Is It Safe to Drink Coffee With Adderall?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDo They Interact?How Do They Work?Mixing ThemMinimizing Side EffectsAlternatives to Coffee

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Do They Interact?

How Do They Work?

Mixing Them

Minimizing Side Effects

Alternatives to Coffee

Adderall (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy (a neurological disorder affecting the brain’s ability to regulate sleep cycles).

Combining Adderall with other CNS stimulants, such as caffeine, can increase the risk of side effects, including elevated heart rate and insomnia. Sincecoffee contains caffeine, drinking it while taking Adderall can enhance these effects. It’s recommended to avoid excessive intake of caffeine with Adderall.

Does Coffee Interact With Adderall?

As CNS stimulants, both coffee and Adderall cause similar effects on the body.

Adderall constricts blood vessels and raises heart rate and blood pressure. It may also causenervousnessandinsomnia(trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, or getting good sleep).Coffee can also increase the heart rate and blood pressure, cause disrupted sleep, and intensify symptoms of anxiety disorder or panic attacks.

However, everyone responds differently to medications and caffeine, so you may or may not experience side effects. In small amounts, drinking coffee while on Adderall may be fine for you. Still, taking them together in large doses may notably increase their stimulatory effects. They can also be habit-forming.

For this reason, it’s best to be cautious about caffeine consumption if you take Adderall. Also, keep in mind that other foods or beverages may also contain caffeine, so you should consider your total caffeine intake.

Adderall and Caffeine: How Do They Work?

Coffee beans contain caffeine, a CNS stimulant drug.Like Adderall, it stimulates the central nervous system to produce more dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine (a group of hormones called catecholamines). Caffeine has effects similar to Adderall on the body. It increases heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate.

What Happens When You Mix Them?

Caffeine and Adderall produce similar stimulating effects on the body. If you take them together, it may increase the risk of side effects. The combination has side effects such as:

A dose adjustment may be required to safely use coffee and Adderall together. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have a history of high blood pressure or heart disease.

How Long Do Coffee and Adderall Stay in Your System?

Caffeine’s half-life (the time it takes for the drug to decrease to half within the body) ranges from two to 12 hours. It may take 10 hours to leave the bloodstream.

Adderall has a half-life of approximately 10 hours. It takes approximately five or six half-lives before it leaves the system. Overall, Adderall takes nearly three days to fully eliminate from the body.

How to Minimize the Risk of Side Effects

Some precautionary measures can help reduce side effects:

Keep your caffeine intake to a minimum. Remember that caffeine can be found in other foods and beverages besides coffee, including:

You can try opting for drinks without caffeine or lower amounts.

Alternative beverages that have lower caffeine content than coffee include:

Alternatives that have no caffeine content include:

Summary

Adderall and caffeine are stimulant drugs. Taking them together can increase the side effects. When taking Adderall, it is better to keep your caffeine intake to a moderate level or avoid it altogether.

Since coffee contains caffeine, this may mean limiting your coffee consumption while on the medication. However, everyone responds differently to medications. If you have any health conditions, ask your healthcare provider if it’s safe to consume any caffeine while taking Adderall.

8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine.PDR.Adderall.DailyMed.Label: Adderall- dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate tablet.MedlinePlus.Caffeine.Wolraich ML, Hagan JF Jr, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528Cappelletti S, Daria P, Sani G, Aromatario M.Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug?Current Neuropharmacology.2015;13(1):71. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655Abbas K, Barnhardt EW, Nash PL, et al.A review of amphetamine extended release once-daily options for the management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.Expert Rev Neurother. 2024;24(4):421-432. doi:10.1080/14737175.2024.2321921.Mount Sinai.Caffeine in the diet.

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine.PDR.Adderall.DailyMed.Label: Adderall- dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate tablet.MedlinePlus.Caffeine.Wolraich ML, Hagan JF Jr, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528Cappelletti S, Daria P, Sani G, Aromatario M.Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug?Current Neuropharmacology.2015;13(1):71. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655Abbas K, Barnhardt EW, Nash PL, et al.A review of amphetamine extended release once-daily options for the management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.Expert Rev Neurother. 2024;24(4):421-432. doi:10.1080/14737175.2024.2321921.Mount Sinai.Caffeine in the diet.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

MedlinePlus.Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine.PDR.Adderall.DailyMed.Label: Adderall- dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate tablet.MedlinePlus.Caffeine.Wolraich ML, Hagan JF Jr, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528Cappelletti S, Daria P, Sani G, Aromatario M.Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug?Current Neuropharmacology.2015;13(1):71. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655Abbas K, Barnhardt EW, Nash PL, et al.A review of amphetamine extended release once-daily options for the management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.Expert Rev Neurother. 2024;24(4):421-432. doi:10.1080/14737175.2024.2321921.Mount Sinai.Caffeine in the diet.

MedlinePlus.Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine.

PDR.Adderall.

DailyMed.Label: Adderall- dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate tablet.

MedlinePlus.Caffeine.

Wolraich ML, Hagan JF Jr, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528

Cappelletti S, Daria P, Sani G, Aromatario M.Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug?Current Neuropharmacology.2015;13(1):71. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655

Abbas K, Barnhardt EW, Nash PL, et al.A review of amphetamine extended release once-daily options for the management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.Expert Rev Neurother. 2024;24(4):421-432. doi:10.1080/14737175.2024.2321921.

Mount Sinai.Caffeine in the diet.

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