People mainly take Adderall for focus, mood, energy. Based on 283 first-hand reports and 6 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #69 of 1,974 overall.
Of reports that state an outcome, 36% are positive.
Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.
3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.
Conclusion: Antidepressants, particularly those acting as noradrenaline or dopamine enhancers, have evidence of efficacy, but they should be avoided in patients with comorbid bipolar disorder. Finally metadoxine and lithium may be particularly suitable in case of comorbid alcohol misuse or bipolar disorder.
PubMed 26693882 ↗Conclusion: This advantage was observed for both symptom measures and global ratings but was strongest for global ratings. The effect of Adderall was significant for clinician and parent ratings but not for teacher ratings and was significant for both fixed-dose and best-dose designs.
PubMed 12352269 ↗Conclusion: Data from the six available studies of standard release Adderall show it to be efficacious for symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and aggression, as well as global ratings. Its efficacy was significant for clinician, parent, and teacher ratings, and for both fixed- and best-dose designs.
PubMed 12142863 ↗Conclusion: Dopaminergic/noradrenergic agonist medications appear to have a positive effect on athletic performance, as well as effects on physiological parameters. Further consideration of medications currently not regulated, i.e. bupropion, is warranted given evidence of athletic performance enhancement. PROSPERO trial registration number: CRD42020211062; 10/29/2020 retrospectively registered.
PubMed 35022919 ↗As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.
How often each side effect came up across all reports.
Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.
“I've heard mixing the two undermines the adderall”
“I tried Vyvanse, modafinil, ritalin, adderall for concetration and attention... in terms of ROI they don't deliver and I'm better of without them”
“try to get real rubifen, adderall”
“Try adderall, it's the most proven nootropic drug.”
“I used to be crushing up Adderall IR's and sticking them in my cheek every few hours to get through the day. I used to binge on Addy and a pot of coffee and tweak out in my room on weekends. I abused Adderall, now I don'”
User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate