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Using Adderall to Lose Weight

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Adderall as a weight loss medication. However, your healthcare provider may prescribe it for weight loss for a short period of time in certain situations. This is considered an "off-label" use. An off-label use means that a prescription medicine is used to treat a disease or condition other than what it has been approved to treat.

Although the FDA regulates how a medication can be advertised or promoted by the manufacturer, these regulations do not restrict a doctor's ability to prescribe the medication for different conditions, in different doses, or for different lengths of time. Your healthcare provider will prescribe a medicine for off-label use when he or she feels that the medicine is appropriate for your situation.

 

While such use often occurs in the treatment of many conditions, you should feel comfortable about asking your doctor if he or she is using a medication or combination of medications in a manner that is not approved by the FDA.