as compared to those who have the normal function. Here’s how it works – the severe the hepatic impairment – the longer Adderall will stay in the systemic circulation unmetabolized. Now that we are talking about the hepatic function, some more factors which affect the drug’s metabolism and elimination are – the amount of dosage administered, co administered drug (if they will act as inducers or inhibitors), genetic expression (for the hepatic enzymes which implicate Adderall;s metabolism), etc. So, if the dose is high, if the co administered drug acts as an inhibitor or if it’s a poor CYP2D6 metabolizer, the elimination process will be further delayed. On the other hand, small doses, inducers, or ultra rapid CYP2D6 metabolizers will expedite the process of elimination for the people who have hepatic dysfunction.
Genetics of a person:
The person taking the drug will have his genetics influencing the stay, metabolism and excretion of the drug from his body. Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) enzyme which is encoded by the CYP2D6 gene, plays a minute role in the metabolism of the drug. For the people who fall into the category of being CYP2D6 ultra rapid metabobolizers – about 5.5% of people, they will eliminate the drug and its metabolite due to the expedited CYP2D6 enzymatic breakdown. The people who are poor metabolizers of CYP2D6 will have Adderall for a longer period of time because of longer elimination time. For the rest of them, they will have the drug eliminated out of their bodies on a normal rate. However, you should know that CYP2D6 will not play a massive role in Adderall’s metabolism. Hence, the overall difference in the elimination speeds isn’t going to be huge. There are some more genes present which are responsible for encoding of other enzymes that implicate Adderall’s metabolism along with the metabolites. They can also affect the speed. It can be rightfully suspected that the cumulative expression of the genetics can determine the speed of absorption of Adderall, and then after, also its metabolism and excretion. Again, the elimination speed differences are going to be negligible.
XR or IR – Adderall’s format:
Studies have shown that for a single 20 mg capsule of Adderall XR, it will yield plasma concentrations comparable for dextro- amphetamine isomers and levo- amphetamine isomers to 10 mg Adderall IR when taken twice, daily, each of them administered at a gap of 4 hours. What this means is that if you have administered 2 Adderall pills, IR, at say, 4 hours’ intervals, the drug will stay in your body for pretty much the same time as would a standalone capsule of Adderall XR. However, if you happen to take just one Adderall IR capsule, the drug will out of your body much faster than just one capsule of Adderall XR. For 1 while Adderall IR capsule, its complete metabolism along with distribution should take about 4 hours to 6 hours once administered. For comparision, for Adderall XR capsule, only half of it will be metabolized within the same time frame. Since we know that it is analogous when Adderall XR capsule is taken to a second dose of Adderall IR, it can be easily said why this extended release will stay in the body for a much longer time period as compared to the immediate release.
Kidney function:
Once the Adderall dose has been ingested, kidneys will be responsible for excretion of the unchanged metabolites and amphetamine. If a person happens to have kidney impairment or has any kind of dysfunction, they can expect for the drug to be retained in their bodies for a longer period than usual. For some cases, this impairment or dysfunction can also result in an inefficient excretion, suboptimal excretion or even drug circulation. The extra amount of time that a person with kidney impairment will take depends on the severity of the impairment along with the ingested dosage. For a person who has a mild impairment, they will not show much difference in the elimination time as compared to someone with a normal renal function. For the ones with the most severe cases will have the drug in their bodies for the longest time.
Metabolic rate:
As of now, it is still unclear if or not the BMR – Basal Metabolic Rate has a considerable impact on the metabolism and excretion of Adderall. It is a common assumption among people that those who have a high BMR, they remove the drugs out faster than the ones with a lower BMR, since that’s how metabolism works. And it could be true, because if you have a greater metabolic rate, you will use more energy even at rest and that would mean a faster processing along with elimination of drugs like Adderall. On the other hand, if you have a slower BMR, the body will use lesser energy when at rest, and thereby ultimately leading to a longer elimination time of Adderal. However, the influence of BMR is much lower than some other factors like body fat, hepatic function, body weight, pH level, etc.
