Vyvanse
Vyvanse is a stimulant medication used to treat ADHD symptoms in children, adolescents, and adults Generic Name: lisdexamfetamine
67 Comments & Reviews: Vyvanse
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I am 53 years old and have been taking the medication for around ten years I truly loved it untill last six months. Before this, it assisted me in concentrating and reading; I can genuinely say I was delighted with the medicine. It saved me from being a lump on the log to being extremely productive. I also believe it helped me speak and act much better when I am around my loved ones. During the last year, it seemed as if my Vyvanse was not working. I am on the highest dose now, and it seems to be losing its effect. Ironically, I went to get some more, and they were out of stock. I could not find it anywhere, except 15 miles away so I drove up there and got my generic which is LISDEXAMFETA 70mg which to my surprise I have noticed a great improvement. I don’t know maybe because there was a shortage, they dropped the amount without telling anyone.
My 14 year old son was prescribed this. He took it once and didn’t want to take it again. Monday morning my wife put one in my mouth. Monday I did lot’s at work and had heaps of energy. Monday night my mind was racing with ideas and projects – I hardly slept. Tuesday I was full of energy again. Tuesday night I was getting angry and I struggled sleeping. Wednesday (today)I feel so lethargic. I won’t take it again and I won’t let my son and we have to question what the long term outcome for your body and mind if you take this drug. Eat more fresh fruit, cook dinner at home, play cards and ride a bike to work. Take that drug!!
I am a newly diagnosed ADHD-Inattentive, 55 obese male on two meds to control blood pressure well. I tried Concerta, but it made intestines burn so much I could no longer work sitting down for the discomfort. Bonus, is a psychologist told me that standing can help focus as it forces dopamine to balance, etc.
Then, I tried Biphentin 30mg and 40mg, which made guts burn less. But, I just ended up getting demoted for not completing work fast enough.
Now switched to Vyvanse 30mg for 21-days. It lasts way longer than Biphentin—it lasts about 12 hours—and coincidentally helps my chronic fatigue. I still need to get a higher dose to help me focus. The trouble is it spiked my blood pressure. Fortunately, a one hour walk or a swim actually brought the blood pressure down to safe levels. So, I am trying another 21-days of Vyvanse 30mg with daily exercise to see if I can stay in a healthy blood pressure zone. If I can, then my doctor will up Vyvanse to 40mg. That is incentive enough to change my sedentary lifestyle because I am desperate to find a med that will keep my job. Plus, I might lose weight and exercise reduces dementia risk. I might post another review if I get to a higher dose.
With vyvanse for ADHD I started at 10mg, 20mg then 30mg
With 30mg, I was going through a stressful time and noticed that it contributed to my insomnia, I would go 2days with no sleep and have to force sleep.
Other side effects I experienced were upper stomach pain, chronic constipation, irritability in the beginning and loss of appetite. I also had circulation problems on my one finger. It would just go pale and numb when I was cold even a bit. Sometimes in my gloves. Same one finger left hand.
I would say 30mg was helpful but after I took a break 2weeks, I didn’t feel it’s effects come back strongly. My symptoms were not under control.
Just started taking it I am still undecided
Diagnosed with ADHD at 10 years of age but started taking medication when 23. I’ve been on Vyvanse for about 3 months now (30mg) dose. First week I hardly slept and had anxiety through the roof. I also became agitated way quicker then usual. By week two my body started to get use to the effects and, for me at least, this medication has been life changing. I can focus now! Some personal thoughts/advice: I think Vyvanse will work for you if you’re ALREADY mentally/physically healthy. Pre-Vyvanse I had good Psychological health (aside from the ADHD) and had a good fitness routine (daily runs). I guess the knowledge I want to pass on to whomever is reading this review is that Vyvanse is not really a ‘magic pill’, if you’re already healthy going into it you’ll have a ‘gold standard reaction’ (that was the expression my Psychiatrist used when I described my experience with it so far). My only concern is tolerance, 3 months later I’m still getting good effect on the starting 30mg dose but fear I might have to up the dose… only time will tell.
After trying concerta for several years, we switched my son to Vyvanse due to the headaches he was having on concerta. He’s on 40mg, and it definitely affects his appetite and sometimes I wonder if it causes some irritability. We tried lowering him to 30mg, and the tantrums were out of control so we went back up.
I’ve been on ADHD medication for 10 years and I’m 20 now. I switched to Vyvanse when I was 12 and I believe started at a low dosage and worked my way up to now 60mg. I used to take it every day until I was 14 when I was only 75lb, I wouldn’t take them on the weekends or school breaks. As soon as I stopped I started to match the weight for my age. Throughout the years, I have gained more and more side effects, they didn’t get bad until I was 17. In the morning I would take them before school around 8 am and have a positive mood, by 3pm, my anxiety would flare, I would be drained and be extremely irritable, making it hard on my friends and family. I wouldn’t have an appetite until 10 pm and still don’t. Since I am in Uni now, I only take them on the days I need to get work done or have classes. I have also experienced a seizure a couple, I have no other reason to why I had one besides vyvanse.
