Does Vyvanse Work?
ByVyvanse is the newest medicine for ADD and ADHD. It uses an innovative approach so that it is an ADHD ADD medication that cannot be abused.
As a Canadian doctor, I am not able to prescribe Vyvanse, because it is not yet available outside of the US.
So, my biggest question is: Does Vyvanse work?
I have read the research, I have heard the presentations, but I don’t have real life experience with this medicine.
This is where you can help me out.
I want to hear from anyone who has tried Vyvanse, or even considered trying Vyvanse.
Just go ahead and enter a comment below.
Please realize that when you click submit, it will take a little bit of time until your comment reaches my blog. That is because every comment is moderated (i.e. I want to make sure that there are no spam comments, and nothing hateful, racist, etc.).
I found this video – where someone shares his or her experience with Vyvanse – and you can watch it here:
Now, it’s your turn. Please type in any of your own personal experiences with Vyvanse so that the readers of this blog can benefit from your knowledge and experience. I know that the readers of this blog span the whole globe – so if you have experience with Vyvanse, all of the readers of this blog (American, Canadian and International) will appreciate your contribution very much!
Thank you for your help,
Dr. Kenny
Technorati Tags: Vyvanse, ADD, ADHD, Medication for ADHD, Adult ADHD, Adult ADD, ADHD Video, Vyvanse Video
I am 28 male who has a long history of adhd. I have taken adderol and it made me think i was losing my soul. Eventually I was put on ritalin which ive been taking up to today. I just feel taking pills twice a day is like that commercial with the lady who needs to keep being wound up to get through the day. Finally my doctor suggested Vyvanse and I will be starting it tomorrow. I am unsure how it will effect me but claims to last the day. I will be on a 30mg. I weigh 166 lbs I will try to remember to post at least once more to say how the trial goes.
Today is my first day on Vyvanse. So far so good. It’s much better than the feeling like i’m on speed from ritalin. I’m simply focused with a normal like feeling. There is a mild headache that i think is due to coming off the ritalin so abruptly. However there’s no desire to go back to the ritalin and no desire to take another pill to wind me back up. The best way to say it balances out the chemicals in the brain and i took it at 9 am its currently 1:30ish and I do not feel the tired feeling I get on ritalin. There is however a feeling of being driven to do something, anything. As long as I stay busy I seem fine. Hopefully the withdrawl of the ritalin will fade and the effects of the Vyvanse will be stronger in the following days. I will keep you posted.
I’ve enjoyed reading all these posts and relating to most of them, especially the one about the meds making me sleepy, as does coffee. I’m 49 and was diagnosed 11 years ago and noticed an immediate, albeit short lived, response to Ritalin. Since then I’ve had trials with every form of treatment available and read most of the books on the subject and have been to many seminars and many different types of doctors and therapists trying to get a handle on the Executive Function problems associated with ADD. The only thing I have not tried is hiring a professional Life Coach, but have always “wished” I could be “granted” one because I don’t want to pay for one. I would be embarrassed to reveal how difficult it is for me to get through my 18 hour days jumping from task to task. I take 30 mg. Vyvanse 1st thing in the morning with my breakfast and coffee at 7 a.m. on the 2 days per week that I work (because it is so expensive and not covered by insurance). It wears off by 3 p.m. and I have to leave work and go home to take a nap because I just can’t keep my eyes open any longer. I was lucky to find a part time job that allowed me to make my own hours and pick my own days to work.
I have to wake up before my kids get home from school at 3:45, but could sleep till 5 p.m. I take Adderall 20 mg. on the days I don’t work and have to redose by 1 p.m. or I’ll end up falling asleep by 1:30 and sleeping till 3:30. I’m basically pretty worthless every day from 3 to 6 p.m. no matter what treatment I’ve been on and wonder if this is just my body’s natural rhythm. My peak time in the evening is from 8:30 till about 12:30 when I’m ready to “go” again and do stuff. Then I stay awake, usually on the computer, playing spider solitaire till about 1:30 a.m. when I just can’t keep my eyes open any longer. Then I go to bed and fall alseep within about 10 minutes if the temperature of the room is right and I have my earplugs in to block my husband’s snoring. I always wake up and look at the clock around 3:30 a.m. and get up to pee at 5:30 a.m. When the alarm goes off at 6:35 I hit the snooze button twice because I don’t want to get up, but have to get the kids up and off to school, starting them at 7 a.m. with that process. My husband leaves at 6 a.m. and I don’t even hear him or wake up when he turns the lights on because I am dead to the world. On weekends when I don’t “have” to get up by a certain time, I can sleep till 9:45 once I get up to pee at 5:30. If I try to go to bed before midnight, I just toss and turn till 1:30 and get aggravated with my husband’s snoring. I hate this sleeping/waking pattern and would like to break this cycle, but don’t know how without taking more meds. Trazadone worked well for me in the past, but I had to go off it after each child was born because it made me dead to the world for 8 hours and I couldn’t get up if one of my kids were crying. But I guess they’re old enough now that I could give that another try. They’re 6, 11, and 16. Sometimes it just helps to type these things out and solve your own problems! Thanks for being here.
By the way, my 16 year old daughter is now on Vyvanse also and it has the least side effects of all the meds she’s tried since she was 6 year old. It just hurts my pocketbook!
It’s 1:30 – Good night! Got to get up at 5:30 a.m. for a trip.