Gender:
According to studies, for women, amphetamine’s systemic exposure is greater by about 20% to 30% as compared to for men. If a man and a woman are given the same dose, the systemic exposure will be more in women than men. This would happen even if the weight of the women will be lesser than that of the man. However, if the Adderall doses are administered to women and men with respect to body weights and calculated on mg per kg basis, there should not be any differences for systemic exposure between the two. However, since Adderall dosages are administered in people according to the fact that if or not they are adults, and not the basis of their size or weights, we can expect that women and men must be taking similar doses. Now even though the doses could be same, women on average tend to take larger doses according to their body masses and thereby leading an increase in systemic exposure. Hence, most of the women are known to take greater doses than their male counterparts of similar physical attributes.
GI pH and Urinary pH:
It has been known that the pH of urinary tract and GI tract can influence the time period of stay of Adderall along with its metabolites in the body. For a person with a high pH of GI or urinary tract, meaning an alkaline pH, they will have an increase in concentrations for non-ionized molecules of amphetamine molecules. Moreover, the excretion of these via the urine will also be decreased; so much so that it been estimated that a pH above 6.0 could lead to hours more than the usual elimination time of Adderall. Now for someone with a lower pH, meaning acidic state, they will throw out Adderall much faster due to the fact that the acidity will keep the drug in a hydrophilic format. The pH of your GI tract and urinary tract can be influenced the most by some co administered substances (they could be either alkaline or acidic), along with obviously, the foods and drinks you eat. If the pH levels of your GI tract and urinary tract are normal – around 6.0, you will have a normal elimination process of the drug.
Keeping yourself hydrated:
How much hydrated you would be, after taking your final dose of Adderall will also affect somewhat on the time period for which it will stay in your body. For someone who likes to drink a lot of water and thereby be hydrated, they will have an increase in their flow rate of the urine. This increase in the flow rate of the urine will thereby let your body excrete out more Adderall quickly, as you will be peeing more since you are drinking more water. For someone who is dehydrated or is hydrated sub optimally, they will have a poor rate of urine flow and thereby an inefficient Adderall excretion. You already know that the pH of the kind of fluids you will consume will also affect Adderall’s elimination. So if you happen to drink water which is alkaline, that is with high pH, the flow rate which is enhanced now won’t make much of a difference in the excretion of Adderall. Likewise, if you happen to drink acidic water, that is it has a lower pH, it will be able to enhance the process of Adderall elimination since it will lead to GI tract’s acidification simultaneously.
Chronic opposed to acute – the frequency of Adderal administration
How regular the Adderal dose is can influence the elimination half life. The people, who use it frequently, like on a daily basis, will obviously require more time for the clearance of the drug from their systemic circulation as compared to the people who do not take the dose so frequently. The infrequent users are called acute users and the users who take frequently are called chronic users. There are several reasons why this happens. Some of them are – dosing, overall duration for the usage, accumulation, concentrations at the steady state, and the proximity of the previous administration. For a chronic user of Adderall, they can expect the drug to stay in their body accumulated for a longer period of time as compared to an acute user. Estimation has been made which suggests that it takes about 4 to 6 doses, or about 2 days to 3 days for the users to achieve that steady state, wherein the amphetamine amount eliminated will be equal to the total amount that was administered. For the users who are not so frequent, they do not achieve the concentrations of steady state of Adderall generally, and hence they tend to eliminate it out from their bodies much quicker.
Yet another important thing that needs to be considered is that for chronic users of Adderall, they might administer doses many times within shorter spans. This can lead to accumulation, thereby a decline in elimination speed. What’s more, these users also develop a drug tolerance over a period of time and hence they are highly likely to take greater doses, ultimately meaning it would take slower for it to get eliminated. Here, one also needs to consider the total duration for which a person has used Adderall regularly. For a chronic user, who are long term users, not only are they highly likely to take greater doses, but they also have a poor efficiency in terms of Adderall elimination due to usage over a long period of time. Hence, they will always have the drug for a much longer period in their bodies than an acute user.
