Why has the doctor suggested trying dexamphetamine instead of methylphenidate?
Some people get better results from dexamphetamine, while others get better results from methylphenidate. Currently it is not possible to predict which stimulant will be most effective for a particular person. In choosing the medication, the doctor has taken into account individual symptoms and circumstances. If one stimulant medication does not relieve the symptoms, the doctor may suggest trying the other. Up until recently, dexamphetamine was the less expensive of the short-acting stimulant medications due to its listing as a pharmaceutical benefit on the Commonwealth Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). In August 2005 short-acting methylphenidate (Ritalin®) was also included on the PBS as a treatment for ADHD (Attenta® was listed on the PBS in December 2005) and can now be obtained for around the same cost as dexamphetamine. (The supply of Attenta® in Australia was discontinued in November 2008, and it was removed from the PBS in April 2009.) Long-acting (or extended-r
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- Why has the doctor suggested trying dexamphetamine instead of methylphenidate?
