Does Adderall have to be taken every day?

Need to Take Adderall DailyI've been taking Adderall for several years in combination with an antidepressant and anti-anxiety meds. I'm on a rather high dosage too. After discussing it with my doctor, she agreed that I could "self-medicate" insofar as I remain within the guidelines she provided. On weekends I rarely take it all. During the week when I have more responsibilities, I take an average dose to negate the 'drowsiness' caused by my other meds. When I'm feeling especially overwhelmed, tired, or down - mainly in the fall and winter, or very overcast, gloomy days, I choose to take the maximum dosage my doctor allows.

Of course, meds effect everyone in different ways at different times. Some people absolutely need their Adderall everyday. I know some people who only need it along with anti-depressants, in the worst part of winter. Yet they don't need it at all when the weather is nice. Go figure.

However, if I stop taking my adderall for a length of time, I've been told to take a fraction of my full dosage at first and work back up to my usual dosage. Adderall is a stimulant so I guess - if you take high doses like I need - it could cause health problems to suddenly start taking high levels of it after a break.

The best thing to do, IMO, would be to call your doctor and ASK. If you are uncomfortable calling and asking your doctor a simple question like this, perhaps you should shop around for a physician you can be comfortable with.

Here is more from Wiki s Contributors:

• I have been taking Adderall for a while now, and I find that I can tell pretty easily how much I need on a given day -- from none to quite a bit. I try to not take it on the weekends or for a few days at a stretch sometimes if I think I can manage without it. I have found that when I am taking it continuously for a while, I become less sensitive to its effects. Taking a few days off seems to restore my body's sesitivity.

Be careful with other meds, though. The SSRI types of drugs should be taken every day. These are most of the antidepressants and Strattera. The stimulants (ritalin, adderall, etc.) can be taken as needed. I took myself off of an antidepressant I was taking (gradually reduced the dosage over a couple of weeks) because I found it was interfering with my ability to become properly motivated by stressful situations.

• I used to think I didn't need my Adderall on the weekends. But I found that it seemed to work better, and worked better with the other meds I take if I took it everyday. So it's really a personal choice.

It all depends on what functions you want to perform on a given day. If you have ADHD and you need to be alert, focused, and able to concentrate, on a given day, then you need to take it. If your activities on a given day will not require these abilities then you can get by with either a reduced dose or no dose. However, if you opt for "no dose," then your body will begin the Adderall withdrawal symptoms. The severity of these symptoms depends on how high a dose you were taking before you opted for "no dose" on a given day or weekend.