Key takeaways:
Drinking caffeinated coffee while taking Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) can raise your risk of side effects, including high blood pressure, elevated heart rate, feeling jittery, and trouble sleeping.
Your prescriber can let you know if any amount of caffeine is OK based on your medical history. But it’s safest to avoid caffeine and drink decaf coffee while Adderall is in your system.
Focus on natural ways to boost your energy as an alternative to caffeine. This includes getting enough sleep and exercising regularly.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) is a common treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, it’s considered a first-choice option for ADHD in adults.
While Adderall is an effective ADHD treatment, it’s also a stimulant. And almost 70% of Americans consume another stimulant — caffeine — every day in their coffee. Adderall and coffee may seem like a harmless combination, but taking more than one stimulant has risks to be aware of. Here’s what you should know.
Can you mix Adderall and coffee?
It’s safest to avoid caffeine — including coffee — while you’re taking Adderall.
Having caffeinated coffee and Adderall in your system at the same time may worsen the side effects of both substances. This includes an increased risk of:
Headache
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Feeling jittery or anxious
Tremors
Trouble sleeping
Severe nausea
Keep in mind that children, older adults, and people living with a heart condition are typically more sensitive to the effects of stimulants. So combining Adderall and coffee is more risky for these groups.
Is any amount of caffeine safe while taking Adderall?
No amount of caffeine is considered safe to combine with Adderall. That being said, the risk is highest with large amounts of caffeine. There's no clear published evidence that a small amount of caffeine is likely to cause harm.
It’s best to discuss your caffeine intake with your healthcare team before starting Adderall. They can adjust your dosage or let you know if any amount of caffeine is safe for you based on your medical history.
With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at how Adderall and coffee work to better understand the risks of combining them.
How do Adderall and coffee work in your brain?
As mentioned, Adderall and caffeine are both stimulants. They can make you feel more awake, alert, and focused. They both can also lead to dependence over time. But there are certainly differences between these two substances.
Adderall
Adderall is a prescription medication. It’s FDA approved to treat ADHD and narcolepsy (daytime sleepiness), although some people misuse it for other unapproved reasons. Adderall comes as both an immediate-release tablet and an extended-release (XR) capsule. Most people take it between 1 to 3 times a day, depending on which dosage form they’re prescribed.
Adderall works by raising the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. These are chemicals that affect your mood and thought processes. Other ADHD stimulants — such as Focalin (dexmethylphenidate), Ritalin (methylphenidate), and Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) — work in a similar way.
Caffeine’s effect on blood pressure: Find out what the science says. (Hint: Moderation is best.)
Food and medication interactions: Here are some common culprits to be aware of.
Energy drink risks: Learn why energy drinks can have negative effects on your health.
Coffee
Coffee itself isn’t the issue when it comes to combining it with Adderall. It’s the caffeine coffee contains that acts as a natural stimulant. Caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant in the world, and it can be found in a variety of products, such as:
Coffee and espresso
Tea
Soda
Energy drinks
Chocolate
Caffeine is also an ingredient in several over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including:
Excedrin Migraine (acetaminophen / aspirin / caffeine)
Midol Complete (acetaminophen / caffeine / pyrilamine)
NoDoz (caffeine tablets)
Caffeine works differently than Adderall. It blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, which in turn changes the levels of certain chemicals, such as GABA and dopamine.
Are coffee and Adderall addictive?
In short, yes. Coffee and Adderall can both cause dependence, so they’re considered addictive substances. But the risks aren’t the same between the two substances.
According to some experts, drinking coffee may be more of a habit than an addiction. But others believe that caffeine use disorder should be clinically recognized. In most cases, being dependent on coffee isn’t likely to harm your health as long as you stick to fewer than 5 cups or so (400 mg of caffeine) per day.
Adderall, on the other hand, has more serious risks to consider. It’s a controlled substance, which means it has a serious potential for dependence and misuse. There are legal restrictions on how much Adderall you can get at one time as well as how often you can refill it. This helps reduce the chance of misuse to protect your safety.
Taking Adderall differently than prescribed or without a prescription increases the chance of developing a substance use disorder. Misusing Adderall can cause symptoms such as:
Anger
Extreme anxiety
Paranoia
Delusions
Hallucinations (see or hearing things that other people don’t)
Can you overdose on Adderall or caffeine?
Yes, you can overdose on both substances.
A caffeine overdose isn’t common, but toxic effects can occur if you consume a large amount (1 g or more). Symptoms of a caffeine overdose include changes in heart rate and blood pressure, severe vomiting, and trouble breathing. Seizures, coma, and death can occur in severe cases.
