Reported Reactions

Drugs › Central nervous system stimulant

Generic name

Dextroamphetamine sulfate: adverse event reports filed with FDA

1,251 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Central nervous system stimulant. Also reported as Dextroamphetamine Sulfate Extended Release, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate Extended-Release Capsules, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate Extended Release Capsules.

1,251
reports as suspect product
0% of all reports · about 56 a year
57
reports, 12 months to June 2026
81 in the 12 months before
41.2%
marked serious by the reporter
45% across the class
3.1%
record death among outcomes, as reported
39 reports · not verified by FDA

Between January 2004 and June 2026, 1,251 adverse event reports received by FDA list dextroamphetamine sulfate, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (2,406) are left out of every figure here.

In the 12 months to June 2026, 57 reports listed it, down 30% from 81 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 56 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 1.1% of the reports for the central nervous system stimulant class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.

The reactions recorded most often are drug ineffective (32.5%), somnolence (6.6%) and fatigue (6.5%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 310 different terms appear across these reports. Drug ineffective is recorded in 32.5% of these reports, a larger share than in the median central nervous system stimulant drug (17.8%).

41.2% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (45% across the class); 3.1% record death among the outcomes and 11.5% record hospitalisation, as reported. 61.2% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (19.7%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."

Reports by month, five years

0918Jul 2021: 1Aug 2021: 2Sep 2021: 2Oct 2021: 4Nov 2021: 2Dec 2021: 182022Jan 2022: 7Feb 2022: 2Mar 2022: 8Apr 2022: 0May 2022: 0Jun 2022: 4Jul 2022: 7Aug 2022: 7Sep 2022: 9Oct 2022: 4Nov 2022: 11Dec 2022: 142023Jan 2023: 7Feb 2023: 3Mar 2023: 11Apr 2023: 6May 2023: 7Jun 2023: 8Jul 2023: 7Aug 2023: 2Sep 2023: 7Oct 2023: 2Nov 2023: 6Dec 2023: 62024Jan 2024: 2Feb 2024: 3Mar 2024: 12Apr 2024: 11May 2024: 5Jun 2024: 10Jul 2024: 5Aug 2024: 7Sep 2024: 4Oct 2024: 11Nov 2024: 13Dec 2024: 12025Jan 2025: 5Feb 2025: 7Mar 2025: 5Apr 2025: 6May 2025: 8Jun 2025: 9Jul 2025: 3Aug 2025: 4Sep 2025: 2Oct 2025: 5Nov 2025: 15Dec 2025: 52026Jan 2026: 4Feb 2026: 4Mar 2026: 5Apr 2026: 4May 2026: 5Jun 2026: 1

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

By year received

0631252004: 3420042005: 542006: 312007: 12520072008: 492009: 382010: 3720102011: 162012: 202013: 2020132014: 212015: 832016: 8220162017: 562018: 962019: 4120192020: 772021: 452022: 7320222023: 722024: 842025: 7420252026: 23

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Dextroamphetamine sulfate reports recording the termmedian drug in central nervous system stimulant

  1. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected32.5%407
  2. Somnolencedrowsiness6.6%83
  3. Fatiguetiredness6.5%81
  4. Anxietyanxiety6.4%80
  5. Headachehead pain6.2%77
  6. Disturbance in attentiondifficulty concentrating5.6%70
  7. Feeling abnormalfeeling odd or not right5.4%68
  8. Insomniadifficulty sleeping5%62
  9. Nauseafeeling sick5%62
  10. Depressionlow mood4.8%60
  11. Product substitution issuea problem after switching products4%50
  12. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness3.4%43
  13. Intentional overdosea deliberate overdose2.9%36
  14. Irritabilityirritability2.8%35
  15. Product quality issuea problem with the product itself2.7%34
  16. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label2.4%30
  17. Dry mouthdry mouth2.3%29
  18. Hypertensionhigh blood pressure2.3%29
  19. Blood pressure increaseda raised blood pressure reading2.2%28
  20. Heart rate increaseda fast heart rate reading2.2%28
  21. Toxicity to various agentspoisoning or toxic effect of one or more substances2.2%28
  22. Palpitationsawareness of the heartbeat2.2%27
  23. Therapeutic response decreasedthe medicine worked less well2%25
  24. Drug interactionan interaction between medicines1.9%24
  25. Tachycardiafast heart rate1.9%24
  26. Adverse eventan unwanted medical event, type not specified1.8%23
  27. Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse1.8%23
  28. Tremorshaking1.7%21
  29. Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell1.6%20

Top 30 of 310 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 26 drugs in the central nervous system stimulant class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Outcomes recorded

Death3.1%39
Life-threatening2.8%35
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)11.5%144
Disability2.4%30
Congenital anomaly0.5%6
Other serious32.7%409
Not serious58.8%735

Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 109,804 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Patients and reporters

Patient age

Under 20.5%6
2 to 113.1%39
12 to 174.2%53
18 to 4419.7%246
45 to 6415.3%191
65 to 744.3%54
75 and over0.9%11
Age not given52%651

Patient sex

Female46.4%580
Male37.9%474
Not given15.7%197

Who reported

Physician14.9%186
Pharmacist5.7%71
Other health professional13.9%174
Lawyer0.2%3
Consumer or non-health professional61.2%766
Not given4.1%51

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 79.1% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder25920.7%
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder12910.3%
Narcolepsy1139%
Depression282.2%
Ill-defined disorder80.6%
Anxiety20.2%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 1,251 reports.

In context

MeasureDextroamphetamine sulfateCentral nervous system stimulantAll reports
Reports as suspect product1,251109,80420,646,523
Share of that pool—1.1%0%
Reports, latest 12 months57—1,332,454
Marked serious41.2%45%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports317991
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports115129213
Consumer-filed share61.2%57.1%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsDrug ineffective 32.5%median 17.8%6.3%

Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Other drugs in the central nervous system stimulant class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
Vyvansebrand17,54662725.7%
Daytranabrand13,703545.6%
Concertabrand10,83428165.2%
Adderallbrand10,07462238%
Methylphenidategeneric6,48373874.2%
Ritalinbrand6,14717575.2%
Methylphenidate hydrochloridegeneric5,91670357.7%
Excedrinbrand5,5304727.5%
Excedrin Migrainebrand4,6629712.1%
Amphetaminegeneric4,38848696.1%
Lisdexamfetamine dimesylategeneric4,30071373.1%
Caffeinegeneric3,72134892.8%
Excedrin Extra Strengthbrand3,2425330.1%
Quillivantbrand2,0109211.1%
Focalinbrand1,8328039.1%

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.

Questions about Dextroamphetamine sulfate reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Dextroamphetamine sulfate?

1,251 reports list Dextroamphetamine sulfate as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 57 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 2,406 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Dextroamphetamine sulfate reports?

drug ineffective (32.5%), somnolence (6.6%), fatigue (6.5%), anxiety (6.4%) and headache (6.2%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Dextroamphetamine sulfate was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

41.2% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 3.1% of reports include death and 11.5% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.

Who files these reports?

consumer or non-health professional (61.2%), physician (14.9%) and other health professional (13.9%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Dextroamphetamine sulfate rising?

57 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 30% from 81 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.

Do these reports show that Dextroamphetamine sulfate was responsible for these reactions?

No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.

Is this a list of the side effects of Dextroamphetamine sulfate?

No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.

How do I report an adverse event?

Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Dextroamphetamine sulfate as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (2,406) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.