Does Vyvanse Work?
Vyvanse 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
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Written by Dr. Kenny Handelman - The ADHD Doctor
To find get a FREE special report on ADD/ADHD Medication, visit: Medication Mastery
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August 16th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Unfortunately Vyvanse is not available in Canada. My son (17) has been on Ridlin with depression as a result; Adderall with no reaction and Strattera with no benefits shown.
I do hope This new med will be available in Canada soon. I also hope you, Dr. Handelman, will inform us when it is.
Thank you for the video.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Alec, (9 years old 30mg) started taking Vyvanse today 8-16-07,
about 7am and off to school he went. I have emailed his teacher to tell her
of the change in meds. I will try and keep you posted. Jean
August 16th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
My 11 year old son has been on Vyvanse for 3 weeks, it has been wonderful. He was on 30 mg of Adderal XR , was not eating well and was up all night, every night. He is eating better and more often during the day, which was a problem for him. We have been able to readjust his sleep schedule to a more normal one. I wake him to take his meds by 7:00 am. He gets up by 8:30 or 9:00. I would say these meds definitely lasts a good 12 hours.
So far we haven’t had a negative side effect, they have all been positive.
Life is getting back to being somewhat normal, if there is such a thing as that in an ADHD household.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
My daughter (9yrs old) began taking Vyvanse 2 weeks ago. The first night she was only able to sleep for about 3 hrs; however, she has been sleeping well since then. She complains that her stomach “feels wierd” but does not “hurt”. I have noticed that she is more quiet and less hyperactive (about the same as a child without ADHD). She even started reading a book on her own —WITHOUT me doing the usual song-and-dance! That was huge!!! Since school has not started and she has only been on the medication for 2 weeks it is difficult to REALLY tell how well Vyvanse is going to work for her. So far, I am hopeful.
August 16th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Considering that Vyvanse is not yet approved for adult use in the U.S., I find the YouTube video highly suspect. Seems like someone slipped is taking advantage of the medium.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:02 am
As an adult with ADD, I am currently taking Vyvanse, I switched over after using Adderall tablets for the past 10 yrs. I have found
the Vyvanse works as well as the Adderall tabs, without the up and down feeling, more level throughout the day because
it is an extended release medication. The duration has been 12 hours which amazes me because the meds generally dont last
as long as the Drug Companies suggest. The onset of the medication seems to be very consistent every day about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Overall, I give the Vyvanse high marks
Ellis B
August 17th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Thank you all for sharing your comments and experiences.
Hopefully your comments will help other people who are considering Vyvanse and want to know what they can expect.
Anne - your comment about adults taking vyvanse is a very good point.
I think it merits its own blog post.
Give me a couple of days to get to it…
If you’ve just found this page - please add your comment to share with others what your experience with vyvanse has been.
Dr. Kenny
August 17th, 2007 at 10:42 am
I gave my son a 30 mg Vyvanse at 11:30 am following a Dr. appointment by 3:00 pm I had a different child, Yes Please, No thank you, is there any thing I can do to help, all the questions and responses a parent longs to hear after pounding morals, values and ethics down their throats since they could talk and walk. I always knew that he knew the rules and what he should and should not do. Never myself suffering from ADHD I guess made it hard to understand if he knew them so well why would he not follow them to avoid being in trouble. Last year I tried him on statera and concerta each for 1 week the side affects were so horid I refused to give them to him. With the vyvanse he had trouble falling asleep the first night due to the time given I beleive, the next day a small headache and a “weird Belly” after that no side affects. He has been on them for 1 week and 2 days, the arguing in my house has stopped, he has been in school for 1 week, great reports from teachers. I am a parent who has a hard time giving my child medication so I have done a ton of research and found that some children after 1 year on Vyvanse no longer needed to be medicated. It was also recomended to me by my sons pediatrition not to tell school if possible that your child is on meds as they will try to tell you they need more so they can have zoned out kids. My son is on the lowest dose and doing very well. Thanks to Vyvanse. This medicine did NOT change my sons personality at all, he is not dazed, unhappy or frusterated. I also recomend to ask your child as I do, ” Do you like who and how you are better on or off the medicine?” If he ever said he did not want to take it anymore I would take him off after all it is his body and I do not know how the medicine makes him feel, Just my opinion.
August 17th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Sorry, not impressed with the site..
This video looks like a nicely planned and polished ad campaign.
I would bet money it’s a crock.
August 17th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
By the way, the comments from bloggers have been much more informative and helpful! Thanks
August 17th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Hi Cathy,
Sorry you don’t like the video.
At the time of this blog post - it is the only video online about Vyvanse.
I am glad that you find the comments from people helpful - so do I!
As a Canadian doctor - I don’t have direct experience with Vyvanse right now. I have summarized the research on Vyvanse in other articles on my blog - see the links at the start of this article - but I wanted to provide the opportunity for people to share direct experiences. So, I am grateful that people have shared their experiences.
All the best,
Dr. Kenny
August 18th, 2007 at 1:05 am
I realized later that we have another positive with Vyvanse. My 11 year son has enter that unsettling state of puberty. I had noticed a lot of agressive behaviors, these have decrease significantly over the last few days.
August 20th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Ellis, thanks for your information about using it as an adult. Since it’s currently made for use in children it’s a little difficult to find information for adult users. Have you come across good information geared towards adults? How did your doctor come up with the dosage and use instructions for you? If you have any information for adult users I’d love to have it. Thanks!
August 20th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
I think it has been approved for adults in the US, at least enough for doctors to start prescribing it. I start on it tomorrow. My doctor is starting me on the lowest dose and we will see what happens from there to see if we need to titrate up. I seem to have chemically resistant ADD. I have tried Ritalin, dexedrine, wellbutrin, adderall, concerta and a bunch of others I can’t remember (of course) but didn’t get any benefits and only bad side effects. I am hopeful. It is good to read the blog and see at least kids seem to be getting some benefit. I was diagnosed with ADD before it was even called ADD. We will see what happens. I am also curious to hear from other adults.
August 21st, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Day One:
Pretty good so far. I was able to sit at my computer and do on-line research for five hours without getting distracted. A new world’s record. For me at least. If I didn’t need to pick my son up from school I probably could have kept going. I think it started wearing off at around 10 hours afer I took it, but since I was just cooking dinner it is hard to tell. No major side effects. In the past any amphetamine type drugs made me anxious and short tempered. If anything this has a mild euphoria effect. I did notice a loss of appetite but that could be because I was too focused on research to notice I was hungry.
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:25 pm
I am a 25 year old adult who was just diagnosed. I have never tried any other ADD meds, but my dr. put me on vyvanse 30 mg (even though it appears not yet to be FDA approved for adults).
I saw results immediately. My 10 am on my 2nd day, my desk was clean, my projects were updated, i had a list for the day/week, and I was on task. I had a lot of the side effects–decreased appetite, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, but all of them except dry mouth wore off after a couple days.
Unfortunately, it seemed, so did the meds. After 5 or so days on the medicine, my body was back to normal, but so were my habits/behaviors.
Today is day 6, and this morning, I took 2 pills, just to see if that would make a difference. It seems to be. I feel again like I am on day 1. Very well organized and on task, but again with the dry mouth and dec. appetite. I did notice that the dry mouth seems to stick around, even with plenty of fluid intake. I can have my bladder about to burst, but still be dry in the mouth.
Also, I guess at the height of the drug’s affect on me, I feel a little bit zoned–like a zombie. But not in a bad sense. I enjoy being able to focus.
Overall I like it. I don’t have any comparisons to make, though.
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Reta,
I have a couple questions about your sons experiance with Vyvanse My Son has been on it since Aug 8th I noticed this past sunday it seems to be wearing off earlier in the day, did or have you noticed this with your son? I asked him if he thought it was still working as good and he says yes but we are seeing differances in the evening, nothing like it use to be but not as good as it was. seeings as how this is our first go around with meds that dont have side effects that he has been on for more than a week I am just not sure what to expect, I really do not want to have to increase his dose so soon. I give it to him at 6:45 am so it takes effect before class starts and he is still getting good reports from school. any info would be appreciated. Thank you
Mary
August 24th, 2007 at 2:10 am
Dear AD,
I am curious how your doing with double dose? And if you could possibly explain to me how long after you take your meds does it seem to take effect ya know like 1/2 hour or hour, and how do you tell when it starts working, what does it feel like? and when you say at the height of the effect, when does that usualy happen and if you were 11 yrs old would it be weird to you? i am just tring to understand what this med does to my son. he is not really old enough to explain. I figure you are at a great age to be able to verbalize what it does and how it does it. Thank you and I hope you are doing well.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:16 am
Dr. Kenny,
I know you have not had a chance to deal with this med, but I thought maybe you could answer this question, I noticed that when my sons meds started wearing off earlier was around the same time I started giving him a new vitamin, I read on the Vyvanse papers that vit C could make this med not work as well, I give my son med in am and vitamins pm do you think this could be causing the problem? It has 100% of daily vit C in it, do ypu think it is possible? thank you Mary
August 24th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Hi Mary,
That is a great question.