Here is a list of the side effect I have now:
– No appetite: This has caused me to anemic which means I have low iron. When it gets bad my vision goes and here or there I faint. Also not eating has made me feel week and deflated.
– Bad Headaches by 6pm.
– Nausea
– Insomnia: A good night of sleep when on the meds is around 3:30 am on bad nights I can’t sleep until I take a nap for a couple of hours the next day, but I can only take a nap if I don’t take Vyvanse the next day. When I don’t take the meds I can be asleep by 9 pm.
– Depression (When I’m not taking the meds I am as happy as can be)
– High! Anxiety and stress
– Extremely cold hands and feet by the end of the day.
– Irritable
– Fast heartbeat
– Dizzy
– abdominal pain and no it’s not because I am a woman.
– Vomiting
– Jittery feeling
– Sweating
– Extreme weight loss
– Pale skin
– mood swings (Also not because I am a woman, when I’m off them I feel as though I’m in control of what I say and my emotions. When I’m on them I never know when I’m going to snap at someone, get sad thoughts or be happy)
– and blurred vision.
Even though I get extremely tired, I can’t sleep because the meds keep my brain going.
I don’t know if it is because I have been taking them for a long time or if this is normal. Currently, I am on a hunt for a new medication for my ADHD that I can control. I still take Vyvanse because sadly my ADHD is still bad and would struggle with focusing on school work. Also for those parents writing reviews about their young children, you can not advocate for them if you don’t know how it feels. I would take my meds and never tell my parents how I actually felt when taking them because I didn’t want to worry them or didn’t want to talk because my energy was low. I never truly enjoyed them because I never felt like myself and still don’t, I try to stay away from my friends when taking them because I’m drained and sluggish. It wasn’t until 4 years later my parents started to pick up on my mood and how I felt on the meds because as soon as I got home I would shut myself in my room and ask to not be bothered due to my brain running fast and my energy low. To the parents, I’m not saying you don’t know you’re children but just look out for any signs because they might not be comfortable telling you how they feel.
We started my 10 year old on Vyvanse last month, due to having focus issues (virtual learning was impossible). We started at 20mg, but backed down to 10mg for a few weeks due to side effects (shakiness and palapations). She is now back on 20mg daily. She does have to take it early, since she is having troubles falling asleep (we have now added in melatonin to help her get back to a normal sleep schedule). BUT the results of event that low dose, have been incredible. All of her teachers have seen vast improvements, and all of her grades have gone up. She also takes 3mg of Intutiv in the evening. Vyvanse has been so helpful in her being successful!
I was diagnosed in 2018 with ADHD. I was 49 at the time. I tried to avoid going on medication, seeing if I could manage without- but honestly with almost half a century of attempting to cope (without a diagnosis) did not leave me with many healthy coping skills. I was terrified to start the Vivance if I have to be honest, I had no idea what my response would be to the medication. I had the medication for about 2 weeks before I actually took the first dose, on a day where I was not working, I had no plans, no need to drive, my daughter was with her Dad- it seemed safe. I do not know what I was expecting, but the calm and quiet that I experienced was shocking. I had no idea how “noisy” my brain was until I started the medication. At first I only took it on days that I was working, but I now take it daily and my life runs so much more smoothly. I was able to work full-time as well and take university courses (do not recommend that looking back) and now I am finishing my degree. I do have a few side effects, I notice that I am crankier in the first part of the evenings, and I am not able to fall asleep as quickly. I am able to get about 6 hours of sleep at night (a bit less than before), but I do feel well rested. The medication does appear to stimulate motility in the GI tract- so I do make sure that I have access to a bathroom in the first few hours after taking the dose (this reaction has declined significantly, I also have IBS so the GI reaction may be linked to that as well), I now experience an increase in my Raynauds symptoms- more often and more severe. Overall it has been a good experience and is working well for me. My teenage daughter also is on it and it appears to help her as well- I cannot tell if she has the same amount of positive improvements, as she has other health issues that compound some of the symptoms.
Granted I’m only on 30mg dosage, I will say it does help especially since I have ADD, and I’m a senior in high school, but I will tell you this don’t go without it for a week, it sucks, but it’s effective especially when I started up high school again, it helps me focus and able to keep my mind on one topic at a time, as well as just slow my thinking process down so my thoughts aren’t racing.
I am a 26 year old adult and have been consistently taking Vyvanse for a few months. I take a low dose (20 mg), alongside Strattera and Clonidine (the Clonidine is more for anxiety than ADHD). I also take other medications for bipolar II disorder and OCD, so I cannot review for what it’s like to take Vyvanse alone. I also find Vyvanse does help my binge eating tendencies, although at times it can bring out my anorexic side so I have to be very careful about monitoring my meals. Another side effect: I have lost weight on it as well, but not a significant amount.
I usually take it 1x a day but my doctor has prescribed taking a second dose in the afternoon if I take it early in the morning.
