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
Dear Kenny or anyone else who can answer,
I recently graduated college and am about to start a career in medical sales. I have been studying for 3 weeks for this job and have noticed similar problems as I had in college (although I have NEVER even gone to the doc about an ADD problem). For me, its always a lack of focus, concentration and unable to really study hard and take it all in without re-reading and studying 3/4 times over. I graduated with 3.0 only because I busted my tail off and studied so hard. However, I saw a comment earlier that sometimes even in a normal every day conversation I get lost and lose focus and I know thats not right.
I also saw a story on ’60 minutes’ this past sunday about adderol in the U.S. college campuses. I must tell you how true that story is. I was the same person, bought a few adderols for a few bucks always during finals week and I could LITERALLY learn a whole semester in 8 hours at the library ha. I never took it outside of that but that focus I had was unbelievable. From doing research and talking to my buddies I hear a low dosage of vyvanse is maybe what I need.
Dr. Kenny, the ONLY problem is this. 6 years ago I was diagnosed with a very acute form of epilephsy. (It is very controlled and I never really have seizures if anything every few months I have a small “twitch” in the morning of my head, nothing major). Now, what do you know that could contraindicate taking vyvanse for a person that takes the generic form of DEPAKOTE. If anyone in this forum, including dr. kenny, could email me at acarson@bgsu.edu with any personal comments I would greatly appreciate it.
PS on a side note my lifestyle is incredible healthy. I was a football player my whole life, I eat nothing but fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken, and I work out every day. But it’s just such a struggle I FORCE myself to do it every day if that makes sense. I Just need more focus.
Thanks
Tony, the first step for you would be to see a doctor who can assess you for ADD. If you have it, then you can consider getting a prescription for a medicine like Vyvanse. The thing is that the stimulants as a whole group can lower the seizure threshold a little – i.e. making you more prone to seizures. If you are stable with depakote, then you’d probably be OK – however I would suggest you get good monitoring by your doctors – including a neurologist if necessary.
So, don’t take a ‘campus’ dose of medicine, see your doctor and get proper care.
Good luck with the new job!
Dear Dr. Kenny and all who would care to answer,
I was curious, as I have a particular sensitivity to vyvanse (or any stimulant for that matter), if after the drug is dissolved in water, how long is the mixture safe to drink? I was wondering because this would allow me to take my dose over a longer period of time, and lead to less anxiety. I imagine that water doesn’t break down the molecular components? Any input would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Larry
Larry, I seem to recall hearing in a presentation that if you dissolve Vyvanse in water that it will last around 24 hours in the solution. I would ask you to check with a pharmacy, or see if Shire has a ‘patient information line’ to get a direct answer on that one.
I am a 45 year old woman, who was diagnosed with ADD in adulthood. I have tried adderal, adderal XR, concerta, daytrana, and straterra with some improvement. I participated in the Clinical Trials with Vyvanse, and I have taken it ever since (that is before it was released) It has improved my life about 70%.
What I like most about the medicine is that I don’t feel like an addict (with the highs and lows). There isn’t a significant crash in the evenings; I am still able to function first thing in the morning BEFORE I take the next dose! I can sleep without a problem, and I am able to focus; I am vigilant with less procrastination, the list goes on…. I began on just 20 mgs and after some time and the effectiveness is beginning to wane; we are upping the dosage to 30 mgs to see if there is improvement. This is typical of the stimulant drugs, and hopefully it can offset it with a short sabbatical from the drug when I take a two week vacation. I will follow-up with a report.
Best of luck to you all, and hopefully
I am a 27 year old male, I have been taking vyvansa for a little more than a week and I am done today. I am done because it hurts to urinate and my penis constantly hurts. Also I have to urine 20x more while on this medication. I have tested quitting it, the pain goes away and so does the need to urinate so often. I am convinced that this medication will continue to effect me this way. I will not try another stimulus drug. It’s garbage for the body…
Hi
I have been reading for about an hour and i really dont know what to think..my daughter is 8 and yesterday the dr told me to try vyvance..i am horrified im not the type of parent who wants to medicate my kids but i want whats best for her and if it helps her school that will be great. we already have issues with behavior and melt downs without meds i really dont know if i could handle any more. I am so scared that i still dont know what to do! but i am glad i found this blog!!
I am a 36 year old business professional who has suffered from ADD since I can remember. As a teenager and young adult,being able to focus on important things such as school was a struggle. I was fortunate to gain experience in my profession BUT, unable to excel due to my inability to focus on daily activities such as meetings, project planning, organization, etc. Also,for years, I found myself avoiding conversations which involved feedback and input. Basically, I was “flying below the radar”. For at least 15 years I was aware of my struggle to adapt and absorb valuable knowledge and it has cost me greatly.
Now, since taking Vyvanse, I feel as if an entire new world has opened up to me. I am more proactive within my profession, I interact with colleagues and participate in meetings like never before in the previous years. I have found that I now take the lead in conversations; rather than answering questions with a “one word” answer. Sometimes, I stop and catch myself; only to say to myself that its the medication which is doing this to me. I have been asked on occasion what has gotten into me. I have confined in my manager and team which allowed me to express the reason for the change in my behavior. I have received overwhelming support and above all, found that I was not the only person within my workplace who has experienced the same struggles in life only to be relieved by Vyvanse. Thank you for allowing me to express my appreciation and I hope this reaches someone who finds this information valuable.
Best regards,
Brent
My 7 yr old has been on Concerta for about a year. We are currently at 45 mg and the side effects include drop in appetite and sleep problems. We can’t go any higher due to his inability to gain weight at the current dosage.
As a result we tried Vyvanse yesterday for the first time at our pediatrician’s recommendation. The standard 30 mg dosage was selected to start. In the first 4 hours he complained of a tickle in his tummy followed by about 3 hours of nasuea and extreme lethargy.
Most concerning though was that he complained of the onset of shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing with observed ashen skin colouration, at about mid-day. These severe symptoms lasted for about 40 minutes and then subsided. He remained tired with a very quiet behaviour for about 2 more hours where we noticed muscle twitches and he complained of tingling in his feet.
Our concerns were significant enough that we consulted the provincial tele-health line in order to assess his status just to be safe. His symptoms subsided later in the day when his appetite was observed to be noticeably better, but this benefit was far out-weighed by the breathing scare.
We stopped Vyvanse use and switched back to Concerta the next day and will be following up with our pediatrician.
Thanks to all for sharing information on this forum, very informative and helpful.
Best regards from Ottawa.
As someone who uses stimulants as a tool for production in college, I prefer it much over Adderall XR. I know M.D.’s would consider this abuse, but Adderall, Concerta, etc…are more frequently sold on college campuses than any illegal drug (caveat that by knowing that selling prescription drugs is illegal as well)IMO. Personally I only administer the drug as directed orally, no snorting, crushing, etc. Adderall XR makes me focused, but its prolonged effects in me without clinical ADHD resulted in me having literally overproductive behaviors. Such behaviors would include constant cleaning (not so bad), over exertion of muscles and physical activity, and restlessness/sleep deprevation for days on some occasions. Vyvanse is more controllable in my opinion. Many of the same side effects such as loss of appetite, nervousness, and restlessness still occur with Vyvanse, but I have the ability to sleep and eat without feeling uncomfortable so long as I take the pill early enough in the day (same time and workload as I would do with Adderall XR). IMO, the dependency factor that Shire ‘attempts’ to remove with lisdexamfetamine still remains. Much like marijuana, the dependency comes from feeling (or maybe a better word is results) rather than the drugs addictive properties themselves IMO. When something works well, you continue to use it as I have with most stimulants. That said, I may obtain one 50mg Vyvanse or 20/30mg Adderall XR prior to a known large load of work. The other 28 days a month I have no interest in using the drug. I hope that makes sense??? For reference, I have used 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg Adderall, 20 and 30mg Adderall XR, 10mg Concerta, and now I solely use 30 or 50mg Vyvanse depending on what I can get.
My 14 yr old daughter has been taking Vyvanse for less than six months – started at 20MG and worked up to 70MG. Had been at 70MG for roughly two months. At first it was great. But I have noticed that her personality has totally changed. She has lost interest in most things like soccer – which she loves. Her circle of friends has gotten smaller and smaller. She became obsessed with her weight and what she ate, and became obsessive about organization – making long lists, she’d clean her room or bathroom until 2AM. She would have melt-downs more and more often. After talking with her doc we lowered her dose to 50MG – it didn’t help at all. Now she is at 35MG and is very depressed. She cries all the time and will barely speak to me. We are seeing her doc in two days and will get off Vyvanse 100% and will look at anti-depression meds or to see if counseling alone will be enough.
My 8 yr old son started taking vyvanse on Sunday 05/16 not even a week ago. My son has ADHD,OCD,and sensory issues. After taking it on Sunday – I noticed him breathing very hard to get all of his air in and was taking deep breaths frequently. He said that it felt hard for him to get all of his air and I noticed that i could really feel his heart pounding. He also stated that it seemed like he was going really fast all of the time. He seemed to do a little better later on that day but could not sleep. He was taking 30mg. Each night following, he did not sleep so I gave him melotonin, then on the 3rd night that didnt help him either. After 3 days he was not eating and not sleeping. His focus was better with school work, but his irritabiltiy and compulsiveness has increased. Yesterday, Thurs 05/20 I received a call from school that he was in the office with pains in his chest on the left side and took him to the er. He had a rapid heartbeat, and was told that the med can have this side effect and that it was causing his discomfort. The dr wants to lower the dose to 20mg and try it again, but cannot tell me that this will actually lower his heartrate. Thus for now we are stopping the use of the med, as I cannot take the chance of hurting my son while trying to help him. I know the drug has worked for some other 8 yr old boys in his class, but it seems as though the dose is constantly being increased every couple months with additional side effects. For my son I do not see it as a good alternative. Thank You
My 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with ADHD in March of this year. We sat on the fence about presription medications; however, our paediatrician handed us a prescription for Vivanse. It was a new drug treatment program that was getting better performance reviews than the tried and true Concerta. We hesitantly had the prescription filled. My daughter took her pill at 7:00 a.m. the following morning. It was a Wednesday of the March break, because I didn’t want her to start a new drug at school. I wanted to witness any effects, and she would have the safety and privacy of the home. That began the worst 48 hours we’ve experienced with her. She began talking non-stop, repeating herself over and over and over again. She had the oddest breathing pattern when she was talking. Almost as if she couldn’t get her words out fast enough. Her heart was pounding. She said she felt so excited. By 11:00 she was telling me her DS clock was controlling her life. The irrational thoughts went on and on. She became obsessive with her posessions. And by 11:30 pm, she finally got to bed. That was a restless sleep. I made the mistake of giving her another pill the second day. By 10:00 am, I was on the phone to our paediatrician, in tears that my little girl, was emotional, anxious, completely wound up. We had the prescription changed, and that was the last of those behaviours- for now anyway. Wish us luck on this journey of living with ADHD.
Kelly (post 721) I’d be interested in what your Dr. said.
I personally am on Vyvanse for the past 2 1/2 years. It has helped more then I ever imagined. I have 3 daughters that the Dr recommended give Vyvanse a try.
My 25 year old has a heart condition and her Dr said not to take Vyvanse or any stimulant.
My 20 year old daughter took 30 mg a day for almost a year. During that year she was able to focus on daily tasks and do things she had been putting off. She also learned techniques that helped with her mild ADD/ADHD. She felt so confident after that and stopped taking Vyvanse over a year ago and is doing great. It was a bridge for her to learn skills to not use medication.
My youngest daughter began taking Vyvanse about 2 years ago at age 15. She started at 20mg, & eventually took 70mg. She complained that she wasnt feeling like “herself”. She stopped doing things she loved, including video games. She said her friends at school said she used to be a fun happy girl and was now “dull & boring”. She cried at times and I couldnt see a reason for her to feel sad. She did however loose about 30 pounds while on the Vyvanse (she was within normal guidelines for a girl her age/height). The Dr lowered her to 50mg. It seemed to help. My daughter didnt become overly organized, just withdrawn and moodly.. Its hard to know if this was due to being a teenager and something she may or may not have gone through due to the medication.
Her circle of friends dwindled, but she eliminated some friends on her own when she found out they were drinking & smoking. To me I believe being on the Vyvanse helped her with that decision because without it she tends to be a daydreamer and easily led.
Several months ago she stayed at her fathers house for an extended period of time. She (without my knowledge) stopped taking the Vyvanse. During that time she did very poorly in school, tended to be very “mouthy”, and got into some minor trouble. I was shocked as she never was a problem at home or school. I again can not say for sure if this would have happened anyway as a “normal teenage phase” or if this was a lack of focus due to the ADHD. I don’t know if the Vyvanse would have helped at the time or not.. ?
I can tell you she has been back on the Vyvanse 60mg for the past 2 months, her grades have come back up and she is back on track.
From my personal experience and talking to other parents Vyvanse seems to help, but teens became withdrawn.
Let me know what your Dr says.
C
In response to ADHDmama.. I’m in no way a doctor but I’m a 27 year old female who was diagnosed with ADHD over a year ago. What you’ve described sounds like me normally, without meds. I had no filter, my thoughts go a mile a minute, I got very bored easily and rushed through everything as fast as I could .. tasks, talking etc. With Vyvanse, I’m more organized and stay on task. It sounds to me as if maybe your child doesn’t have ADHD and using the example of coffee-When a person with A.D.D drinks coffee, it has the opposite effect as it does when a person does not have A.D.D. It almost calms you. With Vyvanse, if you do not have ADHD, the medication will throw you in the opposite direction when taken. Just a thought and my opinion. I’ve been on 30mg for over a year and it has absolutely helped with my hyperactivity. I wish I would have had it in high school! Good luck!
hi C,
We saw her doctor and I got the impression that he didn’t believe that Vyvanse was causing her to react the way she was – I can say without a doubt that from last Fall to now she had been a totally different person. We had been having major blow-outs, she has lost many friends (they just couldn’t deal with her down moods and she would cling to one for awhile), she lost interest in soccer (she is very good and plays on a competitive yr round team) and after a while it didn’t seem to help in school. She moved from one obsession to another.
I do think that a lot of her probs were from being a teen (14) but I believe that they were made MUCH worse from the Vyvanse. She took 70MG for a few months. All of the normal teen issues just seemed 1000 times worse. From what you wrote it sounds like your daughter had similar issues.
She is taking Concerta now – is starting at 36MG and that will double in two weeks so we will see how it shakes out.
I was perscribed with Vyvanse, and I can tell you that this works like a charm. The pill gives you a sudden boost of energy and concentration, allowing you to focus on just about anything around you. My little brother is autistic, and had difficulties relating and talking with other people in my family. Thanks to this drug, he is now able to properly function with our family, and was even able to outsmart some of his teachers. For once, I can hold a conversation with him about life and the things around him, and we are creating a true brotherly bond for the first time.
I couldn’t be happier for being prescribed this, for me and my brother.
im 17 years old and i was just prescribe 70 mg of vyvanse. yesterday was the first day i took the drug at about 10 am. i felt great all day until about 10 pm. i started sweating really bad and got alot of hot flashes, i felt very nausueas and i had a horrible headache. i was up until 6 am the problems were still there. it was an awful sleep waking up about every 15 minutes it seemed like. i woke up today at around 11 am still having an awful headache and feeling nausueas. i took another pill at about 1130 and i felt it start to “kick in” about an hour later. the headache is now unbearable and i feel like vomiting. i forced myself to eat a sandwich at about 2 didnt help me what so ever. ive been drinking water constantly all day thinking i was dehydrated, no change. This is an awful drug i will never take it again.
I am 40, officially diagnosed with ADD at 30 but my parents suspected it since grade school. I’ve tried Strattera which made me ill, antidepressants, various forms and doses of Adderall -crazy side effects.
I also am dyslexic. I’ve been on Vyvanse about 18 months, 30 mg, and I do like it. Not as speedy as Adderal and the increased focus works wonder with my dyslexia.
Vyvanse only lasts about 4 hours for me -the Adderall extended release was only 4 hours also -but Adderall has a bad “crash” when it wears off while the Vyvanse is pretty mellow.
I don’t know if I should have a booster dose at 4 hrs, but I haven’t asked my dr about that yet.
Yesterday my dr took me down to 20 mg, but it isn’t working as well, so I’m going to have to go back and re evaluate my medication soon.
Overall I would recommend Vyvanse over all the other meds I’ve tried.
I am a 52 year old male. Taking vyvanse for going on four months. They are not words that can tell what a change in my life it has made. I can stay foceus, read and to paper work that had been very hard for me in the past. I only wished that they had had it when i was a kid. I think i would have had more success in my life. I feel that i didn’t get a lot out of school and it shows in my spelling and grammer. This has had a bad effect in my life, i can’t do what others can when it comes to paper/office work, so i ended up doing manual work my whole life. My whole life i felt like i was coming up short, felt like i was smarter than i looked on paper. That and other problems have lead me to a life (since i was about 40) of depression and drug use. I have taken all of the anti-depression meds at one time or the other, but did not feel like i was at where i should me. Now with vyvanse i feel like i am making up for lost time, i am writing more and not having to look up words to spell as much as i did in the past. Ever day it is getting better. My depression is gone and i want to look in to goning back to school. Vyvanse does not give me a edge over other people, it only lets me work on their level. I am worrying about building a tolerance to it. I started at 70mg, then 100 mg and now two months at 140mg. I do feel like the 140mg is working well for me, and want to stay at this level. Can anyone give me any input? How long and at what dose are you? Is it still working? I pray each day that it continue to work, it has open a new life for me.
I am a 27 year old female nurse that works in the ICU. I was diagnosed about a year ago and have tried Strattera then moved to Vyvanse up to 70 mg with Lexapro 5 mg. I have been on it for about 6 months total off and on but most recently 2 months consistently. When I am off of it, It’s like I am a total slug that can’t keep anything together and don’t even care. When I am on it, I at first could tell a difference and now today I am noticing it not as effective. I am working on my bachelor’s degree and can not for the life of me sit down more than 30 minutes and do anything. I still transpose letters and numbers and talk way to fast that does not make any sense. I got on here to do research for class and already side tracked. This makes me wonder if I need an increased dose or if my body is getting used to it and require more. Also like some have mentioned, I have noticed having emotional, intense feelings. If something sets me off, I can’t let it go. I don’t understand why I do this. Am I attention seeking or is this a real emotional outburst that I have to get out? Any ideas?