I don’t know if vitamin C has any interaction with Vyvanse.
I will look into it and let you know what I find. It may take a little bit of time…
Dr. Kenny
August 24th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Thank You,
I read last night because of the acid in vit C and that fact that Vyvanse is adsorbed throught the Liver that it could cause less effectivness. I just thought by spliting them up it would not hurt but I do not know how long Vit C stays in system. I would Appreciate it. He has a Dr appointment Monday but I really do not want to increase his dose. I am going to try couple days with no Vitamins. Thank You Mary.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:40 am
I work a typical sit on your bum for 9 hours a day office job. I only did the double-dose one day because I’m new to these meds and wanted my free 30 day trial to last as long as possible.
for me it doesn’t seem to be taking very long to take effect. I take it at 7:30 am as I leave for work, and by the time I wade through email by 9 am I am ready to settle in. The strongest days–day 1 and the day with a double dose, I noticed the most effects at 10am to noon. I don’t know that I feel very much, except the dry mouth and dec. appetite. Just that I am able to concentrate on tasks. I don’t really know how to explain it…I guess, I feel like things going on around me almost fade into the background, everything gets quieter, and I zone in on what I’m doing.
My dr. explained ADD to me kind of like someone changing the channel in your brain. And your brain has no power to say, “no, it’s not time to watch that channel right now, I need to do ___ task.” I DO feel slightly less prone to those distractions now. I don’t jump from task to task as easily…I used to LIVE on msnbc and cnn.com, and now I will get to the end of the day and realize I haven’t checked them. So maybe that helps you understand your son…if something happens off to the side or in the background, his brain might change focus to that event quickly, but on vyvanse, it shouldn’t be as noticeable.
As for how it all might seem to an 11-year-old, I have no idea. except being thirsty, not being hungry, and
Let’s see, there is one other thing I could maybe say about how I feel. When this medicine is at the height of its effect during the day, the zombie or zoning feeling I guess, is kind of similar to how I feel when I’m drugged up on powerful cold medicine when I’m sick. You know how you kind of feel unaware of your environment when you’re on that stuff? Kind of light-headed and aloof? It’s a little similar to that, with the very big difference that I don’t feel light-headed or aloof…I just feel like I am in my little zone and am not as aware to what’s going on everywhere else.
What I DON’T feel is like I’m on any sort of speed. I know when I drink caffeine, I can feel the tension in my body, feel my heart speed up, get jittery, etc. I don’t feel any of that on this med. Incidentally, I try to avoid caffeine now, since I thought putting 2 stimulants in my body was a bad idea. Finally, I had several drinks the first night I took vyvanse, and I think that was a terrible idea. I couldn’t sleep at all that night.
A week and a half now is how long I’ve been on 30 mg, and I think I’m going to ask about increased dosage. It’s a little bit of an improvement now, but I still get distracted a lot during the day. I’ve been working on my habits as well–making lists, etc., but still have been unable to finish things up. I don’t really know what to expect over the long term, but I would enjoy the concentration and energy levels I had those first couple days.
Finally, about sleep. I have typically been a guy who needs 8-plus hours. On vyvanse, the first few days I had trouble falling asleep, but that has gone away by now. However, I notice that I can stay up later now, and I don’t have that much trouble getting up in the mornings. I don’t have to have 8 full hours.
Hope that helps.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:21 am
Dear AD
Thank you for spending so much of your time explaining things to me I can not tell you how much it means to me. Dr.s can’t explain beacause they truley dont know from first hand expereince. My son has a appointment Monday to go over meds, i will let ya know what I find out. Enjoy your week end,THANK YOU MARY
August 25th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Dear AD and Marty,
I am an adult ADHD doing a desk job that I can’t take much longer. I have tried Wellbutrin to quit smoking but it gave me bad headaches and hyperactivity (even worse than my normal / ADHD behavior). I have been afraid to pursue other medications because I am usually highly sensitive to drug effects - and side effects. I can’t deal with headache or nauseau - and those seem to be common side-effects.
Marty, did you really not get any results from adderal or ritalin?
AD, please keep posting. I will watch for your comments.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
I have just been prescribed Vyvanse. The Dr. warned me that it was an ‘upper’ and he was right! The first day was great, had energy, was in a great mood all day and slept great at night. Second day, not so much. Felt energized in the morning but that faded into a somewhat exhausted feeling and somewhat anxious too. Fell asleep fine, but woke up at 330am and didnt go back to sleep until 445ish. Next day had energy but was very anxious all day. Today is the 4th day and I’ve been feeling extremely anxious all day and have a hard time focusing. Websites have said the side-effects will get better after a few days. Hopefully they are right.
Anyone else dealing with anxiety like this??
August 27th, 2007 at 2:58 am
I have lived with Adult ADD and ADD all my life. Only recently have I been self diagnosed. I am 35 years old and when I was a child ADD was never really mentioned since I did not have ADHD and could concentrate and I was polite and relatively well behaved. However, I have consistently underachieved considering my knowledge and talent. I also tend to talk non-stop and say whatever comes to mind which since I am nice (was not always) I am usually very blunt and honest. Not everyone likes this trait. The truth is that I never realized that when I did try to concentrate I always got frustrated and could not focus. Also my thoughts were always very associative and I tend to jump from conversation to conversation without notice or obvious connection. Every ADD test I have taken I answer almost yes on every question and yet because till now I did not have insurance so I have not been properly diagnosed. I have also tried a few ADD meds that friends gave me and I tried them. I tried Adderall, Strattera, Ritalin and Vyvanse. I must say that I did not like taking any of the ADD meds besides Vyvanse. I felt most myself. I must say I have never till recently experimenting with ADD meds realize at how functioning I could be. I always felt that something was wrong with me although I am very bright. I also was till recently (because my fiance is a neuroscientist) did not consider I was ADD (I thought I had to be hyperactive) and I was against meds. I have always been or tried to be a homeopath and looked into alternative Chinese and food related cures. However, none worked like Vyvanse and now that I am insured I want to be diagnosed and prescribed I think this. I really felt good, not speedy, not Megomanial, not queasy, not edgy or wired like I did with the other meds and strattera made me feel drowsy like i was doped, than edgy and than I liked it but I did not like the leading up to it.
I am looking forward to talking Vyvanse for more than a few days but those few days I felt the most myself I have felt since I recall and I was also pleasant to deal with. With the ritalin and others I think I came across very eloquently but like I was on speed. This is not what I want for I am usually a calm person. This is the first time I have ever looked at a fourum like this on ADD and it makes me feel better to see people that share what I have gone through for so long and I had no idea! I thought I was spacey and liked to day dream! I plan to learn more and work on myself outside of drugs through practing excercies. Take care all of you!
August 27th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Mary,
Yes, I think the vyvanse is wearing off a little earlier. Still, it lasts a good 10 hours or more. He isn’t as wild as with the Adderall when he comes down. And the wearing off happens late in the day when we don’t have any pressing things to do.
We have had one sleepless night, around Day 30, we are currently in our 5th week. Sleeplessness was a serious problem with the Adderall.
He is so much more cooperative. He even helped with the yard work, one of his least favorite jobs. I jokingly asked him what he was up to but he replied that he was doing it because I asked him to.
Vyvanse seems to be be so much smoother, if that terms makes sense and my son is a fun to be with again.
Reta
August 27th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Dear AD and Dr. Kenny, Parents,
I stopped giving my son the Vitamins and his meds are working much better again still not the same as the first 2 weeks, but enough that I do not have to increase the dosage so soon. I have also noticed when he drinks Gatoraid he seems to have a harder time I do not know if it is the dye or the vitamins in it or what but if he drinks propel or the clear drinks he is fine. AD once again thank you so much for helping me to understand how the ADD makes you feel aswell as the meds. For those of you with children on this med we started a new chart system on the same day he started his meds it is a work to earn chart, He has 8 behaviors and or chores on his chart, he earns $0.10 for every sticker he receives and has to pay $0.10 for every sad face on his chart., this replaces regular allowance. We allow him to earn extra money by doing extra chores for us or his Grandma, sometimes he does not even recognise he has done something extra and when we go over his chart at night he is so excited that he earned extra money and that we noticed he did an extra. I plan to raise the amount of items on his chart every month for example next month he will have 9 behaviors or chores the following month 10 ect… He loves this program it is however very important to make sure you inforce the pay for sad face no matter how hard it is on you or your child. One of our huge problems in the past has been begging to spend the money he has for allowance, gifts ect.. we made a deal that if he goes a full month without asking us to spend that money we will double it, he has not yet asked to spend a dime of it. We keep a seperate container with chart money seperate from all other money, it is very exciting for them to see how much they have earned, we count it togehter about every 3 or 4 days. Make sure you put a few items on their chart that you know they can do, so they can earn some money. It was a huge improvement in our house with getting chorese done. In all the research I have done on meds and with ADD or ADHD it seems that getting a good daily routine and the meds seem to help better then meds alone, aswell it teaches your child a daily routine of what is expected and what will not be tolerated these become learned behaviors after time, so when it is time to stop meds they have an easier time adjusting as they have done the same thing every day over and over again. Thank you again for all the information, I hope every one is doing well, this is by far the most informative post I have came across, I check it several times a day just to see how everyone is doing and if there is any new info. Keep up the good work everyone.
August 27th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I’m an adult woman who has been talking Adderall 40mg xr for about a year. My doc switched me to Vyvanse last week. I slept better on adderall than vyvanse. It also doesn’t feel like it kicks in in the morning. Took one at 8am and could not wake til 11am.
My doc will be taking me up to 70 mg slowly.
I’m always worried about all the “new” drugs I have tried for my bi-polar and my ADD. I don’t look like a guinea pig, but sometimes feel that way.
The get up and go feeling just isn’t there with this drug yet. It’s only been 5 days, but there is a noticable difference in my energy level, lower than with adderall. I did not like the adderall drop off. So it seems this drug lasting longer is much more effective at keep my mood stable as well.
side note: I take anti-psychotics at night for my mild form of bi polar
August 27th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Hello everyone.
I am a 28 year old male who was diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager. Since being diagnosed I have taken EVERY ADHD medicine available in the US, including the rarely prescribed Desoxyn (methamphetamine).
I have been on 50mg Vyvanse now for about a month. This drug has something special about it.
With other drugs such as Adderall XR or Concerta or any immediate release solution, I always get decent results but I DO end up feeling ’stimulated’.
Vyvanse is different. With Vyvanse I do not really notice being on the drug, but the positive results remain! There is no anxiety, over-stimulation, or really ANY side-effects for me.
This is a wonderful medication for me. I know everyone reacts differenly to medications but if there are other Adults with ADHD that are having less than stellar results from their current medication, certainly consider asking your physician to let you give Vyvanse a try. It has affected my life in a very positive way and I feel that feeling that I first felt when I was initially treated for my condition: I have found something that makes living with ADHD tolerable again!
I am thrilled with Vyvanse to say the least.
I think it will definitely win approval in adults once the processing is through and go on to be very helpful to a lot of people.
Thank you for listening!
August 28th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
hi, I am a 23 year old female. i started taking vyvanse about 2 weeks ago. i used to take adderall 20mg 3-4 times a day for 4 years or so. I am currently taking vyvanse 70. for the first week it seemed to help but the side effects were nasty, then there were 3 days where the side effects were gone and the medicine was still working, i was very happy. now nothing, its losts it effect. from the begining the medicine never lasted any longer than 8 hours tops. so my doctor increasedmy does to twice a day, still nothing. i am really frusterated i just dont understand. has this happened to anyone else?
August 28th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
My son is 8 years old and had been taking adderall for 3 years. The adderall made him aggressive and when he came down it was horrible! I thought I would give this new med a try since the other common ones did the exact or nothing!
It has been 2 weeks and I can say that it is great. He is not aggressive anymore, less focus than the adderall though. He seems to be a happier child. The 30 mg dosage was a bit much for him. The first dose was way to much because it caused tics, he kept pulling at his shirt and did not fall asleep until 2am. He was given the first dose at 6:30 am!!! I empty some out, about 1/4 and give the rest in yogurt and that took away the ugly tics and squirmy feeling.
I really like it. If he didnt need any meds that would be better but this one seems to fit really nice.
Good luck!
Nic
August 28th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Hi all, my son is 7 and recently got off Daytrana that he was taking for almost a year. He is not taking Vyvanse 30 mg and has been on it for a week. The first 3 days were AWESOME, now he is back to the way he was before and getting worse at school. I give it to him at 6:45 am and by 3:45 pm it’s like he isn’t on anything. I don’t know if I should wait a few more weeks or try to up the dosage, which I am really scared of doing, he also takes 25 mg Stratera daily with the Vyvanse. Any comments would be very helpful before he starts getting suspended from school. They have been great but can only tolerate this behavior for so long.
August 28th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
My 11 yr. old son was just given a script for Vyvanse 50mg today. I really hope it works!! We have tried everything with him and it either doesn’t work at all or he has terrible mood swings and aggression when the meds start to wear off. We just also weaned him off of Risperdal and may add Abilify has anyone tried this comb. of meds?? Any info would be appreciated!! I will leave more info tomorrow once he has his first dose of Vyvanse!! Wish me luck!!!
August 29th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Hello….
I am new here. My Dr put me on 50mg of Vyvanse today….I start the meds tomorrow. I have not ever taken ADD meds nor have I ever been diagnosed with the disorder.
I went to the doc for excessive tierdness and difficulty concentrating. I am a college student currently enrolled in 3 classes and I also work full time. In high school I had to work three times harder than my classmates and would still just hardly pass. I studied so hard, but just didnt get the results I should have. I completely ignored these things when I was in high school. Now I am 26 and often feel like I am drowning in all the things I have to do. I cannot focus on one thing at a time, I don’t retain the things I read, I sleep great at night but when I wake up in the morning I am still so tierd that I feel drugged almost.
Anyway…..I am really nervous about taking this medication. I don’t like taking medicine at all. I have been researching and researching this all evening. What makes me scared the most is the 50mg dose. Why not start me at 30mg instead? It was my first time seeing this doctor as well which makes me wonder if he is just one of those RX docs.
I think everyone has ADD even in its mildest form, and I think everyone wants the ability to concentrate and focus better. What is it that makes a doctor decide to put a person on such a strong medication?
Should I be this worried about it?
Thanks for any comments!!
August 29th, 2007 at 1:04 am
Kristina:
I am a 28-year old male adult, but I can report that I take Vyvanse 50mg and Abilify 30mg with very favourable results. Those two meds work very well for me.
I am indeed wishing you good luck and hoping your son’s experience with those meds is as favorable as mine is.
August 29th, 2007 at 1:21 am
We just started our 6 yr old son on Vyvanse 30 mg about 3 days ago. The first 2 days were very different than he usually acts. In my opinion, he seemed like a “Stepford” child..somewhat robotic. Most of his personality was gone and he stayed in his room drawing for several hours. He was very polite and well mannered but I want my child’s personality back. He usually is very funny and witty. This medicine takes all of that away. His teacher reports that he seems unhappy and his stomach hurts all the time. In the evening he is moody and angry but it comes and goes. He is not eating unless we remind him and even then, he is not hungry. He has also developed a rash across his chest and back that the doctor is not sure is related but is seems so coincidental to starting the medicine. We will give it some more time and hope the side effects wear off. We have tried about 4 of the drugs and just cannot tolerate the side effects.
August 29th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Mary & all,
Hello again. I just wanted to give you an update on vyvanse for me. It’s been 2 weeks now, I guess, and it seems like things are balancing out. I take one 30mg pill each morning at 7:30.
First, the side effects: the sleeplessness has disappeared. The appetite is still a little bit suppressed, but I actually am a little thankful for that, if you know what I mean. This week, I’ve been eating breakfast on the way to work and skipping lunch–not at all typical for me! I usually get hungry every few hours. By the time I get home around 6 pm, the medicine is worn off and I’m getting hungry. The dry mouth is still there, but not quite as bad, or maybe I’m just getting used to it. But overall, I’d say the side effects have really calmed down.
The effect of the meds: It’s hard for me to say. If I take one pill now, I hardly feel anything. None of the zoning out I mentioned above, none of the speedy gonzalez I saw in the first couple days. I actually wouldn’t even be able to tell you I’m on a medication. So I was starting to question its effectiveness, thinking I might need a higher dose. But this week I’ve noticed that my focus and concentration, although not perfect, seems to be ok. Like I said, although I don’t feel it physically, at the end of the day, my list is mostly crossed off, I’ve made good progress on my projects, and my casual internet surfing at work really seems to have diminished. So maybe this med is doing exactly what it’s supposed to now. On Saturday, I took two pills with a bowl of cereal at 10 am and came to work, and worked solid (iwthout eating) until midnight, went home and worked for 3 more hours and finally fell asleep around 4:30 am, and was right back out of bed at 9. With that kind of productivity, I can see why people get addicted to this stuff. Who needs sleep when you have speed?
