Vyvanse – The New Medicine for ADD/ADHD
ByWhat is Vyvanse?
[Article Updated May 2010]
Vyvanse is a new ADD/ADHD drug manufactured by Shire that was approved by the FDA in February 2007 to treat ADD/ADHD symptoms in children aged 6 through 12. It is a prodrug, which means that it must be orally ingested to activate its main ingredient, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. So the actual medication is inert – i.e. it doesn’t do anything – until an enzyme in the body converts the medicine into the active drug. Because Vyvanse is a stimulant which is not a functioning stimulant (until it is converted by an enzyme in the body), it has a much lower abuse potential than other ADHD stimulant medicines.
When Vyvanse enters the stomach and small bowel, there are enzymes which will break the medicine up. Vyvanse will become: lysine (an amino acid that has no impact on ADHD), as well as dextroamphetamine. Dextroamephetamine is a medical amphetamine (different than the ‘street drugs’) which is very helpful for ADHD. It has been used for treatment of ADHD for decades, and has been available under different names like: Dexedrine and Dextrostat. Once the active medicine is broken from the amino acid lysine, it can now begin to function to help ADHD.
Thus, if someone tries to abuse Vyvanse by snorting it, or even trying to inject it – they will not get a high because it will not be an active medicine until an enzyme in the body works on it and ‘activates’ it.
Although it is generally thought that the medicine is mainly broken down or ‘activated’ in the stomach/small bowel, it may also be ‘activated’ in the blood as well.
In clinical studies, parents reported that their children’s ADD/ADHD symptoms were consistently controlled throughout the day, even through homework time from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. Newer research is showing that Vyvanse can work for 13 hours and maybe even longer. Additionally, children taking Vyvanse in the study were able to focus and perform better on tests; in a timed math test, a group taking Vyvanse attempted 51% more math problems than the group given placebo, and provided correct answers 54% more often than the placebo group.
An overall improvement was recorded in 95% of children that took Vyvanse for 12 months.
What are the characteristics of Vyvanse?
Vyvanse is in the same medication family as Adderall; its active ingredient is lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. It provides consistent ADD/ADHD symptom control for 13 hours. Vyvanse is a capsule that can be swallowed whole or the capsule can be opened and mixed with water (for kids who can’t swallow).
Vyvanse is taken once daily and is available in six dosage strengths (when it was first launched in the US, it was only available in three strengths, but there are more options now):
- 20 mg
- 30 mg
- 40 mg
- 50 mg
- 60 mg
- 70 mg
These different strengths give you and your doctor some flexibility in determining which dosage is right for you, your teen or your child. The recommended starting dose for Vyvanse is 30 mg once per day taken orally in the morning. The dosage may then be increased by up to 20 mg per day at weekly intervals, up to a maximum of 70 mg per day.
Who is Vyvanse approved for?
Currently, Vyvanse is approved for children aged 6 to 12 years, as well as adults aged 18-65 years old.
While there is not yet official approval for Vyvanse in Adolescent ADHD, many doctors are using this medicine for teens, and presumably the official indication will be coming soon.
What are the side effects of Vyvanse?
Vyvanse was very well tolerated in clinical studies with children. The most common side effects were decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, irritability, and stomachache. Generally, the side effects were described as mild to moderate; occurrence and severity of side effects decreased over time. As with any prescription medication, it is important to remember that your doctor has prescribed it because he/she feels that the benefits will outweigh the possibility of side effects.
How much does Vyvanse cost?
Vyvanse will cost the same as Shire’s other popular ADD/ADHD drug, Adderall XR: around $3.40 a day. The cost may even be less than Adderall XR because it is estimated that patients who switch from Adderall XR to Vyvanse might need fewer doses.
Ritalin remains the cheapest ADD/ADHD drug; Vyvanse costs considerably more than Ritalin and Ritalin SR. The cost is comparable to the 36mg and 54 mg doses of Concerta, which is around $140 per month.
When can Vyvanse be used?
Vyvanse should be taken once daily in the morning. It provides consistent ADHD symptom control throughout the day for up to 13 hours. In clinical studies, parents reported that their children’s ADD/ADHD symptoms were controlled at approximately 10 A.M., 2 P.M., and 6 P.M., and demonstrated consistent symptom control throughout the day.
Vyvanse is a once-a-day capsule that should be taken in the morning, either with or without food as prescribed by your child’s doctor. If your child is unable or unwilling to swallow pills, Vyvanse capsules may be opened and the entire contents of the pill can be dissolved in water. The entire portion must be finished and should not be stored for later use.
New research is demonstrating that Vyvanse’s absorption and effectiveness is completely unaffected by stomach factors. So – whether Vyvanse is taken with or without food, whether someone is taking antacid medicines, or has a GI disorder (like Celiac’s for example) – it will NOT have an impact on the effectiveness and delivery of vyvanse in the body. This is different than the other medicines for ADHD – like Adderall XR and Concerta, for example.
Can Vyvanse be abused?
The abuse potential of Vyvanse is extremely low; the medication is designed to have a reduced or minimal abuse potential. Since Vyvanse requires oral ingestion to be converted to the active drug, the capsule contents are highly unlikely to be sought out for inhalation or injection.
How does Vyvanse compare to Ritalin, Ritalin SR, and Concerta?
Vyvanse is a new class of ADD/ADHD medication. It is the only medicine which is a pro-drug for ADHD.
Unlike Ritalin, Vyvanse is not an immediate release stimulant. Vyvanse has much lower abuse and addiction potential. Ritalin SR and Concerta are long-acting formulations like Vyvanse, but Vyvanse has been shown to provide more consistent symptom control over a longer period of time than Ritalin SR and Concerta.
Ritalin, or methylphenidate, must be taken two or three times a day for symptom control, whereas Vyvanse is only taken once. The effectiveness of Ritalin is often inconsistent. It is inexpensive, but abuse and addiction potential is much higher with Ritalin than with Vyvanse.
Ritalin SR is a long-acting formulation of methylphenidate with inconsistent performance reviews. It doesn’t work for everyone and usually lasts up to 6 hours. However, like short acting Ritalin, Ritalin SR is inexpensive.
Of the three, Concerta is the most comparable ADD/ADHD medication to Vyvanse. They both control symptoms for up to 12 hours and are generally well-tolerated. Concerta is not a prodrug, so the abuse potential is theoretically higher than it is for Vyvanse.
Where is Vyvanse Available?
At the time of this article update (May 2010), Vyvanse is only available in the USA and Canada. It is not yet available in other parts of the world. Please check back, as I will update this article when Vyvanse will be available in other countries such as: the UK, Australia, Europe, etc.
