DextroamphetamineDextroamphetamine Sulfate

About Dextroamphetamine

Tablets and the oral solution are labeled for narcolepsy and for ADHD in children 3 to 16; Dexedrine Spansule capsules for narcolepsy and for ADHD from 6 to 16; the Xelstrym patch only for ADHD, in adults and children 6 and older. For ADHD, children 3 to 5 start at 2.5 mg a day and those 6 and older at 5 mg once or twice a day, raised weekly; more than 40 mg a day is rarely needed. For narcolepsy the usual range is 5 to 60 mg a day in divided doses. Tablets and solution are taken on waking, with one or two more doses 4 to 6 hours apart; the capsule may be taken once a day.

The boxed warning says it has a high potential for abuse and misuse that can lead to a substance use disorder, including addiction, and that misuse can cause overdose and death, so prescribers assess this risk before and during treatment. Other warnings cover serious heart disease, raised blood pressure and heart rate, psychotic or manic symptoms, slowed growth in children, seizures, poor circulation in the fingers and toes, serotonin syndrome and tics. It must not be taken with or within 14 days of an MAO inhibitor. A fast heartbeat, headache, stomach upset, decreased appetite, trouble sleeping, weight loss, tremor, dizziness and dry mouth are common.

It cannot be refilled, and the forms are not interchangeable. Xelstrym starts at 4.5 mg per 9 hours in children 6 to 17 and 9 mg in adults, up to 18 mg; it goes on 2 hours before the effect is needed and comes off within 9 hours, heat over it raises absorption, and it can irritate or sensitize the skin. After a 2025 FDA safety communication, the Dexedrine and Xelstrym labels (revised September 2025) say they are not recommended under age 6, where children had higher drug levels and more side effects, including weight loss. In October 2026 the FDA shortage list included mixed amphetamine salts tablets but no product of dextroamphetamine alone.

Taking Dextroamphetamine

How to take it

Take tablets and solution with or without food, never in the evening. Swallow Spansule capsules whole without chewing or crushing them. Apply Xelstrym to clean, dry, hairless skin of the hip, upper arm, chest, upper back or flank, a new site each time and one patch a day, and keep heat sources off it.

If you miss a dose

MedlinePlus says to take it when you remember unless the next dose is nearly due, then skip it; a late dose can disturb sleep. Never take extra.

Storage

At room temperature in a safe place such as a locked cabinet, protected from light. Use a take-back program; if none is available, the label says to mix tablets with dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds, seal them in a bag and put it in the trash. Fold used patches sticky sides together and discard them in a lidded container; never flush them.

Interactions to know about

Never with or within 14 days of an MAO inhibitor. Antidepressants and other serotonin-affecting medicines add a risk of serotonin syndrome, and CYP2D6 inhibitors raise its levels. Acidifying agents lower its levels and alkalinizing agents such as sodium bicarbonate raise them; MedlinePlus also lists antacids and omeprazole.

This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.

Why the cash price for Dextroamphetamine differs from pharmacy to pharmacy

Generic 5 and 10 mg tablets have several makers, so quotes differ mainly by fee and markup. The other tablet strengths, the capsules and the solution have few makers, so a pharmacy may stock only some, and Xelstrym, with no generic, is priced as a brand. No form can be swapped at the counter for mixed amphetamine salts or lisdexamfetamine.

Schedule II drugs are ordered on a special DEA form from wholesalers that must flag unusual orders and can set their own thresholds, so a pharmacy may fill only part of a prescription or decline it.

Ways to pay less for Dextroamphetamine without insurance

• Ask for generic substitution, and make sure the prescription does not name a brand only.
• If your dose uses a less common tablet strength, ask the prescriber whether whole 5 or 10 mg tablets could make up the same dose.
• Confirm stock before the prescription is sent, since an unfilled electronic prescription can be transferred only once.
• Ask for a partial fill if you want fewer at first; where state law allows, the rest can be collected within 30 days of the date written.
• For Xelstrym, ask the maker whether a savings program applies to someone paying cash; many copay cards require commercial insurance.
• Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.

Questions to ask your pharmacist about Dextroamphetamine

1. 1.Do you have my exact form and strength, and can you fill the full quantity?
2. 2.Is the generic you would give me rated equivalent to my prescribed product?
3. 3.Is it safe with my antidepressant, migraine or stomach acid medicines?
4. 4.Where should the patch go, and how do I dispose of used ones?

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