So anyway, it seems like things are more balanced now. Decreased side effects, increased focus/concentration, and not a lot of awareness I’m on the med.
Dr. Kenny: you probably didn’t intend this particular post to end up being so famous, but congratulations for opening this forum for people to share their experiences. What a lifesaver. Keep it up. Are there other resources you’ve run across lately concerning vyvanse?
Nikki, I am like you. I am 25, never diagnosed until now. I am also reasonably healthy and have never been on any sort of long-term med. I was very nervous about starting vyvanse. I did a lot of casual research about ADD/ADHD online and I was so relieved to find out that the ADD brain actually shows a difference in function from the non-ADD brain. In other words, it’s not like you’re just trying to find a med to help you get caught up to everyone else. If you have been properly diagnosed, then it means your brain actually has trouble determining which of the activities going on around you should have priority. This treatment isn’t designed to just speed you up so you can get more done, the research actually shows that it enables the part of your brain that helps you set priorities and fend off distractions to keep up with all the other parts of your brain that are firing off messages all day long. In other words, it makes everything work together.
I suppose you could go out and spend a few thousand dollars getting your brain scanned too see if its activity matches up But even in this post, you display symptoms of ADD. Overwhelmed by a normal responsibility load, self-esteem issues in comparing yourself to others who seem to be able to perform better. Believe me, ADD is real, it’s not something everyone has just a little of, and there are effective treatments.
As far as the prescription strength goes: ultimately, you should talk to your dr. if you’re concerned about the dosage. But keep a couple of these things in mind. First, vyvanse is approved for children aged 6-12. As an adult, it makes sense to me that a smallest dose for a 6-12 year old might not cut it for you. It just depends on your build, your tolerance, and your individual reaction to it. Secondly, I haven’t been able to find out for sure, but from what I have seen, it seems like all the vyvanse pills, regardless of dosage, cost the same. So your dr. isn’t making extra money or anything by prescribing a higher dose. Again, though, if you have concerns, talk to him. I am concerned about why he chose vyvanse for me in the first place. It’s going to be hella expensive for me, and I wonder if an older drug that I can get in generic might be just as effective.
To the other adult ADDers out there. If you’re on vyvanse, let me share a tip. Use the most effective time during the day, usually about 3 hours after I take the med for me, to do some things that will help you succeed the rest of the day. Make a list, write down all the projects, tasks, phone calls, bills, etc. you have to do. The organization and focus you have on the med will help you remember and come up with a thorough list. Then, your prioritizing is already done, and if the med wears off, you still know what you should be doing.
Hope all out there are well, and keep sharing your experiences!
August 29th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
We started with the dose of 50 mg for my son today!! Nothing super amazing to report but to me this part is great…my 12 year old son had been on 30 mg of Adderall XR and 2.5 mg of Risperdal for the past year with mixed results. TERRIBLE mood swings when coming off Adderall and huge appetite with Risperdal. Today he only took Vyvanse and no crazy Jekyl/Hyde meltdowns in the afternoon/evening when it was wearing out, so actually today was pretty amazing now that I actually typed it all out!! Only 1 med and 1 actual dosing too, we have not had that in over 6 years!!!!
I do have a backup script for 5 mg of Abilify (which we have never tried before) if mood swings start up again (my sons ADHD w/possible Bi-polar is worse than most kids his age). School here in Michigan starts up next week so that will be the real test for us!!
I will keep updating throughout the weekend!!
P.S. We got a late start this morning with the 1st dose (just before 10:00 a.m.) and I hear my son still moving around in his room and it is just after 10:00 p.m. not worried yet though because he barely slept before this med. He usually will get a melatonin tablet before bedtime. Does anyone else use melatonin??
August 31st, 2007 at 10:55 pm
My son is 7 and is also ADHD with Bipolar comorbidity. We originally started out on Adderall. Due to his extremely fast metabolism (and he wasn’t diagnosed Bipolar yet), he maxed out on Adderall dosage in about 6 months. In comes Focalin. It worked pretty well, but caused extreme anxiety (VERY extreme). He also had pretty dramatic mood swings (rage to tears in a minutes span, tantrums worthy of any 2-year-old, violent outbursts) Enter Abilify. We loved it! He was very calm, even when the Focalin wore off. Sadly, too calm. He was also kind of a zombie. He used to be funny, happy active in sports, loved to swing and ride his bike. On Focalin he just wandered aimlessly and didn’t seem to settle on any one thing. The Abilfy helped somewhat, but not enough. And the anxiety became unbearable.
As summer wore on and he still hadn’t ridden his bike, touched the swingset or ridden his skateboard, I started to get frustrated. He would pace around the house, not really doing much of anything. Ultimately he was taken off the Focalin, and we saw his personality return. It was great! We also saw his uncontrollable energy, lack of impulse control and erratic mood swings.
ANYWAY… sorry to get off subject. What I’m getting at is this. We love the Abilify. But he obviously still needs ADHD meds. We will be starting Vyvanse on Tuesday. This blog really sets my mind at ease
Kristina: Regarding Melatonin, it didn’t work for my son. If it isn’t working, Ask your doctor about Clonidine. It is awesome!! One tablet at the same time as his Abilify and he’s asleep in 1/2 hour. For the whole night (usu 12 hrs). he wakes up fine, not groggy. Did I mention he sleeps ALL NIGHT?
Good luck. I will try to post the results of his Vyvanse after he’s been on it a while.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories. It especially helps to hear from an adult how it might make my 7-year-old feel. Since he probably won’t be able to tell me himself. And I’m glad to know that he will likely retain his great personality AND be able to focus. YAY!!
September 1st, 2007 at 1:46 am
Kristine,
What dose are you starting your son on for the Vyvanse?? I think the 50 is going to be too low for my son. Also what dose of Abilify was your son on and did he take it only once a day and what time did he take it?? My son has been on Clonidine in the past and we may have to get back on it once school starts next week but we were trying to keep his at just 2 scripted meds instead of 3 at once if at all possible.
Thank for the post!!
Kristina
September 1st, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Shannon,
I just want to let you know your sons behavior is not so odd. When you finally find the “right” ADHD med an amazing thing happens; your brain is quiet and you can focus on things you have always wanted to do. The drawing might be something your son could never enjoy because of the noise in his head and the outside distractions. Eventually he will get accustomed to the sound of silence in his head.
TO THE LADY THAT SAID NOT TO TELL EDUCATORS ABOUT THEIR CHILD’S MED USE - HER VIEW IS RIDICULOUS!!!. I have been a teacher for 12 years and diagnosed with ADHD for 8. Schools do not ask for more meds to make children comatose. In fact schools can only say that your child exhibits signs of ADHD/ADD and that the parent might want to consult with a physician for further information. Furthermore, if you feel that the schools are trying to push medication on children you should spend some time volunteering in the classrooms so that you can witness how incorrect you are!
Jamie
September 4th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Dear Jamie,
I am the lady who was advised by both of my childs Physcians NOT to tell the school. I do not know where you live or teach and I am sure all districts are different, I recently transfered my sons schools because of ADD ADHD diags comming from the principle, It was told to the parents who had taken their child to a doctor for a evaluation and came back NON-ADD that the doctors were crazy the children needed to be on meds and if they were not taken to a different doctor for a second oppinion and placed on meds to control behavior the children would be expelled from school and the principle would contact the autorities and report the parents to CPS for neglect. I spent several hours at the school volentering to see what was taking place in my childs class as well as others. It was not recomended as you stated it was demanded! as well I spent several hours talking with other parents and I found it hard to beleive that 9 out of 10 children at that school were ADD-ADHD and truley needed to be medicated, there is a pending law suite against this school. So I have done my research and found that my sons doctors were right on the ball. By the way do all of your co-worker and students know that you are chemicly treated for this medical condition, you as an adult have a choice of who you tell, my feeling is that our children should have the same right, to not be labled as the ADD kid. Like I said I am sure all places, States, Counties, School Districts ect.. are different we just happen to live in a area that it is not recomended to advise people unless the children need to take meds at school. I by no means ment any offence to any educator!