What happens if someone takes Vyvanse but the person isnt prescribed to take it? Are there, if any, negative side effects?
my 14 year old son just started on vyvanse (30mg) and loves it. He says it helps him concentrate,keeps him alert and does not affect his appetite. Other meds were not as useful to him. Because his main problem is inattention he only uses it on school days. He does not take the medication on w/e and holidays. The doctor said it is fine to do this. I am concerned about the dependance and withdrawl symptoms some people are discussing. If you only take this med during the week and not on w/e and summer holidays I’d love to hear about how you feel when you are not taking it. Do you come down hard?, sleep all day, get moody or are you just fine? Thanks for your input. BTW vyvanse is available in canada but only through certain doctors. I live in ontario and was able to get it.
Melissa,
Hello. I’m glad that your son is having good results with Vyvanse. I’ve been taking Vyvanse for 1 1/2 years, I’m a 36 year old mom/wife, and work outside the home about 24-30 hours per week. I was diagnosed with ADD about 8 years ago. However, I always struggled in school, but the schools and psychologists could never make a diagnosis of a learning disability or anything for that matter. I graduated from college by working very hard, always studying, and many tears, especially in the math area!
Once I graduated, was out of college for several years, working full-time, and married, my ADD coping skills slowly became null and void. I had used all of my coping skills for so long, that they were not even working for me. I thought I was going crazy, so I went to a psychiatrist and came home with the diagnosis of ADD.
Regarding your question about taking breaks from Vyvanse, I do occasionally but can only do so for about two days. After approximately two days I start to notice symptoms which could be related to withdrawal from the medicine, but I also believe the symptoms are related with me having to exert so much energy and time as I try to keep on task/track, staying organized, focused, and trying not to get into such a hyper state. That struggle alone can be exhausting in itself even without coming off of Vyvanse. Here’s a typical rundown of my breaks from Vyvanse: The first day: I’m usually fine, perhaps a little sleepy, but nothing out of the ordinary. Day two: I sometimes experience more sleepiness and fatigue like a person may experience if plagued with a night or two of not sleeping well. Day three is when I really notice the difference: very tired, struggling to focus/stay on task, multi-tasking to the point of not being productive, getting hyper out of frustration, etc. I hope this helps!
Have a good week.
Amy
my 10yo son has been on 30mg Vyvanse for 2years now. Before that we went through 5 diff meds before we found this one that finally works for him. The only side effects, that never really went away was the irritablity, mood swings, decrease in appetite, and trouble with sleeping. He takes .5mg of Chlondine at night to help him sleep and usually if I can get him to eat, that helps with the irritability. Last month his dosage was increased to 40mg cause the “connor forms” and comments from the teachers sugguested that he may need an adj. In the last few weeks, he began having OCD behaviors like excess picking of his fingers, clothes, shoes. It became so involved that he just totally stopped paying attention at school and did not get any work done. He said he could not stop. We took him to the Dr. last Friday and she wanted to put him on another med to help w/ the obsessive behaviors or what she called “anxiety”. I did not agree and decided to take him off meds completely for a week to see if he could manage on his own. He says he feels much happier and is eating all the time (like he can’t get enough) and his hyper-activity and impulsiveness is back full force. I love seeing him happier, and I can handle this at home, however the prob is at school…no focus, not on task, going to principal office for clowning around. (he has not been to pric before). I just don’t know what to do. He has gone from one side of the spectrum to the other. The Dr. said we should put him back down to his 30mg and see what happens now that his systems has been cleared for a week and not take the Clonidine at all yet. I am just afraid to see these side effects come back especially the mood swings and I love seeing him so happy and don’t want the to go away. Do you think he will do better now that we start him over? I just want the best for my son!
Hi my son is six and started his first day of vyvanse(30mg)today, he came home and I asked how he was feeling he said everything was going slow. that he couldn’t finish his drawing at school because everything was moving slow.. and that he kept on hearing his words get repeated in his head.. He said he was feeling weird that he couldn’t explain it.. Is this normal?? Has anyone heard or had same side effects??
ok so yes this thread is beyond amusing, hopefully I can clear up some things that it seems a lot of people are confused about.
bio- my name is Paul, I’m a 20 year old who works and goes to school during the week. I have ADD and have been prescribed Ritalin and Adderall in the past. I took both of these when I was 12-14. Ritalin and adderall affected my mood and behavor. Yes i could sit still but in the case of Ritalin i was practically a zombie. I recently been prescribed Vyvanse and so far love the results, I studied for 4 hours straight a task i couldn’t imagine doing before. I feel alert and ready to do anything with little side affects. But to the real reason i decided to post
First to comment on John’s post on oct 13th he had some good points and some bad ones. He is right that the medicine does alter your brain. Because when Vyvanse gets digested (in the digestional tract: stomach, intestines and so on) it releases the active ingredient Dextroamphetamine. Dextroamphetamine increases the release of dopamine, altering concentration, mood, behaior, and other physiological traits.
But also, John your whole first paragraph is off in my opinion – what recreational drug user doesn’t expect crazy things to happen when you take a very large dose of something for the first time. If you read some of the posts you would realize that this is a strong drug and it takes time for the body to get used too.
So what does this mean for you parents/patients.
Like any drug it will alter your body over long term use. But the drug is brand new so who knows what could happen over a year or two.
It will not affect every one the same!!!!!!!!!! (IMPORTANT)
So trying to compare one kids reaction to the other is only so useful. If you want your kid to take it, research it, ask your doctor questions, start a dose and if after a good amount of time you don’t like the results get your kid off the drug it’s simple.
