It’s important to be able to properly identify Adderall pills for a variety of reasons, including to ensure prescription drug safety. The following provides an overview of what Adderall is, and how to identify Adderall pills.

Adderall Pills

Adderall is a controlled drug, meaning it’s available by prescription, for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. When someone takes Adderall, and they have ADHD, it can help improve their concentration, focus, and self-control. When someone takes it, and they don’t have ADHD or they abuse it, it can cause them to feel high. Symptoms of an Adderall high include euphoria, increased energy, and a sense of exaggerated self-confidence.

Symptoms of Adderall use that occur whether it’s used with a prescription or abused can include anxiety, headache, nausea, elevated blood pressure, insomnia and appetite loss.

Unfortunately, in addition to people using Adderall to feel high, they also abuse it to lose weight since it does suppress the appetite of the user, at least while the effects are still being felt. Once the Adderall wears off, so does the appetite suppression and in some cases people may have rebound hunger, meaning they feel hungrier than they did before taking the drug. 

Adderall pills are available as immediate and extended release options. With immediate-release, there are several different dosage options that go up incrementally, and the same is true of extended release, but there are fewer dosages. 

Adderall pills that are immediate release start to take effect quickly, but the effects only last for a few hours. With extended-release Adderall pills, the effects may last for up to 10 hours, but they take initial effect more slowly. 

Adderall pills, whether extended release or immediate release, are central nervous system stimulants, which means they create more activity in the brain and specifically affect certain neurotransmitters including dopamine and norepinephrine.

What Do Adderall Pills Look Like?

So, what do Adderall pills look like? Adderall pills can look different, depending on the type and dose, and also whether they’re brand name or generic. 

A 5 mg immediate release Adderall is usually white, round and may be imprinted with AD. The following are some other ways to identify what Adderall pills look like:

  • Adderall 7.5 mg is blue and oval-shaped with an imprint of AD 7.5
  • Adderall 10 mg is blue, round and printed with AD 10
  • Adderall 20 mg is orange, round and printed with AD 20
    These aren’t all the available Adderall pills that are immediate-release but are some of the most common doses.

Adderall XR Pills

Adderall pills that are extended-release are usually capsule-shaped, and one end may be clear so you can see what looks like tiny balls or pellets inside. They are usually printed with the name of the drug and the strength. The colors of Adderall pills that are XR include blue and orange primarily.

Adderall XR 10 mg Pill Identifier

The biggest difference between Adderall pills that are immediate release and Adderall XR pills is the fact that IR versions are tablets, while Adderall XR pills are capsules. The capsules are usually printed with the entire word Adderall if they’re brand name as well.

What Do Adderall Pills Do?

So, what do Adderall pills do?
Adderall pills can be used for the treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy, but they do other things as well.

For example, one reason college students often abuse them is because they give them the ability to stay awake for long periods of time and study. Users are often energetic and focused even on things they wouldn’t ordinarily be interested in.

Adderall pills boost energy and focus, and they create insomnia and suppress appetite, and for that reason, they’re also used as a weight loss tool as well.

All of the effects of Adderall are the result of the drug impacting the central nervous system. If you really do have ADHD and you take Adderall, the effects are usually positive and include being calmer and more focused. 

Regardless of whether you’re using Adderall as prescribed or not, there are potential side effects including nervousness, headaches, dry mouth, changes in vision and sleep disturbances.

Adderall can also slow children’s’ growth, cause changes in sex drive or performance, or in very rare but serious cases cause hallucinations or paranoia. 

There’s something else that Adderall pills do that a lot of people aren’t aware of. When people abuse Adderall, and sometimes even if they take it as prescribed, they will experience what’s called a comedown, similar to what happens when you use cocaine.

When you come down from Adderall, you’re likely to feel depressed, irritable and lacking in motivation. You may be excessively tired or hungry, or still unable to sleep or eat. As well as a comedown following the use of Adderall, physical dependence is also possible which can cause you to go through withdrawal from the drug, even if you’ve been taking it as prescribed. 

So to sum up, what do Adderall pills do? They can help symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy, but they can also cause people to feel high, and they can lead to negative or severe side effects in some cases as well. 

Medical Disclaimer

The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.