GOT VYVANSE? GOOD, GET RID OF IT!

I am sincerely asking before I start a petition to get this medication off the market and out of people's systems, if ANYONE has had good results with this medication.  and when I say good results, I don't just mean in the first couple of days, I mean long lasting, sustainable results.  Also, if anyone has any Vyvanse horror stories they'd like to share, I would love to hear about them so I can sit at my computer screen and fratically nod my head in agreement, while listening to my new-found heart palpatations.

Thanks for reading,

-CG

[margypops]

Read the Threads we have here today, it seems like the Nays and the Yays, some want to give their kids Drugs so they wont get F's and there are some like you ,been through it I wonder why would you do that to your child because you cant sort out your own parenting skills, actually I have no Vyanse stories sorry , but I do have children in my heart and their Welfare and it shocks me at some of the things people will do to their children to get good grades and to have some"Peace"

[erin17]

It is not necessarily about good grades.  I could care less if my son got A's or C's, but when they see  F's that stands for FAILURE.  And eventually after seeing enough of them they are going to start to see themselves as failures too.  I think it's more that parents want their kids to feel good about themselves and learn the necessary academic skills to have a decent future.  I also don't think it's fair to blame parenting skills either.  I have two kids both with ADHD.  One medicated,and one not.  I am consistently told how kind, polite, and well behaved my kids are.  What's right for one is not right for all.  I would like to hear the negative things about Vyvanse as well, because meds are often switched and i wouldn't want to give my son anything with an awful reputation.  

[PillsnThrills87]

I for one, am not going to say anything bad about medication.  I've been on some form of it off and on since I was seven years old, and yes, I would have fallen apart without it.  That being said, it takes more than medication tho in terms of parenting.  It takes work, you need to be able to have a healthy relationship when you or your children are on and off the medication, or at least that's the lifelong goal we as kids and parents should want to strive for.  

I recently had to take myself off of Vyvanse for a few and rather alarming reasons.  For one, I was having chest pains and was finding it very hard to breathe during the day, or whenever I did anything that called for a any sort of physical capability. (walking, getting off the couch, no joke!)  I was having muscle spasms, blurry vision, was up ALL night, and had some mild hallucinations.  (ya, hallucinations)  Basically, If you go to the Vyvanse website, every "rare" side affect that it mentioned, I had, and so did a good majority of the people that I spoke with about their experiences on it, leading me to believe that maybe they're not so "rare".  I've seen posts about children on this medication, who are on 70mg, and all of these side affects were afforded to me on a mere 5omg.....scarey.  This is why I would like to hear of anyone else with who have had these same side affects, or anything worse.  Type away below.  


CG

[psycholove]

i am one person who totally disagrees with medicating a child with ADHD. Sorry if this offends anyone but look at parenting skills - i think this is where it starts...

[margypops]

Why not try the Food supplement way, in recent studies it was shown that Food supplement treatment of ADHD may be of equal effiacy to Ritalin All children and especially those with Learning difficlties , benefit from a multiple -mineral supplement with antixoxidants ,B Complex and Vitanmin C also Fish oil.2 years ago the FDA called for stronger warning labels for stimulant Drugs used to treat ADD and mainly on Adderal, Dexedrine, Concerta and Ritalin.and many experts say it is not strong enough stating that :misuse of amphetimines may cause cardiovascular adverse effects.Ritalin and amphetamines have become commonly abused Drugs concerns are to include seizures and vision problems, hostile and aggressive behavior.

[Hello01]

This medication helps my son by calming his hyperness but when the medication is waring off he gets violent. Can someone please with a medication that doesn't have horrible side effects.He is only nine years old.

[maryhope]

My son (6 year old) is currently crying hysterically as he is coming down off vyvanse of only 20 mg. Prior to this, he talked for five hours straight, talking talking and would not SHUT UP like a tweaker. And if we did not listen to him, he cried. The only good thing is he is not having violent tantrums (he's autistic not ADHD and very aggressive and impulsive). However, his eyes are dilated and he won't stop talking like he's spun out. He even stood in the bathroom and talked at the mirror. One night has been enough for us, this med was NOT the right one for him!