September 6th, 2007 at 12:42 am
I am a 19 years old, I was just diagnosed with ADHD …. ? Yea I think its bull but anyway, they just gave me a months free of Vyvanse to see if it helps…..Holy lord does it! In my younger years…. / a couple of years ago I was not on the right track and had tried everything, that includes Dope, Ritalin, Ritalout ! (jk) Adderall, Etc. I was reading that it is unabusable because it is a “Pro-Drug” which means it can only be absorbed into the body during the first pass through the Intestines/ and or Liver. It cannot be snorted, or injected. They say that 150 mg is equivalent to 40 mg of Dextroamphetamine. NOT EVEN CLOSE. Vyvanse is supposed to come in 30 50 and 70 mg capsules. However I have seen 25 and 90 mg capsules. Here is another chart
* Vyvanse 30 mg = Adderall XR 10 mg
* Vyvanse 50 mg = Adderall XR 20 mg
* Vyvanse 70 mg = Adderall XR 30 mg
Personally, 90mg would be more like 80 mg of adderall, with an INCREDIBLY long half life. It is potent. - Nate
September 6th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
DR-
ADD DIAGNOSED AT AGE 36–NOW 39. RN, MOTHER OF THREE BOYS.STRATTERA GAVE ME SERIOUS HEART PALPITATIONS. ADDERAL SHORT ACTING BID WELL, I WOULD FORGET THE SECOND DOSE-ADDERAL 30 XR- WORKED GREAT EXCEPT AS RN DIFFICULT WHEN CALLED IN AT 2AM AND HOME AT 6AM TO TAKE OR NOT TO TAKE DAILY DOSE? DECIDING AGAINST DAILY DOSE TYPICALLY MEANT SPOUSAL DISPUTE OVER SOMETHING SMALL-NEVER REALLY CERTAIN WHAT STARTS THE COMPLAINT. TWO WEEKS OF VYVANSE- INCREASE DESIRE TO MAKE EVENING MEALS FOR FAMILY. MY SLEEP SCHEDULE RESEMBLES THAT OF OTHERS W/O ADD-I FEEL TIRED EARLIER AND SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT-THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FOR ME & STILL NEED TIME TO ADJUST TO NORMALACY. VYVANSE APPEARS TO HELP WITH THE 13 HOUR WORK DAY-I HAVEN’T FELT THE NEED TO HAVE COFFEE AND CANDY BAR AT 4:00. ALSO, ATTEND TO CHILDRENS EVENING SPORTS ACTIVITIES AND HOMEWORK WITHOUT FEELING OVERWHELMED. I AM OVERALL IMPRESSED WITH THE NEW CHOICE OF TREATMENT. WILL POST AGAIN IF ANYTHING CHANGES.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
i’m 31, recently diagnosed with ADD, was diagnosed with IED last year. been taking trileptal for the IED (the dosage keeps going up and won) and am now adding vyvanse to what seems like my infinite amount of medications. am also hyporthyroid/hashimoto’s and am taking synthroid as well as ambien cr for sleep. i feel like a walking pharmacy.
i really noticed vyvanse’s effects thet first two days (my house was more organized than it had been in years!) however opver the past week or so, i noticed that by the time 7pm arrives, i started feeling like i am having an anxiety attack - my throat feels like i can’t swallow, i feel like my heart is racing (though it’s not - i check my heartbeat), i feel like my eyelids could just snap closed and slightly dizzy.
has anyone had anything like this happen? is it just the end result of a day on vyvanse? my theory is that i’m soooo “high” (for a lack of a better word) during the day that by the time night gets here, i’m coming down. does that make sense?
at first i was afraid it was the new trileptal dosage so i stopped it, then i realized it was still going on with vyvanse so i stopped it and went med-free for two days. i returned to the norm again today and was so happy to feel somewhat organized at work and now here i am, worried again about the way i feel. it reminds me of a seratonin overdose (i had this happen a year ago while on lexapro and a diet pill prescribed by the doctor).
i don’t know, maybe i’m imagining it… ?
i’m so glad to find adults talking about using vvvanse. i felt like i had looked at every site before i found this one.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Hi Shay,
Thanks for sharing your comments.
It can be very complicated when people take multiple medications.
I just wanted to suggest one concept to you - it is called rebound.
It was much more common in the old stimulant medicines (i.e. short acting), and a lot less common in the newer, long acting adhd medicines.
What happens is that when the medicine leaves your system at the end of the day, some people’s body reacts by getting more irritable or agitated. Often, this is a worsening of the adhd symptoms. Sometimes it is a worsening of other symptoms like anxiety.
Talk to your doctor about whether you are experiencing rebound with vyvanse.
By the way - I just want to thank everyone who has commented on this post. I am thrilled that my blog has become a place for you to share your experiences and to help one another. This is getting me to think about setting up a forum…
All the best to everyone,
Dr. Kenny
September 7th, 2007 at 9:25 am
My son has been on Vyvanse for one month and he is a different little boy. I thought things were never going to change with him hitting and screaming at others, impulsive behaviour, bad days at school etc. He has been on several meds and they work for awhile but there are always side effects you just deal with. I am plkeased the first day he took the medicine we had a pretty rough day. The 2nd day he slept 1/2 the day away. By the next week he was visibly different you could see the change in every aspect he showed empathy to others he stopped and told me he wanted to hit his sister but didn’t went upstairs to cool off instead he is getting raving reports from his teacher at school. Last year he had a list 4 pages long of behaviour reports and red flags and 3 major offenses and a mile long list of minor offenses. Last year he would stand on tables and scream and push the tables around the room and throw chairs. Since beginning the Vyvanse he shows more control and respect to everyone not just because hes going to get in trouble but because he wants to “do the right thing” I know shocker!! He is a six year old out of control until Vyvanse thank you
September 7th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Cassandra~
What dosage is your son on??
Everyone else~
Have you had to up your dose of Vyvanse after a certain period of time. My son is 12 and about 100 lbs and is currently taking 50mg he was taking 30mg of Adderall XR before the change. So far the 50mg seems to be working ok but could maybe use a little improvement. We will also be starting our first dose of Abilify 5mg this evening. I will let you know how these two work together for us. Overall I have been very pleased with the results with the Vyvanse,
September 7th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Hi,
My daughter was diagnosed at 5 yrs (Kindergarten) but had many many issues in preschool. We started her on Adderall 20 mg at that time. It worked ok. In first grade (6yrs) we changed to Metadate in the morning, 4 hr focalin in the afternoon, and clonidine 0.1 for sleep. This combo worked decently except she gained 0 lbs and grew 4 inches that year. Okay, back to the drawing board for summer before 2nd grade. We changed to Daytrana in the begining of Aug 05. Amazing medicine, excellent effectiveness, horrible skin rash. What a nightmare, we tried olive oil on her skin, benedryl, & steroid cream. Poor thing had scars on her body for months. Needless to say, we needed a new med. From there we went to long acting focalin- no sleep at all, severe irritability. Then back to Adderall - which no longer worked except for keeping her awake and causing severe aggression. Started 3mg melatonin to nightly ritual. Didn’t work at first but after a week or two she was falling asleep on the couch (never had happened before. This child was the night owl of night owls). Eventually, we were giving her 4 hr Foclin 2mg 2x a day to try to finish out the school year. By the way her 2nd grade teacher was a nightmare to deal with during this whole time. Constantly riding my daughter and sending her to the principle for talking!!! This summer we were in a mad dash to find a med for her and get her settled before 3rd grade started. In comes pediatric neurologist. Ritalin LA 10 mg. Didn’t even touch her. Upped to 20 mg. Ehhhh, still not the right dose and 8 hrs after dose she was almost literally hitting the roof. She has alienated all of her friends by this point. Aug 1st increased to 30 mg, and adding back focalin 4hr 4 mg in afternoon and clonidine(continued since started). School starts….uh oh. Ok, she was decent for 8 hrs but severe rebounds. Two weeks into school we were spending 3 hrs on 20 min of homework. She could not sit still. I reluctantly called the neurologist yesterday. Vyvanse has been in the back of our mind since it came out (We didn’t want to be the first to try it). Today, first day, Vyvanse 30 mg. Of course she was at school so I havent seen the majority of the difference. She says she got in trouble today and got a “yellow warning slip” but it is 4:15 and she has been sitting still reading on the couch since she got home at 230. I have noticed she is pretty grumpy when I ask her a question but I can handle grumpy. I am praying that this medication will be “the one” that so many of you are discribing. I want my little girl to have friends like every other kid her age!!! I want her to be invited to sleep overs and birthday parties!!! I will let you know how it goes from here. Thank you to all of you who have spent the time to give others a ray of hope.
September 7th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
HI, my 11 yr. old just started 30 mg. of vyvanse this morning. He complained of a terrible headache, however said he could not eat lunch. So I am not sure if it is related to not eating. He came home and said he got a 0 a few weeks ago and it didn’t seem to bother him. He was not interested in doing anything, but lying down with an ice pack on his head. I am concerned if I should contiue this or stop. Will these symptoms get better over the next few days? His impulsivity did seem better this afternoon.
Thanks for suggestions/help.