Last thing I’ll say side effect wise is that it exacerbates my skin picking issues (dermatillomania). I am trying to find a solution to this– NAC does not work, and Prozac induces (hypo)mania for me.
As far as good things go: this is the only stimulant I have tried for ADHD so far and it works. I should mention I am mostly inattentive and not hyperactive, but in combination with the other medications I feel more focused, calmer, more organized, and even slightly more motivated. It definitely doesn’t ‘cure’ the ADHD, but it does help. I sometimes wonder about a higher dose, but at the same time if it’s working for me this way, why change it?
(medications I take alongside Vyvanse 20 mg: Anafranil 200 mg, lithium 1200 mg, Vraylar 1.5 mg, Strattera 60 mg, Clonidine .1 mg–> oh and daily exercise/regular meals helps as well as creative writing)
(I’m 18, by the way) I took 30mg for a month and it wasn’t enough – I still couldn’t focus and I still wasn’t organised, however it DID help keep my energy up. The only side effect I noticed consistently was loss of appetite. I then took 50mg for a month and it was too high, and I got SO many side effects! Stomach ache, loss of appetite, irritability and anger, general short temper with Every little thing, on the verge of tears, and the dryest mouth I’ve ever had in my life. It also really worsened my mental health and despite not taking it anymore, I now have a habit or reacting aggressively towards mild inconveniences. However, I shouldn’t have taken 50mg for so long, despite being advised to do so to see how it went – I do believe this is an excellent medication for those who like it.
Something I noticed was the 30mg affected my period. It’s always been regular but whilst taking 30mg, my period went from 5 to 10 days and got heavy at the end rather than the beginning, all of my ADHD symptoms were worse and I felt like a zombie. My cramps were also worsened and lengthened. On the 50mg, my period was unaffected however the stimulants were not effective during this time (this is likely because low oestrogen levels can cause stimulants to be less effective).
Again, I don’t think this drug is bad – just not for me. I’m trying combined birth control (to keep my oestrogen levels balanced) and I’m starting concerta. I couldn’t find much information on periods and stimulants so I hope this helps someone!
I am a 20 year old college student and Vyvanse was the first medication I tried for my ADHD. After finally being diagnosed, my psychiatrist started me on 40mg, and 50 the following week. The entire month I was on it was horrible. My appetite was so supressed that I had to force-feed myself, and could go through my day with one snack until being hungry around 7 pm. The meds made my anxiety much much worse, and I was a disaster to deal with. The hyperfixation became a huge problem for me, as I had to be stressing out about something at all times. I didn’t see any improvement with my school work for my summer classes (I did just fine on days I didn’t take it) and my boyfriend had to constantly argue with me to get me to calm down. I didn’t have much trouble sleeping, but I am really glad I stopped taking it. It’s nice though to see that other people do well with it.
My son is 12, he takes 30 mg, he’s really anxious and tends to overeat, this med helped to concentrate with his school work and take control of his appetite, he told he feels good when he can control what he eats. I have a doubt about the medication side’s effect which is “slow grown in kids”. My son was the tallest in his class or in his soccer team but now he’s not growing at the same pace his friends or cousins are. I would like to ask if anybody notice that as well.
My 13 year old daughter was diagnosed with severe ADHD February of last year. I’m not exactly sure what the first dosage was, but it’s been raised multiple times, and she now takes 70 mg of Vyvanse every morning. While it has definitely helped her with her ADHD, she has lost a worrying amount of weight (she was about 110 before taking it, she now weighs 96 pounds. The lowest she got was 90 pounds) and we’re thinking of asking her psychiatrist if the dosage can be upped or if we should switch medications because she has developed a resistance to this. To cope with the weightloss, my daughter has to take an appetite stimulant (Cyproheptadine, AKA Periactine) three times a day.
My son started this a couple of months ago. It worked while in school, but the crash from this was difficult to handle. My son turned into another person I didn’t recognize. He was angry, overly sensitive like someone experiencing withdrawals. I took him off of it. The teachers said he was fine in school and was focused, but when he got home we couldn’t deal with his new attitude. He was worse in my opinion. There were also days when we let him take it on the weekend and we saw him go through the same thing. We want to try something that will not make him a mean person or a sad person.
Hoje eh meu primeiro dia de Venvanse (Vyvanse). 🙂
Decided to go back on ADHD meds after returning to school. Concerta used to work but seemed to be losing effectiveness as I get older. Tried Vyvanse which is effective in helping my adult ADHD symptoms but only for 8 hours maximum. Unfortunately I experience crashes in the late afternoon, insomnia, and most distressing it is causing horrible bruxism (jaw clenching). I’m now dealing with migraines, nausea and unbearably tight neck muscles and have been spending a fortune in manual therapy sessions to help cope. Tried a lower dose but it’s made no difference. Can’t wait for it to be out of my system. Never had these problems with Concerta.