[margypops]

I am sorry you have this to go through ask your Doctor if there is anything else to try with less  impact, have you tried the supplement way, perhaps if you put it into your search engine and see if supplements help with Autism, we also have the Autism forum here on Med Help, could be others going through a similar problem.

[bekka4]

My son was put on Vyvanse it has been a nightmare ever since. First off my son was diagnosed a year ago with ADD. He is a very mellow child. I never had any complaints of his behavior or his attitude before Vyvanse. His main problem from the school was that he daydreamed to often and was unable to finish his school work. So with everything inside me tellng me no I went againt what I believed and took him to the Dr's. My son is a very small kid he is 10 yrs old and weighed 58lbs. he has a very small frame. After a month of being on 30mg Vyvanse he dropped to 51lbs. For him that seven pounds made a HUGE diffrence in his appearance. He was looking like a skeleton. So they lowered it to 20mgs. The teachers were not satisfied with the 20mgs because they said that he was starting to daydream again and the teachers wrote a letter to the Dr's. After 2 months they decided to go back to the 30mgs. TODAY I was at work and the school called me and said that my son's pulse was racing his heart rate was 147 and he was complaining of chest pains. I picked him up and took him to the ER. The doc there said that all this was from the Medicine and that it was horrible that they would prescribe a child of his size "diet pills" basically the same thing that is in these diet pills is in Vyvanse.  Thank God My son is ok. But I feel so guilty that I agreed to put him on this med. I have to take him back for a follow up and I plan on telling his peditrian that I am done. His health if more important than his grades. I am not going to go on the prescription highway! Other side effects that I have noticed with this med is depression and anger, he also has ticks from it. He will jerk his head to the side and clench his teeth. They say thats normal..YEAH RIGHT anyways would love to hear from anyone else with horror stories

[m6977]

I developed SVT after taking vyvanse for 1 month. 70mg daily 5 days a week.

[addmomme]

My son is 15 had been on meds since he is 6. Many different medications had side effects finally when he was 10 he started adderal whitch he did great on it.He was on Adderal for 5 years until puberty hit then the adderal stopped working. At the end of the summer beginning of Sept of this year he was put on vyvanse by the second week he wound up in the emergency room having panic attacks and describing a feeling of something bad was going to happen. He was on 70mg. After this his dose was lowered to 50mg at first it seemed to be ok then about a month after starting the 50mg he started becoming very nasty and irritable when coming off of it and stayed that way threw the next day when the next dose hit him again. I was told by the doctors that this is normal and to leave him alone for the first half hour after I thought the meds were wearing off to avoid any confrintations. Within a month or so after that things got worse he started becoming nasty and irritable while on the meds and then became very violant. I have taken him off completly now and trying to see if he can function off the meds. It's only been a week but so far he is doing great. I don not recommened vyvanse to anyone.

[skalliwag]

As an adult I was prescribed Vyvanse for attention issues I was having. I stopped taking it after a couple months, only to be left with some debilitating form of all day every day panic disorder, or at least that is what they told me it is. Now, I have had panic attacks like the ones described by other people, but THIS is something horrificly different. I am not sure I can even go with the panic disorder diagnosis in this case. First of all, there is no beginning and no end, it goes on all the time with varying levels of severity. I experience involuntary body movements; ie. my head and eyeballs are both forcibly turning to the left, while my right arm flaps up and down, or I suddenly squat down a little and my legs start running backwards. Needless to say this is ruining my life!!!! I am a single mother with many responsibilities including a full time school schedule. I am constantly "forced to" stand up, hold my breath, and stretch, or grab the back of my neck.
I guess what I need to know is if there is anyone out there suffering from this sort of disorder too? What is it???? Also, are there any lawsuits against Vyvanse for this sort of thing? Where do I sign up?

[dkpoto]

Medications help some adults, but I would never recommend Schedule II stimulants for children. Is the avoidance of F's worth the risk of your child ingesting stimulants more powerful than their street counterparts? Moreover, the doses recommended are done so by sheer conjecture. Is your child a stimulant experiment.

The irony is the people who peddle these dangerous drugs upon our children are the same hypocrites who believe Cannabis is evil.

