Dexedrine vs Adderall: Which One Works Better for Focus and Energy?
It’s extremely difficult to deal with health conditions like ADHD because this can make you feel restless and hamper your activities. So it becomes the highest priority to find the right drug for your treatment, which would help you relax. Dexedrine and Adderall are two very efficient drugs prescribed by doctors to help you deal with this disorder. Both have the same purposes and almost appear to be similar. So, in this blog, we will discuss Dexedrine vs Adderall to give you proper insights into how these drugs differ in various factors and to help you determine the best one according to your condition.
Differentiate Dexedrine vs Adderall: Dosage, Potency, & Efficiency
What Is Dexedrine?
The drug Dexedrine is the brand name for Dextroamphetamine, which is useful for the treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy. Like other ADHD drugs, Dexedrine increases the level of neurotransmitters in the brain, which increases attention and focus. This drug is also often used in the treatment of narcolepsy. Dexedrine is highly vulnerable to causing severe addiction and dependencies; this is the reason why it’s kept under the category of Schedule II drugs. Various dealers sell Dexedrine illegally to individuals who use it as a source of entertainment. Those dealers alter the name to avoid being caught, and these changed names are referred to as street names.
Street names of Dexedrine include:
- Speed
- Up
- Uppers
- Footballs
- Dexies
- Co-Pilots
What Is Adderall?
Adderall is a prescription medication used for the treatment of ADHD as well as Narcolepsy. It decreases the impulsive nature of individual, which helps them to focus more on their tasks. In certain cases, Adderall is used throughout the treatment without switching to other drugs. This consists of two other drugs: Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine. Adderall is placed in the category of a Schedule II drug because it can cause severe addiction and dependency.
Various street names of Adderall include:
- Addys
- Black Beauties
- Copilots
- Zing
- Study Buddies
- Truck Drivers
- Uppers
- Beans
- Dexies
- Pep Pills
- Red Dexies
- Smart Pills
- Speed
Are Dexedrine and Adderall The Same Thing?
There are various similarities between Dexedrine and Adderall. One of the major similarities is their working mechanisms. Both of them help in increasing the neurotransmitter level, which promotes calmness and helps an individual focus. These drugs also have similar uses and belong to the same schedule category. But despite all these, other factors are different in each drug. So, we can’t say exactly that Dexedrine and Adderall are the same thing.
What’s The Difference Between Dexedrine and Adderall?
We discussed above that certain factors are similar in both drugs, and some are different. After seeing the similarity, let’s now discuss the difference between Dexedrine and Adderall.
Dexedrine vs Adderall Dosage
The doses for the patient are decided as per age and tolerance level. Initially, a smaller dose is given, which may be increased based on the requirements.
Dexedrine Doses
- The initial dose for narcolepsy is 5 to 60 mg per day.
- Initial ADHD dose is 5 mg once or twice a day.
Adderall Doses
- For ADHD, the Adderall IR dose is 5 mg every 4 to 6 hours, and the XR is 20 mg once.
- For narcolepsy, the dose is 10 mg once a day.
The table below shows the difference between Dexedrine and Adderall.
| Factors | Dexedrine | Adderall |
| Active Ingredient | Dextroamphetamine | Combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine |
| Formulations | Tablets, Oral Solutions | IR Tablets, XR Capsules |
| Onset | 20 to 60 minutes | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Half-life | 9 to 11 hours | 9 to 14 hours |
| Potency | High potency | Less than Dexedrine |
| Addiction risks | High | Lower compared to Dexedrine |
| Duration of use | Not suitable | May be used in some cases |
Dexedrine vs Adderall For ADHD
Both Dexedrine and Adderall are considered to be effective for ADHD, but choosing one between them can be difficult. The drugs can be taken according to the patient. For example, Dexedrine can be considered a better option for individuals with low tolerance capacity since Adderall is highly potent due to the presence of two elements. Similarly, Adderall is the best option for patients with severe symptoms who are also able to tolerate the side effects of the drug. Adderall can provide much faster relief, and hence, the patient can feel much relaxed.
Dexedrine vs Adderall For Weight Loss and Narcolepsy
Both of these drugs can be used for Narcolepsy. But Dexedrine has the capacity to eradicate Narcolepsy than Adderall. This is because the concentration of Dextroamphetamine is much higher in Dexedrine than in Adderall. Weight loss is just a side effect of taking either of the two drugs since they cause loss of appetite. Due to this property, some doctors use either Dexedrine or adderall as an off-label drug to provide relaxation.
Which Is Stronger Dexedrine or Adderall?
After being aware of the composition of each of the drugs, we can say for sure that Dexedrine is a bit more powerful compared to Adderall. Dexedrine contains only a single element, which makes it more concentrated than Adderall, in which the mixture makes the substances balance out each other. But you have to remember that just because Dexedrine is slightly potent doesn’t guarantee a chance that it will be most useful for treating any disease.
Can You Take Dexedrine and Adderall Together?
Taking two high-potency drugs like Dexedrine and Adderall can be way riskier. These are highly vulnerable to causing severe addiction and dependencies on an individual level. So, if you mix these two substances, the chances increase much more, which leads to sedation and ultimately coma or death. There are also various other health risks associated with:
- Cardiac arrest
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Aggression
- Seizures
Side Effects
Your body can develop other side effects if you are taking any of these drugs. This can be an indication that the drug is working well in the body. Various common side effects of both medications include:
- Nausea
- Vomitibg
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Tics
- Numbness
- Seizures
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
Conclusion
At the end, we can say that you have to be extremely careful while choosing the appropriate drug for ADHD. This is better for your own safety and also to recover faster from the harmful symptoms. Your healthcare provider might give you a proper treatment plan, which you have to follow without fail and make sure not to make any changes on your own. It’s a must to give your body proper rest to get a quick recovery and live a happy life.