Does Vyvanse Work?

Alec, (9 years old 30mg) started taking Vyvanse today 8-16-07,
about 7am and off to school he went. I have emailed his teacher to tell her
of the change in meds. I will try and keep you posted. Jean

My daughter (9yrs old) began taking Vyvanse 2 weeks ago. The first night she was only able to sleep for about 3 hrs; however, she has been sleeping well since then. She complains that her stomach “feels wierd” but does not “hurt”. I have noticed that she is more quiet and less hyperactive (about the same as a child without ADHD). She even started reading a book on her own —WITHOUT me doing the usual song-and-dance! That was huge!!! Since school has not started and she has only been on the medication for 2 weeks it is difficult to REALLY tell how well Vyvanse is going to work for her. So far, I am hopeful.

As an adult with ADD, I am currently taking Vyvanse, I switched over after using Adderall tablets for the past 10 yrs. I have found
the Vyvanse works as well as the Adderall tabs, without the up and down feeling, more level throughout the day because
it is an extended release medication. The duration has been 12 hours which amazes me because the meds generally dont last
as long as the Drug Companies suggest. The onset of the medication seems to be very consistent every day about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Overall, I give the Vyvanse high marks

Ellis B

I gave my son a 30 mg Vyvanse at 11:30 am following a Dr. appointment by 3:00 pm I had a different child, Yes Please, No thank you, is there any thing I can do to help, all the questions and responses a parent longs to hear after pounding morals, values and ethics down their throats since they could talk and walk. I always knew that he knew the rules and what he should and should not do. Never myself suffering from ADHD I guess made it hard to understand if he knew them so well why would he not follow them to avoid being in trouble. Last year I tried him on statera and concerta each for 1 week the side affects were so horid I refused to give them to him. With the vyvanse he had trouble falling asleep the first night due to the time given I beleive, the next day a small headache and a “weird Belly” after that no side affects. He has been on them for 1 week and 2 days, the arguing in my house has stopped, he has been in school for 1 week, great reports from teachers. I am a parent who has a hard time giving my child medication so I have done a ton of research and found that some children after 1 year on Vyvanse no longer needed to be medicated. It was also recomended to me by my sons pediatrition not to tell school if possible that your child is on meds as they will try to tell you they need more so they can have zoned out kids. My son is on the lowest dose and doing very well. Thanks to Vyvanse. This medicine did NOT change my sons personality at all, he is not dazed, unhappy or frusterated. I also recomend to ask your child as I do, ” Do you like who and how you are better on or off the medicine?” If he ever said he did not want to take it anymore I would take him off after all it is his body and I do not know how the medicine makes him feel, Just my opinion.

By the way, the comments from bloggers have been much more informative and helpful! Thanks

I realized later that we have another positive with Vyvanse. My 11 year son has enter that unsettling state of puberty. I had noticed a lot of agressive behaviors, these have decrease significantly over the last few days.

I think it has been approved for adults in the US, at least enough for doctors to start prescribing it. I start on it tomorrow. My doctor is starting me on the lowest dose and we will see what happens from there to see if we need to titrate up. I seem to have chemically resistant ADD. I have tried Ritalin, dexedrine, wellbutrin, adderall, concerta and a bunch of others I can’t remember (of course) but didn’t get any benefits and only bad side effects. I am hopeful. It is good to read the blog and see at least kids seem to be getting some benefit. I was diagnosed with ADD before it was even called ADD. We will see what happens. I am also curious to hear from other adults.

I am a 25 year old adult who was just diagnosed. I have never tried any other ADD meds, but my dr. put me on vyvanse 30 mg (even though it appears not yet to be FDA approved for adults).

I saw results immediately. My 10 am on my 2nd day, my desk was clean, my projects were updated, i had a list for the day/week, and I was on task. I had a lot of the side effects–decreased appetite, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, but all of them except dry mouth wore off after a couple days.

Unfortunately, it seemed, so did the meds. After 5 or so days on the medicine, my body was back to normal, but so were my habits/behaviors.

Today is day 6, and this morning, I took 2 pills, just to see if that would make a difference. It seems to be. I feel again like I am on day 1. Very well organized and on task, but again with the dry mouth and dec. appetite. I did notice that the dry mouth seems to stick around, even with plenty of fluid intake. I can have my bladder about to burst, but still be dry in the mouth.

Also, I guess at the height of the drug’s affect on me, I feel a little bit zoned–like a zombie. But not in a bad sense. I enjoy being able to focus.

Overall I like it. I don’t have any comparisons to make, though.

Dear AD,
I am curious how your doing with double dose? And if you could possibly explain to me how long after you take your meds does it seem to take effect ya know like 1/2 hour or hour, and how do you tell when it starts working, what does it feel like? and when you say at the height of the effect, when does that usualy happen and if you were 11 yrs old would it be weird to you? i am just tring to understand what this med does to my son. he is not really old enough to explain. I figure you are at a great age to be able to verbalize what it does and how it does it. Thank you and I hope you are doing well.

Hi Mary,
That is a great question.
I don’t know if vitamin C has any interaction with Vyvanse.
I will look into it and let you know what I find. It may take a little bit of time…
Dr. Kenny

I work a typical sit on your bum for 9 hours a day office job. I only did the double-dose one day because I’m new to these meds and wanted my free 30 day trial to last as long as possible.

for me it doesn’t seem to be taking very long to take effect. I take it at 7:30 am as I leave for work, and by the time I wade through email by 9 am I am ready to settle in. The strongest days–day 1 and the day with a double dose, I noticed the most effects at 10am to noon. I don’t know that I feel very much, except the dry mouth and dec. appetite. Just that I am able to concentrate on tasks. I don’t really know how to explain it…I guess, I feel like things going on around me almost fade into the background, everything gets quieter, and I zone in on what I’m doing.

My dr. explained ADD to me kind of like someone changing the channel in your brain. And your brain has no power to say, “no, it’s not time to watch that channel right now, I need to do ___ task.” I DO feel slightly less prone to those distractions now. I don’t jump from task to task as easily…I used to LIVE on msnbc and cnn.com, and now I will get to the end of the day and realize I haven’t checked them. So maybe that helps you understand your son…if something happens off to the side or in the background, his brain might change focus to that event quickly, but on vyvanse, it shouldn’t be as noticeable.

As for how it all might seem to an 11-year-old, I have no idea. except being thirsty, not being hungry, and

Let’s see, there is one other thing I could maybe say about how I feel. When this medicine is at the height of its effect during the day, the zombie or zoning feeling I guess, is kind of similar to how I feel when I’m drugged up on powerful cold medicine when I’m sick. You know how you kind of feel unaware of your environment when you’re on that stuff? Kind of light-headed and aloof? It’s a little similar to that, with the very big difference that I don’t feel light-headed or aloof…I just feel like I am in my little zone and am not as aware to what’s going on everywhere else.

What I DON’T feel is like I’m on any sort of speed. I know when I drink caffeine, I can feel the tension in my body, feel my heart speed up, get jittery, etc. I don’t feel any of that on this med. Incidentally, I try to avoid caffeine now, since I thought putting 2 stimulants in my body was a bad idea. Finally, I had several drinks the first night I took vyvanse, and I think that was a terrible idea. I couldn’t sleep at all that night.

A week and a half now is how long I’ve been on 30 mg, and I think I’m going to ask about increased dosage. It’s a little bit of an improvement now, but I still get distracted a lot during the day. I’ve been working on my habits as well–making lists, etc., but still have been unable to finish things up. I don’t really know what to expect over the long term, but I would enjoy the concentration and energy levels I had those first couple days.

Finally, about sleep. I have typically been a guy who needs 8-plus hours. On vyvanse, the first few days I had trouble falling asleep, but that has gone away by now. However, I notice that I can stay up later now, and I don’t have that much trouble getting up in the mornings. I don’t have to have 8 full hours.

Hope that helps.

Dear AD and Marty,

I am an adult ADHD doing a desk job that I can’t take much longer. I have tried Wellbutrin to quit smoking but it gave me bad headaches and hyperactivity (even worse than my normal / ADHD behavior). I have been afraid to pursue other medications because I am usually highly sensitive to drug effects - and side effects. I can’t deal with headache or nauseau - and those seem to be common side-effects.

Marty, did you really not get any results from adderal or ritalin?

AD, please keep posting. I will watch for your comments.

I have lived with Adult ADD and ADD all my life. Only recently have I been self diagnosed. I am 35 years old and when I was a child ADD was never really mentioned since I did not have ADHD and could concentrate and I was polite and relatively well behaved. However, I have consistently underachieved considering my knowledge and talent. I also tend to talk non-stop and say whatever comes to mind which since I am nice (was not always) I am usually very blunt and honest. Not everyone likes this trait. The truth is that I never realized that when I did try to concentrate I always got frustrated and could not focus. Also my thoughts were always very associative and I tend to jump from conversation to conversation without notice or obvious connection. Every ADD test I have taken I answer almost yes on every question and yet because till now I did not have insurance so I have not been properly diagnosed. I have also tried a few ADD meds that friends gave me and I tried them. I tried Adderall, Strattera, Ritalin and Vyvanse. I must say that I did not like taking any of the ADD meds besides Vyvanse. I felt most myself. I must say I have never till recently experimenting with ADD meds realize at how functioning I could be. I always felt that something was wrong with me although I am very bright. I also was till recently (because my fiance is a neuroscientist) did not consider I was ADD (I thought I had to be hyperactive) and I was against meds. I have always been or tried to be a homeopath and looked into alternative Chinese and food related cures. However, none worked like Vyvanse and now that I am insured I want to be diagnosed and prescribed I think this. I really felt good, not speedy, not Megomanial, not queasy, not edgy or wired like I did with the other meds and strattera made me feel drowsy like i was doped, than edgy and than I liked it but I did not like the leading up to it.

I am looking forward to talking Vyvanse for more than a few days but those few days I felt the most myself I have felt since I recall and I was also pleasant to deal with. With the ritalin and others I think I came across very eloquently but like I was on speed. This is not what I want for I am usually a calm person. This is the first time I have ever looked at a fourum like this on ADD and it makes me feel better to see people that share what I have gone through for so long and I had no idea! I thought I was spacey and liked to day dream! I plan to learn more and work on myself outside of drugs through practing excercies. Take care all of you!

Dear AD and Dr. Kenny, Parents,
I stopped giving my son the Vitamins and his meds are working much better again still not the same as the first 2 weeks, but enough that I do not have to increase the dosage so soon. I have also noticed when he drinks Gatoraid he seems to have a harder time I do not know if it is the dye or the vitamins in it or what but if he drinks propel or the clear drinks he is fine. AD once again thank you so much for helping me to understand how the ADD makes you feel aswell as the meds. For those of you with children on this med we started a new chart system on the same day he started his meds it is a work to earn chart, He has 8 behaviors and or chores on his chart, he earns $0.10 for every sticker he receives and has to pay $0.10 for every sad face on his chart., this replaces regular allowance. We allow him to earn extra money by doing extra chores for us or his Grandma, sometimes he does not even recognise he has done something extra and when we go over his chart at night he is so excited that he earned extra money and that we noticed he did an extra. I plan to raise the amount of items on his chart every month for example next month he will have 9 behaviors or chores the following month 10 ect… He loves this program it is however very important to make sure you inforce the pay for sad face no matter how hard it is on you or your child. One of our huge problems in the past has been begging to spend the money he has for allowance, gifts ect.. we made a deal that if he goes a full month without asking us to spend that money we will double it, he has not yet asked to spend a dime of it. We keep a seperate container with chart money seperate from all other money, it is very exciting for them to see how much they have earned, we count it togehter about every 3 or 4 days. Make sure you put a few items on their chart that you know they can do, so they can earn some money. It was a huge improvement in our house with getting chorese done. In all the research I have done on meds and with ADD or ADHD it seems that getting a good daily routine and the meds seem to help better then meds alone, aswell it teaches your child a daily routine of what is expected and what will not be tolerated these become learned behaviors after time, so when it is time to stop meds they have an easier time adjusting as they have done the same thing every day over and over again. Thank you again for all the information, I hope every one is doing well, this is by far the most informative post I have came across, I check it several times a day just to see how everyone is doing and if there is any new info. Keep up the good work everyone.

Hello everyone.
I am a 28 year old male who was diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager. Since being diagnosed I have taken EVERY ADHD medicine available in the US, including the rarely prescribed Desoxyn (methamphetamine).

I have been on 50mg Vyvanse now for about a month. This drug has something special about it.
With other drugs such as Adderall XR or Concerta or any immediate release solution, I always get decent results but I DO end up feeling ’stimulated’.
Vyvanse is different. With Vyvanse I do not really notice being on the drug, but the positive results remain! There is no anxiety, over-stimulation, or really ANY side-effects for me.

This is a wonderful medication for me. I know everyone reacts differenly to medications but if there are other Adults with ADHD that are having less than stellar results from their current medication, certainly consider asking your physician to let you give Vyvanse a try. It has affected my life in a very positive way and I feel that feeling that I first felt when I was initially treated for my condition: I have found something that makes living with ADHD tolerable again!

I am thrilled with Vyvanse to say the least.
I think it will definitely win approval in adults once the processing is through and go on to be very helpful to a lot of people.

Thank you for listening!

My son is 8 years old and had been taking adderall for 3 years. The adderall made him aggressive and when he came down it was horrible! I thought I would give this new med a try since the other common ones did the exact or nothing!

It has been 2 weeks and I can say that it is great. He is not aggressive anymore, less focus than the adderall though. He seems to be a happier child. The 30 mg dosage was a bit much for him. The first dose was way to much because it caused tics, he kept pulling at his shirt and did not fall asleep until 2am. He was given the first dose at 6:30 am!!! I empty some out, about 1/4 and give the rest in yogurt and that took away the ugly tics and squirmy feeling.

I really like it. If he didnt need any meds that would be better but this one seems to fit really nice.

Good luck!
Nic

My 11 yr. old son was just given a script for Vyvanse 50mg today. I really hope it works!! We have tried everything with him and it either doesn’t work at all or he has terrible mood swings and aggression when the meds start to wear off. We just also weaned him off of Risperdal and may add Abilify has anyone tried this comb. of meds?? Any info would be appreciated!! I will leave more info tomorrow once he has his first dose of Vyvanse!! Wish me luck!!!

Kristina:
I am a 28-year old male adult, but I can report that I take Vyvanse 50mg and Abilify 30mg with very favourable results. Those two meds work very well for me.

I am indeed wishing you good luck and hoping your son’s experience with those meds is as favorable as mine is.

Mary & all,
Hello again. I just wanted to give you an update on vyvanse for me. It’s been 2 weeks now, I guess, and it seems like things are balancing out. I take one 30mg pill each morning at 7:30.

First, the side effects: the sleeplessness has disappeared. The appetite is still a little bit suppressed, but I actually am a little thankful for that, if you know what I mean. This week, I’ve been eating breakfast on the way to work and skipping lunch–not at all typical for me! I usually get hungry every few hours. By the time I get home around 6 pm, the medicine is worn off and I’m getting hungry. The dry mouth is still there, but not quite as bad, or maybe I’m just getting used to it. But overall, I’d say the side effects have really calmed down.

The effect of the meds: It’s hard for me to say. If I take one pill now, I hardly feel anything. None of the zoning out I mentioned above, none of the speedy gonzalez I saw in the first couple days. I actually wouldn’t even be able to tell you I’m on a medication. So I was starting to question its effectiveness, thinking I might need a higher dose. But this week I’ve noticed that my focus and concentration, although not perfect, seems to be ok. Like I said, although I don’t feel it physically, at the end of the day, my list is mostly crossed off, I’ve made good progress on my projects, and my casual internet surfing at work really seems to have diminished. So maybe this med is doing exactly what it’s supposed to now. On Saturday, I took two pills with a bowl of cereal at 10 am and came to work, and worked solid (iwthout eating) until midnight, went home and worked for 3 more hours and finally fell asleep around 4:30 am, and was right back out of bed at 9. With that kind of productivity, I can see why people get addicted to this stuff. Who needs sleep when you have speed?

So anyway, it seems like things are more balanced now. Decreased side effects, increased focus/concentration, and not a lot of awareness I’m on the med.

Dr. Kenny: you probably didn’t intend this particular post to end up being so famous, but congratulations for opening this forum for people to share their experiences. What a lifesaver. Keep it up. Are there other resources you’ve run across lately concerning vyvanse?

Nikki, I am like you. I am 25, never diagnosed until now. I am also reasonably healthy and have never been on any sort of long-term med. I was very nervous about starting vyvanse. I did a lot of casual research about ADD/ADHD online and I was so relieved to find out that the ADD brain actually shows a difference in function from the non-ADD brain. In other words, it’s not like you’re just trying to find a med to help you get caught up to everyone else. If you have been properly diagnosed, then it means your brain actually has trouble determining which of the activities going on around you should have priority. This treatment isn’t designed to just speed you up so you can get more done, the research actually shows that it enables the part of your brain that helps you set priorities and fend off distractions to keep up with all the other parts of your brain that are firing off messages all day long. In other words, it makes everything work together.

I suppose you could go out and spend a few thousand dollars getting your brain scanned too see if its activity matches up But even in this post, you display symptoms of ADD. Overwhelmed by a normal responsibility load, self-esteem issues in comparing yourself to others who seem to be able to perform better. Believe me, ADD is real, it’s not something everyone has just a little of, and there are effective treatments.

As far as the prescription strength goes: ultimately, you should talk to your dr. if you’re concerned about the dosage. But keep a couple of these things in mind. First, vyvanse is approved for children aged 6-12. As an adult, it makes sense to me that a smallest dose for a 6-12 year old might not cut it for you. It just depends on your build, your tolerance, and your individual reaction to it. Secondly, I haven’t been able to find out for sure, but from what I have seen, it seems like all the vyvanse pills, regardless of dosage, cost the same. So your dr. isn’t making extra money or anything by prescribing a higher dose. Again, though, if you have concerns, talk to him. I am concerned about why he chose vyvanse for me in the first place. It’s going to be hella expensive for me, and I wonder if an older drug that I can get in generic might be just as effective.

