Vyvanse (ADHD Med)

[PaperDolls]

I just started this drug about a week ago. Just wondered if anyone is familiar with it and what your experience is. I think it's pretty new.

Just curious. I haven't noticed any negative or positive side effects yet myself.

[Jerzy007]

Have you tried anyother medications for ADHD, and how did they work. Did you notice a difference in your thinking?

[Jerzy007]

I ask because im waiting to get treated myself and have never heard of that medication, is it similar to adderral, ritalin, and those types or is it more like STraterra?

[Done_With_It]

I just read about a new one, I'll get the name of it, I think that may be it.
I havent' tried it yet though.

[Justme57]

Hello Miss Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry , just had to drop in and say "Hi" when I saw your name

Hows things with you girl?

HUGX
Leigh

[PaperDolls]

This is the first ADHD med I've ever been on. I can't tell if it's working or not.

I told my pdoc I thought it might be hard for me to tell. I've been "this way" all my life. You know what I mean?

I think I do notice better concentration. It's not like, "holy cow! where has this med been all my life?" but I think it's good. I have noticed a decrease in my appetite and dry mouth.

I've done searches on it and everything I find talks about children on it. Nothing about adults. I don't know if there's a big difference but still.....doesn't seem to be much info out there.

If I remember right, my pdoc said it's different than adderral but I don't remember in what way.

[Alive]

I am confident you will find a med that will work for you hun, whether it's this one or another i feel it's soon..

You know Vivance in french means The Living?.....

yeah my friend...

[barb dwyer]

hi PD -

I was on mediction for YEARS for this condition.

I haven't heard of this one, but if it's like the others, it takes longer than a week to get it going. Brain chems are slower in getting turned around.

I took strattera - nothing. Ritalin - nothing. Wellbutrin - nothing. The only thing that worked and probably will still work for me is dextrostat. And it took the max for that. But when I was on it - I ran a successful studio, and man it was something else.

I talked to the doc about waiting to get started on the 'search' again... I want to be comfortably off smokes first. stimulant therapy was the ONLY thing that helped me.

One problem at a time.

Good luck to ya - I'd like to hear how it works for you!

[shutterbug]

barb: i'm curious...what kind of studio? paintings? music? dance?

[barb dwyer]

hi shutterbug -


drawings, paintings, and I have a bad habit .... of painting bones. Then doing strange arrangements with boned and feathers.
I had a fairly successful business up here a few years back ...
downtown space and all that ....had accounts with two interior designers ...
stuff in galleries frm mt to tx....

sounds official but what it boiled down to was -
(designer calls)
'hey, we got this big wall ... that kind of house ... this motif - what can you do? "
and I'd say 'this'
and they'd say ... 'ok'
and I'd say 'this much'
and they'd say, no problem'.

and Id have it ready.

without the meds -
I can't be relied on to have it ready.
I can't complete.
In five years - off meds and drinking -
I did one drawing.
ONE.
And I only finsihed it - when I sobered up.

[barb dwyer]

I'm sorry PD - unintentional hijack.

[PaperDolls]

hey, it's ok...........it's you and jenna. I can handle that.

I'll update on my ADHD med progess when I know something. I can't decide yet if it's done anything. I need to ask C what she thinks......if she's noticed any changes.

I've been unusually busy at work for the last two weeks so it's hard to gauge when I don't have a "normal" day. When I get crazy busy like I've been I tend to be on sort of a high.

So yeah......hijack away girls!

[PaperDolls]

Still on the Vyvance and I still don't know if it's doing anything for me. I just can't tell.

It's time for a follow up with the pdoc so I'm sure we'll talk about it.

[Morning Glory]

Is this medication addictive PaperDolls?

My son struggles with ADHD and was asking about medication. I am not familiar with the new medication for ADHD.

[barb dwyer]

hey PD - I was wondering about an update to this as well.... almost that time for me.

thank EWE !!!!! LOL

Morning Glory - how old is your son?
When My own sons were diagnosed - I was about to make quite a difference with 'sugar control'.

That is - Until they figured out they could get all the sugar they wanted .. at the neighbor's and at grandma's.

but it DID make a difference right off the bat -
when I could control it.

they were ... ten and twelve, I'm thinking.

[PaperDolls]

MG -- this is a fairly new adhd drug and I think, like anything, pretty much it can be addictive but If I remember right this one has less of a chace of becoming addictive.

My doc was alcohol but I've liked me some pills and honestly, this one does nothing for me so I can't imagine abusing it. I suppose if someone took more than the recommended does that might change things but........if you are interested in it, most of the info I found on it pertains to children with adhd. Do a google search for Vyvance and you'll find it. I wish you're soon good luck.

[Morning Glory]

Thank you!

My son is 34 now and was diagnosed as a child. We tried Ritalin and it didn't do much so I took him off of it after a year.

I hope this works for you. ADHD can make you feel miserable.

[Done_With_It]

I have it was diagnosed w/it, but my new doctor told me I don't cause if I didn't I would have been in special ed classes when I was a kid.

It sucks..

[PaperDolls]

You're welcome MG -- I'm 32 btw so you're son and I are close in age.

[barb dwyer]

ADHD can make you feel miserable.

