From the Guidelines
Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) commonly causes side effects including decreased appetite, weight loss, dry mouth, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, headache, and stomach pain, as well as increased heart rate and blood pressure, as reported in a 2022 study 1.
Common Side Effects of Vyvanse
The most common side effects of Vyvanse include:
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
- Dry mouth
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Headache
- Stomach pain These side effects typically occur because Vyvanse is a stimulant medication that increases levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, as explained in a 2022 study on evidence-based pharmacological treatment options for ADHD in children and adolescents 1.
Management of Side Effects
Most side effects are mild to moderate and often improve after the first few weeks of treatment as your body adjusts to the medication. Some people may also experience nausea, dizziness, or feeling jittery, particularly when first starting the medication or after dose increases. If side effects are severe or persistent, it's essential to consult with your healthcare provider, as dosage adjustments may be needed, as recommended in a 2019 clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents 1.
Monitoring and Precautions
Stimulant medications, including Vyvanse, can increase patient heart rate and blood pressure to a mild and clinically insignificant degree, but clinicians are encouraged to monitor these vital signs in patients receiving stimulant treatment, as noted in a 2019 study 1. Additionally, before initiating therapy with stimulant medications, it is crucial to obtain the child or adolescent’s history of specific cardiac symptoms and family history of sudden death, cardiovascular symptoms, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and long QT syndrome, as recommended in a 2019 clinical practice guideline 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The most common side effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate capsules in children 6 to 17 years old and adults with ADHD include: loss of appetite (anorexia) anxiety decreased appetite weight loss diarrhea dizziness dry mouth irritability trouble sleeping nausea stomach pain vomiting The most common side effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate capsules in adults with BED include: dry mouth trouble sleeping decreased appetite increased heart rate constipation feeling jittery anxiety
Common side effects of Vyvanse include:
- Loss of appetite (anorexia)
- Anxiety
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting In adults with BED, common side effects also include:
- Increased heart rate
- Constipation
- Feeling jittery 2 2
From the Research
Common Side Effects of Vyvanse
The common side effects of Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) include:
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Decreased appetite
- These side effects were reported in multiple studies, including 3, 4, 5, which found that the most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were dry mouth, insomnia, and headache.
Severity of Side Effects
The severity of these side effects was generally mild or moderate, with few cases leading to study drug discontinuation, as reported in 3. The number needed to harm (NNH) for discontinuation due to an adverse event was 44, as calculated in 5.
Comparison of Side Effects
The side effect profile of Vyvanse was similar to that observed in ADHD patients, as noted in 3. The NNH values for common side effects, such as dry mouth, decreased appetite, insomnia, and headache, were 4,11, and 19, respectively, as calculated in 5.
Long-term Safety
The long-term safety of Vyvanse was evaluated in a randomized clinical trial, which found that the risk of binge-eating relapse over 6 months was lower in participants continuing Vyvanse than in those randomized to placebo, as reported in 6. The treatment-emergent adverse events observed in this study were generally consistent with the known profile of Vyvanse.