To the other adult ADDers out there. If you’re on vyvanse, let me share a tip. Use the most effective time during the day, usually about 3 hours after I take the med for me, to do some things that will help you succeed the rest of the day. Make a list, write down all the projects, tasks, phone calls, bills, etc. you have to do. The organization and focus you have on the med will help you remember and come up with a thorough list. Then, your prioritizing is already done, and if the med wears off, you still know what you should be doing.

Hope all out there are well, and keep sharing your experiences!

My son is 7 and is also ADHD with Bipolar comorbidity. We originally started out on Adderall. Due to his extremely fast metabolism (and he wasn’t diagnosed Bipolar yet), he maxed out on Adderall dosage in about 6 months. In comes Focalin. It worked pretty well, but caused extreme anxiety (VERY extreme). He also had pretty dramatic mood swings (rage to tears in a minutes span, tantrums worthy of any 2-year-old, violent outbursts) Enter Abilify. We loved it! He was very calm, even when the Focalin wore off. Sadly, too calm. He was also kind of a zombie. He used to be funny, happy active in sports, loved to swing and ride his bike. On Focalin he just wandered aimlessly and didn’t seem to settle on any one thing. The Abilfy helped somewhat, but not enough. And the anxiety became unbearable.

As summer wore on and he still hadn’t ridden his bike, touched the swingset or ridden his skateboard, I started to get frustrated. He would pace around the house, not really doing much of anything. Ultimately he was taken off the Focalin, and we saw his personality return. It was great! We also saw his uncontrollable energy, lack of impulse control and erratic mood swings.

ANYWAY… sorry to get off subject. What I’m getting at is this. We love the Abilify. But he obviously still needs ADHD meds. We will be starting Vyvanse on Tuesday. This blog really sets my mind at ease

Kristina: Regarding Melatonin, it didn’t work for my son. If it isn’t working, Ask your doctor about Clonidine. It is awesome!! One tablet at the same time as his Abilify and he’s asleep in 1/2 hour. For the whole night (usu 12 hrs). he wakes up fine, not groggy. Did I mention he sleeps ALL NIGHT?

Good luck. I will try to post the results of his Vyvanse after he’s been on it a while.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories. It especially helps to hear from an adult how it might make my 7-year-old feel. Since he probably won’t be able to tell me himself. And I’m glad to know that he will likely retain his great personality AND be able to focus. YAY!!

Shannon,

I just want to let you know your sons behavior is not so odd. When you finally find the “right” ADHD med an amazing thing happens; your brain is quiet and you can focus on things you have always wanted to do. The drawing might be something your son could never enjoy because of the noise in his head and the outside distractions. Eventually he will get accustomed to the sound of silence in his head.

TO THE LADY THAT SAID NOT TO TELL EDUCATORS ABOUT THEIR CHILD’S MED USE - HER VIEW IS RIDICULOUS!!!. I have been a teacher for 12 years and diagnosed with ADHD for 8. Schools do not ask for more meds to make children comatose. In fact schools can only say that your child exhibits signs of ADHD/ADD and that the parent might want to consult with a physician for further information. Furthermore, if you feel that the schools are trying to push medication on children you should spend some time volunteering in the classrooms so that you can witness how incorrect you are!

Jamie

I am a 19 years old, I was just diagnosed with ADHD …. ? Yea I think its bull but anyway, they just gave me a months free of Vyvanse to see if it helps…..Holy lord does it! In my younger years…. / a couple of years ago I was not on the right track and had tried everything, that includes Dope, Ritalin, Ritalout ! (jk) Adderall, Etc. I was reading that it is unabusable because it is a “Pro-Drug” which means it can only be absorbed into the body during the first pass through the Intestines/ and or Liver. It cannot be snorted, or injected. They say that 150 mg is equivalent to 40 mg of Dextroamphetamine. NOT EVEN CLOSE. Vyvanse is supposed to come in 30 50 and 70 mg capsules. However I have seen 25 and 90 mg capsules. Here is another chart
* Vyvanse 30 mg = Adderall XR 10 mg
* Vyvanse 50 mg = Adderall XR 20 mg
* Vyvanse 70 mg = Adderall XR 30 mg

Personally, 90mg would be more like 80 mg of adderall, with an INCREDIBLY long half life. It is potent. - Nate

i’m 31, recently diagnosed with ADD, was diagnosed with IED last year. been taking trileptal for the IED (the dosage keeps going up and won) and am now adding vyvanse to what seems like my infinite amount of medications. am also hyporthyroid/hashimoto’s and am taking synthroid as well as ambien cr for sleep. i feel like a walking pharmacy.

i really noticed vyvanse’s effects thet first two days (my house was more organized than it had been in years!) however opver the past week or so, i noticed that by the time 7pm arrives, i started feeling like i am having an anxiety attack - my throat feels like i can’t swallow, i feel like my heart is racing (though it’s not - i check my heartbeat), i feel like my eyelids could just snap closed and slightly dizzy.

has anyone had anything like this happen? is it just the end result of a day on vyvanse? my theory is that i’m soooo “high” (for a lack of a better word) during the day that by the time night gets here, i’m coming down. does that make sense?

at first i was afraid it was the new trileptal dosage so i stopped it, then i realized it was still going on with vyvanse so i stopped it and went med-free for two days. i returned to the norm again today and was so happy to feel somewhat organized at work and now here i am, worried again about the way i feel. it reminds me of a seratonin overdose (i had this happen a year ago while on lexapro and a diet pill prescribed by the doctor).

i don’t know, maybe i’m imagining it… ?

i’m so glad to find adults talking about using vvvanse. i felt like i had looked at every site before i found this one.

My son has been on Vyvanse for one month and he is a different little boy. I thought things were never going to change with him hitting and screaming at others, impulsive behaviour, bad days at school etc. He has been on several meds and they work for awhile but there are always side effects you just deal with. I am plkeased the first day he took the medicine we had a pretty rough day. The 2nd day he slept 1/2 the day away. By the next week he was visibly different you could see the change in every aspect he showed empathy to others he stopped and told me he wanted to hit his sister but didn’t went upstairs to cool off instead he is getting raving reports from his teacher at school. Last year he had a list 4 pages long of behaviour reports and red flags and 3 major offenses and a mile long list of minor offenses. Last year he would stand on tables and scream and push the tables around the room and throw chairs. Since beginning the Vyvanse he shows more control and respect to everyone not just because hes going to get in trouble but because he wants to “do the right thing” I know shocker!! He is a six year old out of control until Vyvanse thank you

Hi,

My daughter was diagnosed at 5 yrs (Kindergarten) but had many many issues in preschool. We started her on Adderall 20 mg at that time. It worked ok. In first grade (6yrs) we changed to Metadate in the morning, 4 hr focalin in the afternoon, and clonidine 0.1 for sleep. This combo worked decently except she gained 0 lbs and grew 4 inches that year. Okay, back to the drawing board for summer before 2nd grade. We changed to Daytrana in the begining of Aug 05. Amazing medicine, excellent effectiveness, horrible skin rash. What a nightmare, we tried olive oil on her skin, benedryl, & steroid cream. Poor thing had scars on her body for months. Needless to say, we needed a new med. From there we went to long acting focalin- no sleep at all, severe irritability. Then back to Adderall - which no longer worked except for keeping her awake and causing severe aggression. Started 3mg melatonin to nightly ritual. Didn’t work at first but after a week or two she was falling asleep on the couch (never had happened before. This child was the night owl of night owls). Eventually, we were giving her 4 hr Foclin 2mg 2x a day to try to finish out the school year. By the way her 2nd grade teacher was a nightmare to deal with during this whole time. Constantly riding my daughter and sending her to the principle for talking!!! This summer we were in a mad dash to find a med for her and get her settled before 3rd grade started. In comes pediatric neurologist. Ritalin LA 10 mg. Didn’t even touch her. Upped to 20 mg. Ehhhh, still not the right dose and 8 hrs after dose she was almost literally hitting the roof. She has alienated all of her friends by this point. Aug 1st increased to 30 mg, and adding back focalin 4hr 4 mg in afternoon and clonidine(continued since started). School starts….uh oh. Ok, she was decent for 8 hrs but severe rebounds. Two weeks into school we were spending 3 hrs on 20 min of homework. She could not sit still. I reluctantly called the neurologist yesterday. Vyvanse has been in the back of our mind since it came out (We didn’t want to be the first to try it). Today, first day, Vyvanse 30 mg. Of course she was at school so I havent seen the majority of the difference. She says she got in trouble today and got a “yellow warning slip” but it is 4:15 and she has been sitting still reading on the couch since she got home at 230. I have noticed she is pretty grumpy when I ask her a question but I can handle grumpy. I am praying that this medication will be “the one” that so many of you are discribing. I want my little girl to have friends like every other kid her age!!! I want her to be invited to sleep overs and birthday parties!!! I will let you know how it goes from here. Thank you to all of you who have spent the time to give others a ray of hope.

I am 24 years old and have been taking concerta for over 2 years. I am also going to school to be a pharmacist. My opinion on the new drug Vyvanse is that the drug company has developed this drug entirely to make a profit. The patent on Adderall XR will expire in 2009. That is why the drug company came out with Vyvanse; this patent will not expire until about 2023. The drug company Shire developed Adderall XR, Daytrana (the mehtylphenidate patch: which has been recalled) and now the drug Vyvanse. The new drug Vyvanse has not taken off like Shire would like to have seen happen. Also, this is a prodrug…. which may be beneficial because it cannot be abused. However, it is the first prodrug available. I personally do not want to be a guinea pig for a new drug eventhough it has been approved by the FDA….. Many drugs have been approved in the past, only to be recalled due to serious or life threatening side effects. Methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Concerta has been around for years and proven safe and effective. Vyvanse may be proven safe and effective in the future, but I would not give it to my child until it is marketed for several years.

I was just diagnosed with adhd at age 29. My doctor thought Vyvanse would be the best medication to try first because it would avoid the multiple doses and had a long life. I am keeping track of everything I experience on it in my blog at : http://ijustlearnedihaveadhdnowwhat.blogspot.com/

So anyone who would like to know my experience with it, you will see a new post daily about what I’m experiencing. I’m taking 30mg in the morning. I have never taken medication for adhd before so I don’t have previous experience but so far I do think it is helping and I’m not noticeing side effects that outweight the benefits.

DR -
My son was on Strattera last year - we’ve started the school year with without meds due to a problem with constipation - he was so severly constipated it took 3 months to straighten out. now while strattera 65mg (40 in am 25 at noon) worked it wore off quickly and contributed to the constipation issue. I’ve been working with his Dr to get him back on some kind of ADHD med - he has no impluse control and will act without thinking - with mood swings. i honestly thought this was just him so thank you for your web site & the blogs because now I see its not just him. He’s 9 years old & will be 10 in a couple of months, he weighs 133lbs, & is just shy of 5ft tall - my question is Vyvanse says its an appitite suppressent but can cause constipation - can he take Vyvanse with miralax - my dr is still checking but i would like your professional opinion - I really can’t go through another bout of constipation like we had at the end of the school year. Thanks for any feed back- also is there an ADHD med that doesn’t cause constipation? Thanks Again - Jill

Kim,
You talk about the fact that the medicine takes away your daughter’s personality.
To me, this is a real problem of a side effect.
I like to only allow this side effect to continue if all of the other treatments have been tried.
I would suggest talking to your doctor about the possibility of trying:
1) a methylphenidate medicine -i.e. Concerta, Metadate, Ritalin LA, etc
2) the non-stimulant strattera.
It is possible that she will still have good symptom control of her ADHD, but she may keep her vibrant personality.
Adderall XR and Vyvanse are essentially the same medicine, with minor differences.
I hope this helps with the issue of personality change and vyvanse.
Dr. Kenny

Hi Laura,
Generally, Vyvanse starts working within 1 hour.
Yes, you should be able to tell when vyvanse is working. It often has an ‘on and off’ feeling - i.e. you can tell when it is working, and when it isn’t.
If the 30 mg doesn’t seem to be doing anything, it is likely that you need a higher dose. Presumably your doctor gave you a lower dose to start and will increase the dose with time.
Can anyone share direct experiences with how it feels?
Thanks,
Dr. Kenny

“Adderall XR and Vyvanse are essentially the same medicine, with minor differences.” –Dr. Kenny

I disagree. I think that it could be argued that the difference in delivery method IS minor, but Vyvanse being 100% dextroamphetamine (and not having any levoamphetamine in it) may make a big difference. An improvement in the side effects on blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety that some people experience may be seen on the combination of both isomers (Adderal) when l-amphetamine is not in the mix. To my way of thinking, that is much more significant than the change in delivery method— which is an improvement in safety and an increase in one time dosage effectiveness as well.

Isn’t it true that d-amphetamine primarily affects dopamine, whereas l-amphetamine primarily affects dopamine but increases norepinephrine significantly more than d-amphetamine? Doesn’t that lead to less potent sympathetic nervous system side effects?

(BTW- I’ve been taking 30mg/day for a couple of weeks. I’ve had a few odd headaches and some dry mouth. The headaches could have been my typical sinus headaches. Vyvanse works well for 4-6 hours for me. I am hoping that and increase to 50mg/day will get me up to the 8-10 hour effect without impairing my sleep.)

I just started adderall (30 mg), and I have not really noticed a substantial effect. My doctor wants me to start 70mg of Vyvanse next week, so I will try that. I am also taking Wellbutrin (300mg), and I was wondering if anyone else is also taking it. I am concerned about the fact that my concentration is not much better on these meds.

From my experience medication creates a lot of problems, but for someone who has assimilated to taking medication, it is nearly impossible to get back to normal. Bi Polar and Add medication make you susceptable to internet mesmerization and brainwash, and can leave you a vagrant internet surfer for hours. It also gives you stomache problems, plus the dangers of an increased heart rate. Seroquel causes subjects to feel lathargic, especially in the morning, and acts as a hindrance to individual passions.

I anticipated problems for my 5 yr old son when he started Kindergarten and luckily he was placed with a teacher I had known for years so I felt I could be totally honest and open with her as her with me. I was totally against any kind of meds for a child that young and I contributed most of his behavior to being an only child and having a very creative/active personality. However, while he did stay on grade level, he did poorly in school. His father and I both work 9-5 stressful jobs and didn’t volunteer much at school. I tried every alternative to counteract his behavior from removal of sugars, artificial colors and preservatives to researching and trying some “all natural” remedies. At first there showed some signs of improvement but those were short lived. We managed to struggle thru 7 months of his kindergarten year before his teacher finally told me that he was facing suspension because of his behavior. She further said the suspension wasn’t for him; it was for them to get a rest from him. They couldn’t get thru the day with his constant talking and outbursts and he didn’t really listen to anyone telling him to be quite and still. Let me say that he doesn’t hit/fight and is very conscious of others and their feelings, he just can’t seem to control his outburst and talking. I also see signs of OCD with him as he is very structured and has to have familiar routines during the day, everyday.

My ped Dr. convinced me that by not allowing him medication was actually hurting him and was not allowing him to learn to his potential. Also let me say that my Dr. does not promote ADHD drugs and only agreed to this after he knew how many other alternatives we had tried. We started out with Daytrana and after a couple of weeks we noticed a difference. As for school, the year was almost over so we couldn’t get a good judge on how things were progressing. His mood swings were HORRIBLE! He has always been a happy loving child but when we would take the patch off he was almost unbearable after an hour of so and it would last for several hours. He also didn’t eat much with it. After a couple of months of being on the lowest dose we decided to up it. But we couldn’t get a control on the skin rash. While I loved the Daytrana it was breaking him out way too bad.

We started on the Vyvanse the first day school started - 1st grade. He is with a teacher I do not know well and so far I can’t get a feel for. After a couple of weeks of me pressuring her to give me daily reports of his behavior she finally told me he was not on grade level and she could not see him ever getting there with his behavior. So after 1 month we upped his dosage to 50mg. He does have better days now but I have noticed he blinks his eyes allot and rubs them. He has been on the 50 mg for 2 1/2 weeks now and the eye rubbing and blinking seems to be getting worse. He also hardly eats anything during the day but seems to get hungry around bed time. He does sleep all night but sometimes has trouble falling asleep. At home on the weekends he is very quite and we can only determine that he still has trouble at school because of all the added distraction with the other kids. Because at home he’s a perfect angel while he’s on the Vyvanse.

After not being a fan of ADHD meds, I can certainly see how they help. I do think Vyvanse is doing great and overall I like the effects. He does not have the mood swings at all. And he is eating, even though it’s typically late. I think the medication wears off around the 10-12 hour mark also.

The teacher says most of his behavior issues are in the morning and it’s usually around 10-10:30 before he settles down. I give him his Vyvanse at 7:30 but I do give him a multi-vitamin in the morning so I am wondering if it is causing the problem. I will start giving it to him at night and see if that helps. He has always suffered from chronic constipation and now that his eating has slowed we do have to keep him on Mirlax to keep him regular. But he’s been on/off Mirlax since he was an infant. So that does help.

My only concern is the new eye blinking/rubbing thing. Could it be a “tick”? I have left a message with my Dr. to discuss. I am just wondering if we can back him off the 50 mg back down to the 30mg and not give him the multi-vitamin to see if that does anything.

Sorry this blog is so long but I feel there is a need to try and explain my story so that others can relate. My baby is only 6 years old and trying him on medication has been hard. But I do feel Vyvanse has been a help. I just worry about the long term effects.

