
One 2018 study found that Adderall use in pregnancy more than doubled between 19 - revealing that many people may not understand its risks during these critical 9 months. Like any controlled substance, it should be used with extreme care, in pregnancy or otherwise. Though it’s easy to think of Adderall as an everyday treatment for a common condition, it’s important to remember that this medication is a highly powerful stimulant. Since the drug can pass through breast milk, it may cause undesirable symptoms in your baby, such as: “If a pregnant woman was unable to care for herself or her growing baby due to severe and disruptive ADHD symptoms, she may be prescribed Adderall for the benefits to her and, ultimately, her baby.”Įxceptions during pregnancy aside, if you’re planning to breastfeed, you’ll need to continue to stay off of Adderall - it’s not recommended for nursing mothers. Ross, an OB-GYN at Providence Saint John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica, California. “Given the side effects, a pregnant woman would only take Adderall if the benefits outweighed the risks to the baby,” explains Dr. These risks are serious all on their own, but even more so when the lives of both mother and baby are at stake.ĭespite this general guidance, though, there may be certain situations where taking Adderall during pregnancy could be the best choice. But as effective as it may be when there’s no bun in your oven, the general consensus in the medical community is that Adderall and pregnancy shouldn’t mix.Īdderall stimulates the nervous system, and besides the unpleasant side effects listed above, it also increases the risk of psychosis, heart attack, stroke, and even death. There’s also a risk of developing an addiction to Adderall.Īdderall can be a godsend for relieving your ADHD symptoms - so feel free to give a “woohoo!” for modern medicine. However, it does come with some drawbacks - whether you’re pregnant or not. One small study from 2001 found that people who took it experienced a 42 percent average decrease in ADHD symptoms. Though it may sound counterintuitive to take a stimulant when ADHD already makes your mind race a mile a minute, stimulating these particular neurotransmitters actually helps regulate attention and improve focus.Īdderall can be highly effective. These two drugs work in tandem to stimulate the central nervous system and increase the availability of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine in your brain.

(It’s also a treatment for narcolepsy.) But how does it actually work?Īdderall is a combination of two different drugs: amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. If you’re already on Adderall, you probably know that this drug is used to help those with ADHD maintain focus.
