Interconnections Between Adderall And Menstrual Cycle

Adderall is a psychostimulant drug which belongs to amphetamine group. It can be prescribed for the treatment of some psychiatric disorders including narcolepsy, but it is often abused by healthy people, especially by students. This drug improves mood, attention, and memory, so it is very helpful during the nights before exam. Adderall cannot be obtained legally without doctor's prescription. Those who get it illegally and use it inappropriately are at high risk of experiencing some dangerous side effects of Adderall.

Effects of Adderall are Dependent on The Phase of Menstrual Cycle

Recent studies have shown that the effects of Adderall were different in different phases of menstrual cycle. Follicular phase of menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your menstrual cycle and lasts about 14 days - until the ovulation occurs. Luteal phase comes afterwards and lasts till the end of the cycle. Scientists have found that the effects of Adderall during follicular phase are higher. During that phase, women taking Adderall feel more high, euphoric, and have stronger dependency issues than during luteal phase. Estrogen seems to be responsible for such effects, giving that its concentration in blood is higher during follicular phase. Estrogen stimulates release of dopamine in the brain, which is also the main mechanism of action of many psychostimulants. Therefore, estrogen enhances the effects of amphetamines.

Adderall Could Affect Menstrual Disorders

The possibility of amphetamines affecting length of menstrual period has not yet been investigated, but there are substantial reasons that it could be true. The explanation for that can seem a bit complicated. Namely, as said earlier, amphetamines stimulate dopamine release in the brain. Dopamine is shown to stimulate release of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) from hypothalamus, which then increases the release of hormones that regulate menstrual cycle: Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH) from hypophysis.

In order to confirm these assumptions, more research is certainly needed.

Concerns

Amphetamines such as Adderall fall under the List of Schedule II Drugs, which means that they are often abused and cause severe dependence issues and other side effects.

Before prescribing Adderall, your health care provider is supposed to do an examination of your cardiovascular system. Adderall can interfere with other drugs, especially with those for depressive and anxiety disorders, thus causing serious side effects. Besides that, amphetamines often give some unpredictable side effects, which is the reason why not all patients can use them.