*MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: This article is not meant to replace the medical advice of your doctor. You need to speak with an actual MD or a qualified health professional before even thinking about combining Adderall and L-Tyrosine. This article is for informational purposes only and is based on scientific evidence from PubMed.
L-Tyrosine is one of the more popular nootropic (brain-supporting) supplements.
A natural amino acid, it helps your brain make more of the catecholamine neurotransmitters. Including dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine.
- If you’ve ever used L-Tyrosine, you’re aware of its ability to boost cognitive function under stress. Studies show it can mitigate the effects of almost any kind of stressor – including sleep deprivation, noise that’s louder than 90 decibels, arguments with other people, and hard exercise.
The best of all, Tyrosine can help you focus better on your task at hand without getting distracted or losing yourself in multitasking.
L-Tyrosine and Adderall – The Basics
Adderall too enhances dopamine levels in your brain. But unlike L-Tyrosine, it doesn’t serve as a building block for the neurotransmitter.
Rather, it slows down the breakdown of dopamine in your brain – allowing its effects to last longer.
So, does L-Tyrosine potentiate Adderall? Can you use them together to give your focus, motivation and mental clarity a cleaner boost? Let’s look at what the science has to say on the matter.
How Do L-Tyrosine and Adderall Work?
L-Tyrosine
About 30 minutes after ingestion, L-Tyrosine crosses your blood-brain barrier. An enzyme ‘tyrosine hydroxylase’ then converts L-Tyrosine into L-DOPA.
L-DOPA is the direct precursor to dopamine and is often used in the treatment of Parkinson’s.
The extra dopamine is converted to norepinephrine, another neurotransmitter crucial for mood, focus and stress response.
You may wonder, since L-DOPA is closer to dopamine than L-Tyrosine, why not take L-DOPA instead?
One reason is that L-DOPA isn’t actually available as a supplement. It’s an FDA-approved treatment for Parkinson’s, where people take it as a form of dopamine replacement therapy.
Another reason is that L-DOPA is neurotoxic. Your dopaminergic neurons are very sensitive to free radicals that are generated from dopamine metabolism. This makes L-Tyrosine a gentler and safer long-term option for boosting dopamine.
Adderall – L-Tyrosine and Adderall
Adderall is a CNS (central nervous system) stimulant. It works by blocking the reuptake of your dopamine and norepinephrine.
This effect stimulates your concentration and energy levels whilst minimizing the need for sleep or eating.
Since Adderall works by blocking the breakdown of dopamine. If there’s not enough dopamine in your brain in the first place, Adderall may not work very well. This is where L-Tyrosine can help by increasing extracellular dopamine levels.
Adderall’s effects will typically last you 4-6 hours. Many users who take it with L-Tyrosine report having a smoother comedown than when taking it alone.
Are L-Tyrosine and Adderall Safe to Mix Together?
There are currently no known interactions between L-Tyrosine and Adderall. However, this doesn’t guarantee that no interactions exist and that L-Tyrosine and Adderall are safe to mix together.
This is highlighted by the fact that you’ll find very few studies examining the direct relationship between Adderall and L-Tyrosine.
A 1986 study found that L-Tyrosine might help replenish catecholamine neurotransmitters that were previously decreased by amphetamine overuse.
As far as anecdotal evidence goes, you’ll find many positive reports on using Adderall and L-Tyrosine together. This includes online forums and websites like Reddit.
Ultimately, the best way to know if you’re okay to mix L-Tyrosine and Adderall together is to speak with a well-informed, qualified medical doctor on the topic.
What Are Possible Interactions Between Tyrosine and Adderall?
As we’ve seen, Adderall and L-Tyrosine aren’t shown to have any interactions between them.
Despite this, it’s best to check with your doctor if you take medications before combining them with supplements – even if the internet says it’s safe to take!
Does Mixing L-Tyrosine With Adderall Lead to Withdrawals?
No, combining L-Tyrosine with Adderall shouldn’t cause withdrawals.
Although both L-Tyrosine and Adderall can lead to increased tolerance over time, L-Tyrosine itself is well studied and hasn’t been documented to lead to withdrawals or comedowns.
In fact, some reports suggest that taking L-Tyrosine along with Adderall can help reduce the withdrawals from Adderall itself.
Many users on Reddit also report L-Tyrosine helped ease their comedown from Adderall.
Can You Take L-Tyrosine, Magnesium and Adderall Together?
As magnesium is involved in the synthesis of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, pairing it with L-Tyrosine can help enhance Tyrosine’s effects.
This is well-documented in research and is the reason why many neuro hackers take L-Tyrosine and magnesium together.
But can you add Adderall to the mix? You shouldn’t. There’s a moderate level of interaction between magnesium and Adderall. Taking them with L-tyrosine is not advised unless you’ve specifically been told otherwise by your doctor.
L-Tyrosine and Adderall The Bottom Line
The bottom line is, mixing Adderall and L-Tyrosine should be safe. Notice the keyword ‘should’ here.
Adderall reduces the breakdown of dopamine in your brain. But if there’s not enough available dopamine to do the job, then you might not feel Adderall’s effects much.
L-Tyrosine may help here – it helps your brain create more dopamine, increasing its extracellular levels and enhancing Adderall’s effects in the process.
L-Tyrosine is also reported to reduce some of Adderall’s side effects, such as the comedown and energy crashes.
But although Adderall and L-Tyrosine don’t appear to interact negatively, it’s best to avoid taking them together before you get a go-ahead from your family’s MD.
L-Tyrosine and Adderall References
- nootropicsexpert.com/tyrosine
- Adderall and magnesium oxide interactions.
- Adderall and Tyrosine interactions.
- Geis LS, Smith DG, Smith FL, Yu DS, Lyness WH. Tyrosine influence on amphetamine self-administration and brain catecholamines in the rat. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1986;25(5):1027-1033. doi:10.1016/0091-3057(86)90081-x
