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- $Unique_ID{BRK03121}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{dextroamphetamine}
- $Subject{Dexedrine Smith Kline French Spansules Oxydess II Vortech Spancap 1
- Amphetamine dextroamphetamine central nervous system stimulant mental
- alertness decreases fatigue narcolepsy abnormal behavioral syndrome
- hyperkinetic attention deficit disorder appetite suppressant dieting nerve
- impulses appetite control center}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{
- Dexedrine Spansules*0312101.scf}
-
- Copyright (C) 1993 Publications International, Ltd.
-
-
- dextroamphetamine
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers)
-
- Dexedrine (Smith Kline & French)
- Dexedrine Spansules (Smith Kline & French)
- dextroamphetamine sulfate (various manufacturers)
- Oxydess II (Vortech)
- Spancap No. 1 (Vortech)
-
- TYPE OF DRUG
-
- Amphetamine
-
- INGREDIENT
-
- dextroamphetamine
-
- DOSAGE FORMS
-
- Tablets (5 mg and 10 mg)
- Sustained-release capsules (5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg)
-
- STORAGE
-
- Dextroamphetamine tablets and capsules should be stored at room
- temperature in tightly closed containers.
-
- USES
-
- This medication is a central nervous system stimulant that increases
- mental alertness and decreases fatigue. It is used to treat narcolepsy
- (problems in staying awake) and abnormal behavioral syndrome in children
- (hyperkinetic syndrome or attention deficit disorder). The way this acts to
- control abnormal behavioral syndrome in children is not known.
- Dextroamphetamine is also used as an appetite suppressant during the
- first few weeks of dieting (while you are trying to establish new eating
- habits). It is thought to relieve hunger by altering nerve impulses to the
- appetite control center in the brain. Its effectiveness as an appetite
- suppressant lasts only for short periods (three to 12 weeks), however.
-
- TREATMENT
-
- In order to avoid stomach upset, you can take dextroamphetamine with food
- or with a full glass of milk or water (unless your doctor directs you to do
- otherwise).
- If this medication is being used to treat narcolepsy or abnormal
- behavioral syndrome in children, the first dose each day should be taken soon
- after awakening. Subsequent doses should be spaced at four- to six-hour
- intervals.
- If this medication has been prescribed as a diet aid, it should be taken
- one hour before each meal.
- The sustained-release form of this medication should be swallowed whole.
- Breaking, chewing, or crushing these capsules destroys their sustained-release
- activity and may increase the side effects.
- In order to avoid difficulty in falling asleep, the last dose of this
- medication each day should be taken four to six hours before bedtime (tablets)
- or ten to 14 hours before bedtime (sustained-release capsules).
- If you miss a dose of this medication, take the missed dose as soon as
- possible, unless it is almost time for your next dose. In that case, do not
- take the missed dose at all; just return to your regular dosing schedule. Do
- not double the next dose.
-
- SIDE EFFECTS
-
- Minor.
-
- Abdominal cramps, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, false
- sense of well-being, insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability, nausea,
- overstimulation, restlessness, unpleasant taste in the mouth, or vomiting.
- These side effects should disappear as your body adjusts to the drug.
- To prevent constipation, increase the amount of fiber in your diet (fresh
- fruits and vegetables, bran, salads, and whole-grain cereals and breads),
- exercise, and drink more water (unless your doctor directs you to do
- otherwise).
- Dry mouth can be relieved by sucking on ice chips or a piece of hard
- candy or by chewing sugarless gum.
- If you feel dizzy, sit or lie down for a while; get up from a sitting or
- lying position slowly.
-
- Major.
-
- Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
- particularly bothersome. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
- blurred vision, confusion, fatigue, headaches, impotence, mental depression,
- nosebleeds, palpitations, rash, sweating, tightness in the chest, tremors, or
- uncoordinated movements.
-
- INTERACTIONS
-
- Dextroamphetamine interacts with several other types of medications:
- 1. Use of dextroamphetamine within 14 days of use of a monoamine oxidase
- (MAO) inhibitor (such as isocarboxazid, pargyline, phenelzine, and
- tranylcypromine) can result in high blood pressure and other side effects.
- 2. Barbiturate medications, certain tranquilizers (especially
- chlorpromazine), and tricyclic antidepressants can reverse the effect of this
- medication.
- 3. Amphetamines can decrease the blood-pressure-lowering effects of
- antihypertensive medications (especially guanethidine) and may alter dosage
- requirements for insulin and oral antidiabetic medication in diabetic
- patients.
- 4. The side effects of other central nervous system stimulants (such as
- caffeine, nonprescription appetite suppressants, and cough, sinus, allergy,
- asthma, or cold preparations) may be increased by dextroamphetamine.
- 5. Acetazolamide and sodium bicarbonate can decrease the elimination of
- the amphetamines from the body, thereby prolonging their duration of action.
- BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently
- taking, especially any listed above.
-
- WARNINGS
-
- * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
- any medications, especially to dextroamphetamine or other central nervous
- system stimulants (such as albuterol, amphetamine, ephedrine, epinephrine,
- isoproterenol, metaproterenol, norepinephrine, phenylephrine,
- phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, and terbutaline).
- * Tell your doctor if you have a history of drug abuse or if you have
- ever had problems with agitation, diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, heart or blood
- vessel disease, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease.
- * Dextroamphetamine can mask the symptoms of extreme fatigue and can
- cause dizziness. Your ability to perform tasks that require alertness, such
- as driving a car or operating potentially dangerous equipment, may be
- decreased. Appropriate caution should, therefore, be taken.
- * Before surgery or other medical or dental treatment, tell your doctor
- or dentist you are taking this drug.
- * Dextroamphetamine is related to amphetamine and may be habit-forming
- when taken for long periods of time (both physical and psychological
- dependence can occur). Therefore, you should not increase the dosage of this
- medication or take it for longer than 12 weeks unless you first consult your
- doctor. It is also important that you not stop taking this medication
- abruptly; fatigue, sleep disorders, mental depression, nausea, vomiting,
- stomach cramps, or pain could occur. Your doctor may, therefore, want to
- decrease the dosage gradually in order to prevent these side effects.
- * Some of these products contain the color additive FD&C Yellow No. 5
- (tartrazine), which can cause allergic-type reactions (difficulty in
- breathing, fainting, rash, wheezing) in certain susceptible individuals.
- * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Although side effects
- in humans have not been thoroughly studied, some of the amphetamines have
- caused heart, brain, and biliary tract abnormalities in the fetuses of animals
- that received large doses of these drugs during pregnancy. Also, tell your
- doctor if you are breast-feeding an infant. Small amounts of this drug pass
- into breast milk and can cause unwanted side effects in the nursing infant.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-