Adderall Dosage Calculator
Our Adderall dosage calculator is a simple way to assess the proper Adderall dose for both children and adults, for all typical indications (reasons to take a drug).
Follow the article below to find out:
- What does Adderall do to our brain? 🤔
- How to increase the Adderall dosage in case of a primary treatment failure?
- What's the Adderall regular dose and the Adderall max dose?
Disclaimer: We try our best to make our Omni Calculators as precise and reliable as possible. However, this tool can never replace professional medical advice.
What is Adderall?
Adderall is a brand name for a mixture of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. After reading that, your first thought was totally correct: it is precisely the same substance as the illegal street-drug.
The important question arises: why do we use it to treat children?
Adderall as medicine is registered to treat two types of diseases:
- Narcolepsy - a neurological disorder characterized by the sudden loss of control over muscles and causing falls, falling asleep all of a sudden in random places, sleep paralysis, and hallucination. Sleepiness in this disorder can be evaluated using the Epworth sleepiness scale 😴 (see: the Epworth sleepiness scale calculator)
- ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) - children affected by the disease cannot focus and have problems paying attention; they are "all over the place" and need constant new stimulation.
Amphetamine belongs to a group of drugs called stimulants - they stimulate our brain to function, increasing its activity. That's precisely what we need to treat narcolepsy - a substance that can keep the people affected with the disease awake during the day. 🔥
The case with ADHD is not as straightforward - why do we need to stimulate a child that's already hyper-stimulated?
Apparently, the use of Adderall tends to improve focus, attention and reduces impulsive behavior. It seems that the brain, being overwhelmed with different stimuli that it can't cope with anymore, starts to slow down.
Scientists explain this action with the release of two essential brain hormones: dopamine and norepinephrine. The brain of a person with ADHD lacks both of them - the extra release of these chemicals caused by the Adderall may eliminate the very core of the disease.
Dark side of Adderall
As there is no rose without thorns, there is no drug without side effects.
❗ Adderall can be highly addictive, is often abused and may cause severe withdrawal symptoms.
If you'd like to read more about the mechanisms of addiction, try the addiction calculator.
Can you overdose on Adderall?
Yes, you can. The lethal dose of amphetamine is around 20-25 mg/kg. It gives over 1400 mg of amphetamine if you weigh 154 lb (70 kg)! It's even 50 times more than the regular daily dosage.
Other Adderall side effects include:
- Insomnia (trouble sleeping);
- Blurred vision, dilated pupils (be careful with people with !);
- Chest pain;
- Sweating;
- Psychosis (impaired or delusional thinking);
- Allergic reactions;
- Heart problems including high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, heart attack, and stroke → call 911 (USA), 112 (Europe), or 999 (UK) in case of any emergency;
- Dry mouth, dizziness, headache, stomachache; and
- Nausea, constipation.
Adderall dosage for children
You can take Adderall in regular tablets and the extended-release form called Adderall XR.
General rules:
- Remember always to use the lowest dose of Adderall possible!
- First dose should be taken when waking up.
- You should take subsequent doses 4-6 hours after the previous one.
Adderall dosage charts for children:
ADHD - regular Adderall tablet 🏃 | ||
|---|---|---|
Age | Starting dose | Dosage increase |
3-5 years | 2.5 mg | 2.5 mg once a week |
6-17 years | 5 mg | 5 mg once a week |
Taken once or twice daily. | ||
ADHD - Adderall XR dosage 🏃 | ||
|---|---|---|
Age | Starting dose | Dosage increase |
6-12 years | 5 mg | 5 mg once a week |
13-17 years | 10 mg | Might be increased to max 20 mg after one week |
Taken once daily. | ||
Narcolepsy 🛏️ | ||
|---|---|---|
Age | Starting dose | Dosage increase |
6-11 years | 5 mg | 5 mg once a week |
12-17 years | 10 mg | 10 mg once a week |
Taken once daily. | ||
❗ This tool cannot be used as a substitute for clinical knowledge and/or consultation with a medical specialist. Always consult your doctor.
So how did you like it? You may go ahead and try one of our other pediatric tools:
Adderall dosage for adults
Average Adderall dose for adults:
ADHD - regular Adderall tablet🏃 | |
|---|---|
Starting dose | Dosage increase |
5 mg | 5 mg once a week |
Taken once or twice daily. | |
ADHD - Adderall XR dosage🏃 | |
|---|---|
Starting dose | Dosage increase |
20 mg | Individual dosing |
Taken once daily. | |
Narcolepsy 🛏️ | |
|---|---|
Starting dose | Dosage increase |
10 mg | 10 mg once a week |
Taken once daily. | |
Adderall dosage for adults maximum:
- For ADHD: 40 mg
- For narcolepsy: 60 mg
How are you doing? Are you ready to get to know the general rules of dosing in our drug dosage calculator? 💊
How to calculate Adderall dosage and the number of tablets?
See for yourself - it's an extremely easy calculation!
-
Firstly, you need to know what is a normal dose of Adderall for a given indication. Use one of the following charts:
-
It's time for the actual math!
Our Adderall dosage calculator uses the following equation:
Number of tablets = Starting dose / Tablet strength,where:
- Starting dose of Adderall for a given age is found in Adderall dosage charts; and
- Tablet strength can be equal to: 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg or 30 mg.
Remember - always use the strength of a tablet that best suits your needs!