This is a great question, and one that we as surgeons face almost daily. I have been back and forth with my anesthesia personnel on what our approach should be with patients on Adderall.Adderall is a form of amphetamine, the common street name would be "speed". It accelerates the heart rate and can increase blood pressure. It also causes hyperactivity and insomnia, it is used by college students "to stay up all night to cram for exams". It has been found to have the opposite effect on children, especially kids that are hyperactive (attention deficit disorder, ADD, ADHD). It makes the children more calm and can focus better while in school or studying. It has found it's way into treating adults diagnosed with ADD.The problem with Adderall and surgery is that it can interfere with other medications used during a procedure and can also lead to hypertension, tachycardia and cardiac arrhythmia. But, if it is stopped before surgery, there can be a rebound effect causing cardiac arrhythmia and the patients become very anxious and hyperactive right before the procedure.So, there is no right or wrong answer. We used to have our patients stop Adderall 2 weeks prior to surgery and then resume taking the medication 3 days after surgery. Now, we just have our patients continue taking the medication normally before and after the procedure. We have not had any problems (knock on wood) since we started this protocol, so that is what I would recommend today, stay on your regular dose of Adderall.Good Luck!