Composition of the body:
The composition of your body can somewhat determine as to how long the drug will stay in your body after you took your last dose. For the same reason, here are the factors to be considered – weight, muscle mass, percentage of body fat and height. Since amphetamine is known to be hydrophilic, it means that they will get stored in the body parts with water stores. Hence, they do not get accumulated in water. So in this case, if you happen to have a high body fat percentage and low muscle, you will eliminate the drug out of your body, as compared to someone who should have a lower percentage of body fat and higher muscle. This happens because the more the muscle mass, the more is the water storage, and the more is water storage, the more are the chances for Adderall to get accumulated. The weight and height of a person are also minutely known to affect the elimination speed. Let’s assume that the dose per kg of the body weight is the same. In this case, for the people with a short stature, they should eliminate Adderall faster. For the same reason, the drug gets thrown out of children’s bodies much quicker.
The amount of dosage – low or high:
The last Adderall dose that you take will have a considerable impact on the metabolism and stay of amphetamine along with its metabolites. For the people who are used to taking high doses, or the ones with the tolerance of Adderall, their elimination speeds naturally slow down, as compared to a person who takes the standard doses. Hence, the smaller the dose, the quicker it will be out from your system. Take an example of a person who takes a high Adderall dose, let’s say, 100 mg. This person has ingested 10 times amphetamine isomers quantity than someone with a lower dose, say, 10 mg. Since the dose will be larger, there will be a delay in absorbing, metabolizing, distributing and eliminating. So when the dose is high, there is a greater amount which needs to be hepatic metabolized. This would mean that there would be an increase in the hepatic load and it would reduce the efficiency. Hence, there will be also more formation of metabolites. Now the unchanged isomers of amphetamine along with the metabolites get distributed in the body. This will necessitate elimination through the renal pathway and since the quantity will be more, efficiency will be less, which eventually means a longer time for its clearance.
Let’s assume that the half life of amphetamine isomers comes about 12 hours at the most, after you have taken a dose of 100 mg. Here’s how the levels of amphetamine will be, after the mentioned number of hours:
- 12 hours – 50 mg
- 24 hours – 25 mg
- 36 hours – 12.5 mg
- 48 hours – 6.25 mg
- 60 hours – 3.13 mg
- 72 hours – 1.56 mg
- 84 hours – 0.77 mg
Keeping in mind the same half life elimination time, if you took a smaller dose, say, 10 mg, the drug along with its metabolites will be out much faster. If you notice, after taking a 100 mg dose, your body will still have 10 mg of the drug even after 36 hours. Now for a 10 mg dose, here’s how the levels of amphetamine will be, for the mentioned hours:
- 12 hours – 5 mg
- 24 hours – 2.5 mg
- 36 hours – 1.25 mg
- 48 hours – 0.75 mg
As you can see, not only does the drug come out in a much shorter time, it also will be difficult to get detected in a drug test.
Age of the user:
A user’s age can influence the stay of Adderall in the body, according to many evidences. For a basis of mg per kg, children tend eliminate the amphetamine isomers much faster than adults. For them, the elimination half lives are shortened by 2 hours and 1 hour respectively for levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Hence, children will take about 49.5 hours to eliminate dextroamphetamine and about 55 hours to eliminate levoamphetamine. This means that overall, kids will take about 22 hours lesser than adults to eliminate out the drug. Similarly the elderly would take much longer for the elimination of the drug as compared to kids or healthy adults. This prolonged elimination time can be associated with some medical conditions which could be age related or any medications that you could be taking. Moreover, for the elderly people, they may have compromised kidney or renal function, which would eventually increase the elimination time. But for the elder people who are in good shape and have good health, they shouldn’t have any changes in the excretion of the drug.