Hi,
I have recently been diagnosed with ADD as an adult. My Dr. prescribed Vyvanse. 30mg for 2 weeks then 50mg for 2 weeks. 1st dose at 30mg made my stomach queasy. I remember thinking “how can kids tolerate this”. My 2nd dose I took it with food which was much better on my stomach. The 30mg did nothing for me as far as work and home was concerned. I emailed my Dr. and he had me start on the 5omg. Again not working for home or work. I would find myself staring at my sheets at work wondering what to do with them. My Dr. then gave a prescription for Vyvanse 70mg. I happened to go on vacation when I started the 70mg. I would moments of “wow I’m impressed” and moments of “this is not working”. I would however get days the I would “tweak” meaning that I would spend the whole day with tics, such as the need to contract my throat and neck muscles. I have never done this before. Needless to say the following day I would have a sore throat (my entire neck). My other tic was when I exhaled I would fell the need to contract my abdomen to expel my breath. I also found myself going round in circles (literally circling the living room) because I needed to do something but could not remember what it was. At work, I did not feel “productive”, it seems like I was getting less work done than before. The one positive experience that I had with the Vyvanse, is that I was actually able to sit and watch an entire movie, I was mentally there with the movie. I have never been able to do this. I am no longer on Vyanse.
Liz

I am so lost when it comes to this medicine! My 7 yr old is on 30mg. He is 87 lbs. Started it almost 2 weeks ago. The first few days were great but now by 6 pm he has trouble concentrating and starts doing weird things with his mouth (I looked it up, its tourettes, caused by ADD) Better word would be “tics”. So I dont know if the meds are too high of a dosage or too low?? He used to have the uncontrollable eye blinking but now its the mouth thing! It worries me b/c he never did that before and only does it when he is overwhelmed with homework questions. He is doing a lot better but I dont understand whats going on during homework time. Could it be that his mind is racing too much and he just get overwhelmed or the meds are wearing off?

I don’t know where to begin I have 2 kids on Vyvanse. My son who is now 13 has been on ADHD medication since he was 6. We started on Ritlin (didn’t work) then Concerta (work for a couple of years, but he started have crazy thoughts, and they keep telling me this drug did not do that. So, I took him off over that summer and it all went away) Next was Adderall ( he was on this for quit some time he did well, but he hardly ate, stomach hurt the usual). I took him off of medications last year he gain some weight and was doing better in school and then this year we were back to everything going crazy. So, we started on Strattera ( this was the worst ever, stomach pains, not eating, attitude getting worse, the teacher were calling everyday he could do nothing right, fighting with his little brother and me) So we went back to the Doctor, I was about to go crazy! And he started him on “Vyvance” let me tell you it is the best thing that has happen since he has taken medication for ADHD. The first day we had teachers calling asking if this was the same child in there class for the last 6 weeks, he was sitting, getting all his class work done, not disturbing the class, NO stomach problems, he is eating, and after all these years he ask to take his medication in the mornings, and our home life is back to normal no fighting, even getting HOMEWORK done! WOW! I was one not wanting my children on mediction, but it helps there life and so many ways I can’ fight that. My daughter who is 15 just started on Vyvanse too. She does not have ADHD but just started High School and was having trouble staying focus and on task. So, our Doctor said we could see if it helps her and if not just take her off the medication. She has seen a hugh difference, she can read and not have to go back because she forgot what she had read her grades have went from “C” to A and B’s, and she keeps her room so organized it hard for me to believe that this is my daughter. Vyvanse has been a wish come true in our home that I can’t even understand it myself. I hope this information helps because having a child with ADHD can be SOOO overwhelming for parents to understand what there children are going thru.

Today I started Vyvanse 30mg - it replaced Adderall 15mgXR. I am a 37 year old female and I am a teacher in an elementary school setting. I took Adderall for a bit over 1 year and recently noticed that it was wearing off around 12 - 12:30pm. Since school does not dismiss until 2:30pm it was becoming difficult to finish out the day in an organized and focused manner.

Well - to get to the point I had a great day! I took it at around 7am, having read that most people notice a difference within one hour and school starts at 8am, and did not start feeling “zoned out” until around 5pm this afternoon. I also noticed that I was more evenly focused and organized than on Adderall - on Adderall I seemed to have a hyperfocus period and then gradually fall from there. However, today seemed mellow, even keeled, and definitely no hyperfocus with a big let down.

The only downside is the dry mouth - but I desperately need to drink more water anyway so I guess this could be a blessing in disguise.

It is 8pm as I am posting this message and I am starting to feel tired. I am anxious to see if I have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. I take Trazadone for nights where I have severe difficulty sleeping but at this point I don’t feel I will need it.

I hope this information helps other adults who are trying this medication as well. I will post again if I notice any significant changes or side effects.

Thanks Megs for that info.

For some reason, after all that Ritalin in college…my blood pressure never dropped back down…..even when off all medicines for a year….but I have been able to manage with small dose of medicine and running…..Also, I only take 5mg of ritalin now, instead of 40…and get the same results these days.

I did some research on the Vyvanse and read that you can break the capsule and pour it into a small glass of water to drink immediately. (This allows children to take that don’t swallow pills….the drug itself has the time release, not the capsule..so it still works the same).

The 30mg tablet worked fabulous but I still thought it was to much for me. So I took the capsule apart and poured it into a small glass of water. I stirred it up and and then drank just half the glass (for half the dose). So far so good, works great…..enough to help me all day…but barely any side effects.

Hope this helps……PS I am not a doctor…so you may want to google Vyvanse mix in water for info. from a credible source before trying…(my disclaimer)

I am sooooo happy that I came across this site. My 7 y/o son has been on focalin 30mg for about 8 months. It works well and his grades have improved. However, he has difficulty falling asleep and he eats next to nothing during the day. I received a coupon for a free 30 day trial of VyVance but was leary about changing meds now that I found one that works. After reading all these posts I have decided to give it a try and hopefully it will work out well. Thanks to Dr. Kenny and all of you for providing great insight. Peace to all

Hi Coua.. I just found this site today because my daughter was just prescribed the Vyvance in place of Straterra as well. She is 10 yrs old and took Straterra for a few months but it just wasn’t lasting long enough. I liked the Straterra..(except it wore off by noon.. she had to take it at 9 at night because it made her drowsy). Anyway.. looks like we’re in the same boat because i wonder about her anxiety as well. Straterra seemed to help in that area.
Good luck to us all!
I’ll post when i see any changes.. she’ll start it tonight or tomorrow night.

I am 13 years old and i am on vyvanse. i used to be on Foclin XR. but my docter took me off that. From the 2 days i have been taking it i love it. it keeps me focused and every thing. yes i do loose my appitite, but i get it back. The only weird thig is, is that some time durring 8:00 and 9:00 p.m (florida time) I have this sudden urg to run, and im not a running kind of person. But i like it. I like taking Vyvanse.

Well… My daughter, age 10 and 100 pounds, took the 30mg dose yesterday morning (1st time) and needless to say.. i had to pick her up from school due to headache, odd stomach, and then the REAL reason… she felt like she couldn’t breathe right. I listened to her for a while and it’s like she was having a small panic attack. Something she’s never experienced before.
She said she liked how she felt when she wasn’t having the head/stomach ache & odd breathing. Said she felt really awake. I’m wondering if maybe her dose was too high???? The Dr. is closed today but I will speak with her on Monday. For now we will put her back on the Straterra in order to get through the weekend.

My 13 year old has been on the med now for about a week. So far, so good. We’ve seen a small decrease in appetite, nothing worrisome. No other side effects that we can see, or that she feels. It is wonderful that we can dissolve it in water. Effects seem to be good throughout the day - ability to focus is noticable. She takes it about 6:30 am and it seems to last until about 7pm, with no noticable sleep side effects. Overall, things are okay, however we are watching carefully for any increase in anxiety.

My 16 yr. old son was diagnosed with adhd last year and began taking concerta with great results. The only problem, which is significant, is his appetite loss. He is slender to start with and lost 5 lbs the first week on medication. Devastating to a teen who wants to look good, but more importantly, not eating makes your body and mind feel terrible. It’s hard to sort out what are side effects of meds when you’re malnourished. Appetite loss seems to be a common thread in postings which compells to make my first ever contribution to a blog. My son started taking Periactin (cyproheptadine) which is an antihistamine sometimes prescribed for migraines, adhd sleep problems and anorexia. He eats so much more! It’s wonderful to see him enjoy food again and gain much needed weight. He takes 6mg nightly and has no side negative side effects. He felt a little sleepier at first which isn’t a problem at night. Although he’s not sleeping more, I wonder if the periactin gives him better quality sleep. He seems more rested even with the same amount of sleep. He feels less conflicted about taking medication now and generally feels happier and healthier. We look forward to trying Vyvanse soon with hope that it will last longer than his 54mg concerta. He is reluctant to take an evening ritalin booster even when he would benifit. Best wishes to all

My son has tried ALL of the ADHD medications and the only one that used to work for him was Adderall. Adderall hurt his stomach and caused him to lose a lot of weight.

He was prescribed Vyvanse 3 months ago and I think this is a MIRACLE drug. He has no stomach problems, and has no problem eating. Plus it lasts ALL day so by the time I get home from work and I’m helping with his homework, he’s still focused. He’s 11 years old and 105 lbs, takes 50 mg at 7:00 am every day.

For those wondering about the dosage:

I am a male, 34 years old. My wife is now taking Vyvanse at 70 mg and is working great.

I have tried it but always need a low dosage due to blood pressure and just because higher dosages make me jittery on any of these drugs.

The 30mg pill is working great! I have even had results with about 15mg.

The Vyvanse is better than any other ADD medicine I have been on. Results last all day and after a week, I am still very productive on it…..unlike Ritalin/Dexadrine/Adderall when it seemed after a few days use…the focus went away even at the same dosage.

For those that have kids on it but seem to have side effects…. I would try reducing the dosage to around 15mg.

I am 6ft. 3inch and weigh 234lbs. and the 30mg tablet works great…but even a smaller dosage works for me…so I can imagine that some of you have kids where 30mg would be way to much.

I have read a lot and I reduce the amount by pulling apart the pill and pouring it in a cup of water.

Sometimes I only pour about 1/2 of the pill in the water to reduce the amount I am taking, or sometimes I pour it all in and then only drink 1/2 the water when stirred.

I have read on multiple sources that pouring in water is just fine…the medicine isn’t released by the capsule, the medicine itself releases slowly after passing through the liver.

Anyways, I am not a doctor…so take this only as a suggestion…but splitting a 30mg tablet in water to roughly give your kids around 15mg….may give you Great results with much less side effects if they are having them.

I for one believe that the lower the dose to get results, the better…..The only issue I’ve had with this drug is that I have thought starting with a 30mg tablet was too high..especially for kids…so let me know how ya’ll come out if you test a lower dose…..

ok… update. Yesterday, 1st day was good. Today started great.. received call from school around noon that my son was vomiting. Wife picked him up and he was very pale, low blood tension. Took him to the Dr. who stated he was to sensible to Vyvanse….. and we gave him only 1/2 capsule yesterday and the other half today!!! I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if we had given him the full 30mg one.
Dr. recommended switching to Daytrana….. I guess we’ll wait a couple days until all of the Vyvanse is out of the system before we try Daytrana….

One other thing - In addition to sweating, my hands are very cold. I also noticed that I am irritable.

I am 19 years old and started taking vyvanse about 4 months ago. First, I started at 30mg the first week, 50mg the second week, and finally 70mg the third week. 70mg seemed like it worked the best for me, so I have continued to take it. Having been on this drug for 4 months, I have definitely noticed major side effects. I will admit that it does help me a HUGE amount in school, but the side effects are a bit scary. I have lost almost 20 pounds since I started taking it. I feel very weak and I look anorexic! Also, I’ve noticed that I have muscle spazams and random twitches. I feel as if I am hungry 24/7, but at the same time, I eat very little because of how nautious the drug makes me. I feel as if I have larger memory problems than before I started taking the drug. Sometimes I can’t even remember what I did 5 minutes ago. Also, I don’t know if this is really from vyvanse, but I have been breaking out in a rash on my hips and it has been there for 2 weeks and won’t go away. I have never had sleep problems, and now I have insomnia. One minute, I will be working really hard on my school work, and the next I will get pissed off and won’t want to do anything for the rest of the day. I always have headaches and tylenol doesn’t help them go away. At times, my heart feels as if it’s going to explode. I feel as if I am outside of my body, not knowing who I really am anymore. Sometimes, I see objects or hear sounds that aren’t really there, but at the time I am almost positive that they were really there. Everything I see is a blur. Overall, I think this drug has really improved my grades and motivation, but I’m starting to get worried about what it’s doing to my body and my mind.

I am a 29 yr old healthy adult and started taking Vyvanse 5 days ago. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and never realized that things could be this much different. I am currently on 30 mg.

Reading some of the other posts it is clear that every patient is different and everyone will have a different perspective on the medication. The main thing that I have noticed is that you dont get that feeling of being on anything. As far as side effects I have not experienced anything more than not eating as much between meals as before. The main reason I can see for that is that I keep myself busy during the day and dont tend to find reasons not to work or take care of other daily tasks. I have not had any problems with eating lunch or dinner only cutting down on the in between meals and snacks.

For the people that are on higher doses and seeing a lot of side effects I would assume they are on the wrong dose. Most people expect to feel the medication kick in order to know it is working. Because Vyvanse is a prodrug it isnt delivered the same way as all the other ADHD meds. All other meds have some sort of immediate release in it and that usually will give a little kick. If I didnt know I was taking a pill in the morning I wouldnt know I was taking anything until people point out the changes in me. And I mean positive changes.

I definatley feel that Vyvanse is the best ADHD med out there. But, as always ask your doctor about, and ultimately let them decide.

To Amy the Pharmacist -
just some information for you since you are going to school to deal with these medications, I thought you might want to know a little about them.
Vyvanse is a prodrug - but more importantly it is an amphetamine which has been shown to be more effective when treating ADHD since it targets both Dopamine and Norepinephrine (belived to be the leading causes of ADHD) where methylphenidate (concerta) only targets dopamine. Amphetamine, just like methylphenidates, have been around for years and are both considered effective ways to treat ADHD. Don’t insinuate that these parents/patients on this site are having themselves or their children be “guinea pigs” to a new unknown medication when the basis of this medication is trusted and been shown to be effective for many years. There are also quite a few other medications that use this prodrug technology. Which has been shown to be safe as well.
Also, my trusted pharmasist explained to me that the recall that Shire did with Daytrana was a VOLUNTARY recall ONLY on the patches that had the older backing (which was having a problem pulling apart from the patch itself). They recalled those particular old patches and replaced them with the new version that didn’t have the issue.
I am diagnosed with ADHD myself and I have tried over the years Concerta, Adderall XR, Adderall, Daytrana and now Vyvanse and I have had WONDERFUL experiences with Vyvanse. MUCH better than any of the other medications I have been on!
I am seriously hoping you just started your schooling and are not on your way out. If you know this little about a medication that you want to just post what you “think” instead of actual information, I just hope you are not going to be a pharmacist in my area.

And for the other posts on being nervous about the dosing of the medication. If they have been on Adderall XR, the conversion information is similar to
Vyvanse 30mg = Adderall XR 10mg
Vyvanse 50mg = Adderall XR 20mg
Vyvanse 70mg = Adderall XR 30mg

I hope this helps! Every medication isn’t going to work the same for every single person out there but I know that Vyvanse has made me feel more “normal” (non ADHD) than I have ever felt.

Dr,

I am 19 years old male and finally got help for my AHDH. I started with vyvanse since my doctor has said she has had a lot of success with it. So I started on 30mg and it worked wonders. I was amazed how well it worked. But within a week I lost all therapeutic effects. So I moved up to the 50mg. This did the same thing, worked brilliantly for about 3 or 4 weeks, then tapered off. Moved onto the 70mg and helped a lot until the effects started to go away. So I started on other drugs like Adderol and it wasn’t nearly has helpful, then concerta - just the same, didn’t help the same. I was jittery, extremely anxious, and it didn’t help with the restlessness at all. I know it’s off label to use vyvanse in adults, but it is the only drug that has been effective with me. I actually have confidence now in my abilities and how intelligent I really am, but starting to lose hope. I am trying to get into nursing school which is extremely competitive. There were 500 applicants last year, with only 80 positions. Finding out that I’m not lazy and knowing that little voice in my head saying “you are smart” is right, has changed my life. Going from fluctuating grades, high to low, was frustrating. But with the vyvanse I was getting 108% and 103% on my Organic chemistry test when the averages were around 62%. My jaw dropped, am I really this smart? I actually had faith I could get into nursing school. But the 70mg finally started to wear off and none of the other drugs are nearly as effective. SIDE EFFECTS- With vyvnase in the first couple of days I was really emotional and almost “tunnel vision.” I would block EVERYTHING out. But these side effects quickly went away. My concentration and my restlessness were gone. I lost 10lbs but I started paying attention to my eating habits and have gained some weight back. Dry mouth is the only side effect that has been relatively consistent, but has gotten less sever. Hands are really oily and I sweat sometimes more than usual. I was having palpitations at first but they have slowly decreased. I have always struggled with sleeping, I have been on tons of sleeping aids, but still struggled. The vyvanse made me sleep like a baby. I would purposely take it later in the day if I could get away with it so I could sleep at night. I haven’t slept that well in years. But now I am starting to see me turning back into my old self, the 70mg is starting to lose its therapeutic effects. Is using vyvanse at an off label dose a really bad idea? Are the risks of trying off label dosages to high? I’m growing frustrated with nothing else being able to work, and I want to go back on the vyvanse. Should I find someone who is willing to try off label dosages? Or is this too risky?