Nurse – you may be getting some tolerance. It may be worth talking to your doctor about switching to a methylphenidate based medicine for a trial…
@Nurse in the OK -
When do you take your meds? While I’m not a psychiatrist like Dr. Kenny, I take nearly the same combination as you (my Lexapro dosage is 10 mgs/day).
I ask because I thought my Vyvanse was not working as well, too. But back then, I took my Lexapro at night and then my Vyvanse in the morning.
Now I take them both at the same exact time in the morning. Oddly enough, I’ve found this approach to work very well. Having taken this combination before with Adderall XR instead of Vyvanse, I was not satisfied. I felt a tad lethargic and disorganized.
Not so when using Vyvanse. With my body chemistry Vyv. & Lex. seem to work well together. I feel awake and alert but not overstimulated or obsessive.
That’s just something to think about. As always, talk to your doctor.
- Colin
I am an adult (recently diagnosed at 39) have been taking Adderall, but started having a lot of trouble with extreme irritability and fatigue at the end of the day. Have switched to Vyvanse (20mg). I am pleasantly surprised. Lasts all day. More level or smooth feeling. So far, so good!
the dose of 70mg is for children up to 12. 70 mg dose was not sufficient treatment for me as an adult although i did think it worked well and shire covers it in their perscription help program but they do not cover addeall even though its cheaper.
I have a 13 year old nephew who was switched from Adderall to Vyvanse about 8 months ago. There hasn’t been much of a change in his behavior but I do wonder if anyone has had experience with not being able to fall asleep with Vyvanse? He just doesn’t seem to get tired at the end of the day. He will still stay up and do stuff even around midnight. He takes Vyvanse around 9 in the morning so I thought it would have worn off by the evening. Any ideas?
Courtney – Vyvanse can last for 13 hours, or even more for some people. In your nephew’s case, it may be that he either needs to take the medicine earlier in the morning, or he needs a different medicine. Ask his doctor…
I finally got the courage to see the doc three months ago for my ADD. I started off on 1 70mg “12 hour” extended release pill. The first few days were great…I was able to focus at work, got lots of work done, and was in a better mood overall. After about two weeks, the effects wore off and I was back to my old self again with no ability to focus, wandering mind, etc. The pill definitely did not last 12 hours as advertised, it was more like 5 tops for me. It also takes about an hour to kick in. I now have the habit of setting my alarm an hour before I need to get up so that when I wake up for the day, its just starting to take effect. It makes the commute to work enjoyable, believe it or not. So after the single 70mg started losing effect, I saw the doc again and he suggested that I take two 40mg pills so I have better control it and make it last longer. Got started on the 2x 40mg per day (one in the morning, one in the afternoon) and it worked pretty good for a few weeks and again I’m back to my old self again. Its almost like I’m becoming immune to it; I’m thinking this isn’t good as it will just lead to bigger and bigger doses until I can’t up them any more. Its too bad because when it works, it really works. Is there a point where it will taper off and I won’t have to increase dosage to keep the effects? I’ll be going in again soon and see what he has to say.
Paul (a few posts up) says he is taking 140mg…that seems high. Is that a normal dose for an adult? I’m guessing you are taking two 70mg pills?
Josh, this is Paul from above. I hope everything will work out for you and anyone eles who reads this. I am not a dr, i can only tell about what is going on with me. I don’t feel like 140 mg is high for me, and i don’t think my dr has a problem with it. When i first started taking Vyvanse it did feel like it was working better than it is now. I sometime start to think that it isn’t working for me too, but then i stop and take a hard look at my life. I am doing stuff, writting, reading and working on the internet for hours at a time, where in the past 15 to 30 minutes were all that i could set still long enought for. I am getting to where this is nomal for me and after days,weeks, of being this way i sometime forget what my old life was like. Vyvanse is only making my life like the lifes of people around me. When i first started taking it was a maqjor change in me and i could really see the difference. Now i don’t notice it as much because i am too busy living and enjoying life.
Hi there,
I was diagnosed with ADD when I was in Kindergarten, but my parents chose not to medicate my throught my childhood and adolescents. Instead, I overcame ADD through what many specialists call “compensation”, i.e. devoting an inordinate amount of time to academic studies at the expense of social life throughout my public school years. I was more or less a straight A student. In college and law school, as my social life became bigger and more important, I became a perpetual procastinator, but was always able to get by with A-/B+ grades by waiting until the last minute.
Once I had my first job, however, this flawed strategy eventually caught up to me. Getting to work on time, meeting deadlines, remaining in a positive mood throughout the day, and warding off anxiety became major problems.
I am currently on Vyvanse 30mg/ daily. Prior to that, I was on Adderall XR 15 mg, and prior to Adderall, I was on Wellbutrin for several years. Welbutrin’s effects were very subtle and found Adderall to be much more effective and immediate, which is why I switched. Major problem was crashing, tired sensation at end of day. I’ve been on Vyvanse for almost 2 months now, and I have to say that while there is a marginal improvement, I still get the crashing feeling as the drug wears off. It really seems to peak out after about 3 hours, and then I’m back to sort of low-grade depression and anxiety for rest of day. Not sure if Vyvanse is really much of an improvement from Adderall. Any thoughts?
Michael – if the medicine is wearing off too early for you – you can consider adding a short acting version of the medicine at the end of the day. Talk to your doctor about this option.
Michael,
Sounds like Dr. Kenny has a good idea for you in combating the issue with Vyvanse wearing off too early.
I just wanted to say that you remind me so much of myself and the struggles that I had throughout school and as an adult. I was not officially diagnosed until about 8 years ago with ADD. I am now 37. I too had the same issues once I graduated from college and got out in the “real world”. The ADD seems to get worse with me as I get older. I too believe part of the increase in ADD symptoms as we age IS due to our flawed strategies that we used to get through school and the fact that we’ve used up all of our coping skills throughout our life. The procrastination, cramming, and other college/student strategies just don’t work very well in the real world. Even on medication, I still struggle with being on time and procrastination. I am constantly looking for new life skills, organization techniques, and other tools to help me succeed. I’ve been taking Vyvanse for two years. I take breaks from the Vyvanse when I’m not working. I do not work during the summer. From my experience, Adderal XR worked best for me, but it also had the most side effects for me personally. I’ve been on Adderall XR, Concerta, Strattera, Welbutrin, and Vyvanse. By far, Vyvanse is the best fit for me since it helps me to focus, organize, stay on task, etc without all of the side effects.