Here is proof Cannabis is better for ADHD than chemical poisons:

http://www.adhd-information-exchange.com/Cannabis.html

Don K Potochny

[laur5441]

i was good with Vyvanse for the first couple weeks. i went from 30mg to 60mg then to 50mg and now on 60mg. i have to say this is the WORSE medication EVER! i got a really bad panic attack today and everything that it says to stop taking if you get these symptoms stop taking and call your doctor. well i got them and i can not tell you how bad i feel right now. i would not recommend Vyvanse to ANYONE. i would not want to see someone go through what i went through today.

[dollyn]

I don't know anyone who took this drug,but this should not be out there for anyone to take from what I am reading.

And like others have said they regret ever put there children on medicine.I to wish I had never let the teacher talk me into putting my son on any medicine even after she would call and write about the adderall (adderrall) not working and then the concerta not working.In my mind she shouldn't have been teaching if she couldn't handle a child when she was a special ED teacher and that was her job.
My sweet little boy changed so much and now since 2006 has had seizures.witch is a side effect of adderall (adderrall) and concerta.

I have already told my son doctor I will not give him any more medicines for adhd.
bad enough he has a lot to take with his seizures witch has not worked.

These doctors really need to look at everything they have going on in there life and make sure they are treating them right and not putting there life's in  more danger with giving them medicines,that could cause them there life's or others there life's.

[PamFP]

There will be a lot of you that don't agree with me, but I think Vyvanse is fan-tas-tic!  My son has been thrown out of two pre-schools, a summer camp, numerous sports teams, and I should have been on the payroll at his elementary school because I was there for meetings so much.  After 30 days he won the "student of the month" award.  No more complaints from school or camp or anything else.  He's been on it for about a year now.  He has lost a couple of pounds, but nothing drastic.  His pulse and blood pressure are normal.  He sleeps well.  He did so well on it that I recently tried Adderral for myself.  My Mom noticed that I'm much calmer, and I don't have any troublesome side effects either.  

[jmckay]

my daughter is currently on vyvanse 20 mg. although she oftens wonders around the house for hours in the middle of the night i have not noticed anything else diffrent good or bad.
she is 9 now we started this med because i have tried everything else, besides meds. we even held her back in 1st grade for she was having so many problems in school. in every other way in life she functions like other 9 tr old girls, but when it comes time to sit down and concentrate you lost her. she is a very sweet girl naturally. although i have experianced a alarming angry side to her i did not know exsisted when she missed 2 doses on a family trip.
possibly from withdraws?

[gstroop28]

I am going to jump in and say that Vyvanse for my 11 year old daughter (who has ADHD and a mild form or Aspergers) has been a MIRACLE!! She is only taking 20 mg a day, but it has helped her focus so much better in school, but it hasn't made her a zombie or hurt her in any other way. (She's been on it 4 months now)

I am nervous about her being on it long term, but while she has lost a few pounds, she has no trouble sleeping nor getting up in the morning.

Thank you all for sharing your stories, though - good or bad. It has really been helpful

[carelli]

My son took Vyvanse for two days and had severe side effects.  He threw severe tantrums, was completely hysterical, then at the same time so mellow he looked drugged out.  My son also could not sleep and experienced severe hallucinations.  This was a very scary experience for my entire family and my child.  I will NEVER give this to my child again.  I do know that my son's doctor reported these side effects to Vyvanse.  

[shea200]

I am going through a tough time. The doctor put my son on Vyvanse. Once he was put to 40 mg. I started noticing mild vocal tics. Well a few days later it went into full blown tourette syndrome, itchy rash, dizziness, And feeling really hot.This is really terrible and to see him like this is very sad. He never had this until he started this medicine.I had him at the hopital twice.He jerked every body part. Terrible facial tics. He couldn't talk.He had a hard time getting a word out.Also he was biting at the air.If I was near him he wanted to hit me.He also was highly irritable.He has been off the medicine for two days now. I see a little improvement. But the facial tics are stil there and some vocal tics.And slight jerking. I am so angry with this and with the suffering he been through.I will never have him medicated again. I was wandering if anyone has ever heard of this and can there be any law suit against this medicine. It was so obvious that people would stare at him.I forgot to mention his eyes would roll up to the side..He looked like he was just losing it. Thank You and please reply!!!