Co administered agents:
If you happen to take Adderal along with any other supplements or drugs, the speed of systemic elimination of Adderall might be altered. For humans, how the meatabolism of amphetamine takes place is still unclear. Though there are some enzymes suspected which could be inducing the process – glycine N-acyltransferase, butyrate-CoA ligase, β-hydroxylase and flavin-containing monooxygenase 3. Moreover, it has also been suspected that CYP3A4 or CYP1A2 might be assisting amphetamine’s metabolism. So for a co administered substance that could act as an inhibitor for any of the enzymes mentioned above, the overall elimination period of Adderall will be extended. Conversely, for a substance acting as an inducer of the above mentioned enzymes, the metabolism of Adderall followed by the elimination will be expedited. Medically speaking, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are known to extend amphetamine’s metabolism. So now if you end up taking MAOI along with Adderall, there could be an adverse reaction along with the obvious delay of its elimination.
The process of absorption, metabolism and excretion of Adderall – explained:
Once Adderall is orally ingested, the isomer constituents – levo- amphetamine and dextro amphetamine of amphetamine get absorbed at one predictable rate, irrelevant of the fact whether or not the drug was taken on empty stomach. However, if you happen to take the Adderall dose post a heavy meal of after the consumption of a meal rich in fats, the time till peak plasma concentrations will be achieved is going to be delayed by about 2 hours. This happens because the body is put to simultaneous metabolism of the food along with the drug. Once the absorption is done, the isomers of amphetamine will undergo oxidation for formation of norephedrine through the side chain beta carbons, 4-hydroxy-amphetamine through benzene ring’s 4th position and alpha-hydroxy-amphetamine through side chain alpha carbons. Followed by that, norephedrine and 4-hydroxy-amphetamine will undergo some more oxidation for the formation of 4-hydroxy-norephedrine. Alpha-hydroxy-amphetamine which will remain will undergo deamination for the formation of phenylacetone. This phenylacetone is broken further into hippuric acid and benzoic acid.
As of now, the enzymes implicating the metabolism of amphetamine, or the level to which their involvement is there has not yet been found out. That said, dopamine β-hydroxylase, glycine N-acyltransferase, butyrate-CoA ligase and flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 could be involved. It has also been found out that the hepatic isoenzymes – CYP3A4, CYP2D6 and CYP1A2 might be facilitating the breakdown of metabolites and amphetamine to different degrees. For the same reason, it makes sense that the variation in these isoenzymes could affect the process of metabolism along with the rate at which it is eliminated along with its metabolites. Most of the people out there are known to be extensive metabolizers. They are also known to have normal GI and urinary tract acidity. Hence, the half life elimination of the isomers should be according to the noting in medical reports – 10 hours to 12 hours for dextroamphetamine and about 11 hours to 14 hours for levoamphetamine. Since we know that isomers of amphetamine will be eliminated faster than the parent compounds, it can be expected that for most people, the elimination of Adderall from their bodies should be done in about 60.5 hours to 77 hours after the last ingested dose. Later, the isomers of amphetamine along with its metabolites will be excreted in the form of urine via the kidneys.
About half of the dose that has been administered will come out in the urine as metabolites of amphetamine like alpha-hydroxy-amphetamine. From the dose, about 40% will remain as isomers or unchanged alpha-hydroxy-amphetamine. For the people who have lower flow rate or urine, hepatic dysfunction, genetic polymorphisms or GI pH which is extremely alkaline, they will have a delayed elimination of Adderall. Hence, it will take more than the usual 77 hours to get the drug eliminated. For the people who have an extremely acidic pH, a hepatic metabolism that is ultrarapid and a proper flow rate of urine – they will have the drug eliminated out of their body in about 60.5 hours. The amount of amphetamine present in urine could be anywhere between 1% to 75% and it depends on the renal function and pH. The isomers of amphetamine excreted out in urine mostly consist the following – phenylacetone, 4-hydroxy-amphetamine, 4-hydroxy-phenylacetone, hippuric acid, 4-hydroxy-norephedrine, benzoic acid and norephedrine. All in all, the complete dose of Adderall will be out of the body in about 3 days post the final dose.