Vyvanse was fine. My psychiatrist prescribed it right off the bat just because I’m a college student and “it’s what I prescribe to college kids bc it has a lower abuse potential than Adderall.” The cost is just absolutely absurd, though. Even though I have “good insurance” through my dad’s work it was costing me (my parents) over $250 a month. After a couple months I switched to Adderall XR because it’s cheaper. Didn’t feel that much of a difference. Once Vyvanse breaks down it is basically the same chemically as Adderall anyway.
I will forever regret letting my daughter take Vyvanse. My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD in the 1st grade. However, she didn’t start taking Vyvanse until a year later. At first everything was great. She did well in school and her impulse control was handled. About 2 years after she started taking Vyvanse, she started complaining she was seeing things at night. We thought is was typical childhood fears. Then things got really bad. She was sure there were demons in her room. She was seeing things during the day and in a state of panic most of the time. It was scary and heartbreaking. I spoke to her pediatrician about it possibly being the meds and he thought perhaps she needed to see a psychiatrist. We went to a psychiatrist and nothing really changed. That’s when I switched doctors. I explained what was going on and said we need to try something different. The doctor switched meds to Concerta. Soon after we switched her meds my daughter’s hallucinations stopped and she became a happy, fun loving child again. I just pray this is behind us and we don’t have any long term consequences. Every child is different, so this was just our experience.
I’ve been on Vyvanse for a few months now on 20mg. It really helps, I didn’t realize that I could have a clean room or a plan for my day before it. However, I can only take it twice a week because when I’m on it it’s very hard for me to eat. Overall, really enjoy it — I can’t swallow pills so this allows me to sprinkle it on my food which I appreciate. 8/10
After 6 years or more of taking Ritalin for ADHD with some effect, I recently began taking Vyvanse 30 mg in the morning. Within two days I noticed a big difference. Before taking Vyvanse, my head was always filled with many trains of thought. After taking vyvanse, for the first time that I can remember, my head was quiet. Only one train of thought. It was like walking into a soundproof room and really experiencing a quiet moment. I am finally able to concentrate on one activity and finish it. I find that I can actually put things back where they belong without delay. I have not noticed any negative side effects. I just wish that I had a time machine so I could go back and give my younger self this medication while I was attending school. It would have made a great difference.
Hello all, I have just started my 14-year-old son on Vyvanse about a week ago. Every day I am getting called from school that he is having a stomach ache. I do give him breakfast and then he takes the medication because most of the articles recommend that. How long does it take for this to pass? I am worried that we have not given it enough time to work, but want to take the stomach aches seriously if he should not be experiencing them at this point.
I am 35 years old and have recently been diagnosed with ADHD – Inattentive type.
I was initially started on 30mg Vyvanse, and whilst I did not feel a difference, my husband noticed that my time management was much improved and I was consistently on time when going out (whereas previously, this would be a constant battle as I was ALWAYS late!). I didn’t notice an improvement in my attention and focus at work so I went back to the Dr.
My Dr increased the dose to 50mg and it has been life changing! I am so productive at work and am able to complete the tasks I hate in a timely manner and can organise and plan so much better! I am able to do all the admin and mundane tasks that I previously avoided and put off and have managed to stay on top of things. This has increased my confidence and I am a MUCH happier mom and wife! My husband has also noticed an improvement in my ability to control my emotions, with fewer outbursts and I now feel much calmer and in control.
I previously lost so much money purely due to procrastination (being late to claim funding for childcare and then being late at returning unwanted items etc, I can go on and on…) I don’t procrastinate anymore and can just “get on with it”.
Side affects: Dry mouth – but this forces me to drink more water which I was previously notoriously bad at doing so actually a plus for me. Loss of appetite – however, I eat brekfast before taking it and force myself to eat lunch, but by dinner my appetite is back and I eat well, so this can be managed if you are diligent.
Initially struggled to have “deep” sleep but this wore off after a week of being on it.
Initially had headaches however this also wore off after a week or so.
Everyone is different so it is important to find the right meds AND right dose that work for you.
Im 29. Have had ADHD since 8. Been on cylert, ritalin, adderall, maxed out on straterra, concerta. During early 20s after transitioning from peds to prime care. My treatment has been a yo-yo. I was on wellbutrin for while higher doses made me tremors, and stupor for words, referred to pysch who put me back on concerta then switched me to lamictal. My new pysch doc put me on vyvnase felt normal again world diff at starting dose, more focus, calmer productive, mood boosted. On 30 mg felt okay started noticing difficulty sleeping on 40 mg i have provlems sleeping, dry mouth worse. I feel like im physically tired, brian tired, but mind won’t let me sleep. If i could overcome that piece i love it otherwise! Suggestions???
Where do I even begin?
