How long does Adderall take to kick in?

A single dose of Adderall (any size) takes about 20 minutes to kick in (allow 30 minutes for time-released Adderall XR’s). The “high” peaks at about the 1:30-1:45 mark (that is, 1.5 hours since it kicked in, so about 2 hours since you took the pill). But there is such a thing as second winds, so don’t go re-dosing unless you’re sure it’s really worn off for good. Depending on the size of the dose, the overall feeling should last (at least) a solid 4 hours until you start coming down. Unless you’re doing really small doses, it’s not a good idea to take a dose closer than 4 hours apart (or 6-8 hours for a big dose). Make yourself go at least 4 hours. If it’s been 3 and 1/2 hours and you’re paranoid that you need another dose because you’re not getting “optimal productivity” out of the pill anymore like you were at the 1:30 “peak high” mark… then you’re taking too much. Consider cutting your first dose of the day in half, and sticking to a dose schedule more rigidly. The “take one when ... more