New Data On Duration of Action of Vyvanse in Adults with ADD/ADHD:
New research has shown that Vyvanse works in adults with ADD/ADHD for up to 14 hours. This is a real benefit for Vyvanse, as adults have many responsibilities throughout the day and into the evening. This suggests that many people can avoid taking a short acting stimulant in the early evening (i.e. Taking Adderall XR in the morning, and short acting Adderall in the late afternoon to make the medicine last), by just taking Vyvanse which will last long enough to cover the symptoms throughout the day and the early evening.
The Bottom Line About Vyvanse
Treatment and management of ADD/ADHD requires many components; this article focuses only medication. Vyvanse is a breakthrough ADD/ADHD drug and many doctors and parents will seriously consider switching from their current ADD/ADHD medication for the benefits Vyvanse offers: low abuse and addiction potential, one daily dose, and symptom control for up to 13 hours. For more information on the other treatments of ADD/ADHD: 1) sign up for my ADD/ADHD newsletter at www.TheADHDDoctor.com, and 2) peruse this blog for more articles about ADD/ADHD.
vyvanse
The doctor gave me ritalin long time after suffering from back pain, I did not take importance to I found chronic fibromyalgia, and after evaluating and conduct a comprehensive this icon in order to feel pain, until no stamina, after many doctor visits and many tests review told me that the most appropriate to ease the pain were ritalin, vicodin or oxycodone, but I asked my doctor to prescribe me the most effective and less addictive and prescribed ritalin, have already taken this medication 2 years and though it causes some kind of anxiety I control myself properly, I have no problems so addictive, I think if they know their anxiety is effective restraint, this is good because these narcotics findrxonline indicate that opioids can be very dangerous.
Hi my son is 9 yrs old and has been on Vyvanse since Oct of 08… Totally done a turnaround in his schoolwork, being able to focus in school and behave…. I do not give him his medicine on the weekends…. The problem I am having is he does not want to eat,,, he is a picky eater anyways but this medicine is not making it any easier….. His current weight is 61.4 lbs,,, and he is 4′ 6 inches tall…. I take him to the store with me, tell him pick out anything you like and he just tells me all the time I am not hungry….On the weekends when he doesnt have his medicine he pigs out and eats anything in sight, but once Monday rolls around we’re back to the same not being hungry again for the week…. any suggestions????
My 11 year old son was taking strattera 40mg per day at morning and lunch with very limited improvement over the last 2 years. We have now added 30mg of Vyvanse to the mix. He is having all the typical side effects: insomnia, nightmares, irritability later at night.
What is the impact of mixing these 2 drugs?
I am 46 years old and for the first time in my file i am taking medication for add. I was told that taking medication could be like using eye glasses for the first time and to be able to see clearly. It has been one week since i started taking adderyl and i can se about a 20% improvement in my concentration. I am only taking 5 mg twice a day because i do not like taking medication. I do not even take aspirin when i have a headache. I will start taking 10mg twice a day and then on Tuesday March 3rd i will take vyvanse 20mg. I prefer to take small doses first. The first two days taking adderal i was not be able to stop doing things around the house and was 50% more productive at work but the 4th and 5th day I was extremely tired after work and my heart rate increased by 20%.I will take tomorrow 10mg in the morning and 5mg. at night and March 1st i will take for the first time the maximun doses recommended by my doctor of 10mg. twice a day. I will continue posting to share with others how this medicine is working.
Hi,
My 7yr old son was on ritalin for the past 4yrs (started at a low dosage, but worked up to 55mg total in a day, 15 at 7:30am, 15 at 10:30am , 15 at 1:30pm and 10 at 4:30pm), but as of today (march 3 2010) he has started on Vyvanse …. They have started him off at 30mg ….
I have been hearing good things about this med, I am just curiouse, has anyone else had there child on ritalin, and then switched to Vyvance, if so, how was the change over?
I am very nervouse that things are going to be rough for a bit till we have the right dosage of meds in him, and to be honest I don’t know how much rough it can get, he has been rough to handle for a few weeks now, and that is the reason for the change over, as the dr felt the ritalin was effective to him, and also it will be alot easier because now I don’t have to worry about the school missing a dosage ….
Thanks in advance for any and all advice ….
Is it bad to consume vyvanse if you have high anxiety??
I am a 190 lb – 40 year old male and started taking 20 mg Vyvanse 2 weeks ago. The effects have been VERY positive for concentration and energy (I used to be often tired during the day). BUT…I have had some short periods of chest pain half of the days on this medication. Today I had heart flutters (palpitations?) and it worried me. I will go to see Doc. about this. I am SO discouraged. After 40 years of “living in a cloud” I finally find something to help me concentrate etc. and now my heart doesn’t react well to it….AHH!!! I will try other medications, but judging by the comments I have read, I guess I should not get my hopes up.
I take Vyvanse with strattera and I love it. I wonder how well i could have done in school and work if i took these at an earlier time. I’m more focused and plus ive lost 43 lbs snce i started taking it! College is a breeze for me because of these medications! Seriously.
I have been suffering from anxiety and sometimes sad feels of hopelessness and insecurity. I have tried every medication and have gone through a cycle of counselors. Then I had Dr. Amen’s nuclear brain scan done and found that the part of my brain the indicates anxiety was not really over active – and I was anxious when I took the test. They put me on a cocktail of medication and the testing psychiatrist said, add a stimulant when the anxiety is under control.
When I return they was not much faith put into these test. However, now I noticed that when I take my ADD med (Adderall IR) I am a different person…outgoing, happy, more extroverted, confident, way less overwhelmed with more empathy. No anxiety. However, I am back in school and don’t have insurance so I am financially forced to take the IR. I crash on this. So I experimented and found that if I take my IR and and take one of my son’s ER I don’t get that crash between does. Do you think this new Vynanse would provide the same or better stability. I can’t believe what a difference this has made. I think we may have been treating the wrong symptoms or at least labeling me to quickly as with an anxiety disorder. I never met the requirement for depressive disorder.
Dr. Handelman
My 13 year old son has severe ADD and absence epilepsy (what a combination!). He is on Lamictal for the epilepsy and had been on Concerta for the ADD, with success. But the Concerta began to stop helping last fall and when the dr. added ritalin he crashed – severe anger. He has not been on anything for the ADD since December and has begun to seem like he is in a compllete fog, and acting very immature. I am hoping his psychiatrist will let him try Vyvanse.
