This article details the link between Adderall and weight loss and why it is sometimes prescribed to obese people. It also describes its intended purpose and why it not a good idea to use amphetamine drugs to reduce BMI and body fat.
Adderall pills are sometimes prescribed to obese people to help them shed body fat and reduce Body Mass Index. The sensible choice would be to use a medication or supplement that is actually intended for weight loss. For this reason we would suggest an alternative such as PhenQ
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Using Adderall as a Weight Loss Pill
Lots of people are very curious about the drug Adderall and the way it affects weight loss. That’s not surprising because millions of people are overweight or obese.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
The increase in obesity is largely due to lifestyle changes. People are exercising less and eating more high-energy foods than ever before.
Regardless of the reasons behind the issue, many people who are overweight are desperately unhappy about their situation. So, when they hear about drugs, such as Adderall, or dietary supplements that may help them turn things around, they are keen to learn more.
However, although there is a relationship between Adderall and weight loss, it’s not the only option. Nor is it likely to be the best option for most people.
This article provides answers to most of the main questions you may have about Adderall and the level of support it can offer as a weight loss aid.
Can I Use Adderall for Weight Loss?
Adderall is not a weight management medication. However, weight loss is one of the side effects some people experience while using Adderall.
If you are struggling with weight issues and feel Adderall may help, it may be worth discussing the option with your doctor.
Some doctors prescribe the medication for this reason, but purpose-made weight loss medications are likely to be more appropriate so your doctor may suggest one of those instead.
What Is Adderall Supposed to Be Used For?
Adderall is a combination drug that’s mainly used for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Doctors also prescribe it as a treatment for narcolepsy. There are potential long term risks to using this medication.
It’s a pill-type medication you take orally. It provides four amphetamine salts. As you may be aware, amphetamine is a powerful stimulant that acts on the central nervous system. It’s also known as “speed.”
One of the amphetamine salts is dextroamphetamine (D-amp), which is sometimes used as a standalone treatment for ADHD and narcolepsy. Adderall is generally seen as being more powerful, so it gets a greater amount of attention.
ADHD is a disorder that’s normally associated with children but it also affects many adults. The disorder impairs concentration. It causes hyperactivity and impulsivity too.
Narcolepsy is a brain condition that causes people to fall asleep at inappropriate times. It also impedes concentration and has several other undesirable symptoms as well.
The amphetamine salts Adderall provides, cause favorable changes in brain chemistry that can boost concentration and reduce the other symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy.
In addition to doing these things, the amphetamine salts in Adderall also affect the area of the brain that governs appetite. People taking the medication often find it reduces their desire to eat.
For this reason, some doctors prescribe Adderall “off-label” as a weight management aid.
Is It Safe to Use Adderall to Lose Weight?
Reduced appetite could be seen as a useful side effect but it’s not the only side effect the medication may present.
It can also cause many other issues including:
- Mood swings
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Periods of hyperactivity
- Insomnia
- Strange sleep patterns
- Becoming unusually talkative
As with all amphetamines, Adderall also presents a threat of addiction so, even when doctors deem it an appropriate treatment, they are unlikely to continue prescribing the medication for long.
What Is the Connection Between Adderall and Weight Loss?
Adderall’s ability to reduce appetite gives it undeniable potential as a weight loss aid. However, it’s important to be aware the medication does not affect everyone in this way. Some people who use it experience little or no difference in their appetites.
Even when Adderall is effective for reducing appetite, it’s far from being a miracle obesity cure. As with approved weight loss drugs, such as Phentermine, and dietary supplements you can buy over the counter, to get good results from Adderall, you need to use it alongside a low-energy diet.
A good low-energy diet is high in nutritional value but low in sugars and fats.
At best, Adderall helps with weight loss by making it easier to eat less food without feeling hungry. Eating less is always better than eating more but there’s more to it than food volume.
If the foods you eat are laden with fats and sugars even small portions can provide your body with excess calories to store as fat.
Nevertheless, if you use Adderall alongside a well-balanced weight loss diet, it has the potential to make your weight loss efforts less unpleasant by controlling hunger.
Adderall may also help you to eat less than you would without it. By doing this, it could help you to lose weight a little faster than normal. The same is true for alternative products be they pharmaceutical or herbal supplements available to buy over the counter.
Can You Buy Adderall Over the Counter for Weight Loss?