Lori
September 20th, 2007 at 12:57 am
I am 24 years old and have been taking concerta for over 2 years. I am also going to school to be a pharmacist. My opinion on the new drug Vyvanse is that the drug company has developed this drug entirely to make a profit. The patent on Adderall XR will expire in 2009. That is why the drug company came out with Vyvanse; this patent will not expire until about 2023. The drug company Shire developed Adderall XR, Daytrana (the mehtylphenidate patch: which has been recalled) and now the drug Vyvanse. The new drug Vyvanse has not taken off like Shire would like to have seen happen. Also, this is a prodrug…. which may be beneficial because it cannot be abused. However, it is the first prodrug available. I personally do not want to be a guinea pig for a new drug eventhough it has been approved by the FDA….. Many drugs have been approved in the past, only to be recalled due to serious or life threatening side effects. Methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Concerta has been around for years and proven safe and effective. Vyvanse may be proven safe and effective in the future, but I would not give it to my child until it is marketed for several years.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
My daughter has been on vyvanse now for 1 month, she was on adderall 30mg for 2 years. She likes the medicine but has had alot of stomach problems, not sure if it is this med or not. It also takes her funny vibrant personality away (this is so sad for me). I told her she could stop taking it because she realizes this also, but she said she wouldn’t be able to sit in school all day without it. She is a 15yrs old. It is much better than the adderall, she in not nearly as agressive or impulsive. I just wish it didnt take away her personality!
September 21st, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I was just diagnosed with adhd at age 29. My doctor thought Vyvanse would be the best medication to try first because it would avoid the multiple doses and had a long life. I am keeping track of everything I experience on it in my blog at : http://ijustlearnedihaveadhdnowwhat.blogspot.com/
So anyone who would like to know my experience with it, you will see a new post daily about what I’m experiencing. I’m taking 30mg in the morning. I have never taken medication for adhd before so I don’t have previous experience but so far I do think it is helping and I’m not noticeing side effects that outweight the benefits.
September 21st, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Thanks to everyone who has been posting their experiences on this blog! I’m 34, I’m on Lamictal for my Bipolar and just diagnosed with ADHD too.
When I first tried Vyvanse 70mg (Sept 1st) everything started out great; I almost cried tears of joy because for the first time since I can ever remeber, I could finally see things clearly and calmly; it was a relief. But then there was a drawback: after about 8 hours the Vyvanse started to “wear off,” I could feel a come down - things were blurring up all over again, I was beginning to lose my train of thought and started to worry, get scared. I had some physical side effects as well, unusal for this med: I started to take deep breaths, a lot, and by the end of the day felt like I had asthma. On top of that I had the usual side effects - cotton mouth and no appetite - so I drank a lot of water and ate like a bird.
Day 2 - Took it again at 10am hoping the 8 hours would extend into my busy time in the early evening. Once again I experienced the same side effects only this time I started the “come down” experience at around 6 hours. I started losing hope, I was getting very, very tired and starting to worry again that perhaps this was not going to work for me. By the evening I had resolved I was not going to take it again on account that my breathing had become so labored and I was getting so aggitated that it wasn’t worth it.
I went to bed at 10PM, a little restless, but fell asleep; I woke up at 1:00AM very hot and sweaty, panting, heart palpitations, itching, nausea and diareahh - I assumed I was having an allergic reaction and went straight to the emergency room.
To shorten this long story - turns out that I also suffer from Anxiety and Panic attacks so this was a multiple issue to be dealt with. Now, my P-doc prescribed Xanax .5mg x2 per day to deal with that and switched me to 64mg Concerta since Sept 12th. Concerta is helping but I’m sooo groggy I can’t get to the to-do list and have even cut out the Xanax to .25mg before bed. And the breathing thing, it’s just worse - the docs do not know what is causing that, but they swear it is not the meds.
I am keeping a very detailed journal with all of this to track it; particularily it’s the physical side effects that are getting the better of me, both work on my brain very well, Vyvanse over Concerta, but I’m just not sure about these physical side effects. Any suggestions? Anyone have that breathing thing happen to them?
September 22nd, 2007 at 3:08 pm
DR -
My son was on Strattera last year - we’ve started the school year with without meds due to a problem with constipation - he was so severly constipated it took 3 months to straighten out. now while strattera 65mg (40 in am 25 at noon) worked it wore off quickly and contributed to the constipation issue. I’ve been working with his Dr to get him back on some kind of ADHD med - he has no impluse control and will act without thinking - with mood swings. i honestly thought this was just him so thank you for your web site & the blogs because now I see its not just him. He’s 9 years old & will be 10 in a couple of months, he weighs 133lbs, & is just shy of 5ft tall - my question is Vyvanse says its an appitite suppressent but can cause constipation - can he take Vyvanse with miralax - my dr is still checking but i would like your professional opinion - I really can’t go through another bout of constipation like we had at the end of the school year. Thanks for any feed back- also is there an ADHD med that doesn’t cause constipation? Thanks Again - Jill
September 23rd, 2007 at 12:47 am
Jill,
This is an unusual issue. It is not that common.
I am not sure about the medicines causing constipation.
It is probably best to take the medicine with a stool softener and/or laxative.
Lots of water, fiber, exercise, etc. (I’m sure you’ve been through it all).
Check with your doctor - and although this isn’t the answer you are looking for, you will likely have to try different medicines until you find the right one.
All the best,
Dr. Kenny
September 23rd, 2007 at 12:56 am
Kim,
You talk about the fact that the medicine takes away your daughter’s personality.
To me, this is a real problem of a side effect.
I like to only allow this side effect to continue if all of the other treatments have been tried.
I would suggest talking to your doctor about the possibility of trying:
1) a methylphenidate medicine -i.e. Concerta, Metadate, Ritalin LA, etc
2) the non-stimulant strattera.
It is possible that she will still have good symptom control of her ADHD, but she may keep her vibrant personality.
Adderall XR and Vyvanse are essentially the same medicine, with minor differences.
I hope this helps with the issue of personality change and vyvanse.
Dr. Kenny
September 23rd, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I have started taking 30mg of vyvanse today (sunday), and i took my first dose at 9:30 am and it is now 11:30 and so far i feel no different. I have not taken any other ADHD medication before, so i do not know what to expect or what to look for.
Im still having trouble with wandering thoughts and being able to focus on just one thing at a time.
But, i have not noticed any side effects yet aside from a momentary feeling of tingly arms and lightheadedness, but nothing severe , so, i suppose that is good.
Does anyone know how long it takes for vyvanse to take effect? And when it does, can you tell?
September 24th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Hi Laura,
Generally, Vyvanse starts working within 1 hour.
Yes, you should be able to tell when vyvanse is working. It often has an ‘on and off’ feeling - i.e. you can tell when it is working, and when it isn’t.
If the 30 mg doesn’t seem to be doing anything, it is likely that you need a higher dose. Presumably your doctor gave you a lower dose to start and will increase the dose with time.
Can anyone share direct experiences with how it feels?
Thanks,
Dr. Kenny
September 24th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Hello All-
My 2 cents on beginning Vyvanse:
Doc wanted me to start with 30mg for 5 days, then up it to 50mg. An hour after I took the first 30 mg dose, I felt as if I had stuck my finger into an electrical outlet (mild disorientation, “zapped” feeling) as well as an uncontrollable visual fixation on objects in my immediate field of vision (If I were to look away for a moment, I would invariably be drawn back to it, seemingly against my will!) Needless to say, it was an unpleasant experience. However, days 2-5 produced less of a “plugged in” feeling, though I certainly felt less relaxed and kind of driven, as a motor would. I am amazed how long this persists throughout the day, continuing to feel its presence in my system into the later hours of the evening.
Today is the 1st increase to 50mg. Feel a bit “buzzed” and anxious, knee bouncing up/down, unable to remain in one place for any sig. amount of time.
Is this “energized” feeling common to other users of Vyvanse? I definetly felt more relaxed on Methylphenidate-Love to hear opinions, responses!
September 27th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
“Adderall XR and Vyvanse are essentially the same medicine, with minor differences.” –Dr. Kenny
I disagree. I think that it could be argued that the difference in delivery method IS minor, but Vyvanse being 100% dextroamphetamine (and not having any levoamphetamine in it) may make a big difference. An improvement in the side effects on blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety that some people experience may be seen on the combination of both isomers (Adderal) when l-amphetamine is not in the mix. To my way of thinking, that is much more significant than the change in delivery method— which is an improvement in safety and an increase in one time dosage effectiveness as well.
Isn’t it true that d-amphetamine primarily affects dopamine, whereas l-amphetamine primarily affects dopamine but increases norepinephrine significantly more than d-amphetamine? Doesn’t that lead to less potent sympathetic nervous system side effects?
