• Medication Type: Stimulant
  • Drug Class: Amphetamine
  • Form: Liquid
  • Duration: Short (4 to 6 hours)

Advantages
One of four liquid preparations of amphetamines, thus easier for children to swallow and dose can be more easily fine-tuned.

Disadvantages
Short-acting. Moderately expensive, does not come in a generic and is not usually covered by insurance.

There are about 50 FDA-approved ADHD medications, but only a handful of unique ones. Drug companies create the extra versions by changing the dosage, delivery method (pill, liquid, patch, etc.), and duration (short-acting vs. long-acting).

Use our Medication Lookup Table to filter by duration, medication, and delivery method to find the options that fit your needs.

To learn more, buy the book on Amazon.

ADHD Medications: Does It Work and Is It Save? 
Available on Amazon

Here is an excerpt from the book:

Excerpt from the book: ADHD Medications: Does It Work and Is It Save? Available on Amazon

Procentra is one of four liquid preparations of amphetamine approved for the treatment of ADHD. Dexedrine is available as a liquid, but like Procentra, it is short acting (3½–4 hours). Dynavel XR and Adzenys ER are also amphetamine liquids, and they are long-acting liquids. A liquid preparation of amphetamine might be easier than a capsule for some children to take. However, because Procentra employs immediate-release dextro-amphetamine only, it will require multiple doses per day, potentially producing the roller-coaster effect described in Chapter 8 on side effects.

Procentra has two advantages over other pill preparations of amphetamine:

  1. Because it is a liquid, Procentra dose can be more easily customized specifically for children who are very sensitive to dose. By using a dropper or a marked medication cup, the dose of Procentra can be customized specifically for each child.
  2. Procentra is bubble-gum flavored and easier to swallow than a pill.

Nevertheless, Procentra XR is still immediate release only. The biggest disadvantages to Procentra XR are that it is moderately expensive, does not come in a generic, and is not usually covered by insurance.