Dr. Handelman – is it safe to take Vyvanse if you have absence epilepsy (well controlled with Lamictal)?
Also – another question for the Dr. – as so often happens, I have suspected for a long time that I have ADD too. But I have high blood pressure, which is well controlled with Ziac. I am under the impression that I cannot take any of the stimulants because of the HPB. Is this correct? I am afraid of non-stimulants like Strattera because my son had grand mal seizures after he took Strattera for 2 weeks, that is how the absence epilepsy was diagnosed. It took a long time for the psychiatrist to talk me into letting him try the Concerta, but by then he was on the Lamictal and doing well with the seizures. The Concerta really helped for about 2 years, I hope to find something else that he can take without the anger problems and I really think I would be a better parent if I could get help with the ADD too.
This blog seems to have a lot of people that have ADD, inattentive, not hyperactive. That is so helpful. So often all I find is ADHD, no ADD, with not much that pertains to inattentiveness. My son is never hyper, never has been, and I am having trouble finding information to help him, just keep finding info about ADHD with hyperactivity. Does anyone our there (or Dr. Handelman) have any guidance about how to get better info about ADD with hyperactivity? I’ll stop – sorry so long!
This seems to be a good, helpful, up to date blog. Thank you.
Melissa,
I’m not sure about any research for Vyvanse and epilepsy. If the epilepsy is well controlled, then ask the doctor about trying Vyvanse – will likely be OK.
Regarding high blood pressure – if it is well controlled, then again – you could likely take an ADHD medicine, and just monitor the BP.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
I have a physical on Monday and I took my last 30 mg vyvanse at 7 a.m. Friday. Should I be worried? I have a urine and Blood test? I would like to keep this type of medication private. I need a medical experts advise or someone who has had experience with this. Thank you.
It’s very unlikely that your physical would reveal your taking Vyvanse.
Dr. Kenny
My son (5 yrs old) just began taking Vyvanse two days ago. He has begun crying about everything, he’s having trouble sleeping at night, he complains of a stomache ache and will not eat. I am also concerned about some comments he’s been making about harming himself. Is this just normal or should I be worried? He was just diagnosed ADHD a few weeks ago so this is all new to me. He does appear to be less hyper and more able to concentrate on work. I don’t know what to do.
I can’t find a place to ask a question so I’ll just comment here. My daughter had a ferritin blood level checked by a sleep apnea doctor. Hers was very low. The sleep apnea doctor told us to follow up with her pediatrician. After 2 months on iron therapy I requested our pediatrician order a new test as prescribed by the apnea doctor. Her ferritin increased to normal levels. Her pediatrician said just quit taking the ferritin and did not know anything about Ferritin being linked to ADHD. All I could find was an older study with a small sample group showing that kids with ADHD consistently had lower levels of ferritin than non ADHD kids. It also showed that iron therapy increased ferritin to normal levels. Futher research found that ferritin is important in brain developement (too bad my dd is already 12) and that Ferritin aids in shuttling dopamine to the brain. ADHD kids have less dopamine and I believe that ADHD meds help to increase dopamine. So now we are more than a year out… I don’t know what her Ferritin levels are currently. I can’t say it changed her life because she is also on meds. But it does appear that we had the easiest time with meds this year and she was less moody when meds wore off..less rebound…less medicine. I thought it could be because she is maturing.
Recently her meds are not enough and things are starting to unravel. I thought oh no time to find new meds. But now I am thinking of asking her Pediatrician to check her Ferritin again. It is low and things are unraveling..I think that is meaningful.
Dr. Kenny can you please tell me what you know about Ferritin. I can’t seem to find any discussion of it on you site.
Kelli, Excellent summary on Ferritin. I agree that it makes sense to get your daughter retested.
I don’t know of any specific studies linking ADHD and ferritin.
I have had many patients with low ferritin get iron supplements and it seems to improve their functioning – though it’s been hard to say for sure.
Please up date us as to what happens.
Kaye, answer to your question you have to give this medication every day is’s not a good idea to let the medication getting in the system and then stop and start, it needs to be an every day thing not just on school days.
Thanks
Dear Dr. Handelman,
We are having problems and need your help.
This is in regards to post #220. My son started Vyvanse 20mg q AM on April 2nd. Even at that low dose it is helping. His tutors noticed improvement even though they had not been told that he had started the med. At home I have noticed that we are able to have a focused conversation and he is not picking up and touching everything around him constantly (nice!). My son says it helps him in school and he really likes that. He loves that he is able to get his school work done in minutes instead of hours and has time to go ride his bicycle and relax. I was hoping that he could focus enough to start being able to pick up better on social cues at school and have less problems with being bullied.
However – big problem – on April 12th he started having the anger problem again. It’s like he is a different person. You say something to him that normally wouldn’t cause a problem, or ask him to something that is one of his normal chores that he does everyday, and he just “flares” and starts yelling and acting crazy and going over the top. It happens about the same time, 7 or 8 in the evening. It’s clear (even to him at age 13 and with his problems) that it is related to the medication. He has been able to calm himself down, if I stay calm and if I don’t let his stepfather exacerbate the situation. And one of the effects of the medication is that he is able to focus enough to have a discussion about the anger problems. Without the Vyvanse he is in too much of a fog to talk about much.
My question for Dr. Handelman – in your experience, since we are seeing this on day 11 of taking the Vyvanse does this mean that he will not be able to take this med either? Will it be meltdown hell everyday like it had gotten to be with the Concerta? What if we back off and try taking it every other day? We are trying that today.
It is breaking my heart to see that the Vyvanse is helping him with his problems but I may have to completely stop it.
Do you have any feedback or advice for us?
Thank you.
Melissa LI: You’ll have to talk to the doctor about this side effect and monitor it closely. Some people can continue on the vyvanse, and others need to change it. I’d suggest asking the doctor about a possible mood disorder if there are anger side effects to the medicine.
Good luck. Dr. Kenny
I had been taking 10 mg of ritalin 3x’s daily and I experienced the ups and downs. I recently switched to Vyvance (50 mg) and love taking something once a day and not feeling the ebb and flow of ritalin but I dont get the benefit I get from the ritalin at its peak. I’m thinking Adderol or Concerta is the answer?
