Vyvanse is a stimulant medication. It can cause side effects, including dizziness, headache, agitation, loss of coordination, and difficulty opening or closing your mouth.
It is important to tell your doctor about any medicines, vitamins or supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that are available without prescription and those you may have bought in a store or health food shop.
Dosage and Administration
Vyvanse comes as oral capsules or chewable tablets. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you or your child. Your doctor may recommend adjusting your dose if you have certain medical conditions. These include high blood pressure, glaucoma, or heart disease; circulation problems; a history of seizures; or a family history of mental (psychiatric) problems such as psychosis or bipolar disorder.
You should not take Vyvanse with certain other medicines, including heartburn medicine called sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). These medications can interact with methylphenidate and increase your risk of having side effects.
Take Vyvanse as often as directed by your doctor. Avoid taking it in the afternoon or evening, as this can cause insomnia. Use a medication reminder or download a mobile app to help you remember to take your dose. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Side Effects
Vyvanse has a boxed warning for the risk of misuse and dependence. Misuse is taking the drug outside of prescribed guidelines, and dependence is developing a need to take the drug for normal functioning.
This medication contains amphetamines, and side effects can be serious. Severe reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, angioedema, and urticaria can occur. Other side effects can include dizziness, vision changes, and trouble sleeping. This drug may also cause slowed growth (height and weight) in children. Your child’s doctor will monitor their height and weight, and compare them to expected growth for their age.
Do not crush or chew a capsule, but you can open it and sprinkle the contents in a glass of water or orange juice or mix the powder with yogurt. Drink or eat the mixture right away, and do not save it for later use. Talk to your HCP if you are allergic to this drug or any other stimulant medicines.
Overdose
The risk of overdose is high when Vyvanse is abused or taken in higher doses than prescribed. A person can also overdose by mixing the drug with alcohol or other drugs. This increases the chance of a dangerous reaction known as serotonin syndrome.
To help minimize the risk of overdose, don’t cut or crush the oral capsule and only take it as directed. Also, don’t mix the medication with milk or other liquids because doing so could result in too much fluid entering the body at one time.
Be sure to tell your doctor about any medical conditions you have, including high blood pressure, heart disease or heart attack, depression, bipolar disorder, seizures, glaucoma or liver or kidney problems. The doctor should also be aware of any substance abuse or addiction issues.
You should also avoid taking Vyvanse with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) because doing so increases the risk of an allergic reaction. This is a life-threatening reaction in which too much serotonin floods your system and causes symptoms like agitation, confusion, hallucinations or coma.
Storage
Vyvanse contains a controlled substance (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate), so it should be kept in a safe place to prevent theft or misuse. It is against the law to give or sell this medication to anyone else. Store this drug at room temperature and away from moisture, light, and heat. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets. Do not flush this medicine down the toilet or pour it into a drain unless instructed to do so by your doctor. Instead, properly dispose of unused medication by asking your pharmacist about a drug take-back program or other community disposal options.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you or your child are taking, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements. This includes any that you start or stop taking during treatment with Vyvanse. Also tell your doctor if you or your child are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. This medication passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.vyvanse 60 mg capsule