Addiction Drug Use Prescription Medications Print How Long Does Dexedrine Stay in Your System? Detection of Common ADHD Drug Depends on Many Variables By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial process Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 11, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on March 20, 2020 FatCamera / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Prescription Medications Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery The length of time that Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), a commonly prescribed medicine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), remains in your body can vary from one day to three months. The period may depend on each individual's metabolism, body mass, age, hydration level, physical activity, and health conditions. Generally, the drug remains in urine, blood, and saliva for up to two days. It can be detected in hair follicles for as long as three months. Timetable for Detecting Dexedrine Urine, blood, and saliva recycle through your system quickly. Hair follicles act like the rings on a tree trunk that record the seasons. Your hair can store metabolites or a molecular history of what your body has ingested over time. Type of Test Detection Window Urine Detectable for 1 to 2 days Blood Detectable for 1 to 2 days Saliva Detectable for 1 to 2 days Hair Follicle Detectable for up to 90 days What Is Dexedrine? Dexedrine is a central nervous system stimulant and type of amphetamine, also known by the brands Dextrostat and ProCentra. Dexedrine is used as part of a treatment program to control symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. It is also used to treat narcolepsy. Dexedrine works by making certain brain chemicals last longer in the parts of the brain that control attention and alertness. By making these areas more active, the drugs can help a person focus their attention. Surprisingly, stimulants can help calm a person with ADHD. Why It's Important to Take Dexedrine as Prescribed It is important to know how long Dexedrine remains in the system because taking too much can have negative consequences. The product comes with a warning that it can be habit-forming so it should not be taken in larger doses or for a longer time than prescribed. Although prescription stimulants have been shown to be relatively safe and effective in managing the symptoms, there exists a significant potential for misuse. Studies show that individuals with and without ADHD misuse stimulants to enhance performance. Although stimulants may improve an individual's performance when given a rote-learning task, they do not improve IQ or work as a "smart pill." People who use the medication may be tempted to take larger amounts of Dexedrine than prescribed to further control symptoms, however, this can have negative effects. These negative effects include difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, irritability, hyperactivity, or changes in personality or behavior. How Long Does It Take for ADHD Medication to Work? Symptoms of Dexedrine Overdose If you suspect someone is suffering from a Dexedrine overdose, seek immediate medical attention or call 9-1-1. Symptoms of Dexedrine overdose may include the following: VomitingAgitationUncontrollable shaking of a part of the bodyMuscle twitchingSeizuresLoss of consciousnessInappropriate happinessConfusionHallucinatingSweatingFlushingHeadacheFeverFast, pounding, or irregular heartbeatWidening of pupilsDry mouth or nose Heart Attack or Sudden Death Overusing Dexedrine can also cause serious heart problems or sudden death in children, teenagers, and adults, especially those with heart defects or serious heart problems. Additionally, Dexedrine has been known to cause stroke in adults. Managing Side Effects of ADHD Medications Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Gryczynski J, Schwartz RP, Mitchell SG, O'grady KE, Ondersma SJ. Hair drug testing results and self-reported drug use among primary care patients with moderate-risk illicit drug use. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014;141:44-50. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.05.001 Brown KA, Samuel S, Patel DR. Pharmacologic management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a review for practitioners. Transl Pediatr. 2018;7(1):36-47. doi:10.21037/tp.2017.08.02 Weyandt LL, Oster DR, Marraccini ME, et al. Prescription stimulant medication misuse: Where are we and where do we go from here?. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2016;24(5):400-414. doi:10.1037/pha0000093 Stein MA, Weiss M, Hlavaty L. ADHD treatments, sleep, and sleep problems: complex associations. Neurotherapeutics. 2012;9(3):509-17. doi:10.1007/s13311-012-0130-0 Richards JR, Albertson TE, Derlet RW, Lange RA, Olson KR, Horowitz BZ. Treatment of toxicity from amphetamines, related derivatives, and analogues: a systematic clinical review. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015;150:1-13. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.01.040 Bramness JG, Gundersen ØH, Guterstam J, et al. Amphetamine-induced psychosis--a separate diagnostic entity or primary psychosis triggered in the vulnerable?. BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12:221. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-221 Bazmi E, Mousavi F, Giahchin L, Mokhtari T, Behnoush B. Cardiovascular Complications of Acute Amphetamine Abuse: Cross-sectional study. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2017;17(1):e31-e37. doi:10.18295/squmj.2016.17.01.007 Additional Reading American Association for Clinical Chemistry Drugs of Abuse Testing. Lab Tests Online. LabCorp, Inc. Drugs of Abuse Reference Guide. Lakhan S, Kirchgessner A. Prescription Stimulants in Individuals With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Misuse, Cognitive Impact, and Adverse Effects. Brain Behav. 2012 Sep; 2(5): 661–677. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dextroamphetamine. Drugs, Herbs, and Supplements. OHS Health & Safety Services. How Long Do drugs Stay in Your System?