Link to ADHD?
Young has developed the hypothesis that many of the people who have symptoms of ME/CFS may have what could be considered “ADHD inattentive type” as they get older. Essentially, their ADHD symptoms have manifested themselves as fatigue, he said.
Building on that concept, Young obtained independent funding and published a study in 2012 in the journal Psychiatry Research about the effects of LDX (lisdexamphentamine) — also known commercially as Vyvanse — on those with ME/CFS. Vyvanse has been approved by the FDA to treat ADHD as well as binge-eating disorder, although not specifically for ME/CFS.
“We found that patients with ME/CFS who were treated with LDX have far less fatigue and pain than those treated with placebo,” he said.