Hope this helps. I’ve posted several times on this blog if you’d like to see some of our similarities.
Amy
I just started taking Vyvanse today I’m hoping it will work for me. I was diagnosed ADD at 39 about 6 months ago and given Adderal XR which never did anything for me. I never noticed if I missed a dose or if I took one. Recently in the past week I was told I had ADHD and should try the Vyvanse. So here goes hopefully it will help with the anger and aggression issues since they have pretty much gotten out of control.
My 15 yr old daughter has been on Adderal for 6 months and loves the way it makes her feel I see alot of irritability and a shorter temper the longer she’s on the adderal. She will be going to a new doctor in the next week or 2 and we will see if they switch her to the Vyvanse to.
It is a good thing for the discount card because without it I don’t think it would be an option for either of us. I appriciate all the information that others have shared on this site especially letting me know how long it should take to kick in. I am still waiting to see how it works for me. It has been about 3.5 hours since I have taken the 1st 70mg dose and I still haven’t felt a difference besides that my arm seems to be shaking on it’s own. Hopefully that isn’t a side effect from it.
Thanks
I started taking vyvanse 4 days ago, and I can tell you it is as if someone found a switch in my brain and flipped it to “normal”. I am 39 yrs old and have struggled with disorganization, procrastination, extreme “lazyness”, depression, and extreme irritability for as long as i can remember…now after a divorce (thank GOD) and being diagnosed with PTSD (exH was extremely physically/mentally/verbally abusive) along with ADD my primary doc agreed to prescribe vyvanse…I am only at 30mg and the difference is absolutely…well…freeing is the best term I can come up with!! I have noticed diarreah and very very bad stomach pain, but I hope to GOD that goes away because I feel this medication is going to be a life saver for me. I am also a chronic pain patient (2 back surgeries so far) and prior to being on this was prescribed 90MG of Norco every day…I have been on most every anti-depressant and pain med known to man, suffered from extreme addiction to the pain meds as well. This medication has stopped the pain med need/craving completely!! The pain is only there in the AM and the end of the day, so I can get by with only 1 or 2 10mg Norco in a day now instead of 9….sometimes even up to 15 on a bad day—the pain med need was for pain, but also for the “normal” feeling I so desired—-I am thankful for this med….and hopefully won’t even need an antidepressant—I have my first pschychiatrist visit on the 19th (saw the psychologist 1st and he will do my EMDR therapy for depression/PTSD) so we will see what she says…I do notice it “wearing off” around 4 or 5 pm since I get up very early w/ a 3yr old and 20 month old (6AM)…so maybe I can get on a higher dose, or maybe take another 30mg around noon or so…I think that might be helpful. Falling asleep is a problem…even with my nightly 1MG Klonopin…but last night I took 6mg of Melatonin and was able to fall asleep w/in an hour!
I hope these comments were helpful to you!
take care,
Karen in Montana
I’m 31 and was diagnosed with ADHD-PI in 1996. At the time I found Adderall much preferable to Ritalin but stopped taking this after finishing college in 2002.
In adulthood, I began realizing that the behavior modifications and structure were not enough to keep pace in my new job.
Began taking Vyvanse (50MG) this year. It’s difficult to do a direct comparison as I am forced to recall the effects of Adderall from memory, but it does indeed work very effectively. My only negative reaction has been related to insomnia, even though I take it 18+ hours prior to sleep. I’ve reduced to 40MG and this appears to have helped, but this also could be related to returning to medication after 8 years without it.
Hello!
After 17 years of my parents denying that I could possibly be ADD and that my only problem was me choosing not to pay attention I finally got them to take me to my pediatrician and I was diagnosed with ADD. My doctor put me on 30 mg on vyvance to start out, and the next day it made a huge difference. The meds do work, they’ve gotten me to pay attention, I keep eye contact when having conversations, and I am way more organized and can complete multiple tasks without getting lost. I am now on 50 mg and am doing fine.
The only side effects I had was the jitters/twitching and the hunger suppression. The jittering has gone away and only comes back when I take my meds while drinking coffee or any drink with a large amount of caffine. The hunger suppression has stayed, but I still remember to eat so I’m not starving my self or anything.
I heard about a side effect of depression and how some younger children who were taking vyvanse commetied suicide, but I haven’t had any of those issues nor has anyone else I know (ages 6-18).
I am 40 years old, and was diagnosed with ADHD-PI last August. I had suspected, from time to time over the past 10 years, that I suffered from ADD, but noone ever suggested that I be tested, and one “friend” even berated me for suggesting I had it because I couldn’t pay attention in lectures. He said that I was “just bored”. I’d always had bad performance in school, especially on exams, despite being recognized by teachers and professors as a very intelligent person. I just put things off and procrastinated, and I was horribly stressed out during tests and couldn’t focus. Most of my grades were lost due to late penalties on assignments.
My doctor started me on Vyvanse 30mg, and I noticed the benefits almost right away. I was focused and my short-term memory problems almost vanished. I suffered some difficulties because I was taking a multivitamin around the same time, and thus the vitamin C was having an impact on my medication, but once I figured that out as the problem, I started taking my multivitamin at night instead, and everything was fine.
I lost around 20 pounds between September and November, mostly due to cutting soft drinks out of my diet (I didn’t want to be drinking a lot of caffeine while taking a stimulant medication), but I did notice the reduced appetite.
I went up to 40mg in September, then 50mg in November, and I’m currently at 70mg, having gone up again a few months ago.
I have had good and bad days, but I think the good outweigh the bad. The trick with me has been to be careful about what I’m eating, to make sure that I am not inadvertently impeding my meds. It’s been a difficult balancing act, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.
I’m currently trying to decide if 70mg might be too high for me. I’ve lost another 10lbs over the past 3 months (this time due to going on a diet), and I’m curious if weight factors into it… that someone who weighs less may need less. I plan on discussing this with my doctor when I go for my appointment next week. I may go back to 60mg.
I haven’t tried any other medications, but I find that Vyvanse works very well for me. I still need to work on my organization, because it’s hard to get past 20-30 years of consistent disorganization, even with the medication, but I’m getting better.
Also, being a Canadian currently living in the United States, it makes me happy that Vyvanse is now available in Canada. My wife and I have been discussing the possibility of moving back home, so it will be nice that I wouldn’t have to give up a medication that works for me.
