Vyvanse: Uses, Side Effects and Dosage

Serious warnings and precautions box

What VYVANSE is used for:

VYVANSE is used to treat:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children 6 years of age or older, adolescents and adults. Treatment with VYVANSE for ADHD should be combined with other measures, such as psychological counselling, educational and social measures, as part of a total treatment program. VYVANSE is NOT recommended for use in children with ADHD under 6 years of age.

• moderate to severe Binge Eating Disorder (BED) in adults. VYVANSE is NOT recommended for use in children with BED under 18 years of age.

Use of other stimulant medicines for weight loss has been associated with serious heart-related problems. It is not known if VYVANSE is safe and effective for weight loss.

How VYVANSE works:

VYVANSE belongs to a group of medicines called central nervous system stimulants. VYVANSE is a prodrug, which means that the medicinal ingredient lisdexamfetamine dimesylate is inactive until the body breaks it down into its active form called dextroamphetamine. It works by raising the levels of chemicals in the brain called dopamine and norepinephrine.

• This helps to increase attention and decrease impulsiveness and hyperactivity in patients with ADHD;
• This may help to reduce the number of binge eating days in adults with BED.

Drug dependence: Like other stimulants, VYVANSE has the potential to be abused. This can lead to you becoming dependent on VYVANSE or feeling like you need to take more of it over time.

Misusing VYVANSE may cause serious heart problems and even sudden death.

The ingredients in VYVANSE are:

Medicinal ingredient: Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate

Non-medicinal ingredients:

• VYVANSE capsules: Croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate and microcrystalline cellulose. The capsule shells contain edible ink, gelatin, titanium dioxide (E171), and one or more of the following: FD&C Yellow #6 (E110), FD&C Blue #1 (E133), FD&C Red #3 (E127), FDA/E172 Black Iron Oxide, and FDA/E172 Yellow Iron Oxide.
• VYVANSE chewable tablets: artificial strawberry flavouring, colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium, guar gum, magnesium stearate, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, and sucralose.

VYVANSE comes in the following dosage forms:

• Capsules: 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 50 mg, 60 mg and 70 mg of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate.
• Chewable Tablets: 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 50 mg and 60 mg of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate.

Do not use VYVANSE if:

• you are allergic to amphetamines, the medicinal ingredient lisdexamfetamine dimesylate or its active form (i.e., dextroamphetamine), or any of the other ingredients in VYVANSE.
• you are sensitive to, allergic to or had a reaction to other stimulant medicines.
• you have advanced arteriosclerosis (hardened arteries).
• you have symptoms of heart disease.
• you have moderate to severe high blood pressure.
• you are agitated.
• you have glaucoma (an eye disease with increased pressure in the eye).
• you have hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland).
• you have a condition called pheochromocytoma (a rare tumour that usually grows in the adrenal glands, above your kidneys).
• you are taking or have recently taken (in the past 14 days) any medications from the group called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
• you have a history of drug abuse.

To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take VYVANSE. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:

• have structural heart abnormalities, cardiomyopathy, serious heart rhythm abnormalities or other serious heart problems.
• have a family history of sudden cardiac death or death related to heart problems.
• have mild high blood pressure.
• do strenuous exercise.
• have a history of seizures (convulsions, epilepsy) or have had abnormal brainwave tests (electroencephalogram; EEGs).
• have or have a family history of tics (movements or sounds that you cannot control) or Tourette’s syndrome.
• take other medications for ADHD.
• take blood pressure medications or other medicines that can affect blood pressure.

• have or have a family history of mental health problems, including:

  • psychosis,
  • mania,
  • bipolar disorder,
  • depression, or
  • suicide.
• have severe kidney problems, including if you are undergoing dialysis.
• have a history of drug abuse or alcoholism.
• are pregnant, think you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Other warnings you should know about:

Dependence and tolerance:

• Amphetamines, such as VYVANSE, have the potential to cause drug abuse and misuse.
• Abuse of amphetamines can lead to dependence, tolerance, social disorders and possibly serious heart problems and death.

• Long term misuse of amphetamines may cause:

  • skin diseases;
  • sleeping problems;
  • personality changes;
  • anxious and distressful feelings;
  • rash, uncontrolled behaviour;
  • psychosis;
  • schizophrenia.

• Healthcare professional supervision is needed when you stop taking VYVANSE. Suddenly ending treatment when taking higher doses of VYVANSE for a long period of time can cause:

  • extreme fatigue;
  • depression;
  • changes in sleep patterns.
• VYVANSE should only be given under close medical supervision to patients whose condition has been properly diagnosed.