Another thing it is an amphetamine based drug, for those who don’t know what that is, you might know it as the street name speed. methamphetamine also commonly known as meth is also in this family and is a close relative to Dextroamphetamine. Dextroamphetamine is a less potent and less neurotoxic form, which means it doesn’t get you as high and its safer for your brain.
Because Vyvanse is in the amphetamine family it is possible food and drinks could affect the effectiveness of the drug.
but the rules for amphetamines are
Alkaline based food and increase effectiveness
Acidic based food and drinks slow
Alkaline are most fruits of vegtables, and their drink counterparts
and Acidic foods are pretty much everything else
DO NOTE, gatorade and soft drinks are acidic and i remember one mom i think mentioning something about this.
So quick summary. I am on vyvanse and i do like it. I say try it and if you don’t like it, get off it. I got into college without any ADD medicine and the medicine is not for everyone.
Actually on that note, parents *sigh* just because your kid is wild doesn’t mean he or she has ADD. I work with kids grade k-5 and trust me most do grow out of the wildness. I am not discrediting any actual diagnosis, but I do know in this day and age everyone is ready to put a tag on everyone and blame it on that instead of dealing with the underlying issues behind people. And I know kids are hard to deal with, trust me i watch 54 kids(with other people btw) every day. They are not all easy to deal with. But sometimes the best medicine is not a talk and a pill but some discipline. And yes I do know that this doesn’t go out to all of you parents, but i have seen countless cases of “oh he is just acting like that cause hes not on his medicine”. So when dealing of a drug as strong as this one be samrt, DO RESEARCH!!!!, talk to your doctor and see if you can make it work.
yea I think im done, didn’t proof read hope it sounds good.
Peace :@
Paul
oh and melissa, I am planning on doing that same thing, only use it for school and yes there is a chance that could affect him when he is off it. I wouldn’t say he would have withdraws in the sort of body hurting way but psychological is possible.
and to adhd person after my first does of vyvanse i was so tired also i just took another and i was good to go.
USMCsniper,
I am still searching for the answer. A Doctor much earlier in the string of blogs made a valid point (at least here in the US) he hit the nail on the head when he stated drug companies will make a minor change in the chemical formula of an old drug, give it a new name and extend their patent on the new name and charge huge prices. We saw it with Celexa and Provigil. My question is somewhat the same as Dr. Handelman. I understand Vyvanse is bound to a protien that passes through the liver, therefore snorting or injecting the drug would not produce a “high”. Tolerance and abuse are another matter. I have lived through the horrors of Dexidren abuse (by mouth) and have no desire to revisit that experience. Simply stated is the abuse still possible by taking more of the drug than directed by the doctor when it is taken orally ? Does the liver limit the amount of amphetamine level that reaches the brain.
I am currently taking 250mg x 2 per day of NUVIGIL with an out of pocket cost of more than $500.00 per month. It works to some degree but only for 4 hours no matter how the dosing is divided. After the four hours are up I have to be off the road so I don’t harm anyone with the car.
I should have stated at the begining this is off-lable use (DX Bipolar II, PTSD, CFS) I am following retrovirus research, I had Mono. in 1964.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
I did not do well overall with taking Vyvanse. It made me feel uncomfortable and the such. It did not help with focus or my adhd. Since stopping I just started Concerta today and it fits me better this far. I may not be at the right dose since I just started at 36mg today. Though it has given me more relief than taking generic ritalin. The only problem is the cost of a non generic drug is ridiculous especially with no insurance. If it continues to be effective I will just have to suck it up an soldier on despite the cost of an effective treatment.
Hi, I am a mother whose 4 yr old son will be starting this medication tomorrow. I am very nervous. After trying other medications unsuccessfully because of a pill form I am trying to pull information together very quickly before filling the prescription. Has anyone ever had this young of a child taking this medication?
Veronica, I wanted to write you to and say that YES that slow feeling was horrible. I am no longer taking vyvanse..too many of the bad symptoms but I described it as feeling as if i was in a glass box filled with cotton and everyone was talking but i could hear them distantly and everything was soft and coated kind of. Hope this helps. I am back on Adderall. I am much older than your son..47 but didnt get diagnosed till about 35 but remember problems in school, not behaviour, just not being able to remember to bring books home and that kind of thing.
early side effects:
i have been on vyvanse 40mg 1/day for a few months now. at first i had all the side effects everyone spoke of. dry mouth, teeth grinding, upset stomach, achey, some shaking, headaches etc. after the first 2 weeks it all went away.
investigation:
i was very leery at first and did much investigation on the drug before i started it.
there was some concern in regards to mixing my current pain medication with vyvannse. since i was 19 i have suffered from fibermyalgia, bone deterioration, degenerative disc disease, herniated and bulging discs, a pinched nerve, carpal tunnel in both arms/hands and kyphosis (my neck bone curves the opposite direction).
i decided it was worth the risk, for me.
how its working now:
i set my alarm every day for 6am, take my pills, lay back down and wake up with no alarm by 7am.
i feel more in control of my behavior and being ADD my behavior had been speratic and often making bad decisions.
after about 3 months of vyvanse i have not had the desire to drink much alcohol and have not even been mildly drunk since ive been on it, and i dont miss it. im really happy about that. i do drink about once a week. but never get drunk. im suprised that they dont list loss of craving alcohol or the inability to get drunk as a side effect.
i have lost 2 people over the past 2 yrs and was experiencing deep depression and unreal exhaustion every day. kind of like i got hit by a bus.
some more good stuff:
vyvanse did not take away my grieving, but at least im not sleeping 12-15hours anymore and i am able to be more productive and healthy.
i feel clear headed. i am able to focus. i can fit everything in to my day. working, going to the gym, cooking dinner and still have some time to work on a few personal projects. this allows me to deal with my grief in a healthy and safe way.
ultimately i am very happy with vyvannse. if anything changes i will be sure to try to post it.
