How Much Amphetamine Do Adderall XR Products Contain?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses how much amphetamine is contained in Adderall XR products.
Adderall ER (Extended Release) vs IR. I am being told conflicting Information: Does a 30 mg Extended Release have a total of 60mg (effectively two doses of 30mg, one immediate and the other time-released), or is it 30mg total spread out over a longer period?
Sep 18, 2021- The total amount of amphetamine in an Adderall XR product matches the dosage listed on the label, so a 30mg capsule contains 30mg total of amphetamines, not double that amount.
- Adderall XR uses a dual-release mechanism where some medication releases immediately and some releases slowly over time, allowing the once-daily dose to work for over 12 hours.
- Adderall XR contains four different types of amphetamine salts in equal amounts, with each salt making up a quarter of the total dose.
Hello and thank you for writing us!
I am more than happy to answer your question regarding Adderall XR (Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine).
How Much Amphetamine Is In Adderall XR?
I can understand the confusion regarding how much active drug is actually in Adderall XR capsules since it has a 'dual-release mechanism'.
Rest assured, whatever strength the Adderall XR product in question is, that is how much amphetamine that product contains in total (e.g. Adderall XR 30mg contains 30mg total of amphetamines, NOT 60mg).
Adderall XR products actually contain four different types of amphetamine drugs:
- Dextroamphetamine Saccharate
- Amphetamine Aspartate
- Dextroamphetamine Sulfate
- Amphetamine Sulfate
Below is a chart detailing how much of each type amphetamine is in each Adderall XR product:
| Product | Dextroamphetamine Saccharate | Amphetamine Aspartate Monohydrate | Dextroamphetamine Sulfate USP | Amphetamine Sulfate USP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adderall XR 5mg | 1.25mg | 1.25mg | 1.25mg | 1.25mg |
| Adderall XR 10mg | 2.5mg | 2.5mg | 2.5mg | 2.5mg |
| Adderall XR 15mg | 3.75mg | 3.75mg | 3.75mg | 3.75mg |
| Adderall XR 20mg | 5mg | 5mg | 5mg | 5mg |
| Adderall XR 25mg | 6.25mg | 6.25mg | 6.25mg | 6.25mg |
| Adderall XR 30mg | 7.5mg | 7.5mg | 7.5mg | 7.5mg |
Answering your question regarding Adderall XR 30mg specifically, you can see from the chart above that it contains 30mg total of amphetamines.
Adderall XR Release-Mechanism
Adderall XR and related generics have a dual-release mechanism (i.e. the capsules release drug in two phases).
The prescribing information for Adderall XR touches on this:
The ADDERALL XR capsule contains two types of drug-containing beads designed to give a double-pulsed delivery of amphetamines, which prolongs the release of amphetamine from ADDERALL XR compared to the conventional ADDERALL (immediate-release) tablet formulation
During the first phase of release, part of the total dosage is released immediately, to produce quick-acting effects. The second part of the release mechanism releases the drug slowly over time, which is why a once-daily dose of Adderall XR generally lasts over 12 hours.
Adderall XR products were specifically formulated to mimic the amphetamine concentrations of the immediate-release formulation of the drug given twice daily.
For example, Adderall XR 20mg produces similar plasma concentrations of amphetamines compared to taking Adderall (immediate-release) 10mg twice daily. Again, the prescribing information talks about this:
A single dose of ADDERALL XR 20 mg capsules provided comparable plasma concentration profiles of both d-amphetamine and l-amphetamine to ADDERALL (immediate-release) 10 mg twice daily administered 4 hours apart.
The following graph illustrates this:
You can see above that one dose of Adderall XR 20mg produces fairly similar concentrations to Adderall 10mg (immediate-release) taken twice daily (4 hours apart).
Final Words
I hope this answer clears things up for you.
As mentioned, I imagine the confusion around Adderall XR 30mg (and whether or not it contains 30mg or 60mg of amphetamines) is due to the fact the capsules contain a dual-release mechanism.
Just remember the given strength of the product is the correct indication of how much total amphetamine it contains (e.g. Adderall XR 30mg contains 30mg total of amphetamines).
References & sources
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Dual-release mechanism
- A delivery system in a medication that releases the drug in two separate phases over time.
- Dextroamphetamine Saccharate
- One of four types of amphetamine salt compounds found in Adderall XR.
- Amphetamine Aspartate
- One of four types of amphetamine salt compounds found in Adderall XR.
- Plasma concentrations
- The amount of a drug measured in the blood at any given time.
- Immediate-release
- A medication formulation that releases its active drug quickly into the body, typically requiring multiple doses per day.
- Prescribing information
- Official medical documentation that describes how a medication should be used, including dosage and mechanism of action.
- Drug-containing beads
- Small spherical particles inside a capsule that each contain medication and release it at different rates.
- Double-pulsed delivery
- A medication release pattern that delivers a drug in two separate bursts rather than continuously.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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