Tips for removing out Adderall quickly from the system
It is understandable that you want the drug out of your system at the earliest. There might be some tips you can use to quicken the process. However, you should know that the precise efficacy or the safety of any of these tips are not known, which is why you should consult a doctor before trying out anything. Moreover, it is not a guarantee that implementing these tips could help you clear a drug test.
- Inducers of enzymes:Several metabolic pathways are responsible for the amphetamine’s metabolism along with the metabolism of its metabolites. However, there are some enzymes like cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) which happen to play a small role for the metabolism of the drug. So if you administer supplements or drugs that could induce CYP2D6’s activity, or if you induce some other enzymes involved in implication of metabolism of the drug, it could lead to faster breakdown of the drug followed by a quicker elimination. On the other hand, the inhibitors, if added, they will slow down the whole process.
- Drinking more and more amount of water to keep you hydrated:If you drink lots of water, it will increase the urine flow rate, and thereby leading to a quicker elimination of Adderall. There are some other speculations that drinking lots of water can help the dilution of urine samples and hence protecting the drug from getting detected. But don’t overdo drinking water because it can cause water intoxication due a disruption of electrolyte balances. Also, be very sure that the water you are drinking is not alkaline.
- Exercise:Some people swear by the fact that working out could help you take the drug out faster. Exercising will cause the enhancing of cognitive function along with altering the neurotransmitter concentrations, thereby increasing dopamine signaling. It also helps the body remove amphetamine quicker. So if you exercise more after taking your final dose of the drug, it will keep kidneys functioning at their level best and helping the excretion of amphetamine take place efficiently.
Calcium-d-glucarate:
This one is known for being the best supplement for taking out drugs from the body and helping the detoxification process. Same holds true for Adderall as well. So before renal excretion for the drug’s metabolic byproducts, or some other toxins, the drugs would undergo a process called glucuronidation. This glucuronidation is known to enhance the speed of elimination of Adderall. Calcium-d-glucarate will inhibit the beta-glucuronidase enzyme which is responsible for promiting elimination and also preventing the metabolites’ recirculation into bloodstream.
- Acidify the pH: As we have already mentioned before, you know that the greater the GI tract and urinary tract’s acidity, the faster the drug will be out of your system. To facilitate this, what you can do is not consume any kinds of alkaline stuff – alkaline water or sodium bicarbonate, etc. Rather, you can go for consuming stuff rich in acidity – meat, grains, fish, dairy and sugar. All of these will help the acidification of of Gi and urinary tract and thereby expedite the elimination process. You can also buy several urinary acidifier substances easily available in the market.
- The kind of food you eat: You can act on the time for which Adderall will stay in your body is by altering your intake of food. It is well understood that if you take the dose without eating anything else, it will be able to reach the maximum plasma concentration quickly. If you didn’t consider this fact, you can strategically bring changes to your intake of food. Consume the above mentioned food items that could help increase the acidity of the GI tract and urinary tract, thereby facilitating a quicker elimination.
- Activated charcoal: This comes handy if you have just had a dose of Adderall and get a panick attack due to an upcoming drug test. Activated charcoal gets bounded to mixed salts of amphetamine prior to their absorption and thereby helps in their quick excretion. Activated charcoal is highly recommended for people who take high doses of drugs and want quick detox. Though it is still is not known if it can help once the ingestion of Adderall is done, but it surely is a tremendous detoxifying agent.