So I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 9, I am now 18, and in my last year of high school and off to college next year. I’ve been on Vyvanse for a year and a half, and up until recently I had only good things to say, it kept me motivated and happy and worked AMAZING. I went from barely passing classes to now a high 80’s average student. And I owed it all to this drug. In December the day before Christmas break, I started to feel weird and out of the body so I went to the bathroom and looked at myself through the mirror and was horrified to see what I looked like, a student in the bathroom went to get me help and I had a seizure and shortly after passed out. The ambulance came and when I was hooked up to the heart monitor I was horrified to realize my heart rate was at 172 bpm. Please note that I have been on MANY ADHD medications throughout my life Vyvanse is the only one that has stuck. After this incident I have noticed I have all but a few side effects of Vyvanse. I have developed severe anxiety and I have little to no meat on my bones. I am a very loud and out-going person and it’s safe to say when I am on this drug has ruined my confidence. I haven’t been to school in a month because the anxiety is so bad and I feel like I am about to pass out when I am at school and my grades are suffering horribly. Today I have come to the conclusion and I will stop taking it (I have spoken to a doctor) and I’ll find another alternative because although the medication makes me the focus I can’t focus when I am worried about my body and If I am about to pass out.
However, This is just me and I am different from everyone, I came up with a plan and a schedule, I wake up at 6 A.M and take my meds so that they have their 10-12 hours to wear off so I can sleep, PLEASE NOTE: it is vital that you take this medication early if you want a someone decent sleep at night. I am not gonna lie, the first 1 hour when it kicks in is the best time of my life I am so happy and so ready to start my day. But then it begins to wear off and I just get anxious and quiet. This medication was amazing for me but not anymore which is okay, if anyone has any questions please let me know I’ll be happy to help. (I am not a doctor nor am I saying I know better than, this is just my personal experience.
I had my daughter try Vyvanse when she was 10, after two weeks I threw the rest of the prescription out! She was an emotional wreck! Depressed and crying at school over everything. It made her an outcast she was such a mess! We switched to Adderall, not the best and we ended up switching off of that too, best thing for her was Concerta…..that was a total game changer! I realize that everyone is different, but Vyvanse was a nightmare! No medication was better than that! It was hard to even last the two week trial!
I have been medicated for ADHD for 26 years now (& no negative health effects either!). I have spent most of that on Dexamphetamine which is by far the most effective for me. I have been put through the paces with others and they were ineffective (especially Ritalin).
I found I had side effects on the dexamphetamine if I had a dose higher than 25m per day, chewing my tongue, overly task oriented at the beginning and sleepy at lunch and driving home, and emotion on the comedown. I also suffered badly with insomnia when the medication wore off (and sometime took my medication closer to bed time, which helped significantly to reduce racing thoughts… seems counterintuitive but makes sense if you get adhd).
I change to Vyvanse about a year ago and it is life changing. I was able to up my dose as the come on and come off side effects were significantly reduced and now my life is better than ever. It removed the emotional flooding issues I had a work (especially around lunch times), And my sleep is vastly improved, as I don’t get the horrible anxiety I used to get when the old medication wore off (though I’m not sure it’s just anxiety if the stuff you worry about actually happens – forgetting, emotional out burst, falling asleep at the wheel….).
My partner was doing night shift for a month recently which meant I had to be on point with work, family and driving from 5am to 8pm which was longer than the daily dose lasted, so I had to take a top up at 4pm of a short acting amphetamine to last out the day… this worked well.
I found that the appropriate dose of Vyvanse has removed any need for anxiety or other medications to address those other symptoms (which were in hindsight probably under treated ADHD).
Notes: appetite – I have a theory that the appetite issue is related to attention… when I’m medicated I am able to pus the I want food/pain/feel sick/etc thoughts from my mind much more easily to focus on other activities. When I made the activity of eating a priority in optimal nutrition and health at set times in the day, my appetite issues were fairly much resolved. And within a few days I had no problems with eating a suitable amount at suitable times.
Sleep – ADHD causes nearly all my sleep issues, vyvanse can wear off a bit early and then I don’t get enough of the effects before bed to get to sleep… a pysch can look at this to get a “filler” on this. Or I also find Melatonin can help set a healthy sleep routine/rhythm.
Breaks – I Find taking medication breaks a joke! ADHD does not go away on the weekends or holidays and to treat it like that in my opinion diminishes the condition’s seriousness and ignores to enormous effect it has on self management and interpersonal relationships. Vyvanse is NOT good if taking breaks – the 2nd day after not taking it I always get a nasty headache and feel very lethargic. Plus the effects are so much more effective and positive if it is taken with consistency. You can get a really good understanding of how you best work on your medication. I would definitely recommend at least 6mths of consistent treatment before working with breaks (if you need them to fuel a creative endeavour or want to “cleanse” etc.). That way you have a clear understanding of being on & off benefits, and Are in a much better and educated position to make calls about when you want and don’t want to take it, and how to manage yourself and both circumstances.
Can’t recommend this enough as a suitable medication – both I
My son was diagnosed w/ADHD (inattentative) about 4 months ago at age 11/5th grade. He had an AWESOME response to Vyvanse! Unfortunately it was not available in what seemed to be his “ideal” dose of 15mg. 10mg was helpful but not quite enough, 20 mg made him cry. I was so disappointed. We have now landed at 20mg of generic Adderall XR, which is also much cheaper. But if for some reason it doesn’t work out in the long run, I probably would go back to 10mg Vyvanse as a fallback. I think the expense is outrageous, I can’t imagine that they haven’t made their investment back yet, in spades!
