Kratom is a very popular herb originally from Southeast Asia, known for its opioid-like and stimulating effects.

Adderall is one of the most popular drugs prescribed to treat ADHD.

In a previous article, we looked at whether kratom could be used to improve ADHD symptoms. This, of course, has a lot of overlap with adderall.

Today we’re discussing whether you can take kratom and adderall together, what the risks are, and solutions to do so safely (if at all).

If You Don’t Have ADHD, Don’t Combine Them

Adderall has questionable benefits if you don’t have an attention deficit, so you already lose out on some of the potential benefits.

Even without the same benefits, you’re still signing up for all of the risks.

Second, taking adderall without a prescription is illegal. Yes yes, I know you can buy it at the nearest college campus, but we don’t condone illegal activities.

Can You Use Kratom and ADHD Together?

Even if you do have ADHD, we don’t recommend taking your adderall medication with kratom at the same time.

To be clear, we strongly discourage it.

This is for a few reasons.

First, almost every reported serious health problem with kratom has two things in common:

1. An excessive amount of kratom

2. Combination with other drugs.

In fact, many times amphetamines like adderall were part of the dangerous equation that led major problems.

For example, this research case study showed serious problems when high doses of kratom were combined with adderall.

Second, we know that kratom and adderall are metabolized by the same enzymes, so they compete to clear through your system, raising the risk of overdose or other problems. This has been shown in a number of studies.

Yes, users report a mix of focus and a relaxed euphoria, but it’s simply not worth the risks, especially when there are ways to take both of them at different times safely.

Other users report taking higher doses of kratom to help relax after taking adderall. This is the most dangerous combination, as it combines high doses.

Taking a high dose of one drug to offset the downsides of another is almost always a terrible idea.

Only Take Kratom and Adderall on Separate Days

When they can be metabolized independently, and with a few precaution steps, you can use both kratom and adderall.

First, never use them on the same day. This allows your body to fully metabolize the kratom or adderall before taking the other. Instead, you can use kratom occassionally on days you don’t take adderall to improve focus.

For those with ADHD the occasional kratom dose can provide a boost of energy, and potentially improve attention, similar to adderall. As we talked about in the article on kratom and ADHD, the mechanism behind this may simply be that kratom, like adderall, increases dopamine, known as the dopamine hypothesis of ADHD.

By occasionally taking kratom when you need a bit of focus, you can restore your sensitivity to adderall, which means you can then take a smaller dose for the same effect.

Overall then, a little bit of kratom can reduce how often you take adderall.

Stick to Small Doses of Kratom

A 2020 study found that those with ADHD were more likely 2-3 times more likely to develop addictions for drugs like nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, and more compared to those without ADHD.

Those with ADHD tend to have a higher risk of addiction. And kratom can be addictive.

That’s why it’s crucial to stay under 5g per day. If you’re compelled to exceed this, then that’s a sign that you need to take a step back from your kratom usage.

Smaller doses have more stimulating effects, anyway. As it is, if your goal is enhanced alertness, smaller doses are more effective at this anyway. Larger doses of creating have an opposite, sedating effect, as we discuss more in this article on kratom for sleep.

Start with 1-2g and see how you feel. You may be content to stay there.

Opponents of kratom love to pick out the extreme dangerous scenarios involving kratom, while ignoring the millions of people who use kratom completely safely. We could also pick out cases (and probably many more) where people died combining alcohol and caffeine, but that doesn’t mean they’re dangerous. You just have to use them responsibly.

If you stick to a small dose, and avoid it on the days you take adderall, you’re much more likely to use kratom effectively and safely.

Only Get Kratom From a Trusted Source

Because kratom is so unregulated, most kratom on the market in the US is impure and cut with other substances. This is one of the biggest dangers.

There are tons of stories of kratom laced with dangerous drugs or containing harmful bacteria like salmonella.

This is why it’s absolutely crucial to only buy kratom from companies that go above and beyond the testing requirements.

You should look for…

  • Third-party testing and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) approval.
  • Approval from the American Kratom Association
  • Transparent manufacturing

One company that checks all of these boxes, and even provides purity info on every single batch of their kratom is Viable Kratom.

So if you’re looking to use kratom, rest easy you’re only getting pure, quality products, just get it from Viable.

Reducing Kratom or Adderall Intake

If you’re already combining kratom and adderall at high doses, ideally start to taper off.

If you can, immediately stop taking them together.

From there, begin to taper down your kratom dose into a healthy range. If you go off right away, you’ll have bad withdrawal effects. Over several weeks reduce the dose under that 5 grams per day mark.

More on Kratom

Overall, while kratom has lots of risks (like almost every other drug), we’ve come to believe that the harsh restrictions and taboo nature of kratom disguise a substance with lots of potential uses and benefits.

For more on kratom and how to use it safely, you check out our articles on kratom and addiction withdrawal, and kratom for energy and focus.