I am 37 years old and was diagnosed with ADD over the summer by a psychologist and then officially by a psychiatrist about 3 weeks ago. It’s an amazing thing to learn why your brain functions the way it does. After having read the book Driven to Distraction and doing more personal research through child hood journals I realize this has been with me my entire life.
My psychiatrist prescribed me 30mg Vyvanse for 3 days, then double for 5 more days and then 3 x 30mg for 5 but to not be afraid to take play with the dosing.
1st 5 days were a mixed result. Day 1 through 3 were amazing in clarity and balanced energy. I could sit and hammer through my work. I had all of the creativity and ideas. It wore off around 9 hours but a Mt. Dew kicked in to help out quite a bit. Day 4 and 5 there was some clarity but not like the first days. I felt my brain unraveled all day. Caffeine too early just caused jitteriness.
Day 6-10 were very difficult. I felt uneasy, no real clarity, and I started noticing that I was forgetting different things that were abnormal. Day 11-15 were balanced in energy but there was a distinct uneasiness in my stomach and I “crash” or feel burned out around 6PM. It’s very strange.
After talking to my Dr. this week he wants me to take 50mg at my normal time (5:30AM - yes I wake up at 5:00 like clock work) and then another 50mg at 8 when I leave for work. I am going to try them tomorrow as it’s Sunday to determine the side affects before I go to work.
Some of the side affects I’ve noticed are that I have lost my appetite which as a result has caused me to lose about 15lbs. Now that’s not a bad thing for me being 6′3″ and 240lbs. The increase in the metabolism and lack of appetite seem to be burning more. I’ve also lost a general sense of taste. Most foods have become bland - which may be a cause for a disinterest in food. To combat this I’ve created a routine where I remind myself to eat or consume calories in some form. I’ve also lost interest in sex. When that does happen it’s almost like being on zoloft with difficulty “finishing”. This is not a bad thing necessarily especially for my wife. The “crash” or burn out feeling is distressing as is the uneasiness in the stomach. One last side affect is that prior to the medication I could process information quickly and had great recall. But would get easily distracted or redirected. Now I’m not processing as quickly but can stay on topic longer. I have to remind myself that to slow down as my brain is taking a moment.
I realize that I have to do more than just depend on medicine and continue to utilize the coping methods that got me through the last 30 years of life. I’m also working with a psychologist to help in coaching and in developing new coping methods now that I understand what this is about. From a professional perspective I’m working with a mentor to help me find the progress that I didn’t experience before because of my erratic sometimes annoying behavior.

My son started taking this medicine after Adderall stopped working. He is like a new child. Has made a complete turn around in school with his behavior and he actually told me the first day of taking it that he loved that pill. He said he can have group discussions with his classmates and his teacher said he is a different child. I love this medicine. It is worth the cost that I have to pay since my insurance makes me pay a higher co-pay since it does not come in generic. I am worried that the doctor started him off at 70mg and that is the highest doseage recommended. If he grows won’t she need to make changes with the medication? If anyone has the answer to that let me know.

To Stephanie,
I was worried too when I got to the 70 mg of vyvanse. I was only seeing my pcp and she didnt have the experience to feel comfortable to go off lable. So I Started to see a psychologist and now I am up to 130 mg on the vyvanse. From what I have gathered talking to my psychologist, as long as there arnt any major side effects, or ones that might cause consern, they will continue to increase the dose. Even with the 130mg I still dont have any side effects. Cotton mouth from time to time but I always have water with me, and I constantly keep track of my eating habbits. So I wouldnt worry if the 70mg tapers off, if its the best thing for him, im sure they will increase the dosage.

I’m a 40 yr old mom of 3. I had taken Adderall XR for 1 1/2 yrs and switched to vyvanse 3 ms ago. Aside from the dry mouth, I’m experiencing far fewer side effects from this rx. I was VERY irritable on Adderall and extremely fatigued in the afternoons. I feel Vyvanse lasts all day and I have no problem unwinding at night.

My 9yr. started on 50mg.of Vyvanse Monday So far I haven’t seen any change in her Does it take a while to start working?

hi..
I would like to ask if vyvanse 50mg can be taken by my son he’s 12 yrs old and is weighted 40kg..he is taking retalin 20 mg per day and it lasts for 8 hrs..but now we knew about this amazing medicine hope it’ll work!!
hope you reply as soon as possible
I’ve read all the comments it really looks that this medicine is very successful..
thanks

Hello All,

I am a 39 yo male that has been on vyvanse for 4 months, 70mg. I have never been on any meds for my ADD before. It has been working great, and work has never been better, but for the last week or so, around 2 pm it starts to wear off and I get what can only be described as a bad depression that lasts for 2-3 hours. I feel like I could cry, life sux, etc. Nowhere near suicidal or anything like that, but just feel awful.

In the morning, at exactly 90 mins after I take it, I have a very strong euphoric feeling, like i can do anything and do it very well. That’s why this is strange to me. I really look forward to this feeling every morning. I’m very, very afraid of becoming addicted, but I thought this didn’t happen with Vyvanse.

Has anyone else had this problem? Either the euphoria, depression, or both? I’m not sure what to do. I hate that feeling in the afternoon. Thanks.

I was diagnosed with ADD at age 10 and started on Ritalin, which I took through most of middle school. I’m sure it did help but while I would ace tests and quizzes and breeze through classwork, I never did well because I didn’t do my homework. I also felt alienated, and was very withdrawn and anxious. I remained so throughout high school, which is when I began taking Concerta. By the end of high school I was taking 54 mg. I was tremendously anxious for a long time, being shy and impulsively chatty by turns, very sweaty, and developing a hugely exaggerated startle response. I decided to look for alternatives this past summer, having turned 21 years old and approaching my senior year of college, because I was becoming increasingly anxious while horseback riding. I had 2 panic attacks while jumping in the past 2 years and felt like I was unable to enjoy my favorite thing in the world. The timing of Vyvanse couldn’t have been better!
I’ve been taking 30mg Vyvanse since September. I feel so much more even. I’m doing significantly better in school…studying, doing homework, writing papers, whee! and haven’t been as jumpy. It also doesn’t give me the other stimulant-y side-effects of Concerta. I sweat less, grind my teeth less, am less crampy, have a better appetite and am able to take naps. I could never nap on Concerta, and had a lot of trouble sleeping.
A recipe for a good day for me:
Vyvanse, sunshine, vigorous workout first thing in the morning, human interaction first thing in the morning, and a good breakfast.

Hello everyone. I am Dana, I’m a 20 year old student and mother.
I recently was diagnossed with add (or adhd, i guess). I could sleep and put things off for days, have no concentration, keep ruining things for myself in school, have trouble at work just because I have no attention. I am also bipolar and have been treated for that for about a year. My medications are ALWAY changing. But as of now I take 2100 trileptal, 200 zoloft (about to be changed to celexa, I think), 300 wellbutrin XL, 20 serequel as needed (just stoped taking 20mg twice a day). I have anxiety also, which, I have learned was caused by, what we will call, outside factors. Those are no longer present and I dont usually have problems with it.

I first started Vyvanse about a month or so ago. I was taking 30 mg. Things were looking GREAT for the first week or so. I felt great- on top of the world. I was getting things done I had put off in months. I always make “to do” lists and fail at completing the tasks just misserably. I decided to bake one day….I baked about 6 dozzen cookies, cupcakes, bread, and brownies…I just got so sucked into it. I worked out like crazy….one day for 3 hours…usually at least 2. THAT is NOT something I normally do. I barely get myself to the gym. I was very happy. I also was very polite…that may sound weird but I was just friendly and outgoing and happy. I usually am, but not like that and as much. I liked that!

Then it started to wear off. So my psychitrist upped my dose to the 50mg pill. I had problems with my insurance and what not, in the mean time, I began to take two of the 30mg pills, which worked, but I dont know if it was the right thing for me to do since my doc didnt know. Then I ran out before my insurance was figured out. BAD….I think it was a combination of the stop of my Vyvanse, being busy, and a bad sinus infection…but I slept for days….it was horrible…I was barely alive, or so I felt….

I got my 50mg finnally and didnt really notice anything different…

Yesterday she prescribed me the 70mg….I couldnt get it till today….so I will start it tomorrow….

I feel that this isnt powerfull enough….I get what I want out of it, but I am soon quickly “immune” (bad word, I know) to it.

The side effects I have are that I am really jiddery…I shake my legs like crazy….But it doesnt bother me at all. I have a bad memory to begin with but especially at first I noticed that it got worse, if I got distracted while I was doing something (not from myself, but because i HAD to) then I would totally forget where I was. Something I could live with….At first I had dry mouth, that went away. Loss of appitie, especially at first, but I have no problem with it. I am 5′4” and weigh about 160. This is the most I have weighed ever and is depression weight. This is how much I weighed when I was pregnant!! So it does not bother me, I do try to eat what I should, but I like that it doesnt make me eat non stop like normal. I get deep into things. VERY deep, if I do somthing I DO IT. ALL THE WAY. Which I like, but if I am doing something I am no t supposed to be doing it is a problem- like NOW- I am supposed to be cleaning…But I am doing this…And I just cant stop. I cant seem to stop anything until I am done and satisified and I always want it perfect…This is not a part of my personality…I was oppisite before, but that always goes with my depression and my mania makes me like this. To tell you the truth I like this cuz it makes me feel manic without BEING manic….I like that feeling, most people that are bipolar DO, I guess I should be saying HYPOmania, not the severe mania. But I am obviously not having the negitive aspects of the mania- spending, sex ect….

I really hope this dose works I am much happier now that I am being treated for this. I have been through so many med changes that probably wern’t necessary because some symptoms I have, I believe, were from the ADD, not bipolar.

I am scared to try adderal, becasue I think I have an “addictive personality” and, well, I just dont know if it will end up well.

Any advice is wanted. Thank you!

to Sharon K and Chris C.

Do you know any significant risks associated with periactin that influenced you dicision to stay away from it. My son continues to take it to improve his appetite while taking Concerta but we may need to know more.

Thank you
Ruth

TK,
Thanks for sharing your story.
And great job for getting things on track!
I presume your doctor knows about the methadone - and I don’t think there is a concern with taking both - i.e. still taking the methadone (on a decreasing dose) while you start the vyvanse (but check with your doctor to be sure).
All in all, I’d say you are getting your life on track - and I think you may see a dramatic improvement with ADHD medication - please come back and let us know!
Dr. Kenny

My 10-year-old son was finally diagnosed with ADHD a year ago. He’s already been on Adderall which worked great for the first month. We switched to Focalin, which only lasted 2 days because it made him crazy and he hated the way he felt on it. Then we did Concerta for a few months and it didn’t do a darn thing. We switched to Vyvanse 30 mg 3 weeks ago and I just got an email from his teacher saying that he’s being very disrespectful to the teachers and just not acting like himself. We’ve also noticed he’s been very crabby and moody. I’m getting so frustrated that we’ll never find a med that works for him. He’s very bright…I.Q is 122 and is doing well in school, except for no organization and attention to detail. I just need him to find that miracle drug and I’m so disappointed that Vyvanse isn’t it.

Melissa.. i am 15 and when i first started taking the vyvanse, i was like that as well. but after a few days, it works WONDERFULLY and it does not make my moods do that anymore.

My daughter age 6 (1st grade) was recently diagnosed with ADHD. We first tried Focalin XR. She was able to take this for 4 days, then we noticed the uncontrollable blinking that others have mentioned. This bothered us especially since she noticed this and was very disturbed by her inability to “make it stop”. We then switched to Vyvanse 30mg. (She weighs about 40 lbs). She has taken the Vyvanse for a week now, and again today the blinking started. I am just wanting to hear from those of you who had noticed same side effect. I did not read any follow-up comments about what your doctors said. We will of course be checking with our doctor as well. I was just wondering if a lower dose might work without causing the blinking. She is doing so well in school that I hate to take her off the meds if there is another solution.

My daughter is 7 years old and was put on 30 mg Vyvanse 3 days ago. She was hand full before Vyvanse needless to say! But like a lot of you are saying the side effects has me worring some…The tic that some are talking about with the mouth she is doing and her tummy hurting and not eatting. I ask her is she feeling ok and she says yes but that her tummy hurts. I have to make her eat or she wouldn’t eat at all. Before she started taking Vyvanse she ate all the time. This has me really worried. Will these side effect go away?
Also before taking the meds she would laugh a lot and play more but now she is sitting around and not laughing much at all.
Yes this is a good drug for helping them clam down and do what you ask but I want her to feel good when she is on the med as well.
Does anyone know if this will get better as time goes on?
Thanks Patty

UPDATE

Dr. Kenny,
I want to update you on the effects vyvance has been having on me. As you may recall I have been on methadone for a great length of time, 6 years and 27days to be exact. I read through the experiances others have had with vyvance and have used that info to guide me.
Because some wrote of major anxiety, some even to the point of seeking medical treatment, I decided it would be best if I first tested the waters. I did not take vyvance util dec. 15 a saturday, this way i would not be at work or be relied upon for any reason. I have been prescribed 30mgs but I only took approx. 20mgs of it. On this morning I also cut back my methadone from 25mgs to appx 20mgs.
I began feeling slightly more focused in about 50 minutes time, also the same time I usually feel the Mthdn kick in. I went onto the computer to complete some Christmas shopping. All was going well when at about 2 1/2 hours after taking med, I became seriously Manic. I felt very focused but was becoming very impulsive with my buying and buying things i didn’t really need. I realized i was becoming this way and had to call up and cancel my whole order. At this point I began to worry and was having great anxiety. It was now about 3 1/2 hours in. I felt like I had jumped out of an airplane with no parachute and was falling fast. I began to tell myself good thing you did not take the whole 30mgs. I began thinking to myself, Calm down, relax, take it easy, easy, slow down. I kept this up for at least 2 hours and regained a calm control. I rode this out until my body began to slow down as well. At about 5 hours in I began feeling better, still some anxiety but under control. It was then that I was able to take account of how i was feeling. I was actually feeling very focused and able. The rest of the day went very well. I did have difficulty falling asleep that night, but i do everynight.
The next day I took even less vyvance about10mgs. That seemed to hold me very well. I did not become too anxiety ridden or feel out of control. I have been taking the 10mgs since then, about 2 weeks. I have also been lowering my methadone dose slightly as well. I am at about 17mgs. Today I took slightly more vyvance as I have been tolerating it much more. I took about 15-17mgs today and feel like I took just a bit too much, but nothing compared to that first day.
I believe that I will be able to come off the mthdn slowly and slowly increase the vyvance. It is a balancing game that takes times for the body to adjust to. Thanks for any feedback.

I am 40 and was just diagnosed with ADHD.

My doctor told me that it could take up to a week to notice subtle changes, but I was a different person the day I started the 50 mg Vyvanse.

First, the big ball of anxiety I carried around day after day was simply gone. I was calm; I could breathe.

I have always clenched my jaw and facial muscles; this stopped completely.

Normally I drink 2 1/2-3 pots of coffee per day; now I can barely make it through a single cup and have not touched either energy drinks or other carbonated beverages.

I smoked 1 to 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes per day (my doctor had warned me we would be addressing this in a month or two once my ADHD was stabilized. Now I might smoke 4 cigarettes per day, and mostly out of habit and socialization at work rather than because I want them. I have completely stopped smoking at home or in my car.

I have stopped biting my nails.

I am drinking a great deal of water — it’s all I want.

I can sit quietly without shifting in my seat, crossing and recrossing my legs or tapping my hands and feet.

I can participate in a conversation without interrupting or talking too quickly.

Most important, I am getting things done, both at work and at home, and I am able to shift gears with ease, moving from a main task to a minor task and back again without losing focus.

I am managing my lists, and working through them on a regular basis.

While I have noticed a decrease in appetite and some weight loss, I regard that as having won my own personal lottery.

I have noticed particularly a disinterest in carbohydrates; even chocolate does not give me the strong reaction I am used to experiencing. Fish, lean meats and leafy greens are my new cravings (see personal lottery).

Currently I am sleeping only 5-6 hours per night, but I do not feel exhausted or tired the next day and the time is consistent. Previously I veered back and forth from insomnia to oversleep — 10-12 hours per night.

I was late all the time; I am now consistently on time.

I am able to focus and am currently working on establishing new behavior patterns and organizational systems to help keep myself on track even
if the effects do eventually decrease.

As far as I am concerned, Vyvanse is a wonder drug and has saved my life and marriage. I highly recommend it in conjunction with behavioral strategies for long term changes.

After reading some of your posts it seems that Vyvanse comes in a much greater variety of doses that I thought. I’m on 30mg and I feel it is just too much but I was told it is the lowest dose. Is this true? TK how were you able to take 10, 15, 17 mg?

Thanks.

T. says—- yes, 30 mg is the lowest dose of vyvanse… but if you want to take less…. you can either carefully open the pill, take some powder out and then close the pill and take it orally… or, you could open the pill and dissolve some of it in water and drink it. it is said to be perfectly fine to do this.

I am starting my son tomorrow on this medication. This website has ease my mind. Thank you all for writing in.

I would like to add, for all the people who believe that “drugging” a child in order to make him or her submit to the behaviors we want them to is not what the plan is when medicating a child for ADHD. Children who suffer from this disorder, and I mean TRULY suffer from it (I understand MANY cases of ADHD are misdiagnosed and behaviors are commonly excused as ADHD when they really are not), have extreme difficulties that can effect them for their entire lifetimes. Kids are cruel and they do not understand this type of disorder (or any disorder for that matter) and it is very easy for them to tease and pick on children who do not behave in a way that the rest of the children find acceptable. Children with ADHD are ridiculed, suffer from poor grades, and have trouble functioning in all types of situations. If your child is definitely diagnosed with this disorder I can’t stress enough, the importance of a treatment plan that includes not ONLY medications and not ONLY therapy, but both of them together. My son and I had many conversations when he was younger with regard to the effects of the medications and how he needed to learn to cope with situations in life. He, at one time, used the excuse on a regular basis, “I acted that way because I didn’t take my medicine today”. It was important for me to explain to him that the medication didn’t make him “act” any certain way, it simply helped HIM to help himself learn how to manage. If a child does not understand why they act differently than others, they will never be able to understand how to help themselves - with or without medication.

Stella,

Have you considered looking into getting help to pay for prescriptions? I don’t know what they all offer or what is covered but there are places that can help. Here are a few websites I found that you may want to look into - good luck to you! It would be a shame if you weren’t able to continue with something that is truly helping you. I know that even with insurance, my Vyvanse costs me $40 a month, plus the two others I am on @ $10 each…almost need a part time job to pay for them!

http://www.nmha.org/go/help/how-to-pay-for-treatment/prescription-assistance-programs

https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php

http://www.freemedicinefoundation.com/

http://www.phrma.org/

A psychiatrist told me this week that Vyvanse is coming out with lower dosages. I think he said 10 and 15 mg capsules.