I am a 50 year old female and I start Vyvanse
50 mg tomorrow. I am very concerned about
the sleeplessness. I already take medication
to help me sleep. Thank you all for your insight.
I am 59 years old and was diagnosed with inattentive ADD about 15 years ago….actually by my spcial ed teacher neighbor. Anyway, I am a teacher and we go back to school in 2 weeks. I have been prescribed ritalin 3×10 for several years. The issue is that I almost never get to the 2nd and 3rd dose. I was thinking about asking my doctor about Vyvanse nest week I seem to be reading that it loses it’s effectiveness after a period of time. Is it worth the try
Am 51 y.o. male, been taking Vyvanse on-off-mostly on for about nine months after a six-month break from four years of Ritalin. The Vyvanse is fabulous, though I’m going to see about upping the dose from 40mg. Have had no side-effects besides appetite-related ones. Often feel hungry with no desire to eat; sadly I haven’t been losing weight. I’m very aware of it turning on-and-off during the day. When it’s “on” I feel what I guess is “normal”, can focus and accomplish things. Besides ADD/ADHD I’ve got PTSD and IBS. Some really troublesome itching began about ten days ago, am trying to determine if it’s Vyvanse-related. Before Vyvanse I found Ritalin with an Adderol accent to be the best; I could get SO MUCH done! That was about 40mg R and 20 or 30 mg A in a day. Funny thing about ADD and speed — was so exhausted that I couldn’t fall asleep on a plane, I put 10mg Ritalin under my tongue and in ten minutes I was sound asleep. Have found with all ADD meds that I can sleep and my dreams are very, very intense. Recently I had a nice two-hour nap after taking my Vyvanse. These drugs aren’t perfect, but they sure help my life.
I have probably committed a horrible cardinal sin in the medicine. My friends daughter was given Vyvanse after being diagnosed for ADHD. The doctor advised my friend she could try it as well.
After consistent complaints about my own doctors consistent dismissal that my symptons are related to hypothyroidism and – completely drained of energy, fogging brain syndrome, no concentration, cant keep track of anything anymore, my friend gave me 2 weeks worth of tablets. After reading up on side effects I decided to try, I felt great almost immediately. I have been taking them for 8 days and I feel incredibly thankful that I can get up without a problem, I have sustained energy throughout the day with full concentration to get through my tasks. Only side effects I have are decreased appetite, dry mouth. I finally get a good nights rest and get through the day successfully. My fear is now that my doctor will not refer me to anyone because she really doesnt like to make referrals – and this is just another complaint I have that will tick her off. I think I may have been misdiagnosed for a while and should have considered ADD as a possibility. What can I do about seeing someone to be assessed for certainty or getting on a trial
Adele – if your family doctor isn’t helping you to get a referral then you need to find another way to get a referral. Maybe switch family doctors, maybe go to a walk in, maybe find some other way from a friend (i.e. their doctor may be willing to help). It’s best to go to your own doctor and lay it out on the table and see where that gets you.
I’ve been taking Vyvance for about a week and have had really good results. My doctor started me out on 20 mg a day, but i’m a bigger girl so the effects were minimal. However, after a few days I moved up to 40mg, and the results were clear. I can focus better throughout the day, I have more energy, and i’m even less irritable during mundane tasks.
However, there have also been a few negative side effects. As mentioned above, I’m always always always thirsty. This hasn’t presented a problem since it keeps me from drinking sodas and juices, but it’s defnitely a side effect. A more annoying side effect is the appetite change. I know that any treatment for ADD/ADHD supresses appetites, but this pill in particular has been obvious. I take it when I wake up and eat an average sized breakfast (piece of fruit, yogurt, sometimes toast), and that’s pretty much the only meal I can eat all day. Occasionally my stomach will growl and for about a minute i’ll be hungry, but then almost the second I have food in my hands or take a bite my appetite is completely gone. As I mentioned, it isnt a problem for me to lose weight, but for people that dont have a few pounds to lose, this could present a problem. Lastly, I haven’t slept longer than three hours during the time i’ve been taking Vyvanse. I get in bed around 11 pm, but often don’t fall asleep until 3 am or not at all. This pill gives me energy for the short term, but eventually my body will need real sleep. Some people don’t have this problem but I definitely have.
all in all, I suggest this. I’ve struggled with adhd for as long as I can remember and this makes it infinitely easier to handle.
Kelly, You have the exact same side effects as me. Vyvanse really helps me focus & gives me energy but I sleep about 3 hours a night & am not hungry all day. I worry about the sleep sometimes because we all need plenty of rest. I have been taking Vyvanse for 2 years now & I am on 70 mg.
