Have you ever been looking for cold medicine in a grocery or drug store aisle? The moment you find the over-the-counter remedy for your cold, a flash of fear starts to creep into your mind. You’re worried about whether your prescription medication and the cold remedy have any dangerous interactions. It’s natural to worry about the potential dangers of mixing two or more drugs. In fact, if the example above has happened to you, you might not feel at ease until you talk to the pharmacist.

Prozac and Adderall are two very popular drugs that are used primarily to treat depression and attention deficit disorder respectively. However, you might be curious if it’s safe to take both these drugs together. In this post, we’re going to take a look at how dangerous combining Prozac and Adderall really can be.

Is It Safe to Mix Prozac with Adderall?

It can be safe to take Prozac and Adderall at the same time, but there are strict rules you’ll need to follow to help ensure that outcome. You should only take both these drugs at the same time if you’re under the care of a doctor. Not only do the doses of each medication need to be carefully measured, but a doctor will also be aware of the side effects you’re most likely to experience based on your personal health history.

If you take more than your prescribed amount of either drug, you’re starting to enter very dangerous territory. The more you combine Adderall with Prozac, the higher your risk for developing serotonin syndrome.

What Is Serotonin Syndrome?

Serotonin is a natural chemical your body produces that is responsible for helping your nerve cells and brain function. Serotonin syndrome happens when your body produces and maintains a high level of serotonin. Within a few hours of increasing your dosage of Prozac or Adderall, you can start to experience side effects, which can include:

• Heavy sweating, confusion, dilated pupils
• Shivering, loss of muscle coordination, restlessness
• Headaches, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure

If left untreated, serotonin syndrome can become life-threatening by causing a high fever, seizures, irregular heartbeat and unconsciousness. Part of what makes this condition so dangerous is how fast the symptoms can escalate over a short period of time.

The Risk of Developing an Adderall Addiction

Of the two drugs we’re discussing, Adderall carries a higher risk for abuse. In fact, if you’re taking unprescribed doses of Adderall, you run a high risk of developing an addiction. Once you’ve become dependent on the level of focus and reaction speed of Adderall, it’s a challenge to feel like you can function normally without it. In fact, that’s part of the reason Adderall is categorized as a Schedule II controlled substance.

It’s also common for anyone abusing Adderall to get trapped in a cycle of abuse. When Adderall starts to wear off, you’ll likely experience an intense crash. You’re going from a state of hyper concentration to feeling foggy and tired. This extreme shift is why medical professionals recommend against withdrawing from Adderall on your own. Serious side effects can occur; these are made more dangerous if you’re struggling with serotonin syndrome as well.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Can Help You Recover

If you’re combining Prozac and Adderall in unprescribed doses, it’s not a sustainable way to cope with your underlying mental health condition. To reach lasting recovery, your substance abuse and mental health condition need to be treated concurrently. Footprints Beachside Recovery is a family-run dual diagnosis treatment center that can offer you a personalized and holistic path to lasting recovery.

Discover Hope and Healing at Footprints Beachside Recovery

At Footprints Beachside Recovery, we’ve struggled with addiction and overcome it, which is how we know you have the potential to reach lasting recovery. And you can do so on the tranquil shores of Treasure Island, FL, in a place where you can privately heal your mind, body and spirit from addiction.

With over 10 years of experience helping people overcome their dual diagnosis disorders, we’re dedicated to providing you with the treatment you need. If you’re ready to regain control of your life, contact our admissions team today to get started.