[Catmontty]

I love Vyvanse. It's the only ADHD medication that doesn't have a crash at the end of the day. My son took it from age 10-12 before I took him off. I took him off because he wanted to go a year without to see how he could control his ADHD without meds.  I started taking it a few months after he took it and stopped 2 months before I started trying to get pregnant. I was on it a total of about 2 years.

I love Vyvanse, not only did it help my son concentrate in class so that he wasn't doodling all day, but it helped me focus more at work, give me the motivation to go back to school, complete everything that I start, become a better parent, and become a more social person. The only side effect I had from it was decreased appetite.

Right now I'm pregnant and not taking any ADHD medication and my head is a freaking mess. I'm currently trying to find something that's safe during pregnancy.

[billybob125]

Myspace.com/thenextbobmarley

read my blog "100 day trip speeding to hell". i wrote it the night my heart stopped due to vyvanse. i was on the 70mg caps prescribed to me by my doctor. i was taking them daily for 100 days. the story is 100% true.

[bethurrabazo]

Kudos to you girlfriend!! You are so right on the money.

[Teachingmom123]

I have to say that I loved Vyvanse.  I took it for at least a year.  I did stop taking it because I was having some interactions with other meds.  I liked it because there was no withdrawal symptoms and no drugged feeling.  The one drawback was that I started grinding my teeth slightly and now that I am not on Vyvanse it is now more of a habit so it is hard to break.  But otherwise it was excellent and I would recommend it to anyone.  My doctor said that she did not want to put my son on it since it hadn't been on the market for enough years for her to feel comfortable with it.  

Someone had said something about not giving children medicine.  If a child has a chemical imbalance in her/his body and a medicine helps to correct that imbalance, why wouldn't someone give it to her/him?  As a Special Ed teacher, we are taught to teach a child on whatever educational level they are on.  Unfortunately a child's self-esteem can affect the improvement of that level.  I have seen many a child amazed/thrilled by their progress after they started taking ADD meds.  It improved their belief in their abilities and many times got them out of a self-contained class into a Resource setting.  Very rarely is medicine used (by a teacher) to control students due to bad behavior.  

I had a cousin whose child was ADHD and I could tell many years ago that he had ADHD and had spoken to her about it.  She and her husband were teachers and believed that they could address the issues without medicine.  Well in 8th grade they finally decided to visit the doctor when they noticed that their child's self-esteem was drastically going down.  The first day of medicine he came home from school over the moon!  He also promptly wrote out a list of things that needed to be done and put times next to it.  He has completely changed in a positive way.  It is a shame that they hadn't given the medicine to him at a younger age, his relief that he wasn't dumb was palitable!  
I am just thankful he is diagnosed now.  He takes Concerta, but all the ADD meds can stop working after a while (particularly when a child is growing and hormones change).  So keep trying.  All meds have side effects and affect each person differently.

And that is all I have to say about that! :)

[Vyvanse_experienced]