I am a 24 yr old female mother of four and I was put on Vyvanse today 60 mg in am! My new doctor makes it standard practice too put all new patients with adhd on Vyvanse cause he said that the Adderal 30 mg in am and 20 mg in afternoon that I usually take is a medication that can be easily abused so he will not prescribe Adderal in general unless I get my old doctor too send him a letter stating that I was on Adderal or have my records sent to him so he can see that I am not some addict looking too score lol, No actually I can understand what he is saying about the Adderal being abused and he had said that when he gets the records he wouldnt have a problem putting me back on Adderal if I find that the Vyvance is not working for me. He gave me a 30 day supply and I go back in 30 days to follow up. He told me that with Vyvance that it does take a little while too build up in your system so I would not feel the effect within 20 minutes like with Adderal but I also wouldnt have those high and lows or the horrible crash like with Adderal. So I was thinking great it took forever too find the correct dose of Adderal and now I am having to try this new med that is not going too work. Cause too be honest and blunt the thing I LOVED about Adderal was I would be able too take 2-4 hr naps during the day when my kiddo napped and then I would be up and ready for another day! I could take my Adderal and it was like a magic pill for me. I would go from this really lazy un able too focus never able too get anything done horrible with time cranky unhappy person that was always overwhelmed with chores too this totally different person within 20 minutes I would he happy energized able to get stuff done I was able too focus get things done within no time keep the house clean keep up with the kids get the bills paid homework done dinner on the table and I was generally happy and you could tell that I was on something thou cause I would talk and talk be on constant super fast mode and I lost almost 60 pounds in less then 2 months cause I didnt really eat I would have to remind myself and force myself to take a couple of bites of a candy bar every once in a while and I had to drink something high in suger almost all the time during the day or my suger level would drop so low I would shake get a migraine have horrible stomach pains from not eating. Also since I was only able too sleep no more then 4 hrs a night at most the lack of rest would leave my body feeling like I had just ran a marathon I would be forced once a week to just not take my Adderal for one day on the weekend and just sleep and sleep and then just restart the process again so I decided since the Vyvance is suppose to be the new and improved Adderal that I would give it a chance hey its gonna take a couple weeks too get my old doctor too send my records so what do I have too lose. I got my bottle and seen that the doctor had put me on 60 mg instead of the 50 that we had spoke about in the office and thought too myself wow maybe thats a good thing since this stuff isnt going to work as well as Adderal if it works at all. I was expecting no effect at all when I took the pill at 4:30 pm Now I am really wishing I would of actually took the warning of do not take this med in late afternoon or evening can cause insomnia but me being a die hard Adderal fan not really thinking or using common seance its still a amphetamine duh so now its 5 am and I am blogging about my new experience with Vyvance take my advice learn from my mistake do not take in late afternoon or evening lol. I did notice a hour or so after taking my first pill that I was more awake alert able to filter the million racing thoughts and extremely focused and able too complete stuff and my husband complained that I did not stop talking to him for 4 hours straight about anything and everything that I have had stored away in my brain for a later date just came pouring out in one long never ending conversation. I have noticed thou as the night goes on I slowly am starting too get a headache and I feel tired but I am not able to sleep. I was hungry but had not want too eat really so I had a couple of bites of corn dog and thats all I have had all day. That might be the reason for the headache or maybe its all the focus and concentration I have been doing I am hoping thou that I am able too sleep for at least a few hours to re charge. I will say thou that I have not been grinding my teeth constantly licking my lips or massive dry mouth like I had with Adderal. A little dry mouth but nothing that I would consider a real issue not like with the Adderal at all I cracked 2 tooth while on Adderal because of the clinching of the jaw and grinding so I am very happy too see that that isnt looking like its going to be a problem! I will have to update you all threw out the process of deciding if I should stay on the Vyavance or return too the life on Adderal salt combo not the Adderal XR that didnt work fast enough or stick around long enough with me! I hope that this long detailed account has helped you in some way!
I began taking Vyvanse November of last year but I did not take it frequently until Febuary of this year as I was out for surgery and did not need it. I have taken it infrequently as I have been sick a lot due to job stressors and do not feel comfortable taking it when sick for some unknown reason. I should take it daily as when I take it daily, I feel calm, logical and do not have the depression symtoms. I am able to stay on task. However there is a rebound effect in the evening which causes irritabilty and conflict with my 19 year old grandson. I have been working on this. I have been taking my medication recently after staying in bed for 2 and a half months for depression related to job loss.
With the Vyvanse I also take Lamactical, Luvox, Lopressor generic for Bipolar, (which I do not agree as it was done at age 61 after a lifetime of being told I was not) my most recent therapist after seeing me for only four times for a consult said I had a severe mood disorder, depression. He did say I was calm when I take my Vyvanse as did my psychatrist who originally prescribed it. I take the Luvox for compulsive worrying which has decreased after leaving my job but not gone entirely. I have had depression, anxiety since 1971, my brothers have add, and my grandson was put on medication at age five until he refuse it at age 13, and only received five school credits after that until he took his GED at age 17, He stll does not take it as he said the medication ruined his brain, He has an IQ of 145 . I would like to see him get onto Vyvanse as he drifts, cannot stay on a job and smokes pot. I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. I have not been able to stay in a relationship , remain housed for lenghts of time, finish projects, react to changes in structure, and my life is generally horrible. When I take the Vyvanse, I feel like a “normal ‘person with normal mood. I can sleep without problem if I take it in the morning. I gain weight which is strange. I would suggest that the person who went from 20 to 40 mg. try the 30 as it worked for me, I would be afraid to try the 40 mg. as it would probably be a proble, I have hypertension, an irregular heart beat, yet this dose does not bother me, and actually calms me down. Good luck to you. I cannot take ita anymore as I lost my insurance and I have no resource for this drug as it does not fall under a 4.00 dollar plan or state insurane for behavioral problems. If I had this medicine before I would have had a better life.
My daughter is 7. She tried Adderall and it made her grumpy from 3-5 pm everyday, though it helped her concentration. She tried Focalin and it made her cry a bunch from 11-2 pm everyday. Now she is on Vyvanse and it is great. She can concentrate well and tell us when she doesn’t understand things instead of getting upset. She doesn’t have the emotional problems on the drug. The only negatives are that she is barely eating, has trouble falling asleep and needs to burp mid day, to help a mild “tummy ache.”
Patricia,
I have been taking Vyvanse for about 18 months now. 6 months after going on it my husband went through a job loss and with that our insurance as well. My Doctor informed me of a patient assistance program offered through Shire, that offers help for people with no health insurance, in covering the cost of the medication.
http://www.patientassistance.com/profile/shirepharmaceuticals-450/
Anyway, check out the website, it will tell you what you need to provide to them in order to qualifiy for up to 12 months of free perscriptions (One perscription every 30 days)
If you do qualifiy they will send you a Vyvanse card & you just take that in each month with the perscription from your doctor, and the cost of the medication is covered. Check it out and see if they can help.
Good luck!
Angie
I had pretty bad irritability, strong depression, lack of concentration, being hyper all the time & once I started taking Vyvanse, about a year and a half ago, it really leveled all of that and I was a completely different person; in a good way. My grades went from Cs ad Ds to high Bs and high Cs! I highly recommend it!
Hey Kelly,
How has your 14 year old daughter done after switching from Vyvanse to Concerta?
My 17 year old daughter is on 60mg Vyvanse, and taking them daily. I realized she was not taking them every day. She ended up finishing 11th grade on line. She brought up poor and failing grades to straight A’s and B’s. She’s going to do her senior year on line as well.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, she lost friends and stopped showing interest in things she enjoyed. She was difficult at home and withdrawn. I think the Vyvanse did contribute because she was off and on the medication (unknown to me.. especially when she stayed at her fathers house). We also figured out that when she missed a day of medication the next day she took it and would have terrible stomach aches and be very moody.
