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Comment by timr | Hacker News Reader

The "fishy odor" is a classic hallmark of amine-containing compounds [1], of which Vyvanse has three [2], including a terminal amine, which is so infamous (at least in the di-amine form) for being smelly that they have delightful names like "Cadaverine" [3].

I don't know if the completely purified drug officially has an odor, but usually you get some free amines that come along for the ride. More likely, some got outside of the gelatin capsule during shipping.

[1] https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/amines-and-landsca...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisdexamfetamine#/media/File:L...

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaverine

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I pursonally took Vyvance brand name for over 1.5 years by opening the capsule and mixing it in a bottle of water. Never did it have a smell or taste. Even if Vyvance is manufactured with compounds that often have a smell or taste associated with them, the fact that this generic smelled almost certainly speaks to lower quality controls than the brand name based on my experience. At the very least it would speak to them choosing a component that smells over one that does not.

> Even if Vyvance is manufactured with compounds that often have a smell or taste associated with them

Just to be clear: it's not "associated" -- the drug itself probably smells, and you just didn't notice it. It's very, very common with drugs containing amines.

Metformin, for instance, has a distinctly fishy odor (but it also has a couple more amines):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metformin#/media/File:Metformi...

Yes, that could be true, it even likely is. The point I was making is that if I can take apart the capsule and drink the contents mixed with water without noticing a smell or taste, there is a significant difference between brand name Vyvance I aquired during that time and what the other commenter acquired. Given the odor is undesirable, I would say the meds they acquired were much lower quality than the brand name ones I had (which of course I am just assuming are reletively representative).

from my experience washing some mediocre amphetamine cooks,

the fishy smell is not characteristic of pure amphetamine, but leftover methylamines from synthesis.

vyvanse adds a lysine but none of these amines are free. it’s odorless as well, but any lysine esthers leftover will stank.

it was shit product

Good info. Thank you. Only one batch had that very distinct fish odor. Was right after the Vyvanse patent lapsed and went generic.

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