Code:
Content, Pictures and Download links visible to registered users only.
REGISTER NOW to access all areas that are invisible to non-members.
You're Gonna Shoot Your Eye Out Kid!
Vyvanse vs. Aderall
Vyvanse vs Adderall XR ? Benefits, Problems
Monday, July 6th, 2009
Are you about to take Vyvanse?
There are several important things you should know.
First, it?s important to realize that Vyvanse is Shire?s replacement for their old blockbuster drug, Adderall XR, which is losing its patent.
If you?re being suggested to take Vyvanse, it?s not necessarily because it?s a better medication.
Shire wants to turn it into a billion dollar drug, and has unleashed a marketing campaign of that magnitude, aimed at consumers and doctors.
On the other hand, Vyvanse does have some advantages over Adderall. It also has a few disadvantages.
Comparing Vyvanse vs Adderall is made slightly harder because both drugs are amphetamines. If you take either, you?re getting pretty much the same thing. That said, there are some important differences.
1) Vyvanse is 100% d-amphetamine, while Adderall XR is a mix of 4 different d and l-amphetamines.
This mix in Adderall may make it more effective, stronger. But it might cause more anxiety or physical side effects. See later for discussion of the differences between the amphetamine types.
The next big difference is that:
2) Vyvanse is released via digestion, while Adderall is released by bead technology.
The digestion release may make Vyvanse smoother, last longer, and have less variablity. What you eat might not effect it so much, while Adderall XR may be more effected by, say, having a cup of orange juice.
This release also means that snorting or injecting Vyvanse provides less of a high. As many have pointed out, however, Vyvanse can provide a high just by being taken at higher doses.
But ? in general ? is Stimulant Treatment for ADHD Safe?
Problems with Vyvanse
There are some things about Vyvanse you should know. First, that it?s basically nothing more than extended release Dexedrine. And while it seems to have fewer side effects relating to anxiety and release, it may cause more side effects like reduced appetite.
Because Vyvanse is so new, it may be significantly more expensive than other options or not covered by insurance, especially since both Dexedrine and Adderall are available in generic form. We also simply do not know as much about it as we do about the older drugs.
Finally, some users feel that it?s not as strong as Adderall, and that it stops working earlier than advertised.
l versus d amphetamine
Remember that Vyvanse is pure d-amphetamine, while Adderall is a mix of d- and l-forms.
The d form may be more effective at reducing impulsiveness and overactivity. The l form, on the other hand, may increase concentration better, but it may also cause more anxiety. It is also per molecule less effective than the d form, but such a distinction is perhaps irrelevant.
The d form may effect more dopamine, as opposed to both noradrenaline and dopamine in the l form. This theory, however, is not established. Noradrenaline is involved in anxiety responses, which may explain why Adderall XR seems to be worse for anxiety.