Well, it’s been over a year since I left a comment here. My son was on Vyvanse since February 2009 and has done really well, except for sleep. Now our insurance won’t pay for it unless it is a medical necessity, (or he can’t do without it). When I took him to the Dr. a couple of months ago, the thing I disliked about it was that it took 2 hours for it to work and he was missing a lot of his first hour of class. So the Dr. added 5 mg of adderall and it worked perfectly. Now we are trying just plain adderall, 20 mg and it seems to be working okay. He says it is not as good as the vyvanse but if the insurance won’t pay for it because it is not on their list of “formulatory” drugs, then what do you do. He seems to be getting along okay and he is sleeping a whole lot better. He says it seems to stay around until 2 pm which is almost when school gets out, so I guess we’ll try it. For him, going from an “F” student to an Honor student in a year has been a very welcome thing and helps his self-esteem. As for the Aspergers he has as well, it seems that it is not as bad now as it used to be.
Dr. Kenny Handelman,
I just switched from Concerta to Vyvanse about a week ago and so far the Vyvanse has been positively ‘life changing’ for me! The Concerta gave me constant side-effects like twitching, fast-talking, restlessness, irritability, etc. The Vyvance seems to be side-effect free so far and it has allowed me to face daily tasks in a calm, rational manor. I no longer feel guilty about decisions that I make and my irritability seems to have completely vanished! Does this sort of drastic change sound normal for 1 week of 70 mg of Vyvanse? Is the chemical make-up of Vyvanse so different from Concerta that a person could completely thrive on one and crash on the other? Not that I’m complaining! I’m finally enjoying my life for the first time in many many years!!!! I’m just a bit confused as to why one stimulant would work and another would not….
Thanks!
Nicole (28-years-old)
Nicole – concerta is methylphenidate, and vyvanse has dextroamphetamine in it. These are related, but can work quite differently for people. I’m glad that vyvanse is working so well for you.
My son takes RISATARUN for ADHD,20ml/day for 2 months,I bought this from Wien,it is made in Germany,I live in Romania where you can’t find RISATARUN.Anyway this medicine which he takes since 22.04.2010,it seems to be good.Is this new medicine better than Risatarun and why.When it will be available in Europe.
Tufis, I don’t know Risatarun. I can say that Vyvanse will likely be in Europe in the next couple of years.
I have a 16 yr old who was diagnosed with ADHD at 5yrs of age. He has an older sister (and mom) who have adhd as well, so I was familiar with the disorder and treatment options. I really have to argue with the people who have a “medication is the wrong approach” for children. It took me an additional 3 yrs after diagnosis to TRY medication for my daughter as I knew I could be a good-enough mom to help her through it without “drugging” her. By the time I agreed to a “trial” of medication with her pediatrician- because he told me we could stop at any time- she had done poorly in school for years, struggled constantly with focus, remembering, getting distracted, and being told “stop” “don’t” “focus” by teachers and, yes, even us for so long that her self-esteem and will to succeed had all but diminished. Now, I feel like I failed her, all in the name of trying not to “drug” my child. Once we tried the medication, I immediately realized how much I hampered her abilities by being stubborn and although she made huge progress, had already develped a dislike for school. Who wouldn’t. I am not good at sports, don’t like to play many and sure wouldn’t want to spend every day being forced to anyway.
My son benefited from my mistake with his sister. I saw several symptoms in him- more hyperactivity, but decided to try the meds much sooner. Once again, no lifetime committment to continuing. He has flourished. Struggles now and then with classes he calls boring, but has been successful since kindergarten, loves school, has great self esteem and confidence. His experience with school was dramatically different than his sisters’ and though we have had to make adjustments to meds in the past, he has been on same dose for 3 yrs and thriving. It took the doctor telling me that ADHD is a physiological problem caused by issues with the brain neurotransmitters, not a mental illness that couneling alone can “fix”. He suggested behavior modification along with med, which has been a tremendous help,also. But ultimately said that I wouldn’t deny medication for my child if she had other physical conditions, like diabetes. Though untreated ADHD will not kill you, it sure can kill a kids self confidence and esteem.
Teens with adhd DO have a higher rate of drug abuse, alcohol use, vehicle accidents. If you research it though, most of these kids were NOT on their medication, therefore had low impulse control, distractibility, and who knows, maybe some low esteem and lack of self control. My son is much better at thinking ahead when he is on his medication, and I feel much better when he drives, etc. knowing Vyvanse helps him to slow down just long enough to….think.
To the parents considering medication for their child, I know you are willing to try EVERYTHING to help your child, sometimes we can’t fix our brain chemistry with wishes and avoidance of certain foods. Give your child the benefits of several options. If your doctor suggests a trial of medication, think about it. You don’t have to continue if you don’t get the benefit, but their are some children that no matter how much behavior therapy, parenting classes, positive reward systems, time outs, food elimination diets, vitamin supplements, or suport groups you try, will do much better with medication. I am so glad I did. Life with both kids became much more enjoyable for them and me, I wish someone had told me this before I wasted years of my daughters elementary years because I listened to moms at the soccer feild talking about parents who “drug their kids”…..like it’s a bad thing!
Mine is drugged. He is an honor student, creative, happy, a black belt in martial arts, plays sports, teaches little kids about bullying and how to be a good friend, and is a shining light in the lives of everyone he knows. I wish I had been drugged as a kid. Maybe I will make an appt with the doctor. I guess it’s never too late to get the benefit of focus, impulse control, and less distractibility. My husband would love it if I went to the store for a gallon of milk and actually came home with it instead of $100 worth of useless junk and no milk.
I have a question about administering Vyvanse. Our pediatrician and pharmacist both told me it either needs to be swallowed whole (not an option at this time) or dissolved in water, but can’t be mixed with a solid. Dr. Handelman, your article states that it can also be mixed with applesauce or yogurt. Which is right? It would be far easier to mix with a solid, or even dissolve in apple juice. Thanks,
Janet,
Thanks for the heads up. I will edit the article, because it does have to be mixed with a liquid – i.e. water. Regarding mixing it with a solid – this may work for you, but it hasn’t been tested to be reliable.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
Previous post that I had put up around March has disappeared. Anyways, I wanted to update. My 14 year old son has been on Vyvanse for approx. 4 months. It has helped him manage his anger meltdowns and ability to focus in school, however, I am now beginning to think that I am going to slowly withdraw him from taking the meds. Why, you ask? When he first began taking the meds, my son was a healthy, 151 pound robust, athletic, muscular teenager. FIrst complaints started with a massive headache, cramping stomachache as well as sleeplessness, not to forget to mention the suppressed appetite. Well into month 4 of being on Vyvanse, he is now 119 pounds, skinny, and increasingly more unhappy about his appearance. I am VERY concerned about his weight loss. He has also said that he has been experiencing what he describes as painful prickles in his heart area. They come and go, for no particular reason. Currently, he was taking 60 mg but for the past couple of days I have decreased it to 30 mg. His pediatrician has told me that the weight loss is how he knows he has the right dosage of the prescription and that the weight loss should be for a couple of weeks. He didn’t respond to the chest pain and prickles. I think I am going to keep him at 30 mg as well as his B100 vitamins (which help moods, ability to focus) and his lethicin (works to improve brain function). At least with the lesser dosage, and the vitamins in his diet to help him along the way, he might be able to improve weight wise and even sleep at night. I am now feeling that not enough is known about the negative side effects for my son to be on the medication, and I don’t want my son to be one of the medical guinea pigs.