(BTW- I’ve been taking 30mg/day for a couple of weeks. I’ve had a few odd headaches and some dry mouth. The headaches could have been my typical sinus headaches. Vyvanse works well for 4-6 hours for me. I am hoping that and increase to 50mg/day will get me up to the 8-10 hour effect without impairing my sleep.)
September 29th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
Hi Dr. I am 54 years old. My Doctor put me on Vyvanse about two months ago. Started out at 30 mg. First day I couldn’t believe how focused I felt and how much energy I had. I have not been diagonised with ADHA, or ADD. She said she was giving it to me for narcolepsy episodes(so tired I could fall asleep when I sat down.) Also for depression. Well I am now taking 100mg a day. I don’t notice any focused or clear thinking. In fact I feel just the opposite. I feel like I just turn circles not sure what to do or how to concentrate. Decisions and choices are overwhelming me. The worst is that at about 400 pm I am getting very, very irritable. I am angry with anyone and everything for no reason. I also seem to grit my teeth when I get angry. I also slept very well in the beginning, so well that a large part of my constant body aches disappeared. This is happening now. I seem to be slowly not sleeping and waking in a lot of pain. I feel it was wonderful in the beginning, but is wearing off. I feel this happens with all the anti-depressents I have taken. I sure wish something would help lift my confusion, help me think clearly, make decisons, not be angry, or depressed. I just thought I would write this for you info. Dr.
September 29th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
I just started adderall (30 mg), and I have not really noticed a substantial effect. My doctor wants me to start 70mg of Vyvanse next week, so I will try that. I am also taking Wellbutrin (300mg), and I was wondering if anyone else is also taking it. I am concerned about the fact that my concentration is not much better on these meds.
September 30th, 2007 at 1:01 am
I struggled with ADD / Inattentive type my entire life. I am 35 and was only diagnosed 8 years ago. Initially I was on Ritalin, then Straterra (did nothing) and for the past 4 years Adderall. I tried the Adderall XR but found it wore off within 6 hours and I didn’t like the crash effect. I have been taking the regular (IR?) strength Adderall 30 mg, 3 x per day. Other than the dry mouth and poor appetite I am able to function very well at this level.
My doctor asked me if I wanted to try Vyvanse - I liked the idea of only 1 pill a day so I agreed. He started me out on 70 mg. I was a little bit concerned about not being able to function in the late afternoon/early evening if it didn’t last the full 12 hours, so he also prescribed 10mg Adderall (1-3 tabs 1x per day) to take in the afternoon/early evening if I found this to be the case.
Vyvanse Day 1-3
The first few days I was impressed with the duration of Vyvanse. I was traveling for my job and needed to be able to function in the evening during dinner with clients. I was amazed to find that i didn’t seem to need an evening dose the first couple of nights. The dry mouth didn’t seem as bad and my appetite seemed to improve a little. The only thing weird was the fact that even at midnight (14-16 hours after my dose) I could feel my heart pounding and had a little trouble sleeping - Adderall, on the other hand, never kept me up, it actually HELPED me sleep sometimes.
Vyvanse Days 4-7
At about day 4 on the Vyvanse I started to notice that it wasn’t lasting as long as it had initially. I would take the first dose around 8am. By 3:00 I would notice myself starting to space out and I would get a little sluggish. I began taking 10mg of Adderall about 8 hours after my first dose of Vyvanse. The Adderall helped but only for about an hour. By day 7 I found I needed to take 20mg of Adderall in the late afternoon or I couldn’t function. The Vyvanse started to wear off by hour 6 but I was nervous about taking the Adderall too early so I would wait as long as I could - ususually about 8 hours.
Vyvanse Week 2-3
I continued to see a decline in the effectiveness. Midway through week 2 I started to take 10mg Adderall about 6 hours after my dose of Vyvanse, and then another 20 mg Adderall a couple of hours later. By the end of week 2 the “crash” effect was worse than the crashes I used to experience on the Adderall XR. Within 6 hours of taking the Vyvanse I literally felt like my mind just stopped working. Out of nowhere I would become completely apathetic and unmotivated. I could be in the middle of something very important, and I would have to stop. I couldn’t answer my phone or return phone calls, no matter how important something was I just couldn’t get myself to function. This made me very anxious and depressed, I would actually go out to my car and just sit and stare out the window until enough time went by for me to take the Adderall. As soon as the Adderall kicked in I was fine and able to function again. I struggled with this for about 4 more days, I wanted to see if things would get better but they didn’t.
I am now back on the Adderall 30mg 3x per day and I feel back to my normal self. I also want to note that there are plenty of days I only take 2 doses of the Adderall. I often go hours in the morning before I take the first dose and depending upon what I am doing I may not take a second dose for another 6-8 hours. I am mentioning this because I am very aware that both of these drugs can be very addictive. In re-reading my experience with Vyvanse I can see how someone may think I am a drug addict. It is important that my feedback on this very new drug is taken seriously. I have maintained a solid level of functioning for over 3 years without a change in strength or dose of Adderall. I do believe that it was withdrawl I felt with the Vyvanse, it was similar to what I felt on the Adderall XR years ago, only worse. Everything I read says that the instant release drugs are supposed to be more addictive and cause more withdrawl. So why is it the exact opposite for me?
September 30th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
From my experience medication creates a lot of problems, but for someone who has assimilated to taking medication, it is nearly impossible to get back to normal. Bi Polar and Add medication make you susceptable to internet mesmerization and brainwash, and can leave you a vagrant internet surfer for hours. It also gives you stomache problems, plus the dangers of an increased heart rate. Seroquel causes subjects to feel lathargic, especially in the morning, and acts as a hindrance to individual passions.
October 1st, 2007 at 9:26 am
You can pretty much toss anything the FDA out the window. They are nothing more than a self serving agency that has little to do with addressing mental health concerns.
There have been plenty of scripts for this medication in other countries and to the reader concerned about the DEA smashing through the door if they were to take more than 70 mg — that is not true. It is up to you and your doctor to determine what is right for you. No two snowflakes are the same neither are mental afflictions.
Me, I avoid lables but yeah I am on it for adult ADD or whatever you want to call it. The real thing it helps with is concentration, it has given me the concentration needed to face my current divorce, financial issues and most importantly focus at work. My job is all concentration (engineering), without concentration I can’t do crap. Been on it for a month or so, we shall see where it leads. But so far it has been very transparent and tolerable. In my current situation it has probably saved my job. Ironically my ins company wants to switch me to Adderal first and then have that fail (whatever that means) before paying for vyvanse, how stupid is that. Adderall, been there done that… mighyt as well move me to uncut cocain.
Sorry if I sound rather pugnatious, barriers of any kind to mental health really piss me off. But vyvanse has my vote, have to see how it does in the long run.
-wl
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:52 pm
I anticipated problems for my 5 yr old son when he started Kindergarten and luckily he was placed with a teacher I had known for years so I felt I could be totally honest and open with her as her with me. I was totally against any kind of meds for a child that young and I contributed most of his behavior to being an only child and having a very creative/active personality. However, while he did stay on grade level, he did poorly in school. His father and I both work 9-5 stressful jobs and didn’t volunteer much at school. I tried every alternative to counteract his behavior from removal of sugars, artificial colors and preservatives to researching and trying some “all natural” remedies. At first there showed some signs of improvement but those were short lived. We managed to struggle thru 7 months of his kindergarten year before his teacher finally told me that he was facing suspension because of his behavior. She further said the suspension wasn’t for him; it was for them to get a rest from him. They couldn’t get thru the day with his constant talking and outbursts and he didn’t really listen to anyone telling him to be quite and still. Let me say that he doesn’t hit/fight and is very conscious of others and their feelings, he just can’t seem to control his outburst and talking. I also see signs of OCD with him as he is very structured and has to have familiar routines during the day, everyday.
My ped Dr. convinced me that by not allowing him medication was actually hurting him and was not allowing him to learn to his potential. Also let me say that my Dr. does not promote ADHD drugs and only agreed to this after he knew how many other alternatives we had tried. We started out with Daytrana and after a couple of weeks we noticed a difference. As for school, the year was almost over so we couldn’t get a good judge on how things were progressing. His mood swings were HORRIBLE! He has always been a happy loving child but when we would take the patch off he was almost unbearable after an hour of so and it would last for several hours. He also didn’t eat much with it. After a couple of months of being on the lowest dose we decided to up it. But we couldn’t get a control on the skin rash. While I loved the Daytrana it was breaking him out way too bad.
