Vitamin C and Adderall

There is a strong relationship between vitamins and ADHD medications. Does vitamin C make Adderall work better? Or does it make it worse?

Adderall (or amphetamine) is a prescription drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The most common side effect of taking Adderall is insomnia. However, some users report experiencing headaches, anxiety, nausea, and dizziness when taking Adderall.

While these symptoms may be uncomfortable at times, they’re not dangerous. But there are ways to mitigate them. One way is to take vitamin C along with Adderall. Vitamin C helps reduce the effects of Adderall, making it easier to sleep through the night and reducing the risk of developing headaches.

To help prevent headaches, it’s suggested taking vitamin C every day. This includes taking 500 mg of vitamin C twice daily, either with breakfast and lunch or just once in the morning.

If you experience any of the above symptoms after taking Adderall, try taking vitamin C instead.

There’s also over the counter adderall alternatives available.

Foods High in Vitamin C VS Amphetamine Drugs

Taking vitamin C supplements or eating foods rich in vitamin C may interfere with the effectiveness of Adderall. All forms of the drug, from name brand to generic, extended-release to instant release, are equally affected by this relationship with Vitamin C. Citrus fruits, which you might not think of as having an effect on your body, also matter. They contain citric acid which affects amphetamine medication.

Does Vitamin C Neutralize ADHD Medication?

Many users wonder whether taking vitamin C supplements along with prescription medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) helps neutralize the effects of the medication.

And although there isn’t much study into this, there is some thought that Vitamin C can take away some of the effectiveness of Adderall. The reason being is that Vitamin C is very acidic, whereas Adderall is very alkaline – the rub here is that the Vitamin C can affect the overall absorption of the drug and reduce it’s effectiveness.

If you’re looking for the full effect, it’s recommended that you avoid food and drink that are rich in Vitamin C within an hour before and after your dose of adderall.

If you’re concerned about possible interactions between vitamin C and ADHD medications, talk to your doctor. He or she can advise you on the safest course of action.

And you could also look into natural ADHD supplements.

How to make Adderall last longer?

If you’re taking Adderall, you’ve got to be careful not to take too many pills at once. Otherwise, you may experience side effects like insomnia, anxiety, and headaches.

To avoid these unpleasant side effects, try splitting your daily dose into two separate doses. This way, you won’t feel any negative effects until after lunchtime. Then, when you need another dose, just eat a snack containing caffeine and wait 30 minutes before taking your next dose.

Alternatively, you can take half of your usual dose in the morning and save the remaining half for later. But remember, this strategy only works if you’re taking Adderal XR (extended release). If you’re taking regular Adderall, you should split your dose evenly throughout the day.

But there are ways to make Adderall go further. One trick is to mix it with caffeine. Caffeine increases the effects of Adderall, making it feel stronger and last longer.

Another tip is to eat foods rich in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid found in turkey, chicken, fish, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts, beans, peas, lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and eggplant.

Try eating these foods after taking Adderall, and you may find yourself feeling more energized.

Vitamin C and Adderall: Summary

There are many supplements available that can help reduce these Adderall side effects, and vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is one of them!

Vitamin C is more important than just a vitamin. It’s present in micromolar concentrations in the brain. Vitamin C is transported through the blood–brain barrier into the CSF across the epithelium lining the choroid pylorus.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that crosses the BBB (blood brain barrier). It’s an enzyme cofactor that’ll help many enzymatic reactions go smoothly.You also need it for the synthesis of collagen. Vitamin C deficiency, which historically afflicted sailors, is caused by lack of access (or consumption) of foods rich in vitamin C like oranges.

The most important thing about Vitamin C when it comes to Adderall use, is that it is a cofactor needed to synthesize catecholamines. Both dopamine and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) are catecholamines. Amphetamines release large amounts of both of these neurotransmiters. Vitamin C may help replenish depleted catecholamines following Adderall use. This works especially well when combined with L-tyrosin, which is the precursor to dopamine.

Related: 8 Signs ADHD Medication Dose Too High

Futher reading: Vitamin C and Catecholamine Synthesis (Biomedical Literature):

The non-antioxidant functions of ascorbate in brain and neural-derived tissues center on neurotransmitters. For example, it is well established that ascorbate is essential for catecholamine biosynthesis in neural tissues, serving as a co-factor for dopamine β-hydroxylase in the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine [123,124]. Moreover, an elegant series of studies by several groups documented a novel mechanism involving ascorbate and the AFR to enable transfer electrons across the chromaffin granule membrane [125-127]