-P&L
My husband had been on Vyvanse since it’s availability in the US. Previously, he’d been using Adderall XR, and the change was remarkable. I HATE Adderall. Now we are in Canada and he’s been forced to use Adderall again until Vyvanse’s availability here. Within a few days of him being back on Adderall, he was back to twitching at night, his impulsivity control lessened and he feels like crap. His quickness to temper is back and he has a harder time coping. Vyvanse made a HUGE difference in our lives and I’m counting the days until he can be back to it. So is he. It takes longer to activate in the morning than Adderall for him, but it has more longevity through the day. He was more functional on the Vyvanse as it really made a difference with his ability to control his impulsivity in a calm way. The speed effect of Adderall is nasty. Medical Marijuana is the next avenue AD researchers need to start focusing on. Combined with the Vyvanse my husband was a completely new, happily engaged and functioning father and husband.
Well it’s been almost a week that my 4 year old son started taking vyvanse. Currently he is in daycare and they said his “focus” has become much better and he can transition from different activities to the next without much interuption. Over this past weekend I noticed a big change when he sat down for 1 hour to try and fix his matchbox car. Not once did he get frustrated and quit. Hopefully this will be the last of switching medications and we don’t have a horror story that it took a year to find the right one.
Hey Kim,
Are you taking your son to a pediatrician or a psychiatrist or psychologist? In my expierence I would avoid the pediatrician and try a child psychiatrist or psychologist. Depending on where you live and how good your school system is, you could ask them for suggestions of practicioners to see. Another way to get referrals is to try parents of kids in the autisim and asbergers programs at your local schools. See who their kids see. They are probably tapped into a lot of the local specialists and have opinions about them. A psychologist can’t prescribe the medication, but they typically work with a psychiatrist and we have found that therapy helps with coping skills. Our son is also in occupational therapy.
Michelle,
Shire is releasing Vyvanse in Canada in the first few months of 2010.
There are a small number of doctors in Canada who can get access to it right now. Ask your doctor if he/she can help to get your husband a prescription for this.
Dr. Kenny
hi all,
just thought i’d add my two bits here. i have fibromyalgia, so i usually wake up miserable in the morning. i was diagnosed with ADD around the age of 40. i also have anxiety and depression. i have discovered that if i wake up around 4-4:30 am and take my pain meds and my vyvanse and then go back to sleep, i can wake up and hour or 2 later without pain and with my brain WORKING. i have been getting up around 5 am several times recently and i love it. i have time to myself to do things or to just sit and rock in my chair and have quiet time alone. my kids more often than not get a cooked breakfast on those days, too, instead of cold cereal. i have not been able to function well in the mornings for a number of years. since i take the vyvanse so early, i take 30 mgs of adderal in the early afternoon because the vyvanse is wearing off about the time my kids are getting home. the vyvanse also helps to offset the sleepiness i get from the pain meds i take. i think this is a great med. i get more done than i have in years. i take 70 mgs. i am taking celexa and abilify and have finally gotten my depression under control after 2 years of crying. now i am starting to feel like a thinking and functioning mother again thanks to the anti-depressants, pain killers and vyvanse. i know i take alot of meds, but i really need to be able to function, and these meds keep me functioning.
christine
My daughter is 9 years old and was officially diagnosed with ADD (PI) with some hyperactivity, and anxiety this past summer. We first tried Straterra which was a nightmare. Her anxiety makes it exceedingly difficult to swallow pills. Although you’re not supposed to open Straterra, we had no choice but to do so. After talking with the pharmacologist, I was planning to have the medication compounded, but found it to be generally ineffective. Thus the switch to Vyvanse.
The first week on Vyvanse, 20 mg for my 70 pound daughter, was unreal! She was so organized and focused. She did seem a tiny bit dopey about an hour after taking the medication, but that improved quickly. The only bad side-effect was the one evening she was up all night after about 5 consecutive days of Vyvanse. That dissipated quickly too and we often use a 1mg sublingual Melatonin to ease her into sleep.
Shortly thereafter, the focus seemed to decrease and the hyperactivity was flaring up. We also had some incidents of anger outbursts (such as her grabbing and pinching my cheek when she said I embarrassed her in the store, which hurt so bad I had tears in my eyes and had to grab her head and literally pry it off of my face). We switched to 30 mg recently and her focused seems to have improved again. She seems better but, I’m wondering about what I believe are some other anxiety behaviors.
My daughter is a compulsive skin picker and it has not improved on the medication. Scalp, arms, back of neck, etc. are covered with sores and scars. She has been doing this since long before she was prescribed the Straterra and Vyvanse. As well, about a month or more after beginning the Vyvanse, she began coughing. We do dissolve the medication in water for her to take as she continues to have difficulty swallowing. Her cough is a dry, unproductive cough. She says her throat “tickles” and I thought it was simply post nasal drip. It’s sometimes aggravated by activity, but there are times (albeit brief and fairly rare however) when she doesn’t cough at all. It’s a single throat clearing sort of cough. We’ve been back to the allergist and she was given Advair and Nasonex. She does not have asthma. We went to the GP who noticed sinus congestion (she does have lots of seasonal allergies and is also allergic to Omnicef). She had her adenoids removed years ago. The GP said to continue on the meds the allergist gave us and if she was still coughing in a week, we’d do a round of Azithromycin. We have now done the anti-biotic with absolutely no improvement. I don’t know if the cough is a tic, a side-effect or something else. I have OCD (and likely ADD, but am still being diagnosed) and spoke with my psychologist about my daughter who said to give the increased dosage the opportunity to get the anxiety issues under control. This makes sense to me, but I have no idea what’s going on with the cough or how to treat it and don’t know which type of doctor we need to return to for treatment. I’ve read through this whole blog (as best as I am able as I’m still not medicated myself!) and found no other comments about a cough. Has anyone else’s child experienced this? Generally, I’m very pleased with this medication, but if these are side effects, something needs to change. I was hoping to rule out something else first – - I am almost in denial that it could be the Vyvanse as I’m generally well pleased with the medication for my daughter.