Midway through my second month on Vyvanse and all is going well. I’ve been feeling a little tailing off in effectivness but I’m still way ahead of where I was before going on Vyvanse. My wife has been very happy wiht my increased ability to focus on things around the house and staying a little more “in touch” without zoning out. I work nights with four days on and four days off so bouncing from working nights to being with my family on my days off and then back to nights may also be causing problems. I’m currently on 50mg and want to stay at that level for another couple months before making any decisions about changing the dosage.

My son is 5. We tried Adderal XL for 6 weeks. It did “calm” him down and help him focus. However, his mood swings were awful. Very depressed and emotional. The littlest things would upset him. He would hardly smile or laugh. He has headaches, is very compulsive about things (legos, coloring . . . ), no appetite . . .We started Vyvanse two days ago, and the same symptoms but worse are happening. He sais everyone hates him, he hates school, and thinks he is ’stupid”! He never said things like this before meds - is there a happy medium? How long will these behaviors last? I’m not sure the little guy can make it!

Hi. I am a 34 yr female who was diagnosed with ADD almost 8 years ago. Throughout my school years, I was considered to be “average”. I produced average grades and some below average grades. I was tested in elementary and high school for learning disabilities, but they never found anything. The only thing that we found out from all of those “tests”, as that I had test anxiety and problems retaining information. (hey, an ADD/ADHD trait!) School was always a struggle. I stayed out of trouble (never drank or did drugs) because, by the grace of God, I was very involved in sports and staying fit! I went on to college and graduated with lots of hard work, reading and rereading everything until I got it in my head. I studied more than my peers, but did not see the results that should have been produced from such long hours. During college, I switched majors 3 times and attended one college for a semester, transfered to another for 2 yrs, and finally transfered to a state university and graduated. School hopping was probably another ADD/ADHD trait! I spent all of my time and energy on studying, that I really didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career. I was a “general studies” major with an emphasis in psychology because that was all I was interested in and that I thought I could understand. I left the university with an overall GPA of 2.7, but put in the hours of a 4.0 student. Upon completion of my bachlors degree, I started working. I didn’t know what I wanted to “do” for a career. I switched jobs 4 times within a little over two years! (does this sound familiar???—ADD/ADHD trait)

I was having much difficulty remembering information that I needed for work, I was anxious and depressed. I went to see a Psychiatrist after becoming very depressed and frustrated. I was diagnosed with ADD and put on Adderall XR 30 mg. Adderall changed my life in 2001! It was a miracle, a wonder drug. After being on Adderall for about 3 months, I took a new job. I loved my job and was very good at it!!! I stayed at that job for 4 years and then quit to stay at home with my daughter. At that point in my life I had not abused alcohol or drugs. I drank socially, but not daily. I came off of Adderall to have a baby and did great. I went back on Adderall after our daughter was born and had continued success. In 2005, I started having problems again, my Psychiatrist switched me to Concerta 56 mg and I flipped out. He reduced the Concerta to 27 mg, I was a little better, but not like the Adderall, but I didn’t say anything because I WAS doing a little better. The psychiatrist didn’t want to put me on Adderall because of the risk of addiction. Well, very slowly for the next 3 years, I started drinking beer each week, then each day. It relaxed me. I drank at night, but never to the point of falling down drunk, just to take the edge off. ANYWAYS, the drinking got out of control, but I never got in any legal trouble. I was still on the Concerta, but it was not working. I didn’t realize that it wasn’t working because I was medicating myself on beer when I was not working or had major responsibilites. I should have seen the writing on the wall, but I was not even thinking that the Concerta was not working. In Dec of 07, I stopped the Concerta and did well for about a month, then the MAJOR ADD symptoms came back and came back quickly. My family doctor prescribed me Vyvance 30 mg. I started taking it on Tuesday, Jan. 15. and, WOW, it worked!!! However, the Vyvance wears off around noon or 1pm. I talked with my doctor’s nurse today and she said they can’t increase the dosage until I am ready for a new prescription. I believe this is since it’s a controlled substance. I don’t have a desire to drink either!

I missed out on so much during my childhood, teens, and early adulthood. I feel so blessed that a Psychiatrist figured out my problem —ADD!!! Since taking Vyvance and having immediate success, I will be more attentive to if the med’s are working or wearing off. I was not attentive to the fact that Concerta stopped working.

The only side affects that I’ve had on Vyvance is sleeplessness on the first night and a slight “heavyness” in my stomach on the first day.

I didn’t intend on writing so much about my “story”, but I guess I just needed to get it out on paper or a blog. Within the past few days, I’ve read your blogs/posts and read information by Dr. Kenny. By reading Dr. Kenny’s information, have realized (once again) how much I am ADD and how important it is to keep updated on the subject if I want to stay well.

I just found a website that claims: “Finally Released - The Only Natural Way to CURE ADD & ADHD, Quickly & Permanently…”

LOL…apparently they aren’t very educated on ADHD because they would know that the disorder is not CURABLE.
Just found it funny…thought I’d share.

I am a 22 year old female and I started taking Adderall in college after being diagnosed with moderate-to-severe ADHD about 3 years ago– my dosage started very small (10?mg) and eventually lead to 30mg Adderall XR as well as 20mg Adderall, which i had been taking daily for about 2 years. When I told my current doctor how much Adderall I was taking before, his reaction told me that he wasn’t accustomed to prescribing that combination, and I’m curious to know if that IS in fact a relatively high dose (for a 5′5 160lb female).

Also, I was wondering if anyone has any information on the comorbidity between ADD/ADHD and OCD. I have researched this somewhat and it seemed like the general consensus was that one set of symptoms would be displayed while the other was in a sort of recession, and vice versa. I displayed a lot of obsessive-compulsive behavior as a child, which diminished after puberty but seemed to have triggered my colorfully unmanageable era of ADHD during high school. After going on medication to treat the ADHD, I began to experience symptoms reminiscent (though by no means directly parallel) of the OCD from my youth. If anyone has any relevent information or experiences I would appreciate your comments!
Thank you : )

hi
i just started my 12 year old son on vyvanse 3 days ago. he is also a diabetic. we have not been able to stablize his blood sugars they keep
going very low. we had him on concerta 2 years ago for about 2 days because the same thing happened only we found ourselves in the ER with him unconscience. the doctors,specialists and the drug companies keep telling me that isn’t a noted side effect. some are even trying to tell me a coincidence. we all but stopped giving him his insulin for the last day and they still go extremely low. i was wondering if anyone has heard of this happening to anyone else or what kind of interaction the insulin and vyvanse are having.

My 14 year old daughter with ADHD started on 50 mg of Vyvanse this past Sat. She did not have any problems with it over the weekend, so she is on it today for her first school day so we will see how she does. She started with Ritalin when she was12 then switched to Concerta a year later, then last November switched to Daytrana patches. She does not take medicine over the summer or for long breaks from school. We switched to Vyvanse primarily because she has had an inexplicable rash/bumps/breaking out all over her arms and legs and sometimes face that we have just made connection may be due to her ADHD med because it went away over the summer and over the recent holiday break. Since the active ingredient is different, we are hoping the rash will subside with Vyvanse, but the doc thinks any stimulant may react the same with her. She is taking an antihistamine (Zyrtec) at bedtime, but it has not helped clear the skin problem. Anyone else have skin problems with their ADHD meds? Also, she needs long acting meds to take her through homework. Her previous meds weren’t cutting it. We are hoping that since Vyvanse is longer acting, it will get her through her homework each day.

My 14 year old daugher has now been taking 50 mg Vyvanse for 4 days. I have not noticed any unusual behaviors and she seems to think it is helping her focus better in class. Something very unusual is that not only is she not having trouble falling asleep, she has been falling asleep a little earlier than usual. This is good because while on Concerta and Daytrana, she experienced a lot difficulty falling asleep and consequently was very difficult to wake up in the morning.

Iuann,
I wanted to reply to your post as I have been taking Vyvanse now for about 3 months with very similar blood sugar related reactions. When I first began taking the Vyvanse, I thought it was a “wonder drug.” The anxiety and depression I have battled the better part of my 30 years were finally contained in such a manner that they were no longer interferring with daily life. Unfortunately, the benefits of taking the medicine have slowly been replaced by negative side effects that have me considering “hanging it up” on Vyvanse. I still get a good 2 to 3 hours per day of symptomatic relief, but the experiences that follow are overwhelming. Almost without warning, I go through what appears to be such a severe drop in blood sugar levels that I become a “different” person, and not in a good way. I get very shaky to the point that writing anything is impossible; irritable, agitated, sweaty, jumpy, random headaches over my left eye, etc. These are not side effects that appeared immediately - those minimized as I continued to take the medication - it is as they slowly crept in over time. I am also not diabetic, at least I have never been diagnosed as such, so I can’t say that my situation is exactly what you are going through with your son, but I wanted to share the similarities. I did discuss these side effects with my prescribing doctor, but it was the first time she had heard of these things happening. Worse for me is that I believe this medicine offers benefits that no other has ever presented (for a while I felt what I can only describe as “normal”), but I spend so much time and energy battling blood sugar effects that taking the medicine is almost a wash. By the way, I started taking the 30 mg capsules back in November and have worked my way up to the 50 mg.

My son is 10 years old and has been taking vyvanse for about a month. The only side effect he has is sleeping. Does anyone know if I give him Sleepy Time Tea if that will help him?

Hello everyone!

I’m a 40 yr old who has just been diagnosed with ADD.

I only found out because of trouble with my 14 yr old son who was diagnosed, and I said…”hey! that sounds like my entire life!”

He was put on Vyvanse, but did not react well to the stimulant, so was switched to Strattera.

I, on the other hand, really like it (It’s only been 9 days) but I have also been experiencing an extreme “crash” at about 10 1/2 hours. Other than the crash, I am like the rest of you here that describe feeling like a new person!

When I crash, I feel lethargic, physically tense, and very irritable. It seems as though all of the things the Vyvanse is supposed to help with come back, only 300% worse. (My poor husband and kids!)

My psych. has upped the dose to 70mg from 50mg but I have not been able to pick it up yet due to ins. issues (they need prior approval)

She also prescribed Adderall 10mg to take after about 9 1/2 hours and before the “crash” in an effort to try to taper the let down better.

It got so bad that I went to my GP to see if I was on the right track. The other side effects I have are dizziness and headaches, but I think I am fighting a sinus infection, so I’m not sure of the culprit.

He prescribed Valium to take if I am not able to calm down physically with the Adderall.

Its only been 2 days, but this combination seems to work, I haven’t needed the Valium.

I also take Abmien CR to sleep, fortunately, I’ve been able to sleep ok.

I guess I have a few questions…the first one is, do any of you have that “crash” that is debilitating? I mean, it’s so bad that its all I can do just to function.

Also, what about the headaches and dizziness? The dizziness is weird, its like its just under the surface of my scalp or skull…I know, I know…weird…not like and inner ear thing that you feel deep in your head.

And…my psych. said that the reason that my son and I have been able to “cope” for this long (he was off the charts with the ADHD testing and I was at 99%) is because of our intelligence. She administered an “IQ” test and said that my son is in the 99% and I am in the 99.87% for IQ. Have any of you experienced this? I always knew that I was kind of smart, but have never had the focus to do anything with it. I’m pretty successful with work, but experience the same distractions and lack of focus that many here have described. My son actually came up with a new math method in 5th grade that the school submitted to a math book and the response was that it was too complicated for 5th grade math books. So…I guess what I am asking is if there really is a correlation between IQ and people with ADD/ADHD?

We’re still really new at this and I really appreciate all of the input on this forum.

I just started my daughter on this medication, she is 7 years old, she’s been having trouble in school getting things done on the timeline they want from her. She’s definitely not a hyperactive child, and yet I have noticed some real improvements right from day one. We’ve always thought it was weird that her brother has better table manners than she does when he’s 2 years younger, and maybe this will finally help her do better not only at the table but with other things. I’ve noticed she’s the type to get lost on the way to complete some task I’ve given her, yet she has no trouble sitting down with a book for an hour at a stretch. Loves video games but seems to get frustrated easily, I think her comprehension is affected. Anyway the first morning I gave her the med, I only gave her half the dose as prescribed. When she came out of school, I could tell she was different, but she seemed tired and depressed. However she did relate her days activities to me, which is unusual, she usually says she can’t remember what she did in school. I let her take a bath and a rest and she was amazing the rest of the day. So far I’m pretty happy, but this was day 3 and I think she has already gotten used to the half dose since she was pretty squirrelly tonight before bed. She has no trouble getting to sleep that I’ve noticed. Thanks everyone for the wonderful posts, I find them very reassuring! I was pretty nervous putting her on such a hardcore drug, I’m pretty opposed to any medication but her teacher was getting really frustrated with her.

Hi again…over 1 month on Vyvanse and I would have to say I am still pretty impressed. I do seem a bit more irritated after the meds wear off which did not seem to be a problem at first. I am hoping I just need a larger dose (currently at 30mg). I am taking other meds for depression and sleep and have recently switched my anti-depressant meds (at the same time I started Vyvanse) so I can’t say if it is the Vyvanse or the Welbutrin. I was taking Effexor for depression but it caused such a huge problem with regard to my sex drive that I had to make a change. Vyvanse is definitely an appetite suppressant for me, which as I see, many women are not complaining about (Ha Ha). I guess with regard to the irritability, I have a few personal things going on that are extremely stressful and upsetting so I am trying to hold off on making a quick judgment on the reason for my irritable nature lately.
I do have to say that a friend of mine whose 10 year old child was diagnosed with ADHD decided to try Vyvanse after hearing what I had to say about it, and she is nothing short of impressed. The very day she sent her daghter to school on the meds the teacher called to ask what had happened because she was like a new kid! My friend did say that when her daughter comes down from the meds, she is twice as unmanageable than before…so I am not sure what to do with that; she is going to see if a higher dose is needed or if perhaps it will go away with time once she adjusts to the meds.
My son (21) visited me the other day and we were talking about his ADHD, etc…and we were laughing at some of the things he did when he was a little kid in school. “Swimming” under desks during science class…things of that nature. Although it is funny now (and actually was back then too, in a way), it was very disruptive to the rest of the class and it was the last straw before I decided to try Ritalin (which worked GREAT for him). Now, a college student, he is very interested in trying Vyvanse and has made an appointment to see a doctor.
I remember back in the day when I would take my son for his counseling appointments and would try to explain to the doctor what he had done since his last appointmnet, bursting out in laughter sometimes; and the doctor did too. On the other hand there were times when he did things that were so un-funny and concerning to me that I didn’t know what to do. His doctor told me that when you have a child with ADHD you have to learn to pick your battles. What may be punishable for some kids, may not be worth it for a child with ADHD because there are so many other things that require the attention. I have to say that to this day, I have lived by that rule and it has worked out marvelously. Had I not listened, I’d have been perpetually punishing my son and all he would have gotten out of what I was screaming about would have been, “blah, blah, blah…”

Hi. I was diagnosed many years ago with OCD and ADHD and I’ve been on Vyvanse for about 2 weeks now for the ADHD. My Dr. increased my dose very quicky, because the medication was only effective for about 3 hours. (This is not unusua for mel, as I have never had success with any extended release medications.) I’d like to know if anyone else is suffering a MAJOR increase in OCD symptoms with the Vyvanese. I’ve had OCD and ADHD since I was a child, and they have always made school and work difficult, but this increase in the OCD is out of control. I would love to hear from anyone who may be experiencing the same issues.

Thanks so much!

I have been on vyvanse for six months now and definitely can feel a difference. I was on concerta before. I am on the highest does and have been organizing everything in my house. I also take clonazepam twice a day for social anxiety, trazadone at night for sleep and zoloft for depression. I know it is a bit much but I have multiple problems. I feel the best right now than I ever had and I am 52 years old. I can even take a nap on vyvance and could not on concerta. My son has aspergers, adhd, depression, anxiety and sleep problems. He is 16 and had to start taking meds when he was only 4 years old. He is now on vyvanse 30mg. zoloft, clonodine to sleep and most importantly 20 mg. of strattera as everyone usually has a rebound effect after the stimulants wear off. He has been on every known medicine there is. He is still on seroquel at night to sleep but has gained over 70 pounds in 5 years and is now way overweight. We keep taking him off the seroquel to try other sleeping aids but nothing else seems to work so we are trying to decrease his seroquel and increase the clonodine. Hopefully this combination will work. He wakes up atleast two times a night with the meds and that is one reason we took him off the concerta and dropped the strattera level as they both have insomnia issues. The only down side to the vyvanse is constant thirst and we can handle that. I think the most important drug to take with stimulants is taking the strattera for the rebound effect because he was horrible before starting the strattera. This same child was kicked out of three preschools and was finally put in a state run preschool that only allowed three children per one teacher. I also had him in a special public kindergarten with one teacher per 10 students and a padded time out room for outbursts. he has been ridiculed all his life but realizes that these children will probably grow up to be problem adults and he plans on going to college to be somebody. I hope this helps people realize that some children and adults need multiple drugs to cope with life and you just do the best that you can do, until you get it right. A doctor once told me that if your child had diabetes, you would not even think once of not giving him meds.

Two questions:
My 11 year old daughter has been on Vyvanse since December. She has been complaining of headaches. I believe it is the vyvanse. If so, does this symtom go away?
Secondly, I tend to not give her the vyvanse on the weekend. Is this a problem?
I’d appreciate any feedback.

David, My 14 year old daughter on Vyvanse does not have sleep problems yet, but she has just been taking 50 mg for only about 10 days now. She did have sleep issues on Concerta and Daytrana and her doctor advised she take the over-the-counter sleep aid, Melatonin. This really helped. I would talk to your doctor about it if going down a dose causes problems.

