Side effects
Common side effects of taking dexamfetamine (affecting one in ten people) include:
- feeling unusually happy
- feeling restless or uneasy, or finding it difficult to concentrate
- feeling irritable or aggressive
- feeling anxious, nervous, confused or having a low mood (depression)
- cramps or pain in your gut
- feeling sick
- weight loss
- slower growth than other people your age
- dry mouth and changes in how you taste things
- disturbed sleep
- heart and blood pressure changes, including fast heart rate
- rashes or itching skin
- muscle pain
There are other side effects that you can get when taking this medicine. We have only included the most common ones here.
Some side effects that appear should get better after a few days. If they do not, you should go back to your doctor.
Please look at the leaflet inside your medicine box, or ask a doctor or pharmacist, if you want to know whether you are getting a side effect from your medicine.
If you do get a side effect, please think about reporting it via the Yellow Card Scheme.
Body
You may lose weight while taking dexamfetamine, as it may make you want to eat less.
It is very difficult to know how it will affect each person who takes it.
Dexamfetamine can also affect your growth.
Talk to your doctor before starting this medication if you have concerns about how it might affect your weight and growth.
Your doctor will check your weight and height at least every six months.
If you are not growing as fast as your friends, the doctor may stop the dexamfetamine for a while to let your growth recover.
Sleep
Dexamfetamine can keep you awake, as it is a stimulant.
Talk to your doctor about this if it worries you.
Sex and fertility
Sex
Dexamfetamine can have side effects that might affect your sex life. These include:
- wanting to have sex less or losing pleasure in having sex
- difficulty getting an erection (getting hard)
These effects should pass after the first couple of weeks. If they do not, and this is a problem for you, go back to the doctor and see what other treatment you could try.
Fertility
There is nothing to suggest that dexamfetamine affects fertility.
Pregnancy, post-natal and breastfeeding
Pregnancy
You should use good contraception when you are taking dexamfetamine.
If you and your partner are trying to have a baby, you should go back to the doctor to discuss your medication options.
We know very little about its effects on a developing baby, but studies suggest amphetamines do not increase the risk of malformations.
Amphetamines have been linked to other pregnancy problems such as anemia, and to an increased risk of still birth.
Post-natal
You may be more likely to need a caesarean section when it is time to have your baby.
If you agree with your doctor to carry on taking dexamfetamine, you should tell your midwife that you are taking it as soon as possible.
Breastfeeding
Dexamfetamine can be passed to the baby in breastmilk. Your baby will get about a twentieth of your dose and most sources will say not to breastfeed.
Talk to your doctor or midwife about your feeding options, or ask to be referred to a lactation consultant.
Driving and transport
Taking dexamfetamine may give you blurred vision, make you feel dizzy, make it difficult to concentrate or affect your focus when you start taking it.
It may be best to stop doing things like driving a car, riding a bike, or anything else that needs a lot of focus for the first few days, until you know how it affects you.
Do not worry - most people do these things as normal while taking dexamfetamine.
There is now a ‘drug driving’ offence where someone driving dangerously, who has taken dexamfetamine, could be arrested.
It is important to stick to the dose on the prescription, and to check that you can drive safely while taking it.
You may also have to prove that you have been given dexamfetamine on prescription, so you could keep your repeat prescription slip or get a letter to explain it from your doctor.
School and exams
Talk to your doctor before starting to take dexamfetamine if you are about to sit any exams or tests, as it can initially make you feel very tired and woozy along with affecting your eyesight.
You might decide together to delay starting it until you have completed your exams, or your doctor might suggest some alternative medications.
If your exams are more than a week away, however, you may decide with your doctor that it’s better to start taking dexamfetamine to improve your motivation to study.
Try not to worry – most people can take exams and tests as normal while taking dexamfetamine.
Friends and family
You may want to let your family and friends know you are taking dexamfetamine so they can support you and help you look out for side effects.
For guidance on this, check out our page on getting support with your medication.
Sport
Dexamfetamine is a stimulant, and this makes it a banned substance in sport.
If you play sport to a high level, and want to compete where drug-testing will happen, you will need to go back to your doctor to discuss other ways of managing your ADHD.
Alcohol and street drugs
Alcohol
If you drink alcohol when you are taking dexamfetamine, it can strenghten the effect of the dexamfetamine, which may give you side effects as if you had taken too much of it.
Your blood pressure and heart rate could also be increased to dangerous levels.
If you decide to drink alcohol, drink only small amounts and see how it affects you. Make sure you are with friends to help you if you need it.
Remember that some foods also contain alcohol.
Street drugs
Dexamfetamine is dangerous to take with cocaine or ecstasy or other amphetamines. This is because they are all stimulants and may together put too much pressure on your heart and the blood vessels in your brain.
Mixing methadone with dexamfetamine can cause serious heart problems and may trigger a dangerous condition known as ‘serotonin syndrome.’
Dexamfetamine may add to the pain-killing effects of heroin. You might hurt yourself and not feel enough pain to get help.
Dexamfetamine is also known as a street drug as it’s a stimulant, so some people use it to get ‘high.’
People taking dexamfetamine from their doctor can be targeted at school and bullied to give away or sell their medicine. If this happens to you, ask your parent, teacher or doctor to help you.
Remember that dexamfetamine has serious side effects. Do not give or sell your tablets to anyone else – they may become very ill.
Prescription medicines
Do not take dexamfetamine if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI) like moclobemide, phenelzine, isocarboxazid or tranylcypromine in the last 14 days.
Taking a MAOI with dexamfetamine may cause a sudden and dangerous increase in your blood pressure.
If you are taking other medicines, dexamfetamine may affect how well they work or may cause side effects. Tell your doctor about these before you start your treatment.
Talk to your pharmacist if you buy any medications over the counter to treat common illnesses like colds and flu, or topical applications that you put on your skin.
Monitoring
Before you start taking dexamfetamine, if you change your dose, and at least every six months after you start, the doctor will do some tests to check that dexamfetamine is (still) right for you.
They will check your appetite, as dexamfetamine can make you want to eat less.
They will check your weight and height, as dexamfetamine can slow down your growth.
They will check your heart rate and blood pressure, as this is a stimulant that can have side effects on the heart and blood vessels.
They will ask you about your mood and how you are feeling to check that the medicine is working, but also whether you are having any side effects.
They will ask you about any feelings of aggression or dislike towards others, which can be a side effect of the medicine.
References and further reading
For more helpful links and information, have a look at our references and further reading page.
