Posted by utopizen on October 10, 2003, at 13:40:24
In reply to whats the difference between dextro, Levo, meth?, posted by superRitchie on October 10, 2003, at 11:55:15
Dextro (dexedrine) is d-amphetamine, the d-isomer was isolated in the 60's by Smith Kline & French. About twice as potent as d,l amphetamine (racemic amphetamine, sold under the brand name benzedrine by Smith Kline at the time, and eventually made obsolete by Dexedrine).
Adderall is 75% l amphetamine isomer, or the "left side" of the amphetamine molecule. It contains 25% d-amphetamine (dextro/dexedrine). It's slightly more complicated than this, because actually it's 3 salts of the amphetamine molecule, but it can be thought of this way to simplify things. (the third is s-amphetamine).
Methamphetamine is sold by Ovation Pharmaceuticals, which recently acquired it from Abbot Labs a year ago. It's only sold as a short-acting formulation, immediate release, and only is available in 5mg tablets. They're likely to make a longer-acting formulation, but this may take a couple of years at least. It's sold under the brand name Desoxyn, and is not available as a generic. It's the only amphetamine that is not sold as a generic.
Desoxyn is d-amphetamine. The average daily dose is 20-25mg, according to the PDR. It's more potent than Dexedrine, which is dosed between 5-60mg over a day's time. Don't confuse this with Dexedrine spansules, which last 6-12 hours rather than Dexedrine immediate release, which lasts 4-6 hours. Dexedrine spansules rarely last more than 6 hours, but they claim otherwise. It's a 60's drug, it's not so advanced.
Desoxyn was patented by Abbot Labs on December 31, 1943, and is indicated in the treatment of exogenous obesity (short-term treatment) and AD/HD. I use it myself for my ADHD and "idiopathic hypersomnolence" or "atypical narcolepsy" (I'm tired without other symptoms).
Desoxyn acts more potently at the site of the brain, and less so in inducing peripherial effects, or side-effects in general, than other amphetamines. It is classified as a Controlled Schedule Class II drug, like all other stimulants, including Dexedrine and Adderall.
Adderall is sometimes more effective for people because it's a mixture of d and l amphetamine, and this can sometimes be helpful to people who don't find efficacy from Dexedrine. In my opinion, it's over-hyped, and most could do just as well if not better on either Dexedrine or Desoxyn. I would try Ritalin, Dexedrine or Adderall before trying Desoxyn, just so your doc is more comfortable with things.
Desoxyn has been therapeutically used in the treatment of AD/HD since 1944, and has millions of patient years for this treatment. Its efficacy is unquestionable solid, and its safety is just as established as Dexedrine, if not more so, since Dexedrine is over a decade newer than it. It was a revolutionary treatment for attention deficit disorders, and has yet to be matched.
poster:utopizen
thread:267810
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031010/msgs/267862.html