No additional issues with my daughter. She hasn’t felt depressed again. The whole reason we switched to Vyvanse was because of a skin rash/ailment that I suspected being associated with her previous ADHD meds (concerta and Daytrana). The skin really seem to be clearing up so I am thinking I was right in my suspicions.

hi my son is 6 he started 30 mg vyvanse today at 7:15 am was fine all day he said he had a good day at school my husband picked him up from school and went to the store at 3:00pm there my son cruled up in a ball with severe stomach pain. they lasted on and off until now 8:45pm as for sleep well see tonight but it doesn’t look like he is going to bed any time soon. I’ve read about stomach discomfort but is anyone else having these severe stomach pain and do they go away after body gets adjusted to new med I don’t know if I can see him suffer one more eveing like today

I’d like to add one more thing that I find extremely important. I had a small issue with drug abuse (mostly cocaine and pot) so prescribing me with a med like this was questionable. Since taking the meds not only do I never do drugs anymore, I don’t even have a desire or craving. I’ve had people lay it out and offer it to me (which in the past I would never turn down) but now I don’t think twice I just say no without any hesitation and can be in a room with drugs and have no temptations. My physciatrist told me people with untreated ADHD have a much higher then average percent to abuse drugs but once treated are much lower then average to abuse drugs. In my case it was completly true

I’m a 39 year old male who was just diagnosed 4 days ago with ADHD. The following day I picked up a prescription for Vyvance and started talking 30mg. I can’t really say if I have felt any changes after starting this drug. I had a very productive weekend but I’m wondering if with my recent diagnoses I’m not just super focused on fixing my problems and the medication isn’t really making me motivated. Today is my first day at work on the medication and I want to see how it goes. I’m considering calling my doctor later today and see if I should double my dosage. The good thing is thus far I don’t seem to have any side effects except for last night I did have trouble falling asleep. Again I don’t know if this was from the medication or because my mind was all over the place trying to analyze if the medication was doing anything for me. If any one could share their experience on what exactly they felt or didn’t feel after starting this medication it would be greatly appreciated.

My 14 yr old has takent he 50 mg of vyvanse for over 2 weeks now. She saw the dermatologist yesterday and he agreed that her skin ailments do seem to be attributed to the methylphenidate-based meds. (ritalin, concerta, daytrana) since all of her sores on her skin are healing and there are no new areas since she started Vyvanse. The doc seemed surprised that this is what caused it, but said the fact that the only times her skin has healed was the two times during the last 9 months when she stopped taking her meds during a break from school makes it appear that it was related to methylphenidate..

There was an open house at school last week and her gifted English teacher said she has definitely seen an improvement in her ability to focus. She currently has a D in that class, primarily due to forgetting to do or turn in homework. I had suggested to my daughter that she write homework assignments in her planner in a different color ink or use a highlighter and wasn’t sure she was paying attention, but when I checked her planner the other day, I was happy to see her using the highlighter.

I have trouble determining if her mood swings are due to puberty or to medications. They seemed a little more intense lately, but based on my older two daughters who did not take meds for ADHD, it seems pretty normal.

First I want to say Thank You to Dr. Kenny for this site and to everyone who has posted. In reviewing it has been very helpful! Our 5 yr old has just been put on Vyvanse, and we started out with 15mg (mixed 30mg with water and gave 1/2 in the morning). Before we were having problems with his impulsitivity and hyperactivity. As well as his aggresiveness. He has been kicked out of 2 daycares with the last leaving a child hurt as well as a teacher with a blackeye (threw a block at her). The biggest side effect we have seen is his emotional state, he no longer acts out in rage, but now breaks into tears over anything. Talked with the Dr. today and he is having us up the dosage to the full 30mg. We will start that tomorrow and see how it goes for the next couple of days. My husband is having a hard time with resorting to the medication, I have seen improvement in his ability to sit and not be bouncing off of the walls, but he says that his personality is gone… hopefully just a side effect of a low dosage. Has anyone else experienced these side effects? And did they go away after a while? We haven’t been able to be completely consistant with the med over the past 2 weeks, stopped giving it while he had the flu (temp of 103) for 3 days, began again yesterday and it was an aweful day! His emotional outbursts were off the chart! Again, hopefully the new dosage will help with that… will keep this updated as we see what happens. Would love to hear back from any other parents facing some of the same side effects as well as how you’ve worked together as a couple in dealing with the med issue. Thanks!

I’m a 32yr. old female. My doctor has now prescribed 100mg per day of Vyvanse. 50 in the morning and 50 in the afternoon. I started at 30mg, which did nothing. Week later, she told me to double up. So I started taking 60mg. Lasts for 4 or 5 hours. Now she’s put me on 100. Seems excessive and I’m almost scared to take that much. Any input? Anyone else take this much????

Jennifer,
I have been taking 100mg of Vyvanse for about a month now. I was recently diagnosed with ADD/ADHD a few months ago. I am 18 and a freshman in college. I started off with 50mg and gradually have moved dose up. The medicine definetly last longer so i recomend taking it as early in the morning as possible. Days that i have class later in the day i wake up early to make sure i get my medicine in. I definelty have seen the difference because i can sit and focus for so -long and i am a lot calmer. I can sit and type a paper for 3 hours straight without realizing it! As we all know there are side effects. The major ones that i have expirenced are anxiety,headache, loss of appetite,irritability, change in personality(quiet,calm,independent) and insomnia. Also i have found myself a little more emotional than i was in the past, but i think it could have been stress from midterms. I dont think you have to worry about taking such a high dose, and if it doesnt work you can always move down a little.
-Is depression a common side effect from taking any kind of medicine like this?
-Can taking a high dose like 100mg have long term health problems?
and
Is it bad that im taking such a high dose within 4 months of being diagnosed?

I am finding that I am more irritable in the afternoons, starting about 1pm. I’m wondering if that is due to the drug wearing off at that time. I am super calm in the mornings, more focused, etc. but become irritable after lunch. I am seeing my Psychiatrist next Monday and hope to get some further help, up my dose or something.

I wanted to add that my friends son who is also 9yrs old has had great success with Vyvanse. She says he goes to bed at 9pm every night and wakes up at 6:30am every morning to get himself ready for school. No side effects for him.

Spenser said — “If i don’t have anything productive to do I feel very depressed”. This is the only thing bad I have observed so far for my 14 yr old daughter. We see her doctor in a few weeks and I plan to ask about alternatives on the weekend. I know some here have suggested breaking the pill apart and doing a half dose on the weekends, but I want to check with the doctor first. I think she really needs some downtime to do nothing (watch TV or a movie or just relax) but she has told me the same thing — she feels depressed if she has nothing to do. This long President’s Day weekend, she was a fireball, always on the go, doing things with friends every moment and wearing several sets of friends out.

On the plus side, her teacher’s report that she seems more focused. Too early to tell if there will be a direct response with improved grades. She also does not seem to have any personality changes which is good because she is an actress and singer with a very outgoing bubbly personality that I would hate to see subdued from meds.

Her appetite has been good. She has no trouble falling asleep or waking up in the morning. I do give her the Vyvanse about 30 minutes before I wake her up for school.

She is a little moody at times, but I think this is pretty normal for a 14 year old girl (the teen years when they discover their parents are not really perfect ). She had moodiness before starting Vyvanse.

Well, I am 43 and am currently taking 70mg of Vyvance a day. As I’ve read above, I feel like it wears off in just a couple of hours and I get very short of breath. I’m also taking Lexapro 40mg (just increased from 20) and Clonazepam 0.5 mg 2x a day and Nurontin 300mg 2x a day, That was after taking Depakote (not sure why the nurontin or the depakote) I am extremely depressed, sad, anxious. I don’t want to be around anyone, go any where, talk on the phone and on the weekend if I don’t take the Vyvance I sleep until sometimes 5-6pm…however, during the week I have a difficult time sleeping….I just feel like giving up everything..I see an LPC, but all he wants to talk about is exercise and diet which I do agree 100% that is a big part of feeling better and I’m working on that, even taking fish oil, but he seems to discount the fact that I can’t seem to focus or stay on task and just want to sleep all of the time. I mentioned that this was a real issue for me and that I’ve had the tests, etc. and he actually said “Anybody can get the tests” (I see him for counseling and a Physican’s assistance for the meds) I feel worse now than I ever have.
Prior to joining this practice (my other Psychologist left town) I was on wellbutrin, seroquel, and Adderal; However, the current Physicians Assistant thought that my dosage of Adderal was just way too high..So, first we tried Focalin which made me feel like I had a circus in my head and we switched to Vyvance.
I believe I am going to go to my PCP (I love him) and talking to him a bit before going back - maybe he can suggest a specialist or something…
Oh and one more thing…since I’ve changed meds I’ve gained about 15 pounds which adds to my depression…

Very sorry this is so long, just had to vent.

Follow up to post on 2/13- We started giving the full 30mg to our 5 yr. old last Thurs. per Dr. instructions. (Up from tne 15mg)… When I checked at his daycare after lunch all was going really good, but when I went to pick him up about 5pm I was told he went into total meltdown mode around 4 pm and it lasted for over 45 minutes (all over switching classrooms, which is the normal routine in the afternoon). The rest of the evening got even worse, he went into complete screaming/yelling/crying tantrum. My husband had to even restrain him at one point. This lasted until he finally fell asleep. We went ahead and gave him the full dose on Friday, knowing it may take time. But I also called and talked to the Dr. office and they seemed a bit surprised at the reaction. Friday did not get much better, school had to actually diffuse a meltdown at 11am (3 hours after taking pill). He was picked up from school early by his dad and the rest of the afternoon was almost a repeat of the day before. he also showed signs of a facial tic - he began constantly licking his lips. We chose to completely stop the med, we could not bear to put our son through that, as it made the worse case senario (which was a rare occasion before the med) a constant. Saw the Dr. yesterday and he said that the med definitely was not for him, and that he actually has had several negative reports recently. Since the drug was so new he expected to see some negative as it is used more. We are evaluating the next step and are going to meet with a Behavior Psychologist for an assessment and see where to go from here. I am so glad that Vyvanse works for so many people, just wish it worked for us. But this was our first med and have been told that sometimes it takes more trial to find the one that works for each individual. Good luck to those who continue with Vyvanse and for those who did not find it effective, just keep trying… the one that will work is out there, it may just take some trial and error to find the right one for you or your child. Our prayers are with everyone!
PS- Thank you for all of the posts, they have helped us tremendously!!

Nina,
There are other meds out there. My 9yr old son had some of the same problems. The fact that he has had suicidal thoughts, the doctor should have changed his meds. My son did excellent in school also, but the side effects didn’t justify keeping him on the Vyvanse. My son was on Metadate cd 10mg only side effects were upset stomach and a little emotional. I thought he had it bad till we tried the Vyvanse. We are now trying Focalin 5mg once in the morning and once after lunch in school. Hoping this will eliminate the upset stomach because the time released Metadate would release before lunch, make him sick, and then he wouldn’t eat. Which made him feel even worse. I’ll let you know how it works out. I will say again that my friends son is doing fantastic on Vyvanse from the get go with no side effects. Different drugs effect us all differently. Even a generic drug sometimes doesn’t work as well as a name brand sometimes.

I am writing a paper about these types of medications for my college composition class, so I found all of your first hand experiences to be quite interesting and helpful. I had no idea that they made add/adhd medications that could not be abused, but it is about time for that. I do know that a medications side effects can vary from person to person and also according to age. I hope more medications as advanced as this one are created for other types of mental disorders/illness. I hope everyones treatments work out. This website was very helpful to my research, thanks for everyones input!

Thank you Kim for your input. Chris went back to the smaller 30mg and I could say he is doing better he is not in a bad mood as before, he is eating, the sleeping is still the problem although sleeping in my bed puts him right out, I don’t want a 9 yr old in my bed but at this time what ever gives him a goodnight sleep. I’ll be seeing a specialist next week and hope things get better.

My son (6) started on Vyvanse a month-and-a-half ago. We began with 30mg. The first week was rough, he complained of headaches, bellyaches, vomitted a few times, and suffered from loss of appetite. After the first week, he was ok. Then after about a month, it seemed to “wear off”. The doc increased his dosage to 50mg. The first week was great, however now, he is very shy and boring. He used to love playing basketball, going to the park, etc. but now he won’t yell, run, or play like a 6 year old should. About half the time, he comes home from school and falls straight asleep. And the decrease in appetite has stuck around the entire time. He eats breakfast at 7am and then nothing again until about 6pm. Yes, his schoolwork and focusing have improved, but at what cost? We are currently working with the doc on trying something new. She says she has had extremely good luck with Vyvanse though, so she seems to think that us playing with the dosage will end up working. We’ll see.

Lesly,

My son is 8 and the same things you explained also happened with him. We went back down to the 30mg and it took a couple week but seems to be working fine for him. The 50mg is just too much. The Dr. says that the dose he should be on, but I do not agree. I want my son not a zombie. They really need a 35 - 40mg dosage.

Nina,
I know what you mean about a nine year old sleeping with you. That was the only way my son could get to sleep also. Now that he has been off the Vyvanse for week I notice he isn’t as insecure and clingy. He kept asking daily if he could just stay home with me and home school. The Focalin is working great for him. I love that it is a low dosage. He takes 5mg about 7:30 am and then 5mg at 12:30pm. It doesn’t upset his stomach because it isn’t time released. That also helps with the not eating. He gets to eat his lunch and he is actually hungry before he takes the second dose. He seems himself and not emotional like he was on the other meds. So far so good. As I said before he only takes the meds on school days. I am glad to hear the 30mg Vyvanse is working for your son. Be safe and take care.

I have been reading all the comments about Vyvnase. Very helpful to me. My 12 year old son has been on it for 6 1/2 months now. Did great the first 2 months then things have gone downhill since then. (more mean behaviors, sillier, nose picking all the time, evening real hyper) Upped his doseage from30mg to 50mg. to now 70mg. Seems to be getting worse on 70mg. Will try giving half dose of .pill to see how that helps. Was thinking he needed a 30mg.morning and afternoon pill. Now think after reading posts that try giving him much smaller doseage. And stop giving him vitamin c also. Anxious to see if much lower dose helps with negative side effects. If not will go back to Ritalin LA which he was on for 2 years.

Hi Vicki

just a respond to your posting Re lost appetite. It sounds like a common side effect, as we have the same lost of appetite of our son on Ritalin SR. Few weeks later he developed stomach pains and we stopped the medication.

We do crawling exercises to treat ADHD. He is now at 50% of the course. Watch our crawling videos and see handwriting improvement photo (before and after) on my blog.

Arieh
CrawlingClub.org

P.S. Sorry Dr. Kenny for maybe off topic comment, but I just can’t stay out with this lost of appetite sign, it’s personal.

My daughter, age 6, has been on this medicine for 6 months. It has done wonders for her. Her grades have improved. Her impulsivity is gone. She can focus and comprehend the material. She has made more friends as she is not getting into trouble now. We tried Ritalin and it made her hallucinate. We tried Addrerall and it made her mean and nasty. This medicine worked great from day 1. The only side effects we have are loss of appetite and sleep problems. I give her melatoin when she needs to sleep for school. On weekends, she does not get the melatoin. The biggest change is that last year she was calling herself stupid and dumb and this year she is saying how smart she is. Her grades have jumped from a low C to A’s. She gets many 100’s now. Her worst subject, math, is one that she is now getting 100’s on. Her progress at school is amazing. She has noticed the difference herself as she can now complete her art projects without getting frustrated. Her handwriting has also improved a lot. My daughter wants to take this medicine as she knows it is helping her. It has not changed her personality at all, in fact, her self esteem has grown and now she has more friends then ever. She is on the 30 mg.

My son is 13 with ADD and ADHD, impulsive behavior and aggressive behavior. I tried everything. I liked the ADDERALL XR because it helped with the impusive outbursts better, but the VYVANCE is great too. The only downside to the VYVANCE that I have noticed is that if you forget to give the medicine and he does not have it all day, his behavior, attention span, impulsive behavior is incredibly worse. HE ALMOST SEEMS LIKE HE’S GOING THROUGH BAD WITHDRAWLS. HE GETS MEAN, VIOLENT, ANGRY, ALMOST OUT OF CONTROL. ANY LITTLE THING SETS HIM OFF. Hope this helps.

My 9 yr old son took 30 mg Vyvanse for a month. We had tried several other drugs before that. Concerta was my favorite but it caused him to have major tics. The Vyvanse 30 mg. seemed like it was helping & he was doing better in school. His doctor upped his dosage to 50 mg. He’s been taking it for two weeks and has become aggressive & noncompliant with his teachers & us. He never had that problem before. I made and appointment with his doctor. I want to either get the dose reduced back to the 30 mg or change his meds again. It’s frustrating trying to find the right med with the right dosage. I almost want to take him off meds completely but I know he needs something.

I was recently put on Vyvanse for my ADHD. I think Adderall works better but I am on the lowest dose of Vyvanse available so I could need a bigger dose. I still eat on Vyvanse but I have noticed a little loss in appetite. I compensate by eating a little more than I want so I don’t lose weight because I am at a healthy weight for my hight right now. Adderall decreased appetite more for sure. Also, I read some comment about a mother giving her son Vyvanse like an hour or two before he wakes up..I definitely think this is necessary. The first few days I took it, it really messed up my sleeping schedule because I took it when I woke up and then I was awake too long. Now I set my alarm for like an hour and a half before I actually have to get up just to take the medicine and then by the time it kicks in I wake up and it dies off by bedtime. (Adderall kicked in a lot faster.) I think it does increase anxiety as well, but not to the point where I feel like I need medication to address it. Other than that I am experiencing no other negative effects. It has helped me be a little bit more proactive in areas where without being on anything I would feel physically unable to start. However, I am still very forgetful and still have an absent minded feeling whereas on adderall I was not forgetful/absent minded. I am a 22 yr. old female.

Hello,

I am 23 and have just now started taking medication. I used to be so afraid to tell my doctor i thought i had a problem becuase i thought he would think i just wanted pills like the rest of the kids in college. Its amazing the difference in my life now.I have been taking vyvanse for about a month and it is the best medication so far. I have taken adderall a few times and I always felt cracked out througout the day and could never go to sleep. I never feel that way with vyvanse. It really is so much smoother. The only thing is that it is time released so i feel it in spurts…. and sometimes i think i need more but Im trying not to have to up my dosage yet so i keep sticking with it! but it really has made things so much easier to finish my last semester of college. I cant believe i have gone this long with out medication. I could have been making straight A’s!!