In the USA and other countries where it is legally available, you can buy Adderall from most pharmacies but only if you have a prescription.
It’s a drug, not a supplement, you cannot buy it over the counter.
Why Do People Use It?
People use Adderall for weight loss for the same reasons they use any other type of weight management aid.
In general, the main two reasons are likely to be:
- A desire to escape hunger
- An ambition to lose weight as fast as possible
When you are making serious efforts to lose weight, hunger can be a terrible foe. That nagging sensation in the stomach can be very distracting and has the potential to cause untold misery.
A lot of people find their hunger is too powerful to live with, so they give in. It’s one of the main reasons so many diets fail.
People who can obtain a prescription and find Adderall reduces their appetite will have a distinct advantage over other dieters who have to continue fighting their hunger.
However, some alternatives can do the same thing and are less likely to cause side effects or other undesirable issues.
Are There Any Similar Drugs That Work for Weight Loss?
There are several drugs doctors may prescribe for weight loss but they only prescribe them to people who are extremely overweight or obese. If you only need to lose a few pounds for summer or in preparation for a special occasion, you can forget about getting a prescription.
Ritalin
Ritalin is one possible alternative to Adderall and the two drugs have a lot in common.
Like Adderall, Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant for treating ADHD and narcolepsy. It’s faster acting but the benefits don’t last as long.
Because Ritalin suppresses appetite like Adderall, doctors sometimes prescribe it off-label and an anti-obesity treatment. Unfortunately, Ritalin is not safer to use. Like Adderall, it can present many unpleasant side effects, along with a risk of addiction.
Vyvanse
Another similar medicine isVyvanse – it is also used for its side effects.
Vyvanse is a popular brand name for the drug Lisdexamfetamine. It’s a stimulant you take by mouth. It provides a combination of L-lysine and dextroamphetamine.
Phentermine
If your level of obesity is great enough to warrant an anti-obesity treatment, your doctor may be more likely to prescribe Phentermine than Adderall or Ritalin because weight loss is not a side effect with Phentermine. It’s an FDA-approved weight loss treatment.
Unfortunately, Phentermine is another amphetamine-based medication that can be addictive and present numerous side effects.
Although Phentermine is legally available via prescription in the USA, Canada, and Australia (under brand name Duromine) it’s banned in most other countries because the governing bodies consider the side effects Phentermine can cause make it too dangerous to use.
For this reason there are many natural diet pills that work like Phentermine that are offered as an alternative.
Antidepressants for Weight Loss
Continuing the theme of using medication to treat obesity as its secondary mechanic of action, there are several antidepressants that cause weight loss.
Most anti depressants actually have the opposite affect and cause user to put on weight. Amazingly, two antidepressants don’t have this affect. People using Prozac (fluoxetine) or Wellbutrin (bupropion) are more likely to experience weight loss.
What Countries Use Adderall?
Adderall is available with a prescription in the USA and Canada, but not Australia, the UK, or Europe.
Is It Legal to Use Adderall as Weight Loss Pill?
It’s legal to use Adderall for weight loss if your doctor has prescribed it to you as an anti-obesity treatment.
Losing Weight With Adderall Pills – Summary and Conclusion
Adderall is a stimulant that belongs to a family of drugs known as amphetamines.
Amphetamines can be addictive. Using them can also entail very unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects. That’s why they are not legally available in most countries of the world.
The government departments that legislate the use of drugs and medications in the USA and Canada are more forgiving than similar departments in other countries so Adderall is a prescription option in Canada and the USA.
Adderall is not approved as a weight loss aid in either country. Its approval is for treating ADHD and narcolepsy but doctors are still permitted to prescribe it off-label as a weight management aid.
Even if you live in a country where Adderall is legally available, it may be a good idea to ask yourself why there are so many countries where it is not. Then ask yourself if you find the risks are acceptable.
If you do, that’s okay. However, Adderall only offers a limited level of weight loss support. The main thing it does is suppress hunger. Good herbal supplements can suppress appetite. More importantly, they can do it without any risk of addiction or dangerous side effects.
The best herbal supplements are also designed to boost metabolism, helping you to burn extra fat, and often provide help in additional areas as well.
Adderall should only be used for its intended purpose – to treat the symptoms of ADHD like conditions.
Using Adderall for losing weight not best practise especially when there are better weight loss supplements and medications that are created especially to help people reduce their body fat and lose weight.