I’ve been on vyvanse for 10 years, I’m 28. I’ve gone through a few periods of not taking it for a few months, but this stuff undoubtably has changed my life for the better. Life changing.
Vyvanse helps me greatly with focus. I wears off by 3 pm if taken at 7am. It curbs the binge eating, but in the evening it returns. I started with 40mg. Then when upped to 60 mgs a day. After a month, I have noticed pain in my fingers tips, and sometimes numbness. I am getting checked for diabetes this week. I read that a rare side effect with vyvanse is circulation problems. If this is what is causing the finger pain I will probably have to change, which sucks because it works for me. I am also on cymbalta 30 mg for anxiety. I am able to work today because of cymbalta. I’m in my late 40s.
I’ve been taking Vyvanse for about 5 or 6 years now. At first I was on 50mg and then 60mg but now I’m on 70mg for 4 of those years. I experienced the normal symptoms of dry mouth no appetite during lunch hours, and trouble sleeping. (I also have insomnia with my ADHD) so they prescribed a 60mg adhd pill that helps you focus on sleep. I did a 30 day free trial on a new med called maidais which worked well but it was like 300 dollars and insurance doesn’t cover it. But now that I’m back on Vyvanse I’m noticing that i still have the side effects but none of the benefits. Recomendations for a different med?
I’ve read several reviews. None of the have addressed the high cost of Vyvanse. It is over $300 a month for us. This is a big problem, as we cannot afford it. How can we get it cheaper??
I am a 25 year old women who was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type) while in college. I also have anxiety, which is often considered to be my more problematic mental health struggle. For reference, I take sertraline for my anxiety. About a year ago, my psychiatrist prescribed me Vyvance at 20mg 1xday and it was LIFE CHANGING. This is the first ADHD medication I had ever been prescribed, so I can’t compare it to other medications. My appetite was fickle for the first month or so, but that subsided and isn’t a problem any longer. I used to have to snack or munch on something as a form of stimulation, and that has decreased, so that’s positive. Before I had any ADHD medication, I could only expect to do 1 to 3 productive things a day, and NEEDED a routine to get through the day. I really relied on my hyper-focus to get anything done! With 20 mg 1xday, it would wear off around 3, which was difficult because I was still at work. After about 3 months, my dosage was increased to 40 mg daily, so it wore off around 5-6pm. I take my medication at 7am daily. About an hour or two after I take the medication, I get a rush of anxiety and have to just work through it, as it always goes away after about an hour. Then in the rebound, I get another rush of anxiety for another hour. These medication-related anxiety influxes only started happening when my vyvnace was increased to 40 mg daily. It took me a long time to realize that this was a pattern, and was likely due to the medication. I tested it and took my vyvance medication 2 hours late one day and the same thing occurred, just 2 hours later then normal. Also couldn’t sleep that night…
I am going to chat with my psychiatrist to see if there are any other medications for me, as this doesn’t appear to be the best medication for me. That being said, I feel like this medication could be REALLY beneficial for someone without anxiety, as that is the only side effect i had. Also, it REALLY helps my ADHD!
I HATE vyvanse. This is the absolute worst ADHD med I have taken. First, for me it is not particularly effective compared to adderal or Evekeo. I started at 40mg and moved up to 50 after a month.
Very early on my boyfriend started commenting that he thought the medication was negatively impacting my mood (he is extremely adept at pattern recognition, especially behavioral patterns). I brushed it off as stress from work, life, etc.
After several months on vyvanse there was no hiding my constant and increasing level of agitation that was particularly out of character for me. I made the decision to stop taking the vyvanse while on vacation and experienced immediate relief for a couple days, then a very violent emotional swing that lasted for about 4 days —hysterical and uncontrollable crying spells that lasted for hours on end, irrational fears/thoughts, and just general extreme emotional distress.
The emotional problems magically disappeared after a few days. My psydoc said it’s a rebound effect — basically withdrawal — and said it is very common. That was so ungodly terrifying that I will never take vyvanse again and am now detoxing myself of all stimulants for a while.
I find vyvanse the best treatment i have been on so far ! I started on stratera and it had no effect. Im currently on 70mgs of vyvanse per day 50mg in the morning and 30mg around lunchtime. The only problom i have is that i seem to be becoming imune to the dose very fast. The 30mg was added after the 50 started to wear off very quickly and know the 70mg is wearing off very fast too. However it is still the best thing i have tried so far , it has helped my concentration , focus , even down to personal hygiene. Would recommend it 100%
I was diagnosed with ADHD since I was 8, and have been taking medication (mainly dexedrine since then). However, I recently made a switch to Vivance with I’ve been on since March, and I recently upped my dosage in May. . My main issue with dexedrine was that I had really bad anxiety. All the time.
With this new medication I’m on, I have noticed that my anxiety is hardly existent, even during presentations.