My son, who just turned 18 has been on vyvanse since April 2009, he was undiagnosed with ADHD and a complusive disorder until then. He is doing much better with concentrating on school work, unfortunately, the 70 mgs seems to wear off before the school day is over and the doctor has given him a 20 mg dose of adderoll at noon time on school days. I will say that my son was also a heavy marijuana user, smoking at least 2 times a day, and probably more than that. He has no urge to smoke pot when he is on his vyvance, but he went off of it for a few weeks and went back to smoking pot, until I caught him. I now can tell when he has not taken his prescription, he is angry, stressed out and eats like a pig. He does have some trouble falling asleep some nights, but uses an otc to help him fall asleep. The Dr just upped his dose to 89 mgs, my son says it is not enough.
For years my now 12 year old son has taken many different meds for ADHD. Some wore off mid day, others just caused many other side affects. Recently the doctor put him on Vyvanse it has been one month now. This medication is great! He is on track in school, his attitude has changed greatly meaning he helps out when asked to and does not argue the way he used to. I cannot think of one bad thing to say at this time. There have been no appetite changes, he sleeps fine and does not threaten to kill himself or get depressed!!
I have never left a commet before although I have been to the site.
I have been taking Vyvanse for almost a month. I can really see a difference in my job performance. However I really think I might need a stronger dose I started out on 30mg then my dr. put me on 30mg bid. I am afraid to go any higher but I still feel as though I need something more to get me through the whole day and into the evenings. One really good thing that I have noticed is that I have not been compulsivy shopping. I was spending like $300 twice a week at the grocery store, wallmart the mall. Thats crazy. So anyway all in all I really like it I think I should just have my dose changed.
After reading this blog, I’m a little worried. I’m 41 years old & I started out at 70mg of Vyvanse, but now I’m up to 280mg a day, 140 in the morning & 140 at noon. It really helps me focus & work, and I also have stopped wasting money on impulse buys. Is there a different medication for adult ADHD that I should try?
Hello all. I have been taking Vyvanse for a little over a year now. I switched from Adderal 30mg XR’s which I had been taking for about two years. I wanted to make the switch because I heard that Vyvanse might decrease the irritability I was experiencing while taking Adderal. When I first started on Vyvanse everything seemed fine, it was as if I had never switched medications except, I wasn’t getting annoyed at the little things going on around me in class and what not (students goofing off while I was actually trying to learn and get some work done). But anywho. The main thing I wanted to share is that recently the effects of my Vyvanse have been weakening. When the drug would kick in I used to hop right on my school work, take good notes and WANT to get my best work accomplished. Yet now it seems really weak. Dunno. I recently got my dosage upped from 50mg to 60mg. Yet I dont feel much of a difference. I told my doctor that I wanted to switch back to Adderal 30 XR’s but it seemed like he completely ignored my request and just upped my Vyvanse dose. In my opinion, I would rather be perscribed an ADD medicine that actually works but increases irritability than one that barely works at all. What about focacil/focaril? Has anyone heard good things about that medicine? Thanks for reading my ramble. Hope it helped someone.
I am 30 i have always known i had ADHD for a while my doctor had me on 100mg of strattera did not work at all. this morning i started taking 40mg of Vyvnase WHAT A BIG DIFFRENCE with my focus, i was wondering can i take my sleeping meds with this medecine?
Hi!
Great website with lots of very useful information. I’m a 22 year old female, diagnosed with ADD approximately 2 years ago. I tried Strattera, with no results, only bad side effects such as anxiety and very dry mouth. I am not currently on any medications.
I’m currently studying nursing at a Canadian University and find it difficult to keep up with my classmates. I’ve always wanted to apply to medical school, however as I get older and as my academic work load increases, the more I struggle to keep up.
My question for you Dr. Handelman is, do you know of any Vancouver doctor’s who specialize in the treatment of ADHD? I saw two doctor’s last week, one at the student health services and another at a walk in clinic and I felt like I knew more about the medications and condition than they did. I am not trying to insult them, as I know that being a GP is really tough as you need to be familiar with a wide range of conditions. I’d love to find a doctor who could help me with this, instead of feeling like I’m in this alone. I did manage to get a perscription for Vyvanse, however the pharmacy said that it is going to be awhile before they can bring it in.
Thanks in advance!
Penny – Vyvanse will be released in Canada likely in early February 2010. Prior to that, it is only a handful of doctors who can write a prescription for it.
In Vancouver – I know Dr. Margaret Weiss and Dr. Deryk Smith are both ADHD experts. I don’t know if they are taking referrals or how long it takes to see them.
Good luck!
