Vitamin C and Adderall: Can you take them together?

Vitamins and ADHD medication have a strong relationship. Those of you who have read our other learning resources on Adderall will know that the drug is known to interact with nutrients such as magnesium, L-Tyrosine and caffeine, to name just a few. So what about Vitamin C?

Is Adderall made less effective by Vitamin C? Vitamin C, whether in food or as a supplement to vitamin A, can reduce the effectiveness of Adderall. This applies to all forms of Adderall, including generics, name brands, extended-release and instant releases. It is alsotrue of Adderall alternatives like Vyvanse, Focalin, Concerta and Ritalin.

However, this does not necessarily mean that you want to completely avoid vitamin C while you’re on Adderall. Let’s now look at how Adderall interacts and interacts with vitamin C and try to decide if it is a good or bad interaction. 

Vitamin C and Adderall

It is best to avoid Vitamin C for at least one hour before and after you take medication. This is because Adderall, which is alkaline, is more acidic than Vitamin C. Vitamin C can act as an “off-switch” to Adderall, affecting the body’s absorption rate.

This means that you will need to be very careful about what you eat.

Avoid foods and drinks that are high in Vitamin C, such as oranges, bell peppers and guavas, during your Adderall dose. These foods should be scheduled for later in the day or earlier, and at least one hour before or after taking your Adderall.

Don’t be afraid to take Vitamin C even if it interacts with Adderall. This is because your body needs VitaminC to maintain healthy connective tissue and keep your immune system working properly.

Vitamin C For Adderall Comdown

You’ll feel the withdrawal effects slowly diminishing as you stop taking Adderall. You might feel like you are going through withdrawal. You may feel tired or have intense emotions.

These effects can be severe.

However, increasing your Vitamin C intake can help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Vitamin C, as we have already mentioned, can reverse Adderall’s effects. Vitamin C can help to stop Adderall from lingering in your system, thereby allowing withdrawal to be completed sooner.

Vitamin C and Catecholamine synththesis

Another big benefit of taking Vitamin C with Adderall is that the vitamin supports the healthy production of catecholamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. This is crucial, as chronic Adderall use is known to deplete levels of these neurotransmitters and to downregulate receptors over the long-term.

Vitamin C Function in the Mind: Vital Role for the Ascorbate Transmitter (SVCT2 1 )

Ascorbate’s non-antioxidant activities in the brain and neural-derived tissues are centered on neurotransmitters.  It is known that ascorbate is an essential co-factor in dopamine bhydroxylase’s conversion of dopamine into norepinephrine [123-124]. A series of elegant studies by many groups revealed a novel mechanism that involves ascorbate in order to transfer electrons across chromaffingranule membrane.

According to the authors,

Infusions intraventricular and striatal of ascorbate also reduced the behavioral effects of amphetamine. Ascorbate had similar results to that of haloperidol, a dopamine receptor antagonist. However, when the two agents were combined, they produced greater effects.

The body tends to eliminate amphetamine more quickly when it becomes acidic (low pH).

Conversely, Adderall clearance slows down in a pH-low environment.

Vitamin C can acidify the urine which may promote the clearance of Adderall.

Vitamin C can help to eliminate amphetamine residue in the kidneys and accelerate its elimination from the body.

This is why I have been using Vitamin C at night to combat Adderall-related sleeplessness.

Amphetamines and Oxidative Stress

The brain is more likely to experience oxidative stress from amphetamine. High doses of amphetamine can cause neurotoxic. However, low-dose amphetamine is safe.

Vitamin C may be an antioxidant that can help to prevent amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. The following vitamins, nutraceuticals, and supplements can also protect the brain from the effects of Adderall:

•  Melatonin
•    Magnesium
•    Flavonoids are derived from blueberries
•    Curcumin

A few studies support the idea that vitamin C might reduce the effects of amphetamine.

Conclusion: Can you take Adderall and Vitamin C together?

It is interesting to see the connection between Adderall, vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C is one example of a vitamin that can make Adderall less effective. To reduce ADHD symptoms, you can also take Adderall along with other vitamins and minerals such as Zinc and Vitamin D. It is best to avoid eating foods high in Vitamin C close to the time you take Adderall. Also, increase your intake of vitamins and minerals to replenish any nutrients that are missing.

Brian Johnson, PhD

Brian Johnson is current Editor of Vagarights.com and a long-time writer for VAGA. A former psychologist, Brian is passionate about improving mental health and finding ways to stave off cognitive decline. He is an expert on nootropics, cognitive enhancement and biohacking more broadly. You can see his work on Google scholar.