But, I have come to realize that my behaviour is completely different (on my normal dose and on my upped dose), one of the major things I have noticed is that I am low low low energy, I have troubles controlling my anger, and I cry a lot. A lot.
To the point where these emotions have cut past my personal life into my professional life, and my university life.
My work is lazy. And I know it sounds bad like I’m blaming my medication, but it honestly feels like my brain is working completely different. When I write essays now, my sentences are complex and hard to understand, because I tend to put words in the wrong place, etc.
I have troubles with general communication.
I am apathetic to everything, when before, I was a bit of a control freak to a degree.
I overwhelm very easily.
And very recently I have noticed some…mental issues more prominently such as bipolar, and seeing things that aren’t there (but to a very minuscule degree), depression
Unable to socialize like I did before.
These were changes that I really didn’t understand or see until now. So Vivanse is a no go for me , and I will be returning to dexedrine as soon as I can.
When taken in the right dose with right combo of meds, helps my ADHD tons. Especially in terms of the chatter in my head. Im able to focus and be productive.
After a long battle of trying to figure out what was going on with my brain I desperately reached out to a adhd specialist in a attempt to finally have some clarity in my life. It made sense after being properly treated. I was treated for bipolar disorder some years back with no relief and that was I can say the biggest hell I faced in my life. Anyway I was prescribed adderall the first go around but didn’t quite feel to good on it. I told my doctor I wasn’t looking for perfect because it doesnt exist but I want to somewhat feel a little bit better so he switched me to Vyvanse. What a difference it has made and I sometime shake my head at some of the behaviors that I was totally unaware being unmedicated. I startwd on 10 mg foe a month started to feel better, 20 mg mg for a month started to noticed and see a difference and I start my 30 mg tomorrow. I can’t believe how everything now makes sense to me. I was totally blind to my behaviors before medication. Although I knew I was a bit off I thought everyone else had the problem and it totally explains why I’m divorced. Anyway for anyone out there keep going there is light for you at the end of the tunnel. Find and work your strengths and don’t worry too much about the rest.
I’m 17 and taking 40 mg of vyvanse. I found that it helps with my anxiety which is odd cause i’ve heard that it can make anxiety worse, but my overall experience with it is mostly positive. It works great for my adhd, the only negative i found is the come down. Vyvanse usually lasts from about 8 am to around 5 or 6 which is great for school and getting my homework done but i’ve been experiencing a lot of irritability and anger which sucks but some days are worse than others so i have to talk with my doctor to see what can help with that. Also a side effect that i really noticed when starting was dry mouth, so if your starting bring water and mints with you everywhere you go!!
I do use vyvanse 60 ml for ADHD. My review is only positive, it is so much better than the generic drug I was on. The main reason is it’s the same each time. I never knew that each time I recieved my generic medication it was always made with different fillers. That’s never good for me. Vyvanse keeps me at a more even level throughout the day.
I began taking medication for my ADD as a child (age 9) and started taking Vyvanse as a young adolescent (age 12). Prior to taking Vyvanse I took Focalin and it was fine at the lower doses, but when I had to move from pills to capsules it started bothering me. I have now been taking Vyvanse for almost 11 years and during that time I have also tried other medications but I kept coming back to Vyvanse because it works best for me. I have inattentive type ADD so I can’t say how it affects hyperactivity, but if it lessens hyperactivity like it increases focus then I would recommend it. I started at 30mg and now I am at 50mg. When I was younger the dosage would need to increase as I grew and/or my body and brain got used to the dosage prescribed to me at the time. 50mg still works for me currently but I may have to move up to the next dosage in the next few years. I took Vyvanse consistently through middle school and high school and for my first two years of college. During my junior year I had to try Welbutrin and Concerta because I was studying abroad in a country where any sort of amphetamines were illegal. They sort of worked and were better than nothing, the Concerta more than the Welbutrin, but as soon as I got back to the US I went back to Vyvanse right away and my productivity immediately increased. The only negative side effects I have had while on this medication were increased heart rate, dry mouth, and trouble falling asleep; none of these side effects were bad enough to make me want to try a different medication though. While I can do nothing but sing the praises of this medication, the effectiveness of medications varies from person to person and if you try this medication and don’t like it, I strongly suggest you try a different medication. For adults with ADD or ADHD, medication will always be a part of life and it’s very important that people take what works best for them and makes them most comfortable.
