Patient portrayal
Learning about treatment for adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? You probably have some questions. Does it improve attention? How long does it last? What are the potential side effects? Ask your doctor and check the results below.
Ask your doctor if Vyvanse could offer you consistent symptom improvement. This discussion guide can help.
Talk to your doctorVyvanse may help increase attention and decrease impulsiveness and hyperactivity in adults with ADHD. Your doctor may prescribe Vyvanse as part of a total treatment program that may include counseling or other therapies.
142 adults aged 18 to 55 with ADHD
For the first 4 weeks, everyone in the study took Vyvanse. Researchers adjusted the dose as needed to find the right dose for each person.
At the beginning of the fifth week, half of the group continued to take Vyvanse. The other half switched to sugar pill (placebo). Researchers and subjects didn’t know who got Vyvanse and who got the sugar pill.
At the end of the fifth week, during a single day, both groups were placed in a classroom-like setting designed to resemble the workplace environment.
At 7am, everyone took their assigned medication—either Vyvanse or the sugar pill. Next, they began a schedule of general activities that were designed to keep study subjects busy and bring out symptoms of ADHD. After each set of activities, subjects were given a timed test* commonly used by researchers to measure attention in ADHD. Tests were given over 14 hours at 9 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, 5 PM, and 7 PM; the last test was at 9 PM.
*Permanent Product Measure of Performance (PERMP) is a skill-adjusted test that measures attention to ADHD.
At the beginning of the sixth week, the group that had taken Vyvanse was switched to the sugar pill and the group that had taken the sugar pill was switched to Vyvanse. At the end of the sixth week, study subjects were again given the timed tests under the same conditions.
Attention was measured by using the groups’ average test scores throughout the day when taking Vyvanse compared to when taking the sugar pill. Higher scores indicated improved attention.
The average of all test scores throughout the day was higher when Vyvanse was taken.
Vyvanse improved attention throughout the day for each time point tested, starting at 2 hours and even at 14 hours after taking it.
*Efficacy measured using the Permanent Product Measure of Performance (PERMP), a skill-adjusted test that measures attention in ADHD.
Do not take Vyvanse if you are taking or have taken within the past 14 days an anti-depression medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, or MAOI, or are sensitive to, allergic to, or had a reaction to other stimulant medications. Concerned about side effects? Talk to your Doctor.
123 adults aged 18 to 55 with ADHD who were taking Vyvanse for at least 6 months. Patients must have demonstrated a response to treatment with Vyvanse.
After 3 weeks of observation while on Vyvanse, about half of the patients continued to take Vyvanse for the last 6 weeks of the study while the other half were switched to a sugar pill.
At the end of the study, 91% of people maintained symptom control with Vyvanse versus 25% with a sugar pill.†
†Treatment failure was defined as a ≥50% increase (worsening) in the ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS-IV) Total Score and ≥2-point increase in the Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) score compared to scores at entry into the double-blind phase.
Vyvanse should be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Before starting Vyvanse and during treatment, tell your doctor about all health conditions (or family history of) including:
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