Dr. Kenny
dr kenny i am a 29 year old male prescribed a mth ago to vyvanse because i have had a severe loss of focus for most of my life and always forgetting what im doing and almost and ended up losing my job in the end over fatigue and inability to concentrate on the tasks i had so i went to the dr and was prescribed immediately to vyvanse. since i have never gotten so much accomplished and its taken me a bit to get used to the side effects. i had loss of appetite, insomnia, dry mouth, constipation. but they side effects go away and the benefits really start to get your attention that you can be yourself and do things and im a dad and i have been told by many that im a different person now and they didnt understand why i was acting so much better than b4 and i could hold a conversation without forgetting what i was talking about. bascially after a week i had transformed into the person ive wanted to be for a long time and i feel like i can be a father again
its also better because its not so easily abused its sad that there are people that have to ruin stuff like this for everyone that actually needs it. its such a benefitical prescription and to the ones that need it there are so many benefits but then theres those people that have to ruin everything.
Jeremy,
Thanks so much for sharing your story. I hope things keep getting better and better for you!
Dr. Kenny
http://www.SafeADHDMedication.com
Well, I’m 35 years old, I was diagnosed with ADHD back in March and began taking medicine. I first tried Ritalin SR since it was much cheaper with my Insurance! I was very sensitive to it.. I felt the “buzz” and then I felt the “crash”… I actually got the shakes when i crashed. SO, I refused to take the product. My Dr decided to try me on Vyvanse, my Insurance covered it better than the other Ritalin alternatives out on the market.
What can i say?? I LOVE VYVANSE! I never get high, and I never crash. I feel focused, I have a normal engery level again. I truly wish that someone had figured out I had ADHD back when i was in school. I was given many tests, found out I have a very high IQ… that was about the only thing useful that was discovered. Actually my parents were told by the person who administered the test that I probably was bored and not paying attention as a result (oh whatever!)
Now that I take the Vyvanse I am actually able to concentrate for longer than 10 or so minutes
The best comparison that I can give is when you are listening to a radio that is not properly tuned in and has a lot of static interference. With the Vyvanse, I feel as though I have been “tuned” in to the proper station!
Rhianna,
Hello! I’m glad you are having success on Vyvanse. I have a similar story. I was also tested and retested in school and they never found anything. I never met any type of criteria or IEP for special help. I am a 36 year old female and was finally diagnosed with ADD about 8 years ago. Adderall XR and Vyvanse have been the best tools for me in regards to medication. I’ve been taking Vyvanse alone for almost two years. I too, felt like a miracle occurred when first starting Adderall XR, but I do better on Vyvanse because I don’t have all of the side affects that I experienced with Adderall XR.
I still have my good and bad days, even when taking the medication. I’ve had more bad days than good, so I’m focusing more on self-help books and behavior modification. As I get older and/or with increased stress, it seems harder and harder to cope with ADD. Any suggestions???
Amy
I’ve been on Focalin and Strattera before but Vyvanse is by far my favorite out of the 3. It has helped me tremendously. I highly recommend it.
I was on Vyvanse for a month and I wasn’t able to breathe and my body was in so much pain. I had all the symptoms of a heart attack, pain in left arm and short of breath. I no longer take it.
I’ve taken Vyvanse for a year now and It has done more for my depression than any of the many SSRI and SSR/NRI’s the doctor tried on me. It has returned my eagerness to enjoy life, I get out of the house now where before I was a complete introvert hiding from the outside world and friends. I was not always this way though I was always ADD. The depression and withdrawal started after an event in Desert Storm where I lost a bunch of friends.
I am currently taking Pristiq along with the Vyvanse. I have also lost some weight which I needed to do badly. Mostly due to my increased activities like fishing, walking on the beach, boating and a jetski.
I am currently taking 100 mg 50 when I get up and 50 a few hours later because it was wearing off to early in the day (about 12 hours).
Still have not found the magic bullet for my anxiety and self esteem but both are much improved. I find it very hard to speak with women I am attracted too and I did not used to have this problem before my PTSD event and years of withdrawal. I also have become very clingy since then when trying to start relationships.
When I break up it hurts more than it should or used to. Any ideas on how to fix this? I am in counseling every two weeks, and I feel I have exhausted what I can gain from that in this area at least any quick changes.
I had a bad spell with frustration when I switch to Lunesta from ambien. Soon as Doc cut me off the Lunesta, within 3 days the frustration abated.
Not sure if the Lunesta had intereactions with Vyvanse or not but it took a few weeks before I felt the frustration. I never suspected it because I had been sleeping well. Thanks to my Doctor for discovering that issue.
I have twin girls that are 12 1/2 years old. They were diagnosed with ADHD and put on Adderall at the age of 4. To make things easier for our school district (so they wouldn’t have to give during school) at the age of 8 the twins were put on a dose of Adderall XR in the a/m and then a dose of 5mg after school. This worked well for them but kept them awake at night. We backed the p/m dose up to 2p/m which caused problems with the school but worked for the girls. They did this for 3 years until it became another issue for the school. At this time, Vyvanse was on the market and we switched the twins to this. We also added Prozac for some aggression/depression issues that were going on. I was amazed at how much of a difference this made. I actually saw more improvement in the girls’ behavior. I also did not see any of the side effects they had with the Adderall. I still know if they miss a dose or are late getting it but am very pleased with the results. I would recommend this to anyone contemplating medication for ADHD.
Dianne,
You had mentioned you were in pain while taking Vyvanse, and then went on to talk about feeling as if you were having a heart attack. Did you experience any other pain beside what was mentioned?
If you don’t mind me asking, how long after starting Vyvanse did you experience these issues, and how do you feel now after being off it?
