Rankings / Cognitive — Prescription Stimulants
Adderall (amphetamine salts)
Cognitive · Prescription stimulant
Tier C+
High-risk evidence profile
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.
Its high-risk evidence profile reflects a Safety score of 2/10; reported benefits and harms can differ by indication, dose, route, duration, and population.
Gold-standard ADHD treatment.
Studied, labeled, or reported-use context: IR: 5-40 mg/day in divided doses; XR: 10-30 mg/day — Rx; not individualized guidance.
Citation correction in progress
1 PubMed link was found to be unrelated to this entry and removed from public output. The remaining sources are shown below, but this row's claims and score still need a full source-by-source revalidation.
What the evidence says
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
Studied, labeled, or reported dose & route
IR: 5-40 mg/day in divided doses; XR: 10-30 mg/day
This records doses and routes described in studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use. It is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety; context changes with indication, formulation, health history, monitoring, and other medicines.
Citations
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Common questions
- What does the evidence show about Adderall (amphetamine salts)'s effects?
- 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.
- What safety findings are reported for Adderall (amphetamine salts)?
- Adderall (amphetamine salts) has a high risk profile in the database. High (addiction/dependence potential; BP/HR; anxiety; Schedule II) Legal status: Rx (Schedule II).
- What does the low Safety score for Adderall (amphetamine salts) represent?
- The Safety score is 2/10. It records the substantial harms described for one or more use contexts; the Benefit score, indication, dose, route, duration, population, and legal status remain separate parts of the evidence profile.
- What doses or routes are reported for Adderall (amphetamine salts)?
- IR: 5-40 mg/day in divided doses; XR: 10-30 mg/day This is context from studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use; it is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety.
- 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.