It makes the world a confusing place -
you wonder what everyone is always so upset with you about.
or-
You enjoy what you are able to 'hear' of a conversation -
(while popping in and out)
and you wonder what you missed ....

and perhaps it could have been important?

[PaperDolls]

Originally Posted by barb dwyer

You enjoy what you are able to 'hear' of a conversation -
(while popping in and out)
and you wonder what you missed ....

and perhaps it could have been important?

Wow...I can totally relate to that. I still wonder sometimes if I actually do have ADHD but I do this popping in and out of conversations all the time.

[newsandi]

My son has ADHD and he takes Adderall and when he is not on it he is all over the place. He has had this problem since grade school. I was against him being on meds back then but when he got into highschool, we put him on this and he has been doing better. He explains to me that when he doesn't have his med his mind is all over the place and when he is on it, he can focus on one thing at a time. What I see with him is when he is not on the med, he is real loud and annoying, cant get him to listen to me. Just wanted to share..............

[appleblaster]

At 36 I was diagnosed with ADD (inattentive) and tried Adderall. Once Vyvanse became available in July of this year my doctor switched me to it. It is made by Shire, who are the same people who make Adderall. Shire's patent for Adderall runs out in a few years so this is their way of holding on to the ADHD/ADD market. Sorta seems cheap but Vyvanse is working better.

The basic difference in the chemical makeup is that Vyvanse is considered a "prodrug" because it has to be digested before you will begin to feel any effect from it. Addicts do not like it. The FDA has approved it for use in children, hence the dosages being 30mg, 50mg and 70mg. Something to note is that although it is very similar in makeup to Adderall, the dosages are aimed at children. For instance, 50mg of Vyvanse will not equate to 50mg of Adderall. Adderall is stronger but does not last as long. My doctor said dosages for adults will come later this year (higher mg doses or multi doses a day) and that it is going to replace Adderall for a lot of people.

My doctor started me on 50mg and i've got to say that I like it much more than Adderall. It lasts me about 6 hours (instead of the 12 that is advertised for children) and it is much smoother than Adderall for me. I find Adderall helpful, yet almost too much at once....even at lower doses. Having said this, the 70mg of Vyvanse was too much for me so i'm back at 50mg once daily.

With Vyvanse i'm much more focused for longer periods of time. In fact, i've got to be careful not to hyperfocus on things. Overall my qualify of life has improved and i'm still titrating the dosages to see what works best for me. I don't take it on the weekends unless i'm working on a project and I just cannot manage to get my head out of the clouds. Drymouth and appetite loss are two things I deal with. The weight loss has actually been good.

A few tips I could share for more effectiveness of Adderall and Vyvanse are: eat a good protein breakfast as it helps keep the medicine in your system longer, avoid citrus and acidic foods right after taking the pills because your body will not absorb the medicine as well. Iron supplements also have this effect so you should take those at night. Try to suck on hard candy instead of drinking a ton of water. Don't get me wrong....you should still drink your 8 oz daily but the drymouth will make you want to drink more. This will only flush the medicine out of your system sooner and put wear on your kidneys.

Many days when I was sort of hyperfocusing, I researched Vyvanse. I even caught the Shire rep in my doctor's waiting room and grilled him. He asked me out LMAO.

My doctor had a one month free trial offer that may still be available if you want to try it. It was definitely a "man, where has this been all my life" thing. Feeling more productive has helped boost my confidence as well. Anyway, I hope this has helped. Let me know how it works for you.

[PaperDolls]

Wow, thanks for all the info. Interesting stuff.

I wish I would have had a "man, where has this been all my life" moment from this drug.

One benefit -- I'm calling it a benefit -- is that it seems to have taken away my appetite. I don't eat very often. Never breakfast (which is not a new thing by any means), 3 or 4 times a week I eat lunch ..... but usually I only eat a small dinner. I know it's not healthy but I'm losing weight. I'm going to talk to my pdoc today and I'll mention it.

P.S. Did you accept the date from the Shire rep?

[appleblaster]

No, I didn't accept the date from the Shire rep. He was cute but I just wasn't that into him....LOL. Honestly, I knew more about Vyvanse than he did. That was not encouraging as pretty much everything I know I scoured from the internet, and of course personal experience.
I'm sure you've heard it a bizillion times.....you really need breakfast. But I totally understand not having an appetite in the AM. So you can try Slim Fast. You can try the powder or the cans. I prefer the powder b/c the cans taste like cans to me. I like the chocolate flavors and what I like to do is blend in some frozen yogurt or lite ice cream and its like having a milkshake for breakfast! The really cool thing about this is that you are covering breakfast and Slim Fast is packed with vitamins so you're getting that as well. Its also quick and you can sip it while you get dressed. You can also do that for lunch.

But yeah I know what you mean about the decreased appetite. B12 is also a big help. I like the sub lingual dots you put under your tongue. B12 is good for you in so many other ways besides energy. Its a good compliment to Vyvanse or Adderall. Anyway, the Slim Fast will get the nutrients into your body and sipping on the shakes is good when you feel you've gotta force yourself to eat.

How long have you been taking Vyvanse? What time of the day do you take it?