An Adderall overdose can cause similar symptoms to misusing Adderall. It can also cause more severe symptoms, such as aggression, fever, and seizures. Coma and death are also possible. And combining caffeine with Adderall can raise the chance of these toxic effects.
If you think you or someone you know has taken too much Adderall and/or caffeine, contact a healthcare professional or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If severe symptoms occur, call 911 or seek emergency medical care.
How long after taking Adderall can you drink coffee?
It can take about 65 hours (3 days) to clear a dose of Adderall from your system. So there’s no set amount of caffeine you can safely consume while taking Adderall, even if you wait for a while after your dose.
The same holds true for drinking coffee before taking Adderall. It can take 5 hours or more for your body to process just half of the caffeine you consume. So waiting an hour or two after your morning coffee to take your Adderall isn’t enough time to avoid the risk of an interaction.
Can coffee be used as a substitute for Adderall?
It’s not recommended to use coffee — or any other caffeine-containing product — as a substitute for a prescription medication such as Adderall. Caffeine isn’t an FDA-approved ADHD treatment. So it isn’t likely to be as effective as Adderall for this use.
That being said, some research shows that caffeine may improve some aspects of brain function. A 2016 review study found that small-to-moderate amounts of caffeine can help with alertness, reaction time, and attention. But that caffeine doesn’t necessarily improve judgment or decision-making.
If you’re looking for an alternative to Adderall for ADHD, it’s best to speak to your prescriber. If you’re already taking Adderall, you should also get your prescriber’s OK before stopping it to ensure you do so safely.
If you’re taking Adderall, what’s a good caffeine alternative?
When it comes to coffee, decaf is always an option that’s safe to have with Adderall. If you’re looking for an energy boost, simple lifestyle changes can be an alternative to caffeine, such as:
Getting a good night’s sleep
Having proper nutrition
Exercising regularly
Managing stress
Supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, ginseng, and guarana have been studied for cognitive enhancement. But experts say there’s not enough evidence to recommend any of these products. Many of them also can interact with Adderall. So you should always talk to your healthcare team before taking a new vitamin or supplement to make sure it’s safe.
The bottom line
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) and the caffeine in coffee are both stimulants that can improve focus and energy levels when used properly. But in most cases, you should avoid combining coffee and Adderall. The combination can raise your risk of side effects, such as headaches, tremors, and increased blood pressure and heart rate. Your prescriber can let you know if any amount of caffeine is OK based on your medical history.
If you’re taking Adderall, the safest way to boost your energy and brain function is with lifestyle changes. This includes getting enough sleep, regular exercise, and stress management. Talk to your healthcare team about other options if needed.
Why trust our experts?
References
Addicott, M. A. (2014). Caffeine use disorder: A review of the evidence and future implications. Current Addiction Reports.
Bayer Healthcare. (2024). Midol Complete- acetaminophen, caffeine, and pyrilamine maleate tablet [package insert]. DailyMed.
CVS Pharmacy. (2024). Caffeine tablet [package insert]. DailyMed.
Endocrine Society. (2022). Adrenal hormones.
Ferré, S., et al. (2013). Caffeine and substance use disorders. Journal of Caffeine Research.
Fiani, B., et al. (2021). The neurophysiology of caffeine as a central nervous system stimulant and the resultant effects on cognitive function. Cureus.
Institute of Medicine (U.S.) Committee on Military Nutrition Research. (2001). Pharmacology of caffeine. Caffeine for the sustainment of mental task performance: Formulations for military operations. National Academies Press.
McLellan, T. M., et al. (2016). A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
MedlinePlus. (2021). Caffeine.
National Coffee Association. (2024). Daily coffee consumption at 20-year high, up nearly 40%.
Pomeroy, D. E., et al. (2020). A systematic review of the effect of dietary supplements on cognitive performance in healthy young adults and military personnel. Nutrients.
Reddy, V. S., et al. (2024). Pharmacology of caffeine and its effects on the human body. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports.
Reyes, C. M., et al. (2018). Caffeine in the diet: Country-level consumption and guidelines. Nutrients.
Satel, S. (2006). Is caffeine addictive? A review of the literature. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA. (2024). Adderall- dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate tablet [package insert].
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?
Weyandt, L. L., et al. (2016). Prescription stimulant medication misuse: Where are we and where do we go from here? Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Willson, C. (2018). The clinical toxicology of caffeine: A review and case study. Toxicology Reports.
