Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: DEXEDRINE versus LISDEXAMFETAMINE DIMESYLATE.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: DEXEDRINE versus LISDEXAMFETAMINE DIMESYLATE.
DEXEDRINE vs LISDEXAMFETAMINE DIMESYLATE
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Dextroamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant that enhances the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain by blocking their reuptake and increasing their release from presynaptic terminals.
Lisdexamfetamine is a prodrug of dextroamphetamine, which blocks the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine from the synaptic cleft and increases their release into the extraneuronal space.
5–60 mg/day orally in divided doses, typically 5–20 mg 1–3 times daily; use immediate-release or extended-release formulations per indication.
30–70 mg orally once daily in the morning.
None Documented
None Documented
Terminal elimination half-life is 4-6 hours for dextroamphetamine; clinical effects last longer due to CNS accumulation
Terminal elimination half-life of lisdexamfetamine is approximately 1 hour (prodrug conversion), while dextroamphetamine (active moiety) has a half-life of 10-12 hours in adults. In children, half-life is slightly shorter (9-11 hours). Clinically, once-daily dosing provides symptom control for ADHD.
Renal: 30-45% unchanged, 50-60% as deaminated metabolites; fecal: minor (<5%)
Primarily renal: approximately 95% of the dose is excreted in urine, with about 70% as intact lisdexamfetamine, 20% as dextroamphetamine and its metabolites (hippuric acid, benzoic acid), and minimal biliary/fecal elimination (<5%).
Category C
Category C
CNS Stimulant
CNS Stimulant