Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Vyvanse?Time to Start WorkingAbsorbtionCompared to Other MedsIf It Isn’t Working
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Vyvanse?
Time to Start Working
Absorbtion
Compared to Other Meds
If It Isn’t Working
Generally, Vyvanse takes about 90 minutes to two hours to begin working. However, it may take up to an hour longer if you take the medication with food.
Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images
Vyvanse is also approved to treat ADHD in children ages 6 and older.
How It Works
The active ingredient in Vyvanse islisdexamfetamine, which is a prodrug of dextroamphetamine. A prodrug is a chemical that changes from an inactive to an active form when it enters your body.With Vyvanse, the prodrug lisdexamfetamine changes to dextroamphetamine before it becomes active.
Amphetamine drugs, such as dextroamphetamine, help increase the availability of the neurotransmittersnorepinephrineanddopaminein your brain.Neurotransmitters are compounds that allow nerve cells to communicate.
Norepinephrine is a stimulant. Increasing norepinephrine levels in your brain helps improve your concentration and reduce impulsive behavior.
Dopamine helps regulate your mood, movements, and how you experience pleasure and pain. Scientists believe that binge-eating disorder may be associated with an imbalance of dopamine in your brain. Vyvanse can help restore this balance.
How Long Does Vyvanse Take to Start Working?
How long Vyvanse takes to start working can depend on factors such as your age, the condition you’re taking the medication to treat, and whether you take it with food or on an empty stomach.
ADHD
Vyvanse starts working to improve symptoms of ADHD in children within about 90 minutes to two hours after taking a dose. This can include improved focus and attention and decreased fidgeting and impulsive behavior.
For adults taking Vyvanse for ADHD, it may take up to two hours for the medication to begin working to improve attention.
The effects of Vyvanse typically last for about 12 to 14 hours.
Taking Vyvanse with food may delay the time it takes for your body to completely absorb the drug. This may also affect how long it takes for Vyvanse to start working. However, it should not affect how well Vyvanse works to improve your symptoms.
For more information on how food affects the way your body absorbs Vyvanse, see the section titled “How Quickly Is Vyvanse Absorbed?” below.
Binge-Eating Disorder
Vyvanse is approved to treat binge-eating disorder in adults.
For this condition, you may start to feel the effects of Vyvanse about two hours after taking a dose. However, it may take up to 12 weeks to notice a reduction in your number of binge-eating days per week.
In studies of adults who took Vyvanse for binge-eating disorder, the medication controlled symptoms for at least 38 weeks.
How Quickly Does the Body Absorb Vyvanse?
In studies of children ages 6 to 12 years with ADHD who took Vyvanse capsules on an empty stomach, dextroamphetamine, the active form of Vyvanse, took about 3.5 hours to be completely absorbed and reach peak levels.In adults, the drug took an extra 15 to 20 minutes to reach peak blood levels.
When taking Vyvanse capsules after a high-fat meal, such as a hamburger or eggs with buttered toast, the medication takes about one hour longer to be absorbed. If Vyvanse capsules are taken with a light snack or meal, such as yogurt, the medication may take about 30 minutes longer to reach peak levels compared with taking the capsules on an empty stomach.
Do I Need to Take Vyvanse Every Day?
Vyvanse is typically taken once daily in the morning for ADHD or binge-eating disorder. Taking Vyvanse regularly every day helps the medication effectively manage your symptoms.
Your healthcare provider will prescribe a Vyvanse dosage that’s specific to your condition. Factors that may affect your dosage include:
Sometimes, your healthcare provider may recommend that you pause your Vyvanse treatment for a short period (typically for a few days). This is often called a treatment holiday or a “drug holiday.”
Your healthcare provider may recommend a treatment holiday to determine whether you still need to continue taking Vyvanse for your condition. They may also do this to help relieve side effects you may have from Vyvanse.
How Does Vyvanse Compare to Other Medications?
If you’re considering taking Vyvanse for ADHD, you might want to know how it compares to other medications.
Vyvanse is one of several stimulant drugs that treat ADHD. Examples of other ADHD medications include Concerta (methylphenidate ER) and Adderall XR (mixed amphetamine salts).
The effects of all three medications last throughout the day. However, they vary in terms of how quickly each begins to work and how long its effects last.
Adderall XR starts working about 30 minutes to one hour after you take a dose. Similarly, Concerta takes about one hour to begin working. Vyvanse may take a bit longer. Feeling the effects Vyvanse typically takes about 90 minutes to two hours after taking a dose.
Although Vyvanse may take longer to start working, its effects are felt for longer than Adderall XR or Concerta. Adderall XR helps to improve symptoms of ADHD for about 10 hours. With Concerta, the effects are felt for about 10 to 12 hours. The effects of Vyvanse last about 12 to 14 hours.
The table below summarizes the differences between Adderall XR, Concerta, and Vyvanse in terms of how quickly each works and how long each drug’s effects last.
What to Do if Vyvanse Isn’t Working
After prescribing Vyvanse, your healthcare provider will likely follow up with you periodically to check whether the medication is working.
You may not notice that Vyvanse is working right away. Signs that the medication is working may appear gradually. For example, you might notice that you or your child:
Vyvanse may not be the right medication for everyone. If you think this medication is not working for you or your child, let your healthcare provider know. They may adjust the dosage or recommend a different treatment.
Let your healthcare provider know if:
Summary
Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) is an orally administered prescription drug for treating ADHD in adults and some children and binge-eating disorder in adults.
By increasing norepinephrine and dopamine levels in your brain, Vyvanse helps improve concentration, reduce impulsive behavior, and improve symptoms of binge-eating disorder.
Generally, it takes about 90 minutes to two hours for Vyvanse to start working. However, certain factors, such as whether you take the medication with food or on an empty stomach, may affect how long Vyvanse takes to begin working.
The signs that Vyvanse is working may not be obvious at first. Gradually, you should be able to notice improvements in attention, focus, and impulsive behavior.
Please inform your healthcare provider if your symptoms don’t improve (or if they worsen) after a few weeks of Vyvanse treatment.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
DailyMed.Label: Vyvanse- lisdexamfetamine dimesylate capsule, Vyvanse- lisdexamfetamine dimesylate tablet, chewable.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Orange book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations.
Jian-Min C, Zhi-Yuan W, Shi-Xuan W, et al.Effects of lisdexamfetamine, a prodrug of D-amphetamine, on locomotion, spatial cognitive processing and neurochemical profiles in rats: A comparison with immediate-release amphetamine.Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:885574. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.885574
Goodman DW.Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse), a prodrug stimulant for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.P T. 2010;35(5):273-287.
Cleveland Clinic.ADHD medication.
Yu Y, Miller R, Groth SW.A literature review of dopamine in binge eating.J Eat Disord2022;10(11). doi:10.1186/s40337-022-00531-y
Guerdjikova AI, Mori N, Casuto LS, McElroy S.Novel pharmacologic treatment in acute binge eating disorder - role of lisdexamfetamine.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016;12:833-841. doi:10.2147/NDT.S80881
MedlinePlus.Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Hudson JI, McElroy SL, Ferreira-Cornwell MC, et al.Efficacy of lisdexamfetamine in adults with moderate to severe binge-eating disorder: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry.2017;74(9):903–910. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.1889
MedlinePlus.Lisdexamfetamine.
National Guideline Centre (UK).Withdrawal from pharmacological treatment and drug holidays: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Diagnosis and management: Evidence review I.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2018.
Ibrahim K, Donyai P.Drug holidays from ADHD medication: International experience over the past four decades.J Atten Disord. 2015;19(7):551-568. doi:10.1177/1087054714548035
Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