My 10 yr old has been on Vyvanse for just over a week now and I find it wonderful so far. He is happy most of the time and has had all good days at school. He does tend to talk WAY MORE when on the medication tho.
Im at home awaiting my prescription at the pharmacy. My stomach is in knots. See, I listened to the anti-med side of the debate when I was about 12. Seventeen years later I find myself unable to complete anything, struggling through college and otherwise a stranger to the idea of focus. I really hope this works. I did the Ritalin thing, we all know how ritalin in the early 90′s worked out. I really DO need this medication. Something to help. My ADD has landed me in a dark place in life. A lot of people try to sound informed when they say that medication doesn’t help anyone. I thought I could “beat” ADD. Truth is, some of us need the medication. It’s not this romanticized crap you hear about doctors filling us with drugs to line their pockets. It happens, but if you believe that the medical world is out to sedate you with drugs and drain you’r wallet…you watch too much T.V.
My son just got diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. Our pediatrician recommend Vyvanse. How will this medicine effect my sons personality? I understand the benefits of the Vyvanse but I am frightened to lose my charismatic, loving son.
Jose,
I don’t believe that vyvanse is good for kids with Dyslexia or ADHD. It made my dyslexia get way worse and my adhd wasn’t helped. As said above the vyvanse doesn’t break down until it hits the food enzymes. Most people with ADHD do not have good eating habits because of the amphetamine’s making food taste bland. I also would not suggest a time release for the same reason.
Effexor also made the dyslexia worse for me.
Dextroamphetamine is the best. If you can get it. Here in Austin it is near impossible to get because it is so expensive for the pharmacy to stock. People’s pharmacy even tried ordering it from the distributor and they had a month back log of orders before mine script could be filled.
I switched to Adderall 30mg 2x a day.. 3x if I had long work days. It has helped to control the adhd almost as well as Dextro.
I’m currently looking into colored lenses for the dyslexia. Colors of light reflected from the words seem to make a difference in being able to place the letters and words back down on the page so I’m not distracted or bored while trying so hard to read. I have found that if I put a pc of paper above and below the paragraph I’m reading that it is much easier to stay focused and to retain what I read.
Dr. Kenny Handelman,
I posted a comment and question on this blog on 04/27. At the time I had been taken off Concerta and had been taking 70mg of Vyvanse for 4 days. I was feeling AWESOME and asked you why one stimulant would work and another wouldn’t. However, now that I’ve been on the Vyvanse for 3 weeks, I feel somewhat underwhelmed by it! I chalked that up to the novelty of it wearing off. It’s not that I’m totally let down by it, I just don’t have the zest for things like I did in the first week! Since I’m on the highest dose, and Vyvanse has been much better for me than Concerta was, I don’t have any plans to switch to something else. I’m just irritated that several times in my life, I’ve started a new medication, and have had a few days or weeks of pure happiness, only to have it ripped away from me unexpectedly! Every time that happens, it’s really hard to accept, because you know what you’re missing, but feel powerless to help yourself get it back!!! My Psychiatrist is GREAT! I told him that I follow this blog and get information from you and others about ADHD and medication options. He said that he thinks it’s wonderful that I’m tying to learn everything I can about ADHD, and he even bookmarked your blog in his iPhone, so he could look into it and tell his other ADHD patients about it! He said that one of the great things about ADHD people is they’re always thinking and trying to solve things, so they will often come into his office as patients and be very insightful about the disease and helpful in their own treatment! He also said that the best people to help sort out ADHD are other people with ADHD. So, you and this blog have been very helpful to me in this journey! With that being said, I do have a few questions about my recent experiences with Vyvanse, that I hope you can give me some feedback on! Having several opinions has been incredibly useful in helping me put pieces of the puzzle together in my head!
1.) Do you think it’s possible for a medication like Vyvanse to stop working altogether, like some antidepressants do?
2.) I’m 7 weeks post-op from a anterior/posterior spinal fusion, so I’m currently on a lot of other medication that I take at the same time as Vyvanse. Should Vyvanse be taken alone, or in any special way to increase the potency of it?
3.) I’ve recently switched to a vegetarian diet, so I take a multivitamin that is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of a vegetarian. I also take a super B-12, B-6, and Folate complex, and an Omega 3, to try to make up for any vitamins my body and BRAIN may be needing due to the lack of animal products in my diet. Are there any other vitamins you would recommend that would be ESPECIALLY good for the function of BRAIN CHEMISTRY?
4.) My hope is that someday, with vitamin supplementing and diet, I can stop taking psychiatric medication altogether! I’m 28, and I’ve been taking medication since I was a teenager. I’ve attempted to ‘get off’ medication several times throughout the years, with no success!! My symptoms always came back with a vengeance, which prompted me to RUN back to my Psychiatrist immediately, to be started on medication again! Do you think it’s a realistic goal for a person with ADHD and some anxiety and depression issues to try to use diet and vitamins to eventually live a happy and healthy life, without psychiatric medication?
5.) If you do think it’s possible to regulate brain chemistry without psychiatric medication, can you give me some personal tips and/or links to websites where I can find more information about this?
I REALLY appreciate any information you can give me!!!
THANKS!!!!
Nicole,
Thanks for the compliments – i appreciate them.
Regarding your questions – I don’t feel I can give you a full ‘consultation’ on the blog, but I will share a few thoughts.
1) yes. it is possible. not common, but possible.
2) i don’t think that the order of when you swallow the pill – or with or without the other medicines will matter. That said, i don’t actually know which other medicines you’re taking, so I can’t say for sure. Your doctor can, though.
Regarding alternatives, I recently created a 2 CD product which reviews the research behind the alternatives for ADD/ADHD. That may help to answer some of your other questions. http://www.AlternativesforADHD.com
All the best,
Dr. Kenny
I have noticed with interest the ADHD definition and the medical community response to put these people on these drugs. back in the 70′s we took dexidrene and amphetimes for fun and they were called speed. They were used for short term highs and really allowed you to focus until the drug wore off. Then you crash and you are left irritable,miserable and your energy levels are way down. Over time this is a recipe for disaster as the depression and weird effects of these drugs are always negative. These are terrible drugs to use for this as it works short term but long term physical effects are serious. This will effect appetite, and losing nutrition is the first problem. For developing children lack of sleep and forced performance through stimulants will not last. You are better off having them drink coffee.
