How Adderall Dosing Guidelines Work
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) is a Schedule II stimulant approved by the FDA for ADHD (immediate-release and extended-release formulations) and narcolepsy (immediate-release only). Unlike weight-based pediatric medications that use a mg/kg formula, Adderall's prescribing information sets fixed starting doses and stepwise titration schedules based on the patient's age, the formulation (IR vs. XR), and the indication being treated. This calculator looks up those standard, published reference values for a given age, formulation, and indication, and can compare an existing prescribed dose against the typical range — it does not compute or recommend an actual dose to take.
Why dosing is titrated, not calculated from weight
Amphetamine response varies widely between individuals regardless of body weight, so the FDA label does not provide a mg/kg formula for Adderall the way it does for many antibiotics. Instead, prescribers start at a low, age-appropriate dose and increase it in small, fixed increments — typically at weekly intervals — until symptoms are adequately controlled with tolerable side effects. This calculator reproduces that fixed starting-dose-and-increment schedule rather than deriving a number from body weight.
Starting doses and titration by formulation
For Adderall IR and ADHD, labeling supports starting at 2.5 mg once daily for ages 3-5 or 5 mg once or twice daily for age 6 and older, increasing in 2.5-5 mg steps at weekly intervals, usually not exceeding about 40 mg/day. For Adderall IR and narcolepsy (age 6+), typical starting doses are 5 mg/day (ages 6-11) or 10 mg/day (age 12+), titrated in 5-10 mg weekly steps up to a usual range of 5-60 mg/day. Adderall XR, approved only for ADHD from age 6, typically starts at 10 mg once daily in the morning, with adolescent dosing usually capped lower than adult dosing and adults often starting at 20 mg/day per the label.
Safety, monitoring, and when to contact a prescriber
- Never change a prescribed dose based on this or any online tool — dose changes should be directed by the prescribing clinician, who accounts for response, side effects, cardiac history, and other medications.
- Report signs of overstimulation (rapid heart rate, chest pain, severe anxiety, insomnia) or under-treatment (persistent symptoms at a stable dose) to the prescriber rather than self-adjusting.
- Because Adderall is a controlled substance with misuse and dependence potential, doses above typical labeled ranges warrant closer clinical supervision, not an at-home increase.