Hey, I’m 25 and just started Vyvanse yesterday after discontinuing Strattera. I, like others who have posted, have multiple diagnosis which includes ADD. Luckily I have Medicaid and Medicare or else there would be no way I could afford to take all the medications I take which are Vyvanse, Seroquel, Xanax XR, Effexor XR, and Lamical. The medication works very well in my opinion and lasts an incredibly long period of time, a good ten hours. Yesterday I wrote my friend in prison nearly seven pages and completed much work online. However, I don’t think that this is the desired effect for this type of medication, correct me if I’m wrong. I’ve always heard that if you truely need this type of medication that it’s action on the body is not like what people would expect from a stimulant (increased energy, euphoria, ect…) but rather a calming effect. Dr. Kenny, is this true? Do some people with ADD still get these side effects?

The other side effects I’ve experienced so far are decreased appitite, paranoia (I get this effect with any stimulant), and what Dr. Kenny refered to as “rebound” during the eighth hour or so. I can see how this medication would be benificial if your ADHD and the calming effect was present. However if you justify taking it solely because your losing weight or are experiencing increased energy I don’t think that is a sufficent reason to take this medicine. I’m not speaking of those who have posted who are benefiting greatly due to ADHD symptoms. I don’t know, I just think ADD, ADHD, and adult ADD are overly diagnosed in this country.

I’ll continue taking this medicine if the side effects go down. I read this post about someone experiencing dry mouth while taking Vyvanse. I can vouche that for me this was extremely significant. I must have drank about a gallon of various fluids through the day with minimal relief. Has anyone experienced the same side effects as me? Thanks for reading

Aaron,
Most people do find that they are calmed by a stimulant. Some people do get ‘activation’ side effects - i.e. feel more energy or even ’stimulated’. If these are issues, you should talk to your doctor about it.
Regarding the abuse issue - because Vyvanse is a ‘prodrug’ - it is not an active medicine until an enzyme in your body converts it into the active medicine. So, even if someone took 5 pills at once (or snorted them), the amount of medicine getting into the system would be the same as taking 1 pill - because the enzyme that converts it to active medicine can only work so fast. (refer to the article on vyvanse here: http://www.addadhdblog.com/vyvanse-the-new-medicine-for-addadhd/ for a review of what a prodrug is.
All the best,
Dr. Kenny

get more potassium,

and you may want to talk to your doctor about lowering your dosage but potassium supplimentation helped me with the muscle tension.

lay off the caffine completely I found that for me Vyvanse make me VERY sensitive to caffine.

just my $.02.

Hi Aaron,
Yes, I am thrilled this has turned into such a productive discussion, and I have learned more about Vyvanse.
Vyvanse has not yet been approved in Canada. I don’t know when it will be, but I anticipate likely not until 2009 (though one can never really guess for sure).
Although surprises like Serzone and Vioxx are never expected, Vyvanse is different than that - because the active medicine has been in wide use for >50 years. The only difference is adding the lysine protein to it - which makes it into a ‘prodrug’ and thus not abusable.
Regarding Xanax XR - I am not familiar with it - but no doubt it is just a long acting of the original xanax - which will make it less abusable (similar to how concerta is long active ritalin - making it less abusable).
Thanks to all for making this a great discussion.
Dr. Kenny
p.s. to learn more about medicines, visit my site: http://www.medicationmastery.com

judy,

the dose has got to be too high.

cut it back instead of adding the wellbutrin if he did not have these side effects before, why did you go to the higher dose?

Another 2 bits about Vyvanse for ADDults, to add to this very enlightening discussion. I’m 45 and was only/finally diagnosed with ADD last fall. Sure explains a lot from the past 4 decades! Anyway, since fall I’ve been gradually ramping up daily doses of Vyvanse after being counseled that greater potency = greater effectiveness. Started at 30mg 1st few wks, 40mg the next few, now I’m up to 70 mg tabs. Sudden dosage increases caused problems - I went from 30 to 50 mg but had to drop back to 40 right away. The 50 mg made me feel strange. Wasn’t like the jitters from too much caffeine, more like too sensitized to everything. But dropping back to 40 mg and continuing gradual increase worked fine. The ONLY problems over the past now 3-4 months have been very minor - failing to go to sleep at a reasonable hour and forgetting to eat lunch, and both happened only a few times. Overall it’s seems to be effective in helping me stay more focused and on task at work.

One other note - I was also diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and take Effexor-XR every day too. It’s possible others without the same combo of drugs & diagnoses might not get the same positive results I have, but from what little I know about how Vyvanse works there isn’t likely to be interaction between the two meds.

Dr. Kenny, thanks for hosting this blog and your website, and thanks to all for sharing their wisdom and experiences in ADD land.

I would like to respond to Judy who left a comment on March 25th. I currently have two teenagers on Vyvanse (50 mg). The outbursts, verbal abuse, meltdowns, etc., will subside. When my 15 year old was approximately two weeks into taking the medication, I seriously thought that my daughter had left and satan had moved in. This resolved itself. Give the child enough time to adjust to the medication. I’ve been told by other parents to give it at least a month. I cannot say enough good things about this medication. I had two children who were literally failing in school. One is now on the A/B honor roll, and the other is very near. It has truly changed our lives, and I can’t thank the company who makes the medication enough. Hope this helps.

Laura,
Ask your doctor if your child can take the risperidone and an ADD medication together. many times this can be done successfully.
Dr. Kenny

Stumbled upon this site when looking for information about vyvanse (there doesn’t seem to be very much!).

I’m a freshman in college who was recently diagnosed with ADD. My doctor started me out on a low dosage of Adderall but I felt uneasy with the potential for abuse or dependency. I definitely benefitted from the Adderall (concentration in my classes, starting papers early, keeping my dorm clean) but I noticed a lot of highs and lows throughout the weeks.

After a consultation, my doctor started me on Vyvanse as a solution to the negative effects of Adderall. The first week (30 mg) was amazing for me, I felt like the “normal” productive version of myself. Plus, I didn’t feel the unnatural rush you get right after a dose of Adderall. In other words, I felt like I wasn’t even taking a medication but still was upbeat and focused. However, after the second and third weeks (70 mg) I have noticed a “declining” period in my day; around 5 or 6 I have noticed that I become annoyed easily and lethargic. This usually lasts for one or two hours and a short rest gets me back up to speed.

Is this normal? I haven’t been able to find a lot of good information on Vyvanse as it is still a new drug and most of the facts online were provided by the manufacturer. I was considering lowering my dosage but I am going to talk to my doctor before I change anything. Has anyone else had any similar effects?

My daughter (5yrs old) began taking Vyvanse 70 mg on 3/16/2008. The first day she was sleeping alot. I have noticed that she is more quiet and less hyperactive (about the same as a child without ADHD). She has been on several other ADHD medication that has not worked. It is currently two weeks later and Vyvanse does not work anymore, she is back to her same behavior. I don’t know what else to do with my child, but this was the best medication she has had in the past 1 1/2.

I am a 32 y/o female and was diagnosed with AADD approximately one month ago following a visit to a psychiatrist, which was prompted by a sincere feeling of being on the verge of “going crazy”- no exaggeration. Before going on, I want to preface this entry with the fact that I am a successful business woman with no college degree, though, my education does include off and on college attempts. My lack of ability to focus, however, has NEVER allowed me to complete much of anything, even with a seemingly overall high intelligence and performance level. That said, Intelligence and performance only go so far when the world around me seems to be able to stick to and accomplish things that require single-minded focus, such as two consecutive school terms, and so, so much more. For me, the inability to finish school had always kept me feeling less than, inadequate, etc., etc.

Why am I finally being diagnosed with ADD after all these years? Honestly, why not before? I have seen doctors for depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, anger and an overall inability to “get my *hot together”. These so-called healthcare professionals were always happy to prescribe anti-depressants and/or suggest that I needed to see a specialist, however, there was never any direction beyond that. Essentially, I was allowed to self-diagnose, and then gave me a band-aid, the anti-depressants. Why are GP’s allowed to prescribe anti-depressants at all given that their practice, and knowledge, is general? Additionally, none of these doctors even suggested counseling- that was my idea, which I followed through with. At some point, though, life got overwhelming as my responsibilities became greater and greater and I could not manage anything. Enter, Dr. Lindsay and Vyvanse.

On the Monday of my breakdown, for lack of a better word, I called around and found another GP to see because I didn’t want to go back to the one who kept prescribing band-aids. To make a long story short, this GP told me I had to go see a psychiatrist and referred me to one who couldn’t see me for weeks, or so it seemed. So, being the proactive person I am, I jumped onto the web and found a local psychiatrist who could see me the SAME DAY- thank GOD! Let me stress that my intention was not to stick another pill down my throat, as I had taken myself off of the anti-depressants and birth-control (to help manage PMDD) about six months ago. I couldn’t stand walking around feeling as though I was always on the verge of reality, but not.

During my fist visit with Dr. Lindsay, I was diagnosed with AADD. TOGETHER, we went through a series of tests, he pulled out 5″ thick manuals, and WE worked toward finding the problem (for lack of a better word…and “solution” for a more appropriate one). Once AADD was pinpointed, he began asking me about my history, including that of my siblings. I recounted the years of my brother taking medicine for ADD, as well as my hostility over the whole ordeal. It always felt as though my mother just wanted to have a drugged up kid, rather than dealing with the problems relative to childhood. Now, though, I kind of wish that I had had the diagnosis and the medication. Maybe my life would have been different, but who knows and the reality is that here is where I am now.

The concept of Vyvanse was scary at first because I DID NOT want another pill-solution to what seemed to me an emotional and spiritual dilemma, as had been suggested and seemed adequately reasonable to me. I took the medicine, and continue to take it, however, because I need(ed) help with being able to focus on changing my life…and all that that encompasses.

The first week, I took 30 mg of Vyvanse and things truly seemed different, both inside and out. I was not reactionary. For example, one day I was walking in rush hour traffic in downtown Seattle and simply [thought] a driver was going to run me over, although, I hadn’t even stepped off of the curb. My life-long response would be to give the driver an evil look and mouth something derogatory, but I didn’t. While I admit that for a nano-second I felt that sort of physical response happening, I simply waited for the walk signal, stepped off the curb once the vehicle stopped and smiled at the guy who was clearly sorry. To the average person this would seem like a normal response, but for me this was a miracle because it was polar opposite of the day before. Really, I always did feel somewhat guilty at my aggressive behavior, but was never able to totally control it. So, to make a week-long experience short, other notable mentions are that I worked like never before, was able to begin and complete tasks that were non-negotiable, or at least so in my mind, was a much, much kinder, open-minded and compassionate, and felt BIG relief from obsessive/compulsive behavior, such as overeating and drinking, the latter of which was the most mentally taxing. The food obsession quit to the point that it didn’t even occur to me to eat until my stomach and pounding head reminded me.

Following that first week, I went on a two week out of the country vacation and, not having anything to focus my energy on, experienced a tremendous amount of anxiety on the Vyvanse. I should note that at our one week follow up, Dr. Lindsay and I decided increasing the 30 mg dosage to 50 mg was not necessary because I was having the maximum benefit and, not so beneficial, experiencing insomnia.

Within a day or two of the trip, I quit taking the Vyvanse for the first several days and actually felt relief from the anxiety. Then, I started taking it again toward the end of my trip when I noticed my focus waning and decided that the benefits outweighed the consequences. Also, I read that certain side-effects would diminish if I would just ride it out. I hate ANY feelings of discomfort, but decided, for once in my life, to commit to something that would take patience and tolerance and have long-term benefit. I’ve always been into instant gratification and moved on if a situation presented otherwise.

All of that was almost one month ago and I am still taking 30 mg., but will discuss increasing at my doctor appointment this week. Some of the benefits are starting to decrease, such as focus and the lessened obsessive/compulsive behavior. Today, I poured a little of the medicine from a 50 mg capsule and took what I concluded would be about 40 mg. I tried 50 mg a couple of times and felt entirely uncomfortable and felt like it was way too much. Again, I may just have to wait out the side-effects, but will talk to Dr. Lindsay and make the decision together.

I have started counseling again, both independently and with my husband. Crazy thing- I feel very awake for the first time in my over 30 years and have no idea how to behave. My life has been ruled by undiagnosed ADD for so long that this new normal, if you will, path is entirely abnormal for me. I really came to terms last week with the fact that I can manage crisis and chaos very well, but not the good, normal, more quiet side of life quite as well. When things are not good, or in upheaval, I feel alright and useful. But, this quiet, nothing to fix stuff is really, really confusing.

Lastly, as a woman, I have noted some very WOMEN-SPECIFIC issues through researching my diagnosis. Primarily, for a number of reasons women experience a much, much higher rate of diagnosis in adulthood and often NEED more in the way of support in dealing with the diagnosis. Also, there are hundreds of support groups around the country and even ADD coaches out there who can lend direction (!). Women internalize just about everything, so support is necessary for recovery. Remember, the Vyvanse and/or other drugs really just play a role in learning, or unlearning, behaviors to facilitate life changes. And, for me personally, I want a life change that is lifelong, and not just a temporary fix because what happens when the pill is gone. Nothing is a guarantee, so we need to build ourselves up and take a new approach that includes accountability. Believe me when I tell you that this message is also to and for me and only comes as a result of experience. This is in no way preaching, but a self-therapy of sorts.

My respectful regards to you all in this awakening and thank you from the bottom of my heart (and bladder at this point) for allowing me to share a little bit of my life. As with most other things in life, people who have not walked a mile in our ADD shoes cannot know that our miles translate into a mental hundred some days!

Sarah E.

Wow- My husband and I just listened to the “find the genius” report and found it very insightful. Please, please, please keep me updated on the mentioned upcoming series because I believe in and want to learn more about strength-based diagnosis.

By the way, just before my first post, I was in the midst of ordering a book for women written by Sari Solden! Thank you for the reference and reminder to complete the order…go figure…

Sarah E.

RE: March 18th, 2008 William: Impulsivity is a huge part of ADHD and quite honestly the only way to manage it is to ….well…manage it. Medications for ADHD are designed to assist in thought process which in turn helps to control ADHD behaviors. I don’t believe that the medication itself does anything with regard to “making” a person behave a certain way, it only helps the person understand how to help themselves behave differently. I am 40 years old and have finally mastered how to control my inpulsiveness. Ok well, I’m still learning but I am SO much better at it than I ever was before. ADHD meds for me, help me to be able to process information better to make the best decision rather than acting on my initial thoughts which generally were not the best way to manage situations. It’s an ongoing training process for me and I learn more and more every day about myself and how to manage my behaviors. Vyvanse has been a God-send for me because it helps me more than any other medication I have ever been on. I also take Wellbutrin for depression and trazadone to sleep - I took the trazodone before I started the Vyvanse, and the Vyvanse has no effect on my sleep whatsoever. I think a problem is that people are too quick to take a higher dose of this medication without giving it a chance to actually work properly and many of the side effects I read about here may be because of too high a dose. I have also read how people don’t “feel any different” on Vyvanse and seem to be waiting for some tremendous awakening. Fact is, if the medication is working properly and is being taken in the right dosage, a person won’t “feel” anything! That’s the great thing about Vyvanse - I don’t FEEL drugged! I simply am able to tend to my business and manage my life in a more organized and effective manner. My life has never been better; I can focus, organize, think, sleep, make good sound decisions and function on a level that most people without ADHD take for granted. The only side effects I have had are dry-mouth (not a big deal - water works well), loss of appetite (weight loss for me is not a bad thing) and in the beginning, headaches - but I found that the headaches were caused by me taking the Wellbutrin and Vvanse too close together in the morning. I have since started taking them a half an hour apart and the headaches have subsided. I was not surprised by the headaches because I have regular migraines and am prone to headaches since an accident I had in 1997, but changing the time that I took the meds worked. Anyway…to get back to the topic of inpulsiveness, I think if you work to control your thought process, with the help of the Vyvanse to assist in slowing it down, you will be successful. Counseling is a wonderful thing and actually, I don’t think ANY medication for ANY mental health issue should be taken without counseling. Drugs don’t fix everything and we need to learn how to manage our lives on our own; the medication and counseling just helps us help ourselves do that. Good luck to you!

William,

LOL…yes, it sounds crazy but you actually have to concentrate on concentrating! But, I have to say, IT WORKS!

It’s my first day on 30mg of Vyvanse. I have taken Straterra with no luck, and a short-lived stint on Adderall XR before losing health coverage. I noticed a peak around 6 hours after taking the capsule, however, I took it after eating string cheese which from my understanding affects absorbtion. I do have a question, is it better to take this at the same time every day? Or is sometime in the morning ok?

Shannon,
I’m not the one for giving advice, but taking the medication at the same time every morning puts me on a schedule, and I really need a set schedule. Taking it too late in the morning could cause you problems with sleep also.
Just a thought.

My son, 12, was recently diagnosed and started Vyvanse 30mg for 10 days. The dr. then gave another script for 50mg for 10 days, the 70 mg for 10 days. We have only had 3 days and the 30mg seems to work well (concentration and improved handwriting already). Am I wishful in thinking he is getting the effects so soon? I’m really concerned about the 3 scripts and increasing dosage. Has anyone been treated like this? Should I call the dr and let him know the 30mg seems to work–assuming by day 7-9 it is? One other thing, the dr said we may see increased tics and my son is blinking like crazy. Should this diminish anything to help? Thanks all for the great info. I never wanted to “drug” my kid; however, his grades are suffering and if this helps we are willing to try anything–he is another smart kid that has a hard time finishing work!!! Thank you Dr. Kenny for this blog, I look forward to reading much more.

i was told i had adhd two months ago. I started at the bottom vyvanse 30mg. It worked amazingly! I was so impressed but then it just felt like it was not working. I finished the months and then moved up to the 50mg. This happened again with the 50mg but it was not as bad. I am now on 70mg. I had a reaction from avelox last week . I was taking both so I am not sure if it was avelox or taking both at the same time. Today i had a pain on the left side of my chest. I only had about 5 hr sleep last night. I had the pain before i took my vyvanse 70mg. I have been atking this for a lil over a week. I am 19yrs old. I do not know if this is really from vyvanse or not. I talked to my doctor and she said to just d/c it. Has anyone had this happend? I do not think it was vyvanse but i would like to ask for others opioions that are taking the med.I love how vyvanse was working!

d/c mean to discontinue the medication.