Driving and using machines: VYVANSE can affect your ability to drive and use tools or machinery. You should not drive or use tools or machinery until you know how you respond to VYVANSE.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• Taking VYVANSE during pregnancy can harm your unborn baby. It should not be used during pregnancy unless your healthcare professional has determined the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks to your baby. Your healthcare professional will discuss these risks with you. If you discover that you are pregnant while taking VYVANSE, tell your healthcare professional right away.
• VYVANSE can pass through your breast milk and may harm your baby. You should consult with your healthcare professional to determine if you should stop breastfeeding or discontinue VYVANSE.

The following have been reported with use of medicines used to treat ADHD such as VYVANSE:

Growth in children: Slower growth (in weight and/or height) has been reported with the use of VYVANSE in children. This risk increases as the dose of VYVANSE increases. The healthcare professional will be monitoring the child’s height and weight while they are taking VYVANSE. If the child is not growing or gaining weight as expected, the healthcare professional may stop VYVANSE treatment.

Heart-related problems: The following heart related problems have been reported in people taking medications to treat ADHD, like VYVANSE:

• Sudden death in patients who have heart problems or heart defects;
• Stroke and heart attack in adults;
• Increased blood pressure and heart rate.

Sudden death has been reported in association with stimulant medicines for ADHD treatment in children and adolescents with structural heart abnormalities. VYVANSE generally should not be used in children, adolescents or adults with known structural heart abnormalities. There may be additional heart-related risks if you are overweight or obese.

Tell your healthcare professional if you have any heart problems, heart defects, high blood pressure, or a family history of these problems.

Your healthcare professional will check:

• you for heart problems before starting VYVANSE.
• your blood pressure and heart rate before and regularly during treatment with VYVANSE.

Seek immediate medical help if you have any signs of heart problems such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting while taking VYVANSE.

Mental health problems: The following mental health problems have been reported in people taking stimulant medicines like VYVANSE:

• New or worse thoughts or feelings related to suicide (thinking about or feeling like killing yourself) and suicidal actions (suicide attempt, suicidal ideation and completed suicide).
• New or worse symptoms of bipolar disorder (extreme mood swings, with periods of impulsiveness or unusual excitement, switching between periods of sadness).
• New or worse aggressive behaviour or hostility.
• New psychotic symptoms (such as hearing voices, believing things that are not true, being suspicious) or new mania (unusually excited, over-active or un-inhibited).

These new or worse mental symptoms may be more likely to occur if you have mental disorders that you may or may not know about. Tell your healthcare professional about any mental problems or about any personal or family history of suicide, bipolar illness, or depression you have.

A small number of patients taking ADHD medicines may experience unusual feelings of agitation, hostility or anxiety, or have impulsive or disturbing thoughts such as thoughts of suicide, self-harm or harm to others. Those suicidal thoughts or behaviours may occur at any time during treatment, particularly at the start or during dose changes, and also after stopping VYVANSE. Should this happen to you, or to those in your care if you are a caregiver or guardian, consult your healthcare professional immediately. Close observation by a healthcare professional is necessary in this situation.

Serotonin toxicity (also known as serotonin syndrome): Serotonin toxicity is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. It can cause serious changes in how your brain, muscles and digestive system work. You may develop serotonin toxicity if you take VYVANSE with certain anti-depressants or migraine medications. Serotonin toxicity symptoms include:

• fever, sweating, shivering, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting;
• muscle shakes, jerks, twitches or stiffness, overactive reflexes, loss of coordination;
• fast heartbeat, changes in blood pressure;

• confusion, agitation, restlessness, hallucinations, mood changes, unconsciousness, and

  coma.

Raynaud’s phenomenon (episodes of reduced blood flow): Stimulant medicines, such as VYVANSE, are associated with Raynaud’s phenomenon. During treatment with VYVANSE, your healthcare professional may check for problems with the circulation in your fingers and toes, including numbness, feeling cold or pain.

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.

Serious drug interactions

Serious drug interactions with VYVANSE include:

• any monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as phenelzine, tranylcypromine, or moclobemide as it may have serious side effects. Do not take VYVANSE if you are taking or have recently taken (in the last 14 days) any MAOIs.

The following may also interact with VYVANSE:

• other medications used to treat ADHD such as guanfacine.