We started on the Vyvanse the first day school started - 1st grade. He is with a teacher I do not know well and so far I can’t get a feel for. After a couple of weeks of me pressuring her to give me daily reports of his behavior she finally told me he was not on grade level and she could not see him ever getting there with his behavior. So after 1 month we upped his dosage to 50mg. He does have better days now but I have noticed he blinks his eyes allot and rubs them. He has been on the 50 mg for 2 1/2 weeks now and the eye rubbing and blinking seems to be getting worse. He also hardly eats anything during the day but seems to get hungry around bed time. He does sleep all night but sometimes has trouble falling asleep. At home on the weekends he is very quite and we can only determine that he still has trouble at school because of all the added distraction with the other kids. Because at home he’s a perfect angel while he’s on the Vyvanse.
After not being a fan of ADHD meds, I can certainly see how they help. I do think Vyvanse is doing great and overall I like the effects. He does not have the mood swings at all. And he is eating, even though it’s typically late. I think the medication wears off around the 10-12 hour mark also.
The teacher says most of his behavior issues are in the morning and it’s usually around 10-10:30 before he settles down. I give him his Vyvanse at 7:30 but I do give him a multi-vitamin in the morning so I am wondering if it is causing the problem. I will start giving it to him at night and see if that helps. He has always suffered from chronic constipation and now that his eating has slowed we do have to keep him on Mirlax to keep him regular. But he’s been on/off Mirlax since he was an infant. So that does help.
My only concern is the new eye blinking/rubbing thing. Could it be a “tick� I have left a message with my Dr. to discuss. I am just wondering if we can back him off the 50 mg back down to the 30mg and not give him the multi-vitamin to see if that does anything.
Sorry this blog is so long but I feel there is a need to try and explain my story so that others can relate. My baby is only 6 years old and trying him on medication has been hard. But I do feel Vyvanse has been a help. I just worry about the long term effects.
October 6th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Helllo, ALL OF YOU PARENTS, PLEASE DONT COMPARE RESULTS OF ADD MEDICATION WITH ADULTS ON ADD MEDS. THE BRAIN IS A LOT DIFFERENT, AND THESE DRUGS WORK DIFFERENTLY ON A 8 YEAR OLD COMPARED TO A 28-35 YEAR OLD.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Hi,
I have recently been diagnosed with ADD as an adult. My Dr. prescribed Vyvanse. 30mg for 2 weeks then 50mg for 2 weeks. 1st dose at 30mg made my stomach queasy. I remember thinking “how can kids tolerate this”. My 2nd dose I took it with food which was much better on my stomach. The 30mg did nothing for me as far as work and home was concerned. I emailed my Dr. and he had me start on the 5omg. Again not working for home or work. I would find myself staring at my sheets at work wondering what to do with them. My Dr. then gave a prescription for Vyvanse 70mg. I happened to go on vacation when I started the 70mg. I would moments of “wow I’m impressed” and moments of “this is not working”. I would however get days the I would “tweak” meaning that I would spend the whole day with tics, such as the need to contract my throat and neck muscles. I have never done this before. Needless to say the following day I would have a sore throat (my entire neck). My other tic was when I exhaled I would fell the need to contract my abdomen to expel my breath. I also found myself going round in circles (literally circling the living room) because I needed to do something but could not remember what it was. At work, I did not feel “productive”, it seems like I was getting less work done than before. The one positive experience that I had with the Vyvanse, is that I was actually able to sit and watch an entire movie, I was mentally there with the movie. I have never been able to do this. I am no longer on Vyanse.
Liz
October 9th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
I am a Male 34 years old and began taking Ritalin in college, high doses, sometimes 40 mg daily.
After school, I only wanted to take it as needed on days I want to be productive, and not on days I want to play. That is why i’ve stayed on Ritalin….I can take it for a couple days and then be off it for weeks or weekends.
I love how this Vyvanse has worked, I just took it and wow. But, does anyone here take it only on a sometimes basis? I don’t want to take it every day
Also, I deal with high blood pressure which I definately contribute to my years on ritalin. I control it with medicine but am always nervous about still taking these drugs with my elevated pressure. That is another reason I only like to take them everynow and then…..I can get my work done…..but give my body a break in spurts…..does anyone else do this??? or how do you cope with the blood pressure deal??
Any input is appreciated…..Thanks…
October 10th, 2007 at 3:47 am
I am so lost when it comes to this medicine! My 7 yr old is on 30mg. He is 87 lbs. Started it almost 2 weeks ago. The first few days were great but now by 6 pm he has trouble concentrating and starts doing weird things with his mouth (I looked it up, its tourettes, caused by ADD) Better word would be “tics”. So I dont know if the meds are too high of a dosage or too low?? He used to have the uncontrollable eye blinking but now its the mouth thing! It worries me b/c he never did that before and only does it when he is overwhelmed with homework questions. He is doing a lot better but I dont understand whats going on during homework time. Could it be that his mind is racing too much and he just get overwhelmed or the meds are wearing off?
October 11th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Thank you for this site, Dr. Kenny! After a lifetime of suffering from undiagnosed ADHD (I was misdiagnosed as bipolar and depressive for years and the medication did awful things to me) I was FINALLY able to get to see some quality doctors who put me through 8 weeks of testing…I finally received a correct diagnosis. (ADHD innatentive type as well as anxiety disorder.)
I started on Adderall XR which showed an immediate improvement. However, the problem I’m having is that the medication, although an XR form, only last 3 to 4 hours on me before ‘dropping off’ noticeably and plunging me into anxiety/confusion/stress/lack of focus. I have done some research and found that people often take the XR version twice or even 3 times a day. (I have been told in the past that I matabolize medications quickly.)
I don’t know if Vyvanse would be better at lasting longer, but in your experience with XR ADD drugs in general, have you seen an improvement in patients who take them more than once a day? I can’t get in to see my doctor for another 10 days and am at a sort of crisis point. I’d appreciate any information from the doc or the people who post here about similar experiences. (I’ve even read several accounts of people whose anxiety disorders were controlled through an increase in the number of XR doses per day.) Thank you so much for any help or advice/info!
October 15th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
I don’t know where to begin I have 2 kids on Vyvanse. My son who is now 13 has been on ADHD medication since he was 6. We started on Ritlin (didn’t work) then Concerta (work for a couple of years, but he started have crazy thoughts, and they keep telling me this drug did not do that. So, I took him off over that summer and it all went away) Next was Adderall ( he was on this for quit some time he did well, but he hardly ate, stomach hurt the usual). I took him off of medications last year he gain some weight and was doing better in school and then this year we were back to everything going crazy. So, we started on Strattera ( this was the worst ever, stomach pains, not eating, attitude getting worse, the teacher were calling everyday he could do nothing right, fighting with his little brother and me) So we went back to the Doctor, I was about to go crazy! And he started him on “Vyvance” let me tell you it is the best thing that has happen since he has taken medication for ADHD. The first day we had teachers calling asking if this was the same child in there class for the last 6 weeks, he was sitting, getting all his class work done, not disturbing the class, NO stomach problems, he is eating, and after all these years he ask to take his medication in the mornings, and our home life is back to normal no fighting, even getting HOMEWORK done! WOW! I was one not wanting my children on mediction, but it helps there life and so many ways I can’ fight that. My daughter who is 15 just started on Vyvanse too. She does not have ADHD but just started High School and was having trouble staying focus and on task. So, our Doctor said we could see if it helps her and if not just take her off the medication. She has seen a hugh difference, she can read and not have to go back because she forgot what she had read her grades have went from “C” to A and B’s, and she keeps her room so organized it hard for me to believe that this is my daughter. Vyvanse has been a wish come true in our home that I can’t even understand it myself. I hope this information helps because having a child with ADHD can be SOOO overwhelming for parents to understand what there children are going thru.
October 17th, 2007 at 3:39 am
Chris,
I am a 23 year old college student, and was prescribed Aderall XR, which I took for a year. It seemed to help illiminate ADD symptoms, however, while taking one 25 mil. a day, my blood-pressure sky-rocketed, and was dangerously high. Even when my dosage was lowered to 10 mil, my blood pressure still remained very high. Also, like you, I did not take the Aderall everyday, and simple took it when I felt it was needed.
I have been off the Aderall for a month now, and my blood-pressure is back normal. I was surprised to find that my blood-pressure significantly dropped (to normal levels) about 5 days after getting off the Aderall (when it was completely out of my system). After doing some research, I found that stimulant drugs often affect the blood-pressure of those taking them. My advice is to do away with any stimulant drugs if you’re that concearned with blood-pressure. Using one med to get rid of a side-effect of another med may not be a good idea.
As for me, I have not been on any meds for a month since my blood pressure was so high while on the Aderall, and sine Straterra doesn’t work for me. I am interested in trying Vyvanse becase from what I’ve read, it doesn’t affect your blood-pressure like other stimulant drugs, and works as well as Aderall. However, I am still afraid of taking another stimulant drug because of my blood-pressure, but I have really been struggling with my ADD since I stopped taki