Dextroamphetamine - How Is It Taken?

How Is It Taken?

Dextroamphetamine sulfate is manufactured in capsule and tablet form and is usually swallowed. Dexedrine capsules have one brown end and one clear end and are filled with two types of tiny drug pellets. One type of pellet dissolves shortly after the capsule is ingested. The other type is time-released, allowing for a gradual release of the rest of the medication throughout the day. The capsules are available in 5-milligram, 10-milligram, and 15-milligram doses. Dexedrine also comes in tablet form. The 5-milligram pills are triangular and orange. DextroStat, another dextroamphetamine sulfate, is only available in 5-milligram and 10-milligram tablets. The pills are yellow and round.

For the treatment of narcolepsy, patients are typically prescribed 5 milligrams to 60 milligrams of dextroamphetamine per day. Patients age six or older with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderA disorder characterized by impulsive behavior, difficulty concentrating, and hyperactivity that interferes with social and academic functioning. (ADHD) usually take 5 milligrams to 40 milligrams per day, depending on their age and response to the drug. The youngest ADHD patients—ages three to five—may be given half of a 5-milligram tablet.

Dextroamphetamine is prescribed for the treatment of narcolepsy, a rare sleeping disorder characterized by daytime tiredness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy have been known to fall asleep while driving, talking, and eating,
Dextroamphetamine is prescribed for the treatment of narcolepsy, a rare sleeping disorder characterized by daytime tiredness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy have been known to fall asleep while driving, talking, and eating, among other things. Photograph by Leitha Etheridge-Sims.