Different types of drug tests for Adderall
On SAMHSA-5, the constituents for amphetamine of Adderall happen to be a great part of the 5 drugs tests. For screening of amphetamine, both extensive and standardized panes can act. There are various types of drugs tests which can be done for detecting amphetamine in a person. Let us study each of them in details:
- Blood test: This is one of the most uncommon methods for testing for amphetamine. Since blood testing is really invasive and also the fact that isomers of amphetamine are detectable in the blood for a very short span of time, as compared to other tests, this test is not practiced much. It can be done only 24 hours after ingestion. The advantage of this test, however, is that you can detect amphetamine in blood minutes post ingestion. This holds true for a person who might have taken the drug just 5 minutes before the test. Hence, blood tests can be carried out in hospitalization or if a suspect does not comply with other testing forms.
- Saliva test: using the saliva samples, amphetamine can be detected if the sample is of sufficient quantity. The sample’s encapsulation and analysis is carried out in lab by the use of HPLC – high performance liquid chromatography. There is an advantage of saliva test. In saliva sample, high-performance liquid appears much faster than in urine. It can be detected after just twenty minutes once Adderall is ingested. Hence, the total time frame in which saliva test can be valid is 1 hours to 48 hours.
- Urine test: this one is the most famous form of test to check if a person has ingested Adderall recently. A fresh urine sample is made subject to urine analysis. Detection’s cut off value varies according to the test; mostly it is 1000 ng per ml. If gas chromatography or mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is used, the cut off will be 500 ng per ml. if you taken a small dose of Adderall, you can pass a urine test easily. Amphetamine can be detected in urine for as long as 3 days after ingestion.
- Hair test: it is not as common as urine testing. Hair follicles’ sample is collected and then analyzed to for detecting amphetamine and its metabolites with the help of gas chromatography or mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The hair sample has to be 3 cm and not contain any other chemicals. Amphetamine can be detected in hair even a month after the ingestion. There is a drawback, though. It cannot be known if the suspect took the drug recently or not. That said, hair tests are chosen above urine tests if the suspect is not comfortable with the other forms of testing.
- Presence of Soma – the people who are highly likely to be tested
Adderall is not tested specifically for drug test, but the isomers of amphetamine can be detected in the results. Hence if you don’t have the prescription for Adderall and are still taking it, it could be illegal. Since amphetamine is Schedule II(N), and is used for performance enhancement purposes, some people might be tested for its presence.
- Patients from the drug rehab center: during a drug rehab, the patients are tested extensively for the presence of all sorts of drugs. People go to rehab to get sober. Hence, the rehabs conduct drug tests on the clients often to see if the purpose is achieved. Hence, if amphetamine is detected, a person will have to prolong their stay.
- Military members: There are cases where military men are deliberately given Addderall for enhancing their energy and alertness on missions. But then they are also subjected to drug tests regularly so that the use of drug is not abused. If they are found taking it, they can be barred or delisted.
- Academics: to detect the presence of amphetamine in students, there are no drug tests as of now. There have been debates if Adderall should be allowed to students. So in future, schools and colleges may conduct such tests.
- Employees: For employees of large companies, they are often subject to some standard drug tests to check if or not they are intoxicated while at work. Since Adderall is a performance enhancer, it is illegal to use the drug sans prescription. If you have a medical condition and are using it, then it’s alright if you get positive tested, but if you are not, there could be some serious trouble coming in the way of your professional life/
- Criminals: for any criminals, most of them are put to mandatory testing for drugs. The agents for law enforcements will make sure if or not the criminals have Adderall in their system. They would also want to find out how exactly they acquired it. A lot of people are involved in illegal supplying and buying of Adderall, hence the tests. So as long as they are in the jail or the prison, they will be extensively tested for drugs.
- Athletes: Olympic athletes and other professional athletes are regularly tested for Adderall since it is a performance enhancing drug; it also gives a greater focus if there is a sporting event and a better mental edge. So if someone is to be caught taking this drug, they could be banned for all the future competitions. They could face temporary or permanent ban. Last but not the least, they might be required to pay a really heavy fine as well.