Vyvanse for Health & Longevity - Quick Reference Sheet

Vyvanse for Health & Longevity

Created on 09/04/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5 Audit

A slow-release amphetamine, active for most of a waking day. In adults with the attention and impulse-control condition it treats, it produces the largest symptom reduction of any drug compared against it, and it is the only medicine approved for severe binge eating. Benefits stop when the drug stops. Sleep shortens, appetite falls, pulse and blood pressure sit higher. (Full Review)

Protocol

Standard titration
20–30 mg once daily
10–20 mg steps at intervals of at least a week; licensed maximum 70 mg
Best time of day
On waking, before 09:00
With or without food; timing consistency matters more than food
Single versus split dosing
Once daily
A second dose extends the active window into the sleep period
Time to effect
Symptom benefit
Day 1
Appears on the first well-titrated day
Separation from placebo
Within 1 week
Statistically separable from placebo
Function and quality of life
4–10 weeks
Executive-function and quality-of-life changes accumulate

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Structural cardiac abnormality, cardiomyopathy, serious arrhythmia, coronary artery disease
  • Moderate-severe uncontrolled hypertension (≥160/100 mm Hg)
  • Myocardial infarction <90 days; unstable angina
  • Advanced arteriosclerosis or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease
  • Hyperthyroidism, whether treated or not
  • Angle-closure glaucoma
  • Moderate-severe stimulant use disorder; amphetamine or cocaine use disorder <12 months
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitor within 14 days
  • Unstable or untreated bipolar I or psychosis
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • Known hypersensitivity to amphetamine products
Key Interactions
  • Serotonergic drugs (SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, triptans, tramadol, St John's wort)
  • Urinary alkalinising agents (sodium bicarbonate, acetazolamide, antacids, magnesium citrate)
  • Urinary acidifying agents (ascorbic acid, ammonium chloride, cranberry)
  • Blood-pressure-raising agents (pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, caffeine, pre-workout formulas)
  • Antihypertensives and beta-blockers
  • Supplement interactions (5-HTP, tyrosine, caffeine, ashwagandha, magnesium)
  • Supplements with additive sympathomimetic effects (synephrine, yohimbine, higenamine, ephedra)
  • Other interventions (alcohol, nicotine, fasting, sauna and heat)

Risk & Side Effects

  • High: Insomnia and delayed sleep onset; appetite suppression and weight loss; elevated heart rate and blood pressure; dry mouth; nausea, diarrhoea, constipation; headache; anxiety, irritability, jitteriness
  • Medium: Misuse, dependence and diversion; new-onset psychosis or mania; long-term cardiovascular disease
  • Low: Peripheral vasculopathy and Raynaud phenomenon; sexual dysfunction; new or worsening tics
  • Speculative: Long-term dopaminergic adaptation

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
Seated blood pressure 110–125 / 65–80 mm Hg Cumulative hypertension, the most consistent risk
Resting heart rate 55–70 beats per minute Sympathetic load; a rise signals excess dose
Body weight and BMI Stable within 2% of pre-treatment weight Silent energy and lean-mass loss
Ferritin 50–100 ng/mL Dopamine cofactor; low stores blunt response
HbA1c 4.8–5.4% Glucose dysregulation in binge eating and obesity
Fasting lipid panel with ApoB ApoB below 80 mg/dL Cardiovascular risk compounds with pressure rise
TSH with free T4 TSH 0.5–2.0 mIU/L Mimics stimulant effects; absolute exclusion
hs-CRP Below 1.0 mg/L Contextualises ferritin and cardiovascular risk
ECG QTc interval Below 440 ms in men, 460 ms in women Conduction abnormalities raise stimulant danger

Cadence: Blood pressure, pulse and weight at each titration step, four weeks after a stable dose, then every three to six months; blood panel annually; symptom and functional review at three months, then yearly.

Qualitative Assessment

  • Sleep onset latency and total sleep duration, logged nightly for the first month
  • Appetite pattern across the day, including whether evening rebound eating appears
  • Subjective calm versus edginess, and whether irritability clusters at wear-off
  • Task initiation and follow-through on work that was previously abandoned
  • Emotional range, including whether motivation broadens or narrows to a single task
  • Libido and sexual function
  • Cold hands and feet or colour change in the fingers