My 6 year old is on 30mg of Vyvanse. He takes clonidine to sleep.
You may want to ask your psychiatrist about something to help
him!!:)

My son was diagnosed with ADHD 6 weeks ago which he was prescribed VYVANSE it was wonderful. At first side effect was sleeplessness but his Dr. right away gave him clonidine to help him sleep. After about 4 weeks of taking Vyvanse I noticed that he started to act up agin not being able to focus. He was extremely irritable, and aggrivated. I took him off the medicine because I thought he wasn’t reacting to it no more. Well come to find out I guess he was getting immune to it So the Dr. had to up his dose. My Question is what if he gets immune to the 50mg and gets upped to 70mg what will happen. Will he outgrow that too??? Im not saying Vyvanse isn’t helping because it is very much so. Im just curious Thank You.

I am 27 years old and was previously taking Adderall XR, my doctor switched me to Vyvanse because Adderall XR only lasted 6-8 hours depending on what I ate that morning. The difference between the two medications are night and day. I’m not irritable anymore, the headaches are gone, and the medicine seems to be less choppy than the Adderall I was taking. And I feel so much more dialed in with Vyvanse than I did when I took Adderall. OH and I open my Vyvanse capsule and pour it into water, it seems to work quicker when I do this. Also, Vyvanse definitely works all day long, about 13 hours. I resteled with insomnia at first BUT after taking it for a week, I went right to sleep no problem. This is my last semester of graduate school, I just only wish I found out about Vyvanse sooner because its so much easier to focus compared to what I was on before. Who knew a kid that battled with ADHD could acheive an MBA?!

I posted on the 29th, and was worried about side effects and thought I would follow up. My son’s side effects went away. All of them. He is eating better (not great but that is because he has eosiniphilic esophagitis also). He sleeps well, no more stomachaches or ringing in the ears. And no more headaches, which lasted about 4 days. He is doing fabulous in math. His grades have improved from Cs to As. Now he takes initiative to do things that he never would before, and he is well-mannered and much easier to reason with. I have nothing but good to say about this medicine. It fits my child well.

My son is on his 2nd month of Vyvanse, the worst side effect for him is the irritability and stuborness he hast to argue with me or his brother and has explossive outbursts, another side effect is the change in his personality he seems rather withdrawn when he is normally funny and outgoing. His grades have improved at school and the schoo has stopped calling me with complains about his behavior the problem is I don’t know how long I can go putting up with the outbursts and the disrespectfulness he exhibits towards me and his sibblings. I plan on not giving him the medication during this summer.

Cherry

So, I started with 30mg a month ago, and it felt that after about 10 days it wasn’t AS effective. My doctor increased my dose to 50mg today was my first day on the 50mg. I am more focused for the moment, however, I am concerned the fact that there are several people that seem to experience a loss of effectiveness after a few days… what happens as we get moved up the medicinal scale and 70mg stops working?

Being diagnosed ADD and GAD (Generalized anxiety disorder) as well as being a recreational user (previously) of just about every drug/medication on the market/not on the market. I can tell you that vyvanse does have the potential for abuse. The onset of the medication seems to be a lot smoother than either Ritalin or Adderall (Ritalin/Concerta being the milder of the two) yet when it peaks it often gives off physical body stimulation and minor speed effects. (Confirmed in low doses as well) Of the three big ADD/ADHD medications that seem to be prescribed (Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse) I would say that Ritalin would still take king over the most effective in supplying relief, without harsh peaks and lasting an appropriate amount of time. Adderall does the job well, as always but again seems to have a shorter half-life, peaks are a bit rough at times, and causes minor irritation when coming down. Vyvanse has almost always resulted in increased agitation and irritability during onset, and when coming off. When beginning the vyvanse regimen severe exhaustion was felt after half-life. This has lessened over the course of continuous compliant use. Hope this helps for anybody interested to read through the wall of text.

I am a 24 year old male who just received my Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Illinois, and I have ADHD. I was diagnosed 19 years ago by a reputable neurologist who still manages my treatment. Since first grade, I have received academic accomodations in one form or another, I have received a great deal of group/individual therapy and coaching, and I have been treated with several medications.

I began with Clonodine, for the treatment of facial tics (which have since subsided, permanently). Perhaps around third grade, I switched to Ritalin, which I took until high school. Ritalin helped me a lot, but there were draw backs: I had to go to the nurse each day to re-dose, I would experience an emotional “crash” as the medicine war off around 4pm (irritable), and I became less responsive to ritalin as I grew older and heavier. In high school I swtiched to Adderrall in tablet form twice a day at between 10-25mg. At the time I weighed about 107 lbs, and was very athletic. I had no trouble sleeping, eating, or being irritable. Drawbacks? The medicine seemed to work best only if it was taken more than 20 minutes before eating…. otherwise it seemed to take longer to kick in, and was generally less potent. Also, the medicine was not consistent: It would approach a peak before tapering off. During my Junior year, I switched to 25mg Adderrall XR, which lasted roughly 8 hours, although it began wearing off at about 6.5 hours. The major draw back was that it could take as long as 2 hours to begin kicking in on some days. No weight loss,appetite suppression, or insomnia. I weighed about 128 lbs, and was reaching 5′7, in excellent physical condition. I rarely took these medications duringthe summer or on weekends.

I changed medecines half-way through my first year at the university, settling on a moderate dosage of paxil for the treatment of frequent panic attacks and severe anxiety (Mostly an effect of the school environment). I experienced several problems with Paxil: Weight gain was from 128lbs up to 195 lbs; I grew tired, and began sleeping more than 10 hours each day; I was VERY inattentive; The medicine exacerbated an allergic swelling illness that I have inheritted from my family (Angio Neurotic Adeema); and my attendance and grades fell. After a few years of this, I had to leave the university for two semesters for poor academic performance, and spent two months at a community college after swtiching medicines.

Immediately, my weight fell to 145 lbs after going off of Paxil for the summer. The next year, at the community college, I returned to Adderrall XR, 20mg. My grades again improved, and I was placed on the Dean’s List for outstanding academic performance. I returned to the university, but I found that Adderrall XR didn’t last long enough after class for me to get enough homework completed. I proposed a regimen, approved by my neurologist, whereby I took a 10mg tablet of Adderrall along with a capsule of XR in the morning, followed by another tablet in the evening as the XR began to wear off. I noticed a significant improvement in my concentration and the potency/duration of the medication remained very consistent, but this is a very expensive way to buy Adderrall. Furthermore, I discovered something that probably relates to the vitamin C… I began drinking orange juice in the morning as I took my adderrall. On these mornings, it was as if I took no medecine at all. From what I have read and understand, Adderrall reacts with citric acid (Vitamin C), causing the body to dissipate the medicine far more quickly. I have read also that bases, like antacid Tums or Rolaids, can have the opposite effect, causing the amphetamine salts to remain in the body for a longer time. However, if this effect exists I have not noticed it, but I now try to take these medecines on an empty stomach when possible just to be safe. I have done very well all of the way through graduation on May 10th.

Now, Vyvanse- In March, my neurologist gave me three samples of Vyvanse, samples officially distributed by Shire, received through the pharmacy (A lot of paperwork went a long withthese samples, btw). I received three bottles of ten pills each, with dosages of 30mg, 50mg, 70mg. My neurologist wanted me to start with the 30mg, and onthe weekend (I take medications every day during the school year, since that’s what college requires). She wanted me to start on the weekend so I wouldn’t be experimenting on days with lectures. 30mg was a little weak, 50mg is probably right. I felt real focused on 70mg, but I also felt the medicine “hit” my stomach as it kicked in (like a blast of nervous adrenaline). I worry that 70mg, although effective, is over-kill for me. In general, I found Vyvanse to kick in less predictably… sometimes 1 hour in, sometimes 3 hours in. It is supposed to be less reactive to vitamin C and other acidic foods, since Vyvanse is madein “inactive” form. I haven’t noticed much difference with vitamin C, but I have noticed that taking it on a full stomach throws off when the medicine will kick in. It lasts from 8-12 hours for me… but since it is more subtle I am not sure when it tapers off precisely. I do notice my heart rate returning to normal about 14 hours in (with Adderrall XR, it takes about 10 hours for my heart rate to drop to normal). With vyvanse, I do notice less appetite from 3-6 hours after taking it -I have not lost any weight, as I just end up ravenously hungry when the medicine begins wearing off. Also, unlike with Adderrall, coffee seems to be unwise… I feel very anxious and jumpy with caffeine on top of vyvanse, at least through coffee. My blood pressure also sky-rockets more than it normally does while drinking coffee (I do have high blood pressure, but this is unrelated to the medicines… its from my kidneys, another genetic problem. I take Avapro for the high blood pressure, but it is not supposed to effect neuro-stimulants at all).

I have also noticed trouble sleeping with Vyvanse, almost to the point of frustration. However, I think this is because I took the medicine at irregular times (some days I need to be up at 7am, others at 11am, and much later on the weekends). Take it too late in the day, and I can be up for two days solid (and not pleasantly so… I can’t think clearly when I’m tired). Whereas Adderrall can make me feel more awake (but I can still get myself to sleep if I so choose), Vyvanse does not make me feel any less tired but (strangely) it is very hard for me to sleep with it in my system.

Finally, I would like to add that I have to be very careful what I am doing when the XR medicine kicks in, regardless of whether I am taking Adderrall XR or Vyvanse. Whatever I happen to be working on when the medicine kicks in, that’s what I usually end up doing for hours… it’s veryhard for me to switch gears. Since Vyvanse and Adderrall XR can take time to “kick in”, I sometimes try to do chores or other work, or even relax until I feel I canconcentrate enough to be productive. Well, if I am playing a computer game when Vyvanse starts working, then I’ll be messing withthe game for hours when I should be working. To counter this, I drink about two cups of coffee to help me concentrate enough to get started on real work while I wait for Vyvanse to “kick in”. Understand, however, that caffeine is to ADHD medicine as Alcohol is to prescription anxiety/depression medicine… its a BAD way to self-medicate. I think a stimulant in tablet form would be a nice adjunct to a lower dosage of Vyvanse, but I am unwilling to take the Adderrall tablets (which I still have a few of) on the same day I take Vyvanse… I don’t experiment, that’s my neurologist’s job, and I don’t want to be the unlucky kid who discovers that you cannot mix the two without risking cardiac arrest, or some other terrible fate.

On the whole, I like Vyvanse… I think the drug has potential. I asked my neurologist for a prescription of 50mg for this month, which I will try at work and in academic settings throughout the summer. I am hoping to go to law school in the fall, and I want to get my medications/dosages worked out before classes start. My intent is to be on as little medicine as possible while still accomplishing my academic goals.

Robert,

Thanks so much for your post. I read it top to bottom and was facinated with all the experiences you’ve had w/ADHD and the medications thru out most of your life. I am particularly interested since I have a 14 year old son (March 20th post) with ADHD on Vyvanse 50mg and have mixed experiences. Your descriptions of successes and non-successes on the various meds and under differing circumstance, e.g., taking med w/OJ, timing meds with food, sleep problems, etc. were interesting and have convinced me that I need to keep a daily journal for my son since he schedule differs and his ability to fully function differs as well. I hope I can come up with a better balance of things. Our biggest issue is the irritability and before and after med crashes.

I was really encouraged to hear that you earned your college degree and are continuing on. I think that you’ve given me hope for his future success. He’s very bright and is a great performer if it’s on his terms, of course. With the right balance of things, I think there’s a good chance for him to succeed too. Thanks again…..

I began taking Vyvanse March 20, 2008. I had tried Concerta in the past with not very noticeable results. I am 49 and have been seeking help for unidentified ADHD since I was 23! My doc wanted to try Straterra on me, but I don’t like antidepressants - they don’t work on me, side effects - and I felt I needed a stimulant. I read a blog that said a lot of people have headaches in the beginning and, sure enough, BAD migraine only for one day. After that it has been very well tolerated when taken early upon rising WITH FOOD (for me). I feel like a new person, or maybe the old person. Weight loss is a side effect that I needed and I have lost 25 pounds - mostly by working hard and not sitting around eating. I am getting a lot done and people keep saying they see the difference in me. I am not taking my anxiety meds more than once in awhile now, so it seems to help with that. Maybe because you take care of things instead of worrying about them? My migraines have been cut in half. Less stressed? Constipation is a problem I’m trying to work out. I really like this medicine and the results. Other family members are considering or have changed. Ritalin never worked for my son, who is graduating high school this year with lackluster performance and mild behavioral issues throughout. We are working on getting him to try it, with the hopes that it will help with college. We don’t want abuse to be a possibility! My 17 year old niece was on twice a day Ritalin and having lots of issues with insomnia, migraines and math. Since she switched she is also a different person - decreased migraines. My seven year old nephew only lasted on it three weeks. His parents took him off of it because they said he was having nightmares. I think the nightmares are a side issue, because he is still having them without the drug.

Hi Erin,
I’m not sure if I can say anything to convince you otherwise - but I am a real guy - a practicing child psychiatrist - who works in Oakville, Canada.
I don’t work for pharmaceutical companies - and you won’t find ads for any pharma companies on this blog. (on the day I’m writing this, there is an ad for amazon ADHD books at the top of the blog, and a banner for a program that I did with Dr. Hallowell - I may ad ‘google adsense’ soon, but we’ll see…).
I posted this blog post to elicit people’s experience with Vyvanse, because as a Canadian doctor, I have no experience with it.
I moderate the comments - but the only time I don’t publish the comments is:
1) If it is clearly a spam comment - i.e. someone trying to get a link to a commercial site (mostly an unrelated industry)
2) If someone posts something clearly hateful, racist, etc.
I haven’t had to delete any comments for this post…
Each person (when they post) has to submit their email address - and I can tell you that while no one but the blog admin can see those email addresses - they are regular email addresses - i.e. aol.com, yahoo.com, etc.
I guess it is theoretically possible that pharma people are coming into this thread and posting ’success stories’ unbeknownst to me…. But I think they spend their time on buying ads all over the net (in the niche sites that suit them).
I.e. if you go to http://www.additudemag.com - you will see several pharma banners there.
Regarding this blog - as a final point - I have articles on alternative treatments:
http://www.addadhdblog.com/category/alternatives-for-adhd/
I have also asked for medication horror stories:
http://www.addadhdblog.com/do-you-have-an-addadhd-medication-disaster-story/
As well as medication success stories:
http://www.addadhdblog.com/do-you-have-an-addadhd-medication-success-story/
Anyhow - whether I’ve convinced you or not - I wish you well.
Dr. Kenny

ok, Dr. Kenny!

i am a 31 year old female- severely bipolar and ADD. i’ve been on welbutrin xl for 6 years now and am at 450 daily. (btw- about 800 a month when i have to pay for it.) but i’m so used to it that if i go one day without it i totally fall apart- can’t wake up, headaches, suicidal thoughts, can’t think straight, can’t make decisions, walk around in my own little world. i was also on lamictal- mood stabilizer- for a year but then went off it. tasted nasty, couldn’t swallow it, if i missed it ever i got horrible skin problems- i still have scars from it.

since then doctors always have wanted me to try things to manage the bipolar- lithium and all the other stabilizers. they seem to just make me “weird.” nothing has ever worked so i just stick with the welbutrin- anti depressant- even though it’s obviously not the total solution.

so 4 days ago- Dr. Kenny plug your ears- or close your eyes- my friend Betty who is a walking pharmacy told me she had tons of unfinished bottles of different things. she is VERY ADHD. sometimes i love being around people like that because it makes me feel more normal know what i mean. anyway, she gave me a vyvanse 70 to take in the morning.

we are talking miracle of colossal proportions. i was productive ALL DAY. i wasn’t tired. i planned for the future. i kept moving. i WANTED to get stuff done. time seemed to feel different. so i got 3 more from her. it’s continued.

i do have loss of appetite but i think that will pass. tomorrow will be my first day in 4 without it. we’ll see how it goes.

i’m starting to think a lot of my emotional problems will be solved as i learn to manage the ADD. of course i get more depressed when i’m not accomplishing things. when i have no goals- my mind has nothing to focus on and so all kinds of irrational thoughts take over. you can’t be emotionally healthy and independent when you can’t involve yourself in anything.

bipolar is very real and i know it won’t end the swings. but i think it will give me a momentum so that maybe the swings will make me sway but since i’m walking forward i won’t just totally fall over.

so in the past 4 days i have decided i’m going to get an MBA, set a date for the GMAT, made a study plan with a friend who is also taking it, and i have an appt. tomorrow with the MBA recruiter at BYU. i also finally made a dr. appt. for next friday. i feel excited for the future.

several times during the day i caught myself saying- well, i might as well just do it NOW. (WHAT???) i’m not sure i’ve EVER said that. ever.

it’s kind of hard to believe such a simple decision could make such a big difference. i know it was the answer to prayer. i haven’t seen Betty in 5 years basically. then, she just showed up out of nowhere and handed me some vyvanse, which i had never heard of.

my biggest concern is that i’m a financial mess (of course) and i have no medical insurance. even with all the different programs and resources- it’s so ironic that when you are so ADD it totally affects your life the things you have to go through to get treatment are the very things you can’t do. all the phone calls, paper work, dealing with mis information, time wasted talking to the wrong people- because no one ever seems to really know what’s going on, remembering appts. and other stuff. being motivated to go through this when there are a million other things always weighing you down that also need to get done. sticking with the process and not just starting it.

people who always live life like i have the past 4 days have absolutely no comprehension of what it’s like to just not have the ability to take care of things. i wish they did! i wish everyone would experience it for a week. i’m tellling you - the world would be a much more compassionate place.

Erin,
I’m glad to hear that you are doing well with Vyvanse - but you need to be careful taking ADD medication (any of them) when you are bipolar.
It can induce a mania, and it can also induce psychosis.
If you have bipolar, it is important to talk to your doctor about your medicine, and to likely be on a mood stabilizer before taking any ADD meds.
Let us know what happens.
Dr. Kenny