Let’s face it teenagers are moody, hormonal, and go through many changes I think Vyvanse or not… Its good to keep an eye on things and communication open.
I hope your daughter is doing well.
C
I have been taking Vyvanse for 3 months now. I am an adult. My doc started me out on 30 mgs., but it made my heart race and I couldn’t sleep at night, so he cut it down to 20 mgs.
So far it has been the best med I have tried, as adderall and ritalin gave me chest pains and rapid heartbeat. I had help to cover some of the cost of the med.,I recieved a card from my doc. it is a card the drug company allows you to have for your first three prescriptions. That has run out now and I am going to go off of it now because without it, it is costly. I felt good though, no ups and downs, and great focus and follow through all day. Slept well at night too, I wish they had a generic for it.
My daughter is 10 and she was horrible before Vyvanse, she wouldn’t sit still or listen to the teacher and her grades would go up and down. Since Vyvanse she is on the 30mg dosage in the mornings, she concentrates and she does well in school, when she gets home at 3 thou is a different story. She gets aggrivated very easily, we have to walk on egg shells around her. She is currently going to see a therapist for that so -crossing fingers- hopefully it will work.
My 14 year old is and has been on VYVANSE for 2 years, her CSAP scores have gone through the roof andam proud to say it has saved her life. she can focus, no more racing thought, she slows dwn and thinks of the onsiquices. i prsonally can say this medication haschanged her life and ours. the nights she is unable to sleep I give her an over the counter Tylenol PM. I am greatful for this medication.
rin
Colorado USA
The first medication that the doctor prescribed my 9 year old daughter was Vyvanse, 20mg. We gave it to her ONCE. She cried all day long, and was extremely distraught. We’ve had better luck with the Daytrana patch, although it made her irritable. Right now we’re trying concerta because the patch irritated her skin so much. Unfortunately, the rebound effect is the issue. While she’s on the medication, she’s great. But in the evening, she gets extremely moody, upset easily, cries and even FREAKS OUT over little things. She was screaming last night like someone was beating the snot out of her, when I made her friend go home after my daughter was misbehaving a bit. I’ve read that the extended release pills are not supposed to have this effect, but they do with my daughter. And it’s always right about at that 10-12 hour mark.
Anyway…Vyvanse caused my daughter major depression, while it was active in her system, while none of the other meds we’ve tried have done this.
I must say Vyvanse is pretty cool stuff. Fortunately I was prescribed with it during finals week for my summer classes. It immediately helped me study ridiculously hard and I felt like a machine. It not only helps with school but everything else as well. Things are improving quite well in regards to my relationship with my family. I don’t get irritated as much and I just feel as if I am a better person overall. Yes there are side effects. Dry mouth went away with time and insomnia had me up for two days straight quite recently and I was still able to drive somehow. I get tics quite often and I feel as if my eyes are constantly spreading apart which is really annoying and very strange at the same time since I didn’t know any kind of medicine could do that if it is the medicine anyways. I also feel confident and excited about everything which I guess is a good thing. I get up from bed every morning just like I did when I was a kid on Christmas day. Although that happiness may be associated with antidepressants so I can’t be too sure. By the way, clonidine (catapres) is a really good sleep aid that is actually used frequently in people with ADHD who suffer from insomnia. It helps me out so much to where I am almost always guaranteed 8 hours of sleep if and only if my cat isn’t pretending that my ear lobe is a source of milk if you get what I’m saying. I highly recommend this treatment. Well the clonidine not a cat sucking on your ear just to be clear since I have jumped around so much… Although it does tickle and you can’t help but wake up laughing so I guess in a way you could call it treatment. Well this whole comment is sort of an example of my irresistible urge to talk excessively and I think I am in the process of driving my parents to insanity. But yeah Vyvanse works really well and if you suffer from insomnia then ask your doctor about clonidine.
I have been taking Vyvance for 2 weeks. I have to admit I was surprised at the effectiveness of Vyvanse at the onset. It is definitely slower to get into my system but I could tell it was working. I would say it does not work as well as Adderall but the bonus was that there was not the crash at the end of the day.I had been taking Adderall for over 8 years. I had taken my son in to see a Psychiatrist for what was diagnosed by a Psychologist as ADHD. While relaying history to the Psychiatrist, he informed me that I had Adult ADHD. I still remember the initial day of taking my first dose of Adderall. The Clarity of thought was amazing. Not only could I stay on task for longer periods of time but I also was more motivated. As for my son, his grades improved dramatically from C’s D’s and F’s to making all B’s on his final report card in first grade. Life could not have been better. I still get tears thinking about that day he came home with all B’s. The look on his face will stay with me forever. THEN, it was recommended by the Psychiatrist that we both switch to Adderall XR (No second dose at lunch, last all day, great). As much as Adderall was life changing so was Adderall XR but in the opposite way. For me, I felt a little flat in my overall affect and less motivated. For my son it looked to me like he had full blown depression. The doctor told us to get with his teacher and get her feed back. All that we got from the teacher was that my son was not mis-behaving in class. At night he was his normal self. THEN, we got to the week end (the psychiatrist told us, no drug holidays on the week end and to continue giving the XR on Saturday and Sunday). The first week end with the XR we were getting a new BIGGER screen TV for the home and with the purchase we were getting two new games for the play station. What “male” would not get pumped for that…my son. I had told him he could pick out any (2) new games he wanted and added in to the trip a coke slushy. I ended up forcing him to go. We got the coke slushy-he took a couple sips and did not finish it. We got the TV and I ended up picking out the games for the play station. Around 3-4 p.m. he was back to his normal self and loved the two games I picked. Sunday was the same thing-flat affect and depressed until 3-4 p.m. and then back to his normal self after that. I called the Psychiatrist on Monday and we both went back to the regular Adderall. All was as it should be. I say all this to say that the first week on Vyvanse seemed to me to be a good week. I was thinking I would stay on Vyvanse even though it is way more expensive. This week however feels like I am taking the Adderall XR again. Actually it feels worse. What is up? I did not take the Vyvance this past week end or on Monday (Labor Day). Today is Thursday and I am not mentally with it. Each day since starting back on Tuesday has felt worse than the previous day. The doctor did not say I could have no drug holidays, but then again, I did not ask either. If things do not get better quickly I am going back to Adderall!!!