Vyvanse is an amphetamine and has all the characteristics of every other amphetamine, including methamphetamine (which is in fact prescribed sometimes as a drug called Desoxyn). ALL of the side effects that are described in every forum like this one are the same effects of methamphetamine and every other amphetamine. Do a simple search of "amphetamine" rather than "Vyvanse" and read about amphetamines, and notice that you are reading about your symptoms. In other words, stop rationalizing your drug taking and amphetamine habit by saying to yourself "b-b-b-but it's a chemical imbalance and its prescribed so it should be safe!!" This is a world where the institute for tobacco studies produces a research study saying tobacco use has no causal link to cancer (which is actually legal and legitimate because of the LANGUAGE used, and because anyone with a moderate knowledge of statistical inference knows that statistics and scientific results can be slightly manipulated in a legal way to be misleading to the public without being illegal). No matter what a psychiatrist says, they will always point either to a Physicians Desk Reference or a Vyvanse brochure. The Physician's Desk Reference is a good guide if you are dealing with a cancer patient, or someone with any physical illness that can be photographed. ADD/ADHD is not a measurable chemical imbalance -- even the studies that you supports of ADD/ADHD refer to are actually inconclusive (if you would actually read more than the headlines). Amphetamine pills are supplied to soldiers for the same reason they are prescribed to students and others. It is not a chemical imbalance -- Vyvanse is just a simple amphetamine that causes all the effects of amphetamine use including physical and mental arousal, increase in fight or flight response (elevated blood pressure, breathing, cortisol levels), etc. If your child has a problem on Vyvanse, and you do not understand what is happening, you need to do a search for the word "amphetamine" and notice that the literature (even the wikipedia page for amphetamine) explains perfectly all the issues. 50 years from now there is a good chance people will look back at us the same way we may look back at heavy smokers in the 1950s or earlier. For example, the FDA is JUST NOW beginning to take action because of stores such as 4 year old girls dying from medicine prescribed for bi-polar disorder and ADD/ADHD when the psychiatrist diagnosed her at TWO YEARS OLD. STOP HAVING COMPLETE FAITH IN THIS NONSENSE WHEN EVEN THE VYVANSE ADVERTISERS CANNOT SHOW THAT THEIR AMPHETAMINE PRODUCT TREATS AN ACTUAL ILLNESS. It is so nice for a company and for a psychiatrist to have a "condition" such as ADD/ADHD where the majority of the population can be "diagnosed" and "treated" with their product. If your child or loved one has problems while taking this, and you are completely ignorant as to WHY, then research "amphetamines" and NOT "vyvanse."
Amphetamines, like Vyvanse, if taken everyday for a long time (a period of months), will almost certainly make you impotent due to lack of circulation and blood pressure issues. It make also make you lose hair for several reasons -- lack of circulation to the scalp, hormone changes (similar compounds such as ephedra and androgen are used by bodybuilders along with amphetamine -- it causes their testicles to shrink and they can become prematurely bald). JUST LIKE a methamphetamine addict, people say WOW I FEEL SO GOOD ON VYVANSE after taking amphetamines for 7 days. Just like amphetamine addicts, they feel like hell if they take it everyday like they are prescribed for a prolonged period of time. Most of the positive responses are either from people who do not take amphetamine everyday or have only been on the drug for a short time.

[Rivera21112]

Im 22yrs & have been on vyvanse for about 5months now. I absolutly hate it but cant stop taking it. I was a big guy and with vyvanse my weight went from 235 to 165 in about 2 and a half months. Everytime i tried to get off the drug i felt like i had no energy and was dead through the whole day. Also started getting in deep depresions. I had all of the side affects happen to me but the weight loss kept me taking it. It made me feel better about myself even if i wasnt the same person i was. I was a very mellow guy, never mad and helped everyone get in a good mood. Now i cant keep myself in a good mood at all. The worst side affect i had was when my heart was beating out of control and would start blacking out. thats happen about 4 times and i still cant get off. I want to try again but i always seem to go back. I still havent told my doctor about my addiction to the drug but he can see what the tolls done to me. People please stay away from this. The 1st week was great. It made me fell normal. I was really lazy and a huge procrastinator and with vyvanse i just did it all without thinking twice. But after a couple of weeks it went away so i upped it. got up to 100mg but went back down to 70mg. Trying again to get off but to anyone who is considering this med, stay away.

[Sandman2]

You seriously need to communicate with your doctor.  The way the drug is affecting you is typical to the way that speed works.  If you had ADHD you would not be having these effects.  And it can be seriously addicting, as you are finding out.  It sounds like you were misdiagnosed, and you need to let your doctor know this.  By the way, if you are seeing a general GP, you might want to look for a specialist - like a psychiatrist  If you haven't already done so, you should also have a complete medical checkup, to eliminate some of those possible problems.

[trucco12]

Thank you for the reports on your experiences with ADD medications.  My son as gone through some highly negative behaviors since starting the medications and after reading some of the stories, I'm SO glad that we took him off of it after only 2 months.  We are still dealing with the after effects, however, I do see some improvement in mood swings and his mind and body racing out of control.  I have printed out some of your experiences to forward to teachers and doctors to let them know that it's because of the medication, that they nearly forced upon us, is the reason he took a turn for the worse.
Thanks again!  

[BBBM]

My son has been on Vyvanse for about 3 months now.  He has lost about 15 lbs. and for an 8 year old that was not over weight to begin with that is a huge deal to me!  He complains with his stomach hurting all the time to.  He has mood swings and has become "OUT OF CONTROL" in the mornings before the meds and in the evenings when the meds are wearing off.  I had better results without meds for his ADHD!  We are going back free of medicine.  I can handle his hyperactivity better than his temper.  He has become very disrespectful to everyone and he thinks being mean and cruel to people is Funny!  He wasn't like that before.  I am getting my son back!!