I have been on Vyvanse for 18 months. For the fist 6 months I didn’t have any problems, loved it. Then slowly my health started going down hill, starting with fingers being numb, feeling very achy (almost like I had the flu) then to terrible joint pain everywhere, and adventually to having mini-strokes, seeing flashing lights, dizyness, random horrible bruising, (only on side of body going numb after mini-strokes) to having days I can’t even get out of bed because of all the pain I was in.
I went to my family Dr. did all the blood work and it came back normal! I couldn’t believe it! My family Dr. had me go see a Nuerologist in which I had a MRI of the brain, ultrastound of the heart and EEG. All was normal expect the EEG, in which I am having repeated. Neurologist also set me up to see a Rheumotologist considering it all seemed to start in my joints and then progressed from there. I asked both Dr. about possibility of it being Vyvanse they all looked at me like i was crazy. I went off Vyvanse for a couple weeks, no change in how I felt. It seems kind of funny all symptoms started 6 months after starting Vyvanse.(expect having 2 numb toes on each foot a year prior to starting Vyvanse) I feel even more crazy now with blood work and MRI coming back normal, but Dr’s say there’s alot more things to look into before getting discourged or calling myself crazy. I was in such good health before starting Vyvanse, & like I said loved it for the first 6 months, and felt better then ever. Dr’s said side-effects of medication usually start right after starting med, not 6 months later. I currently take 40mg once a day and have never abused it, I don’t take anyother medication either, so side-effect of something else is out of the question.
Please, any info on your experience with Vyvanse would be greatly appreciated, I need all the help I can get at this point.
I started taking antidepressants (SSRIs) about 18 years ago. Some worked better than others but I always had problems with extreme tiredness and feeling spacey. I’d always had problems with being a “space cadet,”absent-minded and disorganized. My parents were liked that too (but they coped well enough to become professors). I thought I just wasn’t trying hard enough, not responsible enough… Probably contributed to my depression. Anyway, about 12 years ago a friend showed me a book on ADD and it all fit. I talked to my psychiatrist at the time and she prescribed a small dose of Ritalin. What an incredible difference. For the first time in my life I didn’t loose chunks of time by getting sidetracked. I was able to start projects and finish them, close to on time. The Ritalin made me feel good too. Not too good. Just not depressed, like good about whatever I was doing and having ideas about new and better projects. Hope. I had been barely making a living with my own business. I started doing better work. Made more money. Lots of good things. (Even went to grad school and got my Masters degree four years ago. Over the years my dose of Ritalin slowly increased from the minimum dosage to about 40mg, 4 x a day. About 3 years ago I hit a very difficult time (separation, selling my house, etc). It’s been hard ever since in terms of depression. Really bad. But my saving grace was the Ritalin. I could still rely on it to give me that push to get things done and for a while each day, make some progress. My doctor started adding medication to the SSRI — Abilify. Did not work. Then Geodon. At first it seemed like it helped calm down my fears. But now it seems like it’s acting like a steel cover on my emotions — keeping me locked in a very, very low mood. It seems like it even holds a cover down on the effects of the Ritalin. For the last year or so I’ve been talking 2.5 of 20mg tablets up to 5 times a day. It would work in terms of giving me some chunks of time to concentrate and get things done. But the good feelings didn’t come with it. I’ve just felt so unbelievably depressed. The only thing keeping me going was the Ritalin to help me get up and get things done. I had moved to a new city a few months back and the new psychiatrist is being very judgmental about the Ritalin. Using words like “addict”, which makes me feel terrible, like a criminal. Like I’m doing something subversive. He put me on Methylin ER 40mg 3 x a day. I can barely get out of bed. Writing on this blog is the most I’ve been able to accomplish with this new dosing. I really feel hopeless. I have to work or no money comes in. But I literally can not get myself to care enough about something (some task or project) to focus on it for longer than a few minutes. Nothing seems like it will amount to anything. What I’ve read on this blog about Vyvance has given me some hope. My specific questions are: 1) Is it possible than Geodone can “tamper down” the effects of a stimulant, such as Ritalin or Vyvance? 2) If my tolerance to Ritalin has been built up, so that it doesn’t have the same full effects it used to have, is it possible that I could switch to Vyvance and have the full effects many have described here? 3) What kind of dose on Vyvance would be comparable what I’ve been taking? I would love to get some help with this. My doctor here makes me feel terrible about my situation. I already feel as bad as I’ve ever felt in my life. (Sometimes think about dying.) He make me feel like it’s my fault I feel so bad. Dr. Kenny, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Elizabeth – a couple of quick comments.
Your dosing of ritalin is certainly on the high end, and most doctors have been ‘trained’ to avoid regular ritalin with the newer long acting medicines available.
Yes, geodon can ‘dampen’ the effect of the stimulant. It could make you more sleepy and less energetic (of course, it could be doing great things for your mood as well…).
Regarding Vyvanse, it is certainly an option – you would likely need the high end of dosing because of the dose of ritalin that you need. Realistically, you’d want to get to the 70 mg range as quickly as possible.
Good luck,
Dr. Kenny
http://www.SafeADHDMedication.com
My 9 year old son is taking 50mg of Vyvanse for a year now. He started on 30 but we finally ended up with the 50 because of the med stops to work. Some days are better then others, but lately he is complaining of his stomach hurting him everyday and I’m wondering if it’s the meds. He also has started with tics like twirling his hair and making it fall out and he will have frustration melt downs like banging his head or throwing things. For the most part this is the only ADD medication he will eat with, but I’m starting to get very concerned of the side effects. His doctor does not request to see him or do blood work, he just fills out the prescription. I did request maybe a mood stabilizer needed to be added but he said no. He has hit his head so hard that it created a big knot and now there is a bump that stays.
