TL;DR Ashwagandha and Adderall Summary:
Available evidence suggests that Ashwagandha and Adderall are safe to combine. In fact, Ashwagandha might help to enhance the positive effects of Adderall on the brain while reducing some of its side effects such as anxiety and insomnia. Ashwagandha also helps you sleep better which can be helpful if you struggle with insomnia from Adderall use. It takes several weeks for Ashwagandha to augment Adderall’s benefits to the maximum extent.
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is one of the most famous herbs in the Indian system of Ayurveda, which is a traditional Indian medicinal practice.
Ashwagandha has been used for centuries in India for its medicinal properties, specifically for treating various ailments such as diabetes and arthritis. It is also used by athletes to alleviate fatigue and improve endurance and increase strength and stamina.
This herb is rich in antioxidant nutrients that are believed to have disease-fighting and physiological benefits. Ashwagandha also contains unique compounds called “withanolides,” which are associated with the herb’s stress-reducing and sleep-promoting effects. It is commonly used to treat anxiety, pain, and inflammation.
What is Adderall?
Adderall is an addictive stimulant drug that is used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. It is also used illegally as a recreational drug. The short-term effects of Adderall include an increase in energy, alertness, and attention. The long-term effects include increased risk of heart disease, noticeable weight loss, or other mood changes.
Adderall is a potent central nervous system stimulant. If you’ve never used Adderall, you may wonder how it works.
Adderall works by binding to and activating the dopamine and norepinephrine transporters. This increases catecholamine concentrations in the brain. Adderall also affects postsynaptic cells, including increasing neurotransmitter uptake for dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and other catecholamines. In doing so, Adderall enhances neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex and other brain areas, making you more alert and cognitively sharper.
Side Effects of Ashwagandha and Adderall
Ashwagandha is one of the safest natural supplements on the market. It is well-studied and known to have a wide range of benefits with minimal risk of side effects. However, Ashwagandha can boost your immune system, so it’s not recommended for people with autoimmune conditions unless otherwise recommended by their doctor.
Adderall is another story. The first issue with the drug is that it has high abuse potential. You’re far more likely to become addicted to Adderall than to Ashwagandha. In fact, Ashwagandha is completely non-addictive, so it doesn’t even belong in the same sentence as Adderall when talking about dependency. As for the side effects, Adderall is known to react differently to different people. Some report extreme weight loss, others claim they get nausea, while there are people who report Adderall giving them headaches and anxiety when consistently taken long-term.
Can You Combine Them?
There are no known interactions between Ashwagandha and Adderall, and many people actually take them together without any issues. In fact, it is believed that the combination of Ashwagandha and Adderall might be a synergistic one. In other words, taking Ashwagandha with Adderall might enhance the stimulant’s positive effects on your focus and memory, while taking the edge off its side effects such as jitteriness, anxiety, and inability to fall asleep.
Conclusion
Ashwagandha and Adderall are both well-studied and have their pros and cons. Ashwagandha is known to reduce stress and anxiety and can promote deep sleep, which can be helpful for people who’re taking Adderall and find that they are unable to calm down. Ultimately, the best way to know how this combination will work for you is by checking with your doctor first, and if you get a thumbs up, try it for yourself to see if you get the benefits that other users report.
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