• medicines used to treat depression or anxiety such as:

  • certain tricyclic antidepressants,
  • selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and
  • serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as venlafaxine.
• certain medicines used to treat migraines such as sumatriptan, rizatriptan or zolmitriptan.
• medicines used to manage psychotic symptoms such as pimozide, haloperidol and chlorpromazine.
• medicines that make the urine more acidic such as ammonium chloride and sodium acid phosphate, as well as the dietary supplement ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
• medicines that make urine more alkaline such as sodium bicarbonate, acetazolamide, and thiazides.
• blood pressure medications or other medicines that can affect blood pressure such as beta blockers and norepinephrine.
• opioid medicines, used to relieve pain.
• lithium, used to treat manic episodes in bipolar disorder.
• modafinil, used to treat sleepiness due to narcolepsy.
• certain radioactive agents (used for diagnostic tests). This can cause false-positive test results and your healthcare professional may ask you to stop taking VYVANSE for a short period before the diagnostic test.
• St John’s Wort, a herbal remedy.

How to take VYVANSE:

• Take VYVANSE once each day in the morning, with or without food.

• Avoid taking VYVANSE in the afternoon as it may cause insomnia.

• If you were prescribed VYVANSE capsules:

  • swallow the capsule whole with water; or
  • for patients with problems swallowing medicines, the capsule can be opened and all of the medication powder can be sprinkled over yogurt, water, or orange juice. Mix the medication powder thoroughly until the powder is completely dispersed. Make sure to break up any lumps of powder with a spoon. Eat the entire yogurt or drink all of the water or orange juice immediately. Do not store it for future use. Do not be alarmed if you see a film on the inside of the glass or container; this film contains non-medicinal ingredients. Do not divide the dose.
• If you were prescribed VYVANSE chewable tablets, you must chew the tablet thoroughly before swallowing. The entire tablet should be taken. Do not divide the dose.
• As with all medicines, never share VYVANSE with anyone else.

Usual dose:

• To treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (children 6 years of age or older, adolescents and adults):

  Your healthcare professional will decide the dose that is right for you. Always follow the directions of your healthcare professional and never change the dose or stop taking VYVANSE without discussing it with your healthcare professional first.

  The usual dose is 20 mg to 60 mg once a day. Take VYVANSE in the morning exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare professional may adjust the dose until it is right for you. The maximum daily dose is 60 mg.

  From time to time, your healthcare professional may interrupt your treatment to check your symptoms while you are not taking the medicine.

• To treat moderate to severe Binge Eating Disorder (BED) (adults):

  The recommended starting dose is 30 mg once a day in the morning. Your healthcare professional will then gradually increase your daily dose by 20 mg each week. They will do this until you’re taking 50 mg to 70 mg once a day in the morning. The maximum daily dose is 70 mg.

Overdose:

If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much VYVANSE, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, regional poison control centre or Health Canada’s toll-free number, 1-844 POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) immediately, even if there are no signs or symptoms.

Missed dose:

If you forget to take your dose in the morning, wait until the next day and take the usual dose at the usual time in the morning. Do not take an afternoon dose. Do not double the dose to make up for the missed dose.

Possible side effects from using VYVANSE:

These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking VYVANSE. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.

Side effects with VYVANSE may include:

• headache, dizziness, feeling like your environment is moving or spinning (vertigo)
• dry mouth, decreased appetite, anorexia (eating disorder)
• trouble sleeping or falling asleep, feeling sleepy
• upper abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, vomiting or nausea, indigestion
• numbness, or pricking or tingling sensations in the hands, arms, legs or feet
• fever, upper respiratory tract infection, stuffy nose or sore throat
• feeling irritable, anxious or jittery, lack or abundance of energy, rapid and sometimes exaggerated changes in mood
• decreased sex drive, inability to get or keep an erection
• bladder infection
• skin rash, hives, itchy skin
• ringing in the ears
• unusual dilation or widening of the pupils
• weight changes
• changes in taste
• excessive sweating
• nightmares
• clenching of teeth
• hair loss
• memory problems
• muscle aches and pain

Serious side effects and what to do about them

If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:

• Visiting the Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting (canada.ca/drug-device-reporting) for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax; or
• Calling toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.

NOTE: Contact your healthcare professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.

Storage:

• Capsules: Store at 15 to 30°C. Protect from light.
• Chewable Tablets: Store at 15 to 30°C.
• Keep out of reach and sight of children.

If you want more information about VYVANSE:

• Talk to your healthcare professional
• Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes the Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada Drug Product Database website (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html); the manufacturer’s website (https://takeda.info/ca-medicines); or by calling 1-800-268-2772.

Takeda Canada Inc.

22 Adelaide Street West, Suite 3800

Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3

Date of Authorization: 2025-09-15

VYVANSE and the VYVANSE Logo are registered trademarks of Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.

Takeda and the Takeda Logo are registered trademarks of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, used under license.