I have read all of the above comments, and although I have found them extremely helpful in many other areas, I can not seem to find anyone that has tried Vyvance XR and has felt absolutely nothing as I do. I was just prescribed on 5/17/10 for Vyvance to help with my ADHD in order to complete tasks such as calling the creditor, getting referrals from doctors, budgeting, etc. and most of, to help me get organized while I complete my Master in Literacy program. Also, I should add that I have had ADHD since I was a child, but I went undiagnosed up until 2006. However, I decided not to take pills because I have an extremely addictive personality and found ways for coping with my ADHD such as exercise. Unfortunately, you can not stop anywhere and exercise when you get into spouts of extreme boredom, and pick fights with your partner, so I decided the pills would help even if I take them inconsistently.
- Now, I’m a pretty smart 30 y.o., extremely athletic, and healthy woman (and it’s always a battle to stay that way with ADHD), but I did not have medical insurance for a while, and doctors were giving me the run around during finals when I needed to get my hands on something to help me focus. Although I go through brief periods of self-medicating by using Marijuana (sometimes 2 – 5x a week), which calms me and makes me more logical, it obviously doesn’t help me focus on writing 15 page papers. I “borrowed” some 10mg Aderoll pills from a friend that has ADD, successfully pulled off my final, cared about my work, and thoroughly planned a powerpoint presentation for a professional development using literacy strategies in front of my class. In fact, I got a lot done when I took them. However, I took 20 mg. The most I ever took was 30mg. and that had me wired, open, a great listener, not hungry (but still ate fruit/bananas) very very pleasant to be around, and extremely patient (considering my ADHD, I am extremely patient person).
O.k. Sorry, I’m wayyyy off topic…which brings me now to what I’d like to ask. I have been prescribed the Vyvance for 30 mg. but it has absolutely no affect on me, and in fact, I can sleep just fine on it. I had insomnia issues even before pills, but I nap in the afternoon prior to picking up the kids that I nanny/tutor for (the 8 y.o. boy has ADHD, and severe case of O.D.D.). I tried asking my doctor on the phone if I can just try to take 60 mg. to see, and he never called back, so I tried it today at 9 a.m. Now it’s 12:41 and I’m actually lying in bed, trying to take a nap, very tired, and can probably successful in napping if I was not typing this message now.
So, 30mg does not work, 60mg is not working, thus far, and I want to know if anyone else has experienced this issue? I wanted to take the Aderall XR, but I was afraid after I tried all those Aderall IR’s my friend gave me of it’s side effects. It is extremely addicting, and I’m like superwoman on it! Which I love, but like any drug, when you feel too great on something, and not great off of it, stop taking it or all normalcy and self-esteem will be diminished.
Should I try 90mg tomorrow? I only have a 30 day supply, but I’m testing the waters with it only because I know I won’t use the 30 day supply everyday. I’m just trying to see what’s effective. Does it kick in way later? Am I missing something here? Is there supposed to be absolutely no kick?
Sorry for the length, but obviously this vyvance does not have me focused.
Thank you in Advance.
Ayse
Kenny.. lysine is an amino acid, not a protein. This is a great review.
Phil, you are right. Thanks for the accuracy. I will fix the article.
Dr. Kenny
At what point do you know if you still need to be on medicine for adult ADHD ?
Beck – talk to your doctor about a strategy. The simple thing to do would be to consider a brief trial off of medicine – especially during a quiet time in your life – i.e. no major pressures or challenges.
Darrius – the medicines are just different. There’s no way to say that vyvanse is stronger than concerta or vice versa. It would depend on how they work for you.
I’ve been taking Concerta 36mg for a couple of years, but was recently switched to Vyvanse 30mg due to insurance change and a $75 co-pay for Concerta (vs. $35 for Vyvanse)… It’s been a little over a week now since I started taking it, and I’m feeling extremely fatigued and not focused at all. I also take 60mg of Fluoxetine daily… Could there be a negative interaction between the 2 drugs? Can I stop taking the Vyvanse “cold-turkey”???
Hello -
I have been reading most of these comments tonight, and all the negative responses to medications of this type scare me. I am the mother of a child who was diagnosed as AD/HD at age 6. I first had my son going to regular behavioral therapy to try a non medicinal approach to his symptoms. We have a psychiatric practice in our town that specializes in all areas of behavioral problems found in children. They found that my son had borderline anxiety issues as well as attention problems and worked a plan with me to make changes in the way I raise my child as a way to over come these issues he was having. It wasn’t enough. He was still not concentrating in school or performing remedial tasks in a timely manner at home, as well as not following basic instructions given to him by his teachers and by us, his parents. I made the decision, with hesitation, to medicate. We first tried Adderal, at 3 different dosages, with no luck. He would be ok for the first couple of hours at school, but then the teacher noticed a drop in attention by lunch time, and by the time it was time to do homework, forget it. He was as lost as he was without the help of medication. He was also having a hard time eating and sleeping on Adderal. So the doctor prescribed an anti-depressant, that when taken in its lowest dose, gave him the “negative” side effects of increased appetite and drowsiness. This helped with the negative side effects of the stimulant. After failed success with Adderal, he was put on Vyvanse, and it works great! The only thing I notice now is that his moods are getting more violent, and he cries in the middle of the night in his sleep. I just have to come up with creative ways to channel that emotion into something positive. He is mostly upset when his sister, who is 2 yrs younger, “bothers” him. I notice he likes seclusion. I’m not bothered by this because I was a child who liked to play alone most of the time myself, so I understand. He used to be such a sweet child, and he still is at school, just not at home. He was awarded the Character of the Month award at school last year for compassion because of his efforts towards trying to include all classmates and help others. So it is 50/50 with the Vyvanse. None of the issues we had in 1st grade did I see in 2nd grade, with the exception that towards the end of the school year, he had a little decline in attention, and we had to up his dose to the next dosage level. He is going into 3rd grade now, and I am confident that this medication is going to help him through the year again.
Not every medication is made for every person, or is right at every age. This I am experiencing myself with treating depression. I was diagnosed when I was 16 and the medication I took then worked great, but as an adult, it did not work as well as I had hoped for. This I hear is true with children who have AD/HD. Sometimes a child can outgrow a certain medication when they reach puberty, and again when they reach adulthood. Best advice I can give is to just keep an open dialog with your pediatrician and your child, and keep record of all the side effects or mood changes the child experiences. There has to be something that works for everyone, only trial and error will let you know for sure. Don’t give up!