[kromi]

Please have your childs vision checked before turning to ADHD medication. Unfortunatly our Doctor did  not rule out a vision disability before perscribing meds. Two words -VISION THERAPY! F' VYVANSE

[Vyvanse_101]

Please Read:
I'm 18 years old and have been using vyvanse for approximately a week for ADD. In the short span I have been prescribed this pill I have experienced practically every side-effect this drug has to offer: Chest pains, blurred visions, weight loss, extreme irritability, and even some psychosis. I have disregarded these inconveniences as for even within the span of a week my grades in my classes have soared to a new level of academic success i could not have possibly attained while unmedicated. Even though this medication does a better job for ADHD/ADD than anything i have personally been on I would never recommend it to any child below the age of 15 or whom has mild anger problems.
Before I was taking vyvanse I was the calmest guy you can imagine. Now I experience irritability over small situations.
In my opinion vyvanse is a downer, while under its effects you do not truly feel calmer or more at ease. (personally)
I get emotionless, (many of my classmates have noticed the change and i've been compared to a zombie more than once) and very restless. As for dealing with school work it doesnt necessarily make me focus more but I feel more compelled to do it. In addition if the work is not perfect it must be done over. As if you had OCD. Just last night i spent 9 hours straight studying. (idk about anyone else having this but another benefit is the comprehension of subjects is made much easier along with memory. For example i had to memorize twenty difficult and long definations a task that would usually take me 2-3 hours. I had them all memorized within 20 minutes although i studied them for an additional 4 hours after i had memorized them.) I can imagine why this would be a parents ecstasy; not having to worry about screaming kids, and failing grades but i would avoid exposing such a powerful drug to your kids because the mental exercise is exhausting. Leading statistics say you only use about 10% of your brain when you think but while on this medication its seems more like ten thousand. Today is my last day on this drug because I cant take the mental stress any longer, it is truly unbearable how exhausted i am at the end of the day but i cant sleep because I want to do more work. I have no doubt in my mind that this drug can and WILL cause emotional trauma, dependency and mental instability with long term use. (Plus if you dont have health insurance your paying about 4 grand a year for this stuff) In conclusion i'll say this: this drug may not be all bad, different drugs have different effects on different people. If you want my advise before you go and get the 300$ bottle try and get ahold of a sample first of one or 2 and let your kid try it out at 20mg. If at the end of the day he says there is nothing wrong with it then this could be the right pill for him, if he says he/she doesnt then DONT TAKE THE RISK. I hope my experience helped you out.

[AdrienneM]

I am sorry but I get offended when people do judge people for putting their children on meds. My child is almost 5 and he takes Vyvance because he has ASD, PDD-NOS, SOD ,AND ADHD. sO WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS ALL THAT MY CHILD IS DEALIN WITH AND ON TOP OF THAT HE IS A 2 YEAR OLD IN HIS MIND. He didnt start to talk until we put him on the meds. He was finally able to calm downa nd concitrate on what was going on in front of him instead of a million things in literallly a minute. He also has aggressive probs on my 17 month old. He tried to kill her befor the meds and now his aggression has seased. Try takin my son to the store and being asked to leave JCPennies because people stare at you for their stupidity of the not knowing my son has Autism. I dont like the idea of my child on meds but God gave the Docs the ability to have brains to figure out what is going to help people who need things. Thank you for the low life comment on the top. Meds do help if used propperly.

[dollyn]

Take a look at this site and read about it and see what you have to say.

Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

Now tell us if you think that some children mite be miss diagnosed and put on the wrong medicines,because you see there are children put on these drugs when they should be on something else.  My point on this is before the doctors and teachers and parents really need to make sure everything is looked at before they just put children on these strong drugs that  have really bad side effects that can hurt them and take there life from them earlier then what they should.
Oh and do you think god just wants are kids to be perfect ,he gave them to us the way he wanted them to be and we are to keep them save and not drug them up with out knowing everything and trying everything.

I would also think that parents would try Vitamins like B6 and Omega 3