    What can you tell me about Vyvanse?
Q:
"What can you tell me about Vyvanse, the new stimulant medication?" 
A:
Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) is known as a “prodrug,” meaning that it is chemically inert until it interacts with an amino acid in the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike conventional stimulants, it has no noticeable mood-altering effect if it’s crushed and snorted or injected. That suggests that it will have a lower potential for abuse. Even so, the FDA will probably classify Vyvanse as a controlled substance, like conventional stimulants. It is designed for once-daily dosing, with efficacy and side effects comparable to those of Adderall XR. Vyvanse, which is manufactured by Shire Pharmaceuticals, went on sale in the summer of 2007.
Larry Silver, M.D., is the author of Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on AD/HD and The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child's Learning Disabilities. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
|
|
1 Comments: 