My 9 yr old son’s second day on Vyvanse 30mg. He was recently on the Daytrana patch and Ritalin LA and he showed no response good or bad on the medications. I hope this will be the last time I have to change my son’s medicaton. So far so good with no side effects, but it’s going to be kind of hard for me to see a difference since he has the non-hyperactive ADD and it’s summertime vacation for the kids. I really hope he doesn’t get all of the mood swings I’ve read from everyone’s comment because I was really happy to read about it being a “pro drug”.
Just over 2 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. I am 35 & have struggled w/it all my life, but have never sought help. My Dr. put me on 30 mg Vyvanse right away. The 1st 3 days were terrible-burning up the back of my neck, a super “high” feeling, etc., etc., etc. That 3rd night I slept 40 minutes all night long, & then spent hours scrubbing my entire house clean. I had lots of energy, a very “serious” outlook, & was very motivated to get stuff done everywhere I went. By the end of the 1st week, I started sleeping better at night, but required way less sleep. Then the 2nd week came- VERY tired, lethargic all day long….NO MOTIVATION to do anything. High feeling all day long. And, get this: STILL super ADD-easily distracted, forgetting things, etc. Consult w/Doc, & he ups my dosage to 40 mg. The side effects yesterday & today have been CRAZY. BAD nausea, spinning head, stiff/sore/burning neck, heaviness in chest. Are my side effects going to get WORSE with a higher dosage? Have I given the meds enough change to WORK, before giving up? I have not refilled my script yet, but do have a call in to my doctor, who I hope calls back by the end of the day, as he leaves on a long vacation tomorrow. I just don’t know what to do. I feel very sick. My body does not feel okay at all, & I can’t function this way. However, I was really excited to finally get some help for my crazy brain!! Ohhh, also, the biggest/worst side effect is my loss of joy. I am a happy, fun, joyful person usually. This drug has made me irritable, intolerant, & just plain ANGRY at the world. For no reason at all. It’s scary. Should I request Strattera, which my doctor had initially offered me? Did I choose the wrong drug? UGH. Any advice is MUCH appreciated!! Thank you!!
May not apply; but I went to a new Doc and now i’m not ADD, i’m Bipolar! Tho I did enjoy the Vyvanse, the Lamictal/Abilify seem to be working nicely. And with no high feeling, just feel alive and getting more done.
But you need serious good insurance for the Abilify!!!!! I HAVE good ins. and the RX for one dose one week, different for the next 3 weeks— was $250 out of my pocket! The full price AT WALMART was $1104 OMG!!!!! It is way too expensive to have a problem!!!
Good luck! I’ve been trying to get the Right help for about 17 years…
Dr. Kenny Handelman,
I am a 32 year old, stay at home mother of a one year boy. I have been so exhausted since my son was born and having a few other hormonal issues. I went to the Dr 2 days ago to talk about my problems and with my blood and other test all coming back showing that I am very health, my Dr (whom I just started going to) suggested Vyvanse. She put me on 50mg daily. Today was my first day taking the medication and it really freaked me out. I had tons of energy (which is great), but I felt weird all day. I have had a hard time focusing on anything (even typing the message has been hard). I realize that this is a drug, but I never expected to feel like I was on drugs all day. I was nervous to drive my son around and kind of felt guilty like I was a bad mother for taking drugs.
So my question is did this Dr give me something that is normally given for reasons like mine, is my dose to high or is this just the first few days effects?? Also if I take this drug for a few months and decide to stop taking it can I do that cold turkey or do I need to wean myself off? If so how?
I am so confused,
Andrea
Andrea – if you have a reaction to your medicine – you should really call your doctor and check with him or her about what to do.
I am 69 years old, have been on ADD med for about 12- 15 years. I was initially on Adderal, then Concerta, was recently switched to Vyvanse. With the short-term memory problems associated with ADD, I would do well in the mornings on Adderall, then forget to take the second dose! Concerta worked well for me, but over time the effectivness would decrease, indicating an increased doseage needed – which I did not want to do. I would instead pick a day I knew focus was not a big issue, skip a dose, and could resume the Concerta again. Knowing my concern about the potential for addiction and reluctance to increase doseage, my doctor suggested that I switch to Vyvanse. I do appreciate increased focus and better memory recall, but would warn that even medication will not help if I am not getting sufficient sleep.
I have found Dr. Amen’s book on Healing ADD to be one of the more helpful resources on better understanding ADD and the impact it has on both work and family issues. I would encourage anyone having difficulties with their medication to not give up. It may take another doctor and/or medications to find the one that works for you, but when you can find the right one, it is well worth it. Even as an oldster, I still want the better quality of life afforded by these medications.
I was diagnosed at the age of 40 and although I was hesitant, I decided to try the meds my doctor was suggesting. I think I started on Aderall, then Stratera and they both made me very very jittery. I don’t remember what the dosage was, but I think it was around 40 or 50 mgs. I weigh only 105 lbs so I think the dosage was too much for me. He switched me to 20 mg of Vyvanse and it did the trick. I still wonder how it all works because, I just feel energetic, yet focused at the same time. I have been in school finishing my degree for the past 3 years and Vyvanse has truly helped me get through some of the tougher classes.. Classes that normally would never hold my attention, so I guess it’s working. I did just increase my dose to 30 mg because I felt as though my body was adjusting to the meds and it wasn’t working as well. I wonder if that is normal. The medical field says that any ADHD medicine should have an opposite affect on someone that truly has ADHD, but I sometimes feel a little more hyper on the meds. Is that normal? I did however notice a big difference in my ability to finish tasks and control urges to speak out of turn so I definitely think it’s working. I guess the bottom line is that every medicine is different and you just have to find the right one.
You know, I read posts on ADD medication all the time, and I’m convienced that what meds you will take depends entirely on you.
I tried 20 mg adderall twice a day, and had bad results, sold sweats, not peeing, irretable, etc…
Vyvanse works wonders for me, I can concentrate but I’m not too charged, it lasts for a long time, and has way fewer side effects, the “coming down” is almost not there.
I’ve only been taking it for a few days, so let’s say if it stays this promissing.
My son was just recently (today) switched to Vyvanse. He has been taking Biphentin for the last year and was diagnosed with ADHD/ODD. I was just wondering if anyone can please help me with whether or not this medication will be helpful to him and will he have any side affects from it!! He starts it tomorrow and I am very reluctant!! I always research new medication before I give them to my children but this is going to start whether I like it or not tomorrow morning!!!