I know that there are often more reviews from parents of the patient, rather than the patient themself. Here is one from the patient. I have been on Vyvanse for approximately a year now. I started treatment with differing doses of Ritalin, Stratera, Concerta, and I’m sure there are more. Now I had been on methylphenidate for a few years and my eating habits came up as a concern of mine. This was really due to being in high school and being 100 lbs. At first, the switch seemed like it really helped. I definitely had a higher apetite throughout the day and found myself eating lunch again. However, I think I liked the way my liver reacted to the medicine better. I noticed a change in my studying (i.e. I actually started to study), I found myself remembering things for quizes and tests better, and found myself generally excelling better in school. With my change in medication, I found myself go from the upper nineties to 115 lbs. That might not seem like a lot to some people, but for a kid whose weight wouldn’t go up at all, even as he was growing, that was a huge deal. Nonetheless, some background info: I am taking 1 Vyvanse 50mg capsules every morning, along with 1mg of Guanfacine once in am and pm, and I have a booster which is 20mg of Adderal, which I have for years now, called “the homework medicine.” I have been taking these medications to combat the affects of my ADD. Some may consider me child, others adult. I prefer college freshman. Also, before I end this, I noticed a dramatic change in my mood. I had, when I was on the methylphenidate, gone down a path of depression and thoughts of suicide. When I switched, I noticed that I wasn’t as badly off.
Finally, there is something to be said for the “lunch lull.” I do not know if anyone else has experienced this, but when I was in high school, especially Junior year, I noticed that my morning classes kept my thoughts and brain heavily occupied. But when I got to lunch, there was nothing to keep my brain heavily occupied and thus I had deep, emotional, depressing, and negative thoughts. I have seen a change in that in college, but that is only because there is more work to do. I think there is some research to be done on this.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD at seven and been on medication ever since. He first took focalin for several years, and for last five years he has been on vyvannse. I think the effect it has is wonderful. Making him able to focus and occupy himself without excessive impulsiveness.
However, lately we weren’t getting same results so I had doctor switch medication. First concerts but he won’t take pills so can’t review that medication. Then he put him on weak dose of Adderall. No help because it wasn’t strong enough. So I called and asked to go back to stronger dose of vyvannse. He was on one 40mg capsule daily and now it will be 50mg. I’m hoping this will be stronger. Vyvannse is great for ADHD, and I’d recommend it. From reading these reviews I’m just wondering if my son’s dose is high enough. If you find something that works it’s better to just stick with same medication and tweak dose as child ages or symtoms worsen. Which ever comes first. Only main side effects my 15 year old has is decreased appetite, irritability coming off it, and occasional stomachs aches. Glad to know Thier ISA huge ADHD community, and we are not alone!
We started our 10 year old son on 30 mg of Vyvanse about 3 months ago after trialing him twice on Ritalin (disastrously) with a doctor who refused to accept that Ritalin wasn’t working for him. New doctor listened and prescribed Vyvanse, which has definitely been much better for my son. His teachers report he is much better at focusing and getting work done now he’s taking this medication and I notice how much he is able to concentrate and stay calm whilst he is on it. We take it by 7am because he does have problems getting to sleep at a reasonable time otherwise. Like others have reported, there seems to be a smooth up and down with this medication. We get the odd tantrum as it’s wearing off, but nothing like on Ritalin. At first, his appetite disappeared altogether whist he was on it, but after a few weeks he was able to want to eat while he was on it. It wears off around 3.30pm (after school) and his appetite returns with a vengeance after that. So far, so good for us on Vyvanse … I just wish my son could articulate how he feels on it a little more as I have a million questions I’d like answers to (but that’s boys for you!)
I’m 19 years old and started this medication four months ago. After using nothing but CBT tips for three years I tried 40 mg of this medication and it works wonders. I can write essays and use my CBT learnings to shut other noises out with ease. Communication is easier. Recall is quicker. Problem is it wears off quickly come nighttime so I have a low dose of Adderall to fulfill those nighttime college study hours. Only side effects I’ve had, as my vyvanse is 12 hours extended release, is a lack of appetite. I found the people who had seriously adverse reactions to vyvanse did well with Focalin or Ritalin. I was allergic to both. I have inattentive type ADD, and vyvanse has truly been my saving grace.
I started the “never ending tired” feeling after the birth of my second son (he was around 1 yr old; I was 39 yrs old). We had moved to NC and I realized I needed to see a doctor; that’s when I was diagnosed with ADHD. Deep down, I’ve always known I was living with ADHD (I’m a Special Ed. Teacher and can spot the observable characteristics from a mile away). Now, I wake up each day & I take Vyvanse 80mg (a stimulant) and it engages me with life again! I am motivated and energized to be involved and it gets me up & going! Without it, I am thoroughly exhausted and I could sleep the day away. Vyvanse has given me my life back! Then, at night, I take Clonazepam .5mg to help me sleep.
I am 41 and recently diagnosed with ADHD. I am on Vyvanse as well. I think it works pretty good. I feel a little anxious but can concentrate better.
I also take 60mg Vyvanse I am 38 years old. I have been on Vyvanse 3 years, it has totally changed how I act, get things done, remember things, also improved all my relationships. My doctor started me on 30mg, and as time went by we decided it needed to be upped. I also suffer anxiety so I have Klonopin that I take as needed. Also I just started therapy he is teaching me to relax more without meds all time.
My son is 19 years old. He is now taking 2 pills every morning of Vyvanse. (60mg and 40mg). He also takes 2 mg of Intutive at night. He has been doing well on it, says he feels good and it’s helping.