Lisdexamfetamine Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Aug 13, 2023.

Applies to lisdexamfetamine: oral capsule, oral tablet chewable.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits and make sure that your dose is right and that the medicine is helping you. Your doctor will need to check your or your child's blood, heart, and blood pressure for any problems or unwanted effects that may be caused by this medicine.

Do not use this medicine if you or your child is using or have used an MAO inhibitor (MAOI) such as Eldepryl®, Marplan®, Nardil®, or Parnate® within the past 14 days.

If you have been using this medicine for a long time and you think you may have become mentally or physically dependent on it, check with your doctor right away. Some signs of dependence may be:

• A strong desire or need to continue using the medicine.
• A need to increase the dose to receive the same effects.
• Withdrawal effects after stopping the medicine including agitation, generalized slowing of mental and physical activity, increased appetite, trouble sleeping, unable to sleep, unpleasant dreams, unusual tiredness or weakness, or unusually deep sleep or long duration of sleep.

This medicine may cause serious heart or blood vessel problems. This may be more likely to occur in patients who have a family history of heart disease. Check with your doctor right away if you have chest pain, fast or uneven heartbeat, trouble breathing, or fainting while using this medicine.

You or your child will also need to have your blood pressure and heart rate measured before starting this medicine and while you are using it. If you notice any change in your blood pressure, call your doctor right away. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor.

This medicine may cause blurred vision or make you drowsy or dizzy. If any of these occur, do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

Tell your doctor right away if you or your family notices any unusual changes in behavior, such as an increase in aggression, hostility, agitation, irritability, or suicidal thinking or behaviors. Also tell your doctor if you or your child have hallucinations or any unusual thoughts, especially if they are new or getting worse quickly.

This medicine may cause slow growth. If your child is using this medicine, the doctor will need to keep track of your child's height and weight to make sure that your child is growing properly.

This medicine may cause a condition called Raynaud phenomenon. Check with your doctor right away if you have tingling or pain in the fingers or toes when exposed to cold, paleness or a cold feeling in the fingertips and toes, or a skin color change in your fingers.

Symptoms of an overdose include: agitation, blurred vision, change in consciousness, chest pain or discomfort, confusion, dark urine, diarrhea, dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position, fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse, fever, headache, inability to speak, loss of consciousness, muscle cramps, spasms, pain, or stiffness, nausea, nervousness, overactive reflexes, pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck, pale, clammy skin, palpitations, pounding in the ears, seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there, seizures, shivering, slow or fast heartbeat, slurred speech, sweating, talking or acting with excitement you cannot control, temporary blindness, thirst, trembling or shaking, trouble breathing, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting, or weakness in the arm or leg on one side of the body, sudden and severe. Call your doctor right away if you notice these symptoms.

Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you or your child are taking this medicine. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.

Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or see or hear things that are not there. These may be symptoms of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Your risk may be higher if you also take certain other medicines that affect serotonin levels in your body.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines, herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements, and medicine for appetite control, asthma, colds, cough, hayfever, or sinus problems.

Common side effects of lisdexamfetamine

Some side effects of lisdexamfetamine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Serious side effects of lisdexamfetamine

Along with its needed effects, lisdexamfetamine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking lisdexamfetamine:

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking lisdexamfetamine:

Symptoms of overdose

• agitation
• blurred vision
• change in consciousness
• chest pain or discomfort
• confusion
• dark urine
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
• fast breathing
• fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
• fever
• headache
• inability to speak
• loss of consciousness
• muscle cramps, spasms, pain, or stiffness
• nausea
• nervousness
• overactive reflexes
• pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
• pale, clammy skin
• palpitations
• panic states
• physical attempt to injure yourself
• pounding in the ears
• restlessness
• seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• seizures
• shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
• slurred speech
• stomach cramps
• sweating
• talking or acting with excitement you cannot control
• temporary blindness
• thirst
• trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
• trouble breathing
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• vomiting
• violent actions
• weakness in the arm or leg on one side of the body, sudden and severe

For healthcare professionals

Applies to lisdexamfetamine: oral capsule, oral tablet chewable.

Other adverse events

• Common (1% to 10%): Pyrexia, increased energy, fatigue^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Dry mouth (36%), upper abdominal pain (12%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, gastroenteritis^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Very common (10% or more): Decreased appetite (39%), decreased weight (16.3%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Anorexia^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Headache (20.3%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Dizziness, somnolence, tremor, paresthesia, nightmare, dyskinesia, seizures, psychomotor hyperactivity
• Postmarketing reports: Dyskinesia^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Very common (10% or more): Insomnia (27%), irritability (10%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Tic, anxiety, agitation, erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, affect lability, feeling jittery, restlessness, aggression, initial insomnia, bruxism
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Logorrhea, depression, dysphoria, euphoria, dermatillomania, mania, hallucinations
• Postmarketing reports: Libido changes, frequent or prolonged erections, psychotic episodes^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Rash, hyperhidrosis, pruritus
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Urticaria
• Postmarketing reports: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, angioedema^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Common (1% to 10%): Increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, tachycardia, palpitations
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Raynaud's phenomenon
• Postmarketing reports: Cardiomyopathy^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hypersensitivity
• Postmarketing reports: Anaphylactic reaction^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Common (1% to 10%): Urinary tract infection^[Ref]

Ocular

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Mydriasis, blurred vision
• Postmarketing reports: Diplopia, visual accommodation difficulties^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Postmarketing reports: Eosinophilic hepatitis^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Postmarketing reports: Rhabdomyolysis^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Common (1% to 10%): Dyspnea, oropharyngeal pain^[Ref]

See also:

Frequently asked questions

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Further information

Lisdexamfetamine side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

Medical Disclaimer