Dexedrine is a central nervous system stimulant medication originally developed by GlaxoSmithKline in the 1930s. Its generic name is dextroamphetamine sulfate and an extended-release formulation called Spansule is also available.
It is a schedule II (CII) drug and the Drug Enforcement Agency monitors all prescriptions and dispensing of the medication. Because of the medication's abuse and dependency potential.
Approved Uses
Dexedrine's approved uses are for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and well-established and proven narcolepsy.
Dexedrine's most common use is for the treatment of ADHD for individuals 3 and older. According to the DSM-IV or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, an ADHD diagnosis implies the presence of hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms that caused impairment and were present before the age of 7.
As a stimulant, Dexedrine increases wakefulness and concentration, while decreasing impulsiveness and hyperactivity in patients with ADHD. Generally, health care providers prescribe Dexedrine as a part of the overall ADHD treatment, which may include counseling or other therapies.
Addiction is a key safety concern of Dexedrine, as well as other amphetamine medications. Some other side effects include growth stunt or weight gain in children and sudden death in children and teenagers, especially those with heart defects. Dexedrine can also cause sudden death, heart attacks and strokes in adults.
Dexedrine is also used to treat narcolepsy, a sleep disorder. A narcolepsy diagnosis includes suffering naturally from "irresistible attacks of refreshing sleep" for three months or more, cataplexy, hypnopompic hallucinations or sleep paralysis.
Off-label Uses
Healthcare providers prescribe Dexedrine off label for the treatment of depression and narcolepsy, a chronic sleep disorder characterized by sudden bouts of deep sleep and loss of muscle tone. Other symptoms of this condition include sleep paralysis and hallucinations.
Dexedrine is used to treat obesity because of its ability to suppress appetite and its ability to increase activity levels by stimulating the central nervous system. The medication is prescribed only in cases in which weight loss cannot be achieved by other means continued weight gain is life threatening. However, it should not be taken continuously for weight loss.
Dexedrine Studies
Dexedrine is currently being studied to determine whether it can increase stamina in physiotherapy patients, reduce fatigue in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation and improve depression in HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer patients.
In addition, this medication is also undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of refractory depression, treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder and cocaine dependence.
