Vyvanse: Side Effects And What To Do About Them - Healthline

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) is a prescription drug used to treat ADHD and binge eating disorder. Vyvanse can cause side effects that range from mild to serious. Its side effects are usually the same in males and females.

Key takeaways

• Vyvanse is a stimulant medication that contains lisdexamfetamine. It can alter the balance of chemicals in your brain. Like any medication, it can cause some side effects.
• The more common, mild side effects of Vyvanse include anger or irritability, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These are usually manageable and go away on their own with time.
• Vyvanse may also cause more serious side effects, including heart attack, stroke, and mental health conditions like depression and psychosis. These may be long-term effects. Speak with a doctor if you experience these severe side effects.

Vyvanse is used to treat:

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and certain children
• moderate to severe binge eating disorder in adults

The active ingredient in Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) The drug is available as a capsule that you swallow or a chewable tablet.

Keep reading to learn about the common, mild, and serious side effects that Vyvanse can cause. You can also check out this comprehensive overview of Vyvanse for more information, including details about its uses.

Vyvanse has a boxed warning. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details, see the “Side effects explained” section.

Note: In this article, we use the terms “female” and “male” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.