Rankings / Cognitive — Prescription Stimulants
Adderall (amphetamine salts)
Cognitive · Prescription stimulant
Tier C+
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades Adderall (amphetamine salts) as C+ (5.4/10) based on strong evidence, med-high benefit magnitude, and a high-risk safety profile.
Gold-standard ADHD treatment.
Typical use: IR: 5-40 mg/day in divided doses; XR: 10-30 mg/day — Rx.
What this is
Gold-standard ADHD treatment. In healthy individuals, benefits mostly limited to specific tasks (working memory, sustained attention) with small effect sizes. Tolerance develops. Cardiovascular risk is real, especially long-term.
Mechanism
Mixed amphetamine salts; potent DAT/NET reuptake inhibitor and TAAR1 agonist; also reverses transporter direction to force catecholamine release; elevated dopamine and norepinephrine in PFC
Dose & route
IR: 5-40 mg/day in divided doses; XR: 10-30 mg/day
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25280017/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924977X20302145
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21550356/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41099844/
- https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00557011
Links go to the source. If a link is dead or you want something re-checked, let me know.
Common questions
- Does Adderall (amphetamine salts) work?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for Adderall (amphetamine salts) as Strong and the benefit magnitude as med-high, producing an overall grade of C+ (5.4/10). Gold-standard ADHD treatment.
- Is Adderall (amphetamine salts) safe?
- Adderall (amphetamine salts) has a high risk profile in published human data. Legal status: Rx (Schedule II). This is not medical advice — see the disclaimer.
- What is the typical dose for Adderall (amphetamine salts)?
- IR: 5-40 mg/day in divided doses; XR: 10-30 mg/day
- How does Adderall (amphetamine salts) work?
- Mixed amphetamine salts; potent DAT/NET reuptake inhibitor and TAAR1 agonist; also reverses transporter direction to force catecholamine release; elevated dopamine and norepinephrine in PFC
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.