My 11 year old son started taking Vyvanse (30mg) 6 weeks ago (first time on any meds for ADD). It was like a miracle as far as homework and school go. His grades came way up and the teachers are bragging on him instead of calling every other day complaining.
Last week he started having tunnel vision like he is going to pass out and gets lightheaded. I took him to his Dr and they did a chest x-ray(came back normal), blood work(normal) and an EKG. EKG shows that he has an enlarged ventricle on the right side and Dr has referred him to a pediatric cardiologist. Dr said to keep taking the vyvanse until he sees the cardioligist and see what he says. I am scared that the vyvanse has done some sort of damage or something. Can he come off of the meds cold turkey or would he have to come off gradually.
I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD since I was 6. I’ve been on the highest doses of Adderall, short and long release pills. Now I was switched to Vyvanse. I don’t really like it, and my doctor gave me some low dose Adderall pills to combine with the Vyvanse if needed. She says that because I have severe ADHD and I need the highest doses, that this will affect my ability to accept medicine, because I won’t take to medicines like I should since I need the higher than the highest doses in most cases that the FDA does not allow.
This is discouraging to someone who is 23 years old with the world in front of them.
I was diagnosed with ADD at age 27, and was prescribed Adderall for about seven years. It worked great, but after about five or six years, I got to where I was either “on” and working like a machine, or I was laying in bed, depressed and alone, unable to maintain a relationship. In fact, it got to where I had to lay in bed, depressed and sleepy, on the weekends so that I could save up more pills to get me through the week. So, my doctor and I embarked on a two year tour of other ADD drugs – Straterra (did nothing for me, I almost lost my job); Concerta (better, but no where near good enough); and for the last four years, I have been on a combo of Welbutrin (300 mg) and Ritalin (3 x 20 mg). Nothing works as well as Adderall did. I went from being a real stud at work to a guy barely getting by, though I did get my life back. The Welbutrin/Ritalin combo seems to be the next best thing to Adderall, but I am really struggling again. My wife and counselor (who is also ADD) think it is time for a medication change or adjustment, and my work is really starting to suffer. Vyvance sounds great, but it also sounds like it does not have the “kick” that I seem to need to get on task and stay motivated to follow up and finish. Does anyone have any suggestions? Would switching to Vyvance bring me closer to the early success that I had with Adderall, or would it a step down from 60 mg of Ritalin? I almost think I need to try Adderall again.
im taking vyvanse to get through my finals this week, and holy moly i got so high. i took 50 mg at 6pm and its almsot 4am and i can’t sleep. i need to stay focused this week, but i don’t want to end up crashing in a couple days in the middle of my exams. is this possible that i could end up crashing?
My son is 10. He was diagnosed with ADHD at the end of 2nd grade. He’s now in 5th grade. The first medication he was prescribed was Ritalin. He was very mean and violent with it. His doctor then put him on Vyvanse. He did very well on it. School was going great, his grades improved. He was also able to concentrate at home so he could get his homework done and any chores he had. His dose was increased once during that time to 40 mg. He started getting horrible side effects toward the end of the school year last year. His focus started wearing off by about 2:00 in the afternoon. He’d get upset very easily, wouldn’t sleep at night, talked of killing himself, and lost a lot of weight. His doctor didn’t want to change anything at that time because school was almost out. We scheduled another appointment right before this school year. His symptoms had not changed by then. She still didn’t want to change his medicine but referred him to a psychiatrist for a sleeping disorder. I wasn’t pleased with this so we switched pediatricians. His new doctor took him off Vyvanse and put him on strattera. The only thing it helped him with was sleeping. He’s currently taking Concerta, it doesn’t seem to have as many side effects, but his focus is basically gone. We’re basically back to where we started in second grade with him. I don’t know where to conform here. He has an appointment next week.
I’ve been diagnosed with ADD since I was 6 years old. From 6 to 18 years of age, I was doing it the good old natural way rather then taking any sort of medication. I was started about a year and half ago doing medication. Now, medication can only do so much for a person. When you are on medication, you get a different set of tools, and emotions. Doesn’t mean you get a handbook on how to deal with those. So my suggestion to people who are having this type of trouble is to invest in behavioral therapy. If you have had years and years without medication, then you are probably spent those years creating little methods for yourself on how to survive with ADD. You now have medication, and poof, those methods don’t work anymore. Medication gives you the tools to be better, and to do better. Though, you are still in control of those tools, so you just need help in learning how to use them. Nothing is a cure all but it helps. It’s like comparing hearing aids and hearing. Hearing aids don’t give a person back their full hearing, it just helps give back some of it. The rest of that is up to the person.
I just started the Vyvanse this morning, both myself and my son. he is 7, and is starting on 20 mil. he says it already is helping him to concentrate (has been 2 hrs) I started on 50 mils. I can feel my concentration has already improved. wow.lets see how the rest of the day goes. I will post our reactions again this evening or tomorrow morning, for those who are lookonfor more info.
Reading these posts verifies my experience and confirms the position of my doctor. Vyvanse is not exactly honest as regards to the duration of benefit one might expect.
I am an attorney. Work long hours. Must pay close attention to detail. Vyvanse is the best ADHD med I have tried–up to a point. The point is about 8 hours. Thereafter things get ugly. It is as if someone has hit me with a hammer. I am gone–useless.
My doctor moved me up to 100 mg, which gave me about 11 hours. We thought 120 mg. would be ideal. However, since 70 mg dose is the highest offered–for no good reason–higher dosages meant two RXs. My insurance company paid for most of the first but I had to pay the full amount for the second RX each month. Extremely expensive. Also considerable motivation for Shire keeping dosages low. More money in selling two RXs than in selling one.
So, until someone sensible steps in and makes available the dosages needed in the real world, I have returned to a less satisfying alternative and I shall not return to Vyvanse.
Although I know it will not happen, until the dosage issue is addressed, a complete boycott of the medication is just what is needed. Shire is charging a premium price for a medication and we have every right to expect a premium medication–including appropriate dosages.
I have been on Vyvanse for 3 days and have no energy. I have a stomach ache in the evenings and feel like I am angry all the time. I have a job that requires me to be happy and carefree, but with this drug I just want to sleep.
Before the medications I was full throttle all day. I wake up at 5, hit the gym, and then work two jobs. I really thought the Vyvanse would help me to complete the many projects that I get started, but it really has made me just want to stay in bed.