Hi, my nephew (12 years boy) is ADHD and he used Ritalin for about 5 years. Now the medications are not working well he can not focus at school and he loose his focus in e short time. I want to start using Vyvanse and I don’t know how can I prepare it. Is that need prescription? In face he is in other country.
Thanks so much for your site and information.
Hello. I am currently on Vyvanse 70mg once a day. I take it in the morning when I get up and it usually takes about an hour= hour and a half for it to kick in. I’m doing so much better with my life since I started taking it. I switched over from Adderall XR because I have no health insurance and I could get on the Patient Assistance program.
I see you all talking about how it covers you the whole day… i don’t get that. I’m getting maybe 4 hours then i’m done. I also have irritable bowl syndrome and have always had an issue with my bowls and stuff. Could that be affecting why i’m not getting the max usage out of it… am I eating something wrong?
Anyways. Since i’ve been on the Stimulant medication I have seen such a difference in my life. I can honestly say this is a lifesaver and I don’t know where I would be without it. I do want to be able to go the whole day instead of just feeling good for 4 hours. I also take Citalopram 40mg a day (celexa) is that causing the Vyvanse to not work right?
My 12 year old son has been struggling with OCD and ADHD for several years. He is currently on Zoloft and Anafranil for the OCE and 70mg of Vyvanse for the ADHD. To be honest, I am not sure we are getting much benefit from the Vyvanse. School is still a major problem and homework is a nightmare. In addition, his appetite has been highly depressed since taking the Vyvanse. Although I’m sure the comorbidity of OCD and ADHD complicate things, we have decided to change doctors and stop the Vyvanse due to lack of benefit with the side effects mentioned above.
vyvanse has helped me out alot. i started takin it about 8 months ago when i was 18, and now im 19, 70mg by the way. but yeah, i c life in a new perspective, i learn more ( i actually love learning now ). too bad i didnt have this wen i droped out lol i would have gone thru highschool without any trouble. i used to be angry all the time and now im happy always =). the only problems i ever have is if i take it without as much sleep ill feel yucky. i take it every morning and sleep another hour until it wakes me up, which isnt a smart thing i started to do i think. since wen i dont take it im sluggish and tired and my brain isnt producing the creativity i want and it drives me crazy lol i dont have any side effects really accept for dry mouth from talkin so much wen someone wants to debate or something. my brain feels crazy now lol, which i like alot. im always curious now and productive. b4 i would b like bllaah. but yeah . i recommend this and at the same time i dont. because i would deff rather not be on a drug. and idc wut anyone says, its gonna be hard for me to get off of it, i have already tryed, 4th day without it i was wanting it. things didnt feel ryt, kinda like slow motion.i was always tired and unmotivated or sleeping, and the things i liked to do i could barly do. but this could be just how it effects me wen i try to stop but im jus sayn my view on it . if theres any specifics i didnt mention, which theres alot more contact me gunitxx11@aol.com
Reza – yes – Vyvanse is by prescription only. Right now it is only available in the USA, and it will be in Canada in early 2010. If your nephew needs a different medicine – consider Dexedrine or one similar to that.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
Hello,
My 17 1/2 year old son tried biphentin for the first time last week. He said he was able to focus fairly well, and I was quite impressed until I tried to get him out of bed the next morning. He said he was awake until 7:00 a.m. He was prescribed a low dose of 15 mg. He is 6’1″ and weighs approximately 175 pounds. Does insomnia improve over time? Are there any strategies to reduce insomnia (evening exercise, for example?). I am really hoping there is something we can do for him. To date he has tried ritalin, adderall, the longer and shorter acting forms of dexedrine, and strattera. He was inconsolable on adderall, he was chronically exhausted on strattera (he tends to have low blood pressure). Dexedrine works sometimes but he hates it and has been very reluctant to take it lately. We’ve been looking for a “good” medication for over 8 years. Hes a bright kid and he really wants to go to university, but there is really no way he will make it until we find a better kind of medication/treatment plan. Any advice?
I’m also wondering about the new medication, vyvanse. Why is it that there seems to be so many more medication options in the U.S.?
My son has been taking Focalin XR (20 mg) for 4 years now (he is 12). I wanted a different ADD drug since the Focalin might be making him very anxious (or it could be a different source). So we tried Vyvanse for a weekend. It only half-medicated him, and he had horrible issues with lack of impulse control. We got him right back on the Focalin XR on monday morning. We’ll have to try something else for the anxiety.
Hello everyone, I am so glad this blog is out here. My son’s pediatrician gave him Vyvanse on Thursday 12/30/2009 for treatment of ADHD. This is the first time he has ever been on medication or diagnosed with ADHD. My son is 6 years old and weighs about 42 pounds we started the meds on Saturday 1/1/2009. He was not with me over the weekend as he was with his Dad. I called and checked on him and everything seemed to be doing well. I picked him up on yesterday 01/03/2009, and being a mother I checked him all out and I did notice that his pupils where very big. I have worried myself about putting him on medication and the fact that he is so tiny because he is so tall. When we got home he was very talkative more so than usual. Before he went to bed I gave him some fruit and orange juice and he went to bed at 9:00pm he went to sleep well, but was wide awake by 1:30 he thought it was morning time, and he said he was having nightmares it took me awhile to get him back to sleep. So far so good. I will keep everyone updated. I have called the daycare today and everything is going well he is more talkative but that it is it.