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Mixed Amphetamine Salts Extended Release (Adderall XR)

Stimulantprescriptionoral · inferred

Double-pulsed bead formulation of mixed amphetamine salts. It delays peak exposure relative to immediate release while leaving d- and l-amphetamine elimination unchanged.

Projected serum levels — 20 mg, once daily

Mixed Amphetamine Salts Extended Release (Adderall XR)
Mixed Amphetamine Salts Extended Release (Adderall XR) modeled serum levels, 20 mg once daily over 15 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 2 days. 0 5 10 15 20 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 2
Mixed Amphetamine Salts Extended Release (Adderall XR) modeled serum levels with a loading dose of 25.3 mg, then 20 mg once daily The first dose is larger so levels approach steady state faster. 0 5 10 15 20 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule

Maintenance schedule: 20 mg once daily (oral).

Loading schedule: 25.3 mg on day 1, then 20 mg once daily — reaching therapeutic levels sooner.

Modeled steady state after ~2 days: peak ≈ 15.7 mg, trough ≈ 5.6 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 20 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
Stimulant
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Half-life
10 h
Common dose
20 mg
Suggested maximum
60 mg/day
Reference dose range
5–60 mg (single dose)
Suggested cadence
once daily

Research behind this entry

  1. A 14-month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (MTA Study) MTA Cooperative Group · Archives of General Psychiatry, 1999 DOI

    Landmark NIMH trial of 579 children found carefully managed medication (primarily mixed amphetamine salts) was superior to behavioral treatment and community care for ADHD core symptoms.

  2. Amphetamines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults Castells X et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018 DOI

    Cochrane review found amphetamines are effective for treating adult ADHD, significantly reducing ADHD symptom severity with moderate evidence for short-term improvement.

  3. Comparative efficacy and tolerability of medications for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents, and adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis Cortese S et al. · Lancet Psychiatry, 2018 DOI

    Network meta-analysis of 133 RCTs identified amphetamines as the preferred first-choice ADHD pharmacotherapy in adults (best efficacy-tolerability balance); methylphenidate preferred in children.

3 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.