
Both Adderall and Dexedrine have also been shown to be effective for around 4 to 6 hours depending on the dose.Īdderall XR and Dexedrine Spansule also both take around 30 minutes to 1 hour to show an effect, but take between 7 and 8 hours to reach peak blood levels. People should not take stimulant medication late in the afternoon or evening, as they can make it very difficult to sleep.Īdderall and Dexedrine both take around 30 minutes to 1 hour to show an effect and 3 hours to reach their highest levels in the blood. Adderall XR and Dexedrine Spansule usually only need to be taken once a day, ideally as soon as someone wakes up. People should take Adderall and Dexedrine first thing in the morning and again in the early afternoon. Both Dexedrine Spansule and Adderall XR come in capsule form.Adderall immediate-release formulas are available in tablet form.Dexedrine immediate-release medication comes in the form of tablets and solution.The administration methods may differ between Dexedrine and Adderall: Dexedrine Spansule is also not approved for use in individuals over the age of 16. The extended-release types Dexedrine Spansule and Adderall XR are not approved for use in children under the age of 6. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ADHD in children aged 3 and older. Extended-release formulas of Adderall, such as Adderall XR, generally contain equal measures of immediate-release and delayed-release d-amphetamine and l-amphetamine.ĭexedrine is also available in a sustained-release formula (Dexedrine Spansule), containing time-release d-amphetamine.Ĭurrently, immediate-release types of Dexedrine and Adderall are both approved by the U.S. While the two forms of amphetamine differ in their makeup, both have proven effective for the treatment of ADHD since the 1970s.ĭexedrine contains the active ingredient d-amphetamine, while Adderall contains a 3:1 mixture of immediate-release d-amphetamine and l-amphetamine. Of the two forms, d-amphetamine is considered the stronger of the pair. There are two active forms of the synthetic compound amphetamine: dextro(d)-amphetamine and levo(l)-amphetamine.

However, it seems to increase the release or effectiveness of certain neurotransmitters, the body’s chemical messengers, including:

Researchers still do not know exactly how amphetamine works. Image credit: Adam from UK, 2008ĭexedrine and Adderall both contain forms of the synthetic compound amphetamine, which is a central nervous stimulant. Share on Pinterest Dexedrine is one drug that can be used to treat ADHD.
