Coffee and Adderall: Is it a Good Idea?

We know that a sufficient quantity of coffee stimulates in you the feeling of wellness, good mood and alertness. But some coffee lovers- particularly athletes who are pushing their way towards new records and the victims of over-training- who have become immune to the stimulating effect of caffeine have turned to the drug Adderall.

The nervous system stimulating substances have the Generic Names: Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine and Trade name: Adderall. Routes of entry are oral, insufflation, rectal and sub-lingual: oral is through the mouth, insufflation is through the nose, rectal is through the rectum and sub-lingual is behind the tongue. The stimulants influence brain chemicals and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and pulse control. Narcolepsy and ADHD are the main disorders for which Adderall was made. Adderall is a cognitive, performance and sex-drive enhancer. Narcolepsy is a condition where the patient tends to fall asleep when placed in a relaxing environment especially at daytime. ADHD refers to any range of behavioral disorder- primarily in children- who show symptoms like poor concentration, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

Amphetamines are prohibited in Canada and can be obtained only by prescription. In Japan and South Korea, the production, use, and importation of amphetamines are prohibited. In Taiwan, only Ritalin is legally allowed for ADHD treatment. Amphetamines are Class B drugs in the United Kingdom. Unauthorized possession of Adderall in the UK has a prison term of 5 years and an unlimited fine; supplying has a penalty of 14 years and an unlimited fine. The United States and the Convention of Psychotropic substances classified amphetamine as a CNS drug.

The substances- “amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine- action of increasing the brain’s natural chemical systems, increases the production of neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine that make you feel more alert, awake and become more able to concentrate. Adderall can also speed up the heart and raise blood pressure. Since epinephrine and norepinephrine are involved in the “fight or flight” reaction mode, you may feel extremely jittery and hyper-aware when you take Adderall. “It is very interesting that Adderall would generate opposing effects on two different persons. The increase in dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain of an ADHD sufferer expands the person’s attention span, keeping him alert and focused. The same substances boost the energy level and increase wakefulness in a narcolepsy patient, making him fight his tendency to be constantly falling asleep”

Due to the abundance of favorable anecdotal accounts confirming the efficacy of Adderall– despite the existing regulations in the sale and use of CNS (Central Nervous System) stimulants– adventurous persons not suffering from ADHD or narcolepsy surreptitiously acquire and use this potentially dangerous drug for other purposes:

1. Weight loss.
2. Studying.
3. Athletic performance.
4. Recreation (Getting high).
5. Staying awake.

Wild parties in the United States usually have Adderall as a mainstay. Students and young professionals seek the drug to prolong wakefulness and sharpen memory. Athletes go after the drug to enhance stamina and concentration. Weight watchers rely on the drug to suppress appetite. Thrill-seekers simply abuse the drug- in combination with liquor, cocaine or marijuana- to hasten to get high. You may view in YouTube what happens when you use Adderall although you don’t have ADHD or narcolepsy; when the effect of the drug wears off, you’ll be worse than you were in the beginning.

Dependence on Adderall is a “natural and expected physiological reaction to the drug as a consequence of the effect of the drug on your brain. You seek the drug because your body needs it not because your mind requires it to experience a pleasure. You may need medical help to get off the drug”. You are said to have become addicted to Adderall when you physically or mentally require the drug to attain pleasure. You tend to use your prescribed medicine more frequently than as prescribed. You often run out of supply and be repeatedly placed on a withdrawal mode when you fail to take the drug. Consequently, you will require the drug in greater quantity to attain your satisfaction.

1. To feel its effects, you need large dosages of the drug.
2. Wanting to cut down on use but doesn’t have the ability to do so.
3. Taking the drug despite knowing that it’s causing harmful effects.
4. Not being able to finish work or accomplish anything without Adderall.
5. Being unable to feel alert without Adderall.
6. Spending a lot of money and time getting, using and recovering from the dependency on Adderall[^8]”.Adderall could be in a 5-30-milligram tablet or capsule form. To achieve the immediate effect of the drug, some users pulverize their tablets and snort the drug. Some street names of Adderall include speed, uppers, black beauties, Addies, and pep pills.

Patients with a history of agitation, high blood pressure, peripheral vascular disease, mental illness or seizure disorders are not allowed to take Adderall. Adderall is generally considered not safe for adults aged 65 and above. Adderal is not recommended for children with disorders secondary to environmental factors or psychiatric disorders. However, Adderall may form part of total treatment– including social and educational interventions- for ADHD in children occurring before age seven. Adderal is approved for treating ADHD in children aged 3 years. Adderall is also approved for treating ADHD in children 6 years and older. Children with narcolepsy at age 12 and older may be treated with Adderall.

According to anecdotal evidence, Adderall had been known to have side effects that disappear when the patient gets used with the drug such as:

1. Anxiety.
2. Dry mouth.
3. Lack or loss of strength.
4. Stomach pain.
5. Weight loss.

1. Appetite loss (up to 36 percent).
2. Weight loss (up to 10)
3. Dry mouth (up to 35).
4. Abdominal pain (up to 14)
5. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia (1-10).
6. Transient Blood pressure elevation (up to 35).
7. Tachycardia, pdlpitation (1-10).
8. Insomnia (up to 27).
9. Nervousness (up to 13).
10. Emotional lability, agitation, anxiety (1-10).
11. Headache (up to 26).
12. Somnolence, twitching, dizziness, speech disorder (1-10).
13. Decreased libido, dysmenorrhea, impotence (1-10).
14. Urinary tract infection(1-10).
15. Fever, infection, fatigue, tooth disorder (1-10).
16. Dyspnea (1-10).Thus far, our sources had established that Adderal- a CNS (central nervous system) stimulating drug- is not intended to be a “recreational drug” like caffeine or alcohol; it is a potentially dangerous drug for those identified earlier as unqualified to receive the drug for treatment. Although the drug was intended to treat children- with ADHD and narcolepsy– it seems that Adderall has gained considerable popularity and acceptance as a pleasure drug. In fact, “Tom Arnold claims in NEWSWEEK that Donald Trump Snorted Adderall in The Apprentice’ set”.In 2014, 11 million Americans reported using Adderall at least once during their lifetimes. There were 4.8 million non-medical users between the ages of 18-25. In 2010, there was an increase to 196 percent in emergency room Adderall–overdose cases from 2004. In 2011, SAMSHA found that the average emergency room cases among Adderall and methamphetamine users is 114 per day”. (Source)So,

The signs and symptoms of Adderall overdose are:

1. Aggression.
2. Anxiety.
3. Panic.
4. Blurry vision.
5. Depression.
6. Disorientation.
7. Hallucinations.
8. Rapid breathing.
9. Uncontrollable shaking.
10. Rapid heartbeat.
11. Fever.
12. Upset stomach.
13. Diarrhea.
14. Fatigue.
15. Muscle aches and weakness.
16. Rhabdomyolysis or muscle cramping.
17. Dark red or brown urine (secondary to rhabdomyolysis).
18. Fainting.
19. Tremors.
20. Seizures.
21. Loss of consciousness.

One of the safer ways of preventing Adderall overdose is by avoiding taking the drug for non-medical purposely such as:

1. Taking the drug without a prescription or more frequently or in higher doses than as prescribed.
2. Crushing, snorting or dissolving and injecting the drug.
3. Taking the drug despite the presence of prohibited pre-existing conditions.
4. Indiscriminately mixing alcohol and other drugs with Adderall.

Caffeine remains in your system for about 6 hours; within this time span-while the quantity of caffeine in your system is optimal- you will remain in a stimulated-state that gradually diminishes as your body metabolizes the stimulating substance. If it happens that you drank coffee and took your doctor-prescribed Adderall with it and you suffer any number of combinations of the probable symptoms of Adderall overdose, it’s likely that the caffeine in the coffee you drank was potent enough to trigger an added reaction that exceeded what your prescribed Adderall medicine was intended to do.

An ordinary cup of coffee contains 70 to 175 milligrams of caffeine depending on the coffee seed and how the coffee is prepared (drip, percolation or espresso). Toxic doses- of over 10 grams per day for an adult- is very much higher than the typical under 500 milligrams per day recommended safety standard. It requires 50-100 ordinary cups of coffee to reach an overdose.

However, pure powdered caffeine– sold as a dietary supplement in a sachet- can be lethal in tablespoon-sized amounts; these facts don’t directly reveal when can mixing coffee with Adderall be safe.

But should you happen to take a dose of Adderall while you are in a caffeine-stimulated state, you’ll certainly experience the stimulation up to the extent the dose of Adderall could deliver plus the stimulation of the caffeine in your coffee. Hence, if the amount of caffeine in the coffee you take adds to the dosage of Adderall your doctor prescribed, you are likely to suffer the consequences of an overdose if the combined effects amount to the level considered as overdose; a clinical experiment would be required to be able to cite reliable figures to precisely describe such as situation.

However, should you take a doctor-prescribed dose of Adderall medicine with your coffee– make sure that the caffeine content of your coffee is insufficient to trigger an overdose reaction; take a decaffeinated coffee.

We can only surmise but can’t realistically establish the advantages and disadvantages of mixing coffee with Adderall until a conclusive clinical study set objective parameters. Coffee cannot take the place of Adderall because the caffeine in coffee can only trigger the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine which Adderall could produce together with the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Adderall cannot replace coffee, obviously because it’s not the aromatic pleasant drink that coffee is. But it’s a good idea if these desirable substances could mix for our pleasurable use.