amphetamines - Page 1 | CARLAT PUBLISHING

When ADHD Isn’t ADHD: A Cautionary Case

August 22, 2025

A reminder that focus problems don’t always mean ADHD. That suffering doesn’t always need a label. And that quick relief can sometimes do lasting harm.

Clinical Update

Vyvanse Goes Generic: An Amphetamine Apart

November 1, 2024

David Liebers, MD and Chris Aiken, MD

David Liebers, MD. Psychiatry resident at NYU Langone, Department of Psychiatry.

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Assistant Professor, NYU Langone Department of Psychiatry. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC.

Dr. Liebers and Dr. Aiken have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Known for lower misuse potential and a smoother effect profile, lisdexamfetamine stands out in ADHD treatment. This article explores what makes it unique among stimulants.

Clinical Update

Stimulant Dosing Limits

August 7, 2023

Chris Aiken, MD and Kelvin Quiñones-Laracuente, MD, PhD.

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Assistant Professor, NYU Langone Department of Psychiatry. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC.

Kelvin Quiñones-Laracuente, MD, PhD. Psychiatry resident, NYU Langone Medical Center.

Drs. Aiken and Quiñones-Laracuente have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Dosing is not a collaborative venture when it comes to controlled substances, and here we look for the safe upper limits of stimulant dosing.

Expert Q&A

Karen Moeller, PharmD. Clinical professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. Lawrence, KS. Board-certified psychiatric pharmacist, inpatient psychiatry unit, University of Kansas Health Systems. Kansas City, KS.

Dr. Moeller has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Drug screen accuracy depends on several factors, including the type of lab test, the number of hours since the patient’s use of the drug, and more.. Dr. Moeller reviews key points.

Elvis, Adderall, and a Broken Heart - Part 1

January 29, 2023

Kellie Newsome, PMHNP and Chris Aiken, MD

A new medical investigation changes our understanding of Elvis Presley’s untimely death and offer some pearls for modern psychiatric practice.

10 Psychopharm Commandments #1

September 5, 2022

Chris Aiken, MD and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP

Antidepressants in mania and stimulants in psychotic disorders get called out in our first psychopharm commandment.

How to Treat ADHD in Bipolar Disorder

November 5, 2021

Chris Aiken, MD.

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Aiken has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Are stimulants risky in bipolar disorder? And which is safer – methylphenidate or amphetamine? Chris Aiken, MD, lays out a practical approach to the overlap of bipolar disorder and ADHD.

Stimulants and Creativity

February 3, 2021

Sean Ransom, PhD.

Sean Ransom, PhD. Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans, and Clinical Director, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center of New Orleans. Dr. Ransom has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Does ADHD bring creative strengths? Can stimulants dampen creative thought? New research suggests they can, but the effect varies by patient.

Stimulants as Cognitive Enhancers

November 15, 2019

Chris Aiken, MD.

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report.

From the Oval Office to the college dorm, stimulants are often used as performance-enhancing drugs. The ethics of this practice are questionable, but so is the science. New research suggests their pro-cognitive effects are mild at best and come with an unexpected cost on working memory.

New Augmentation Strategies in OCD

July 3, 2019

Michael Posternak, MD.

Michael Posternak, MD. Psychiatrist in private practice, Boston, MA. Dr. Posternak has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Two medications show promise in OCD, and their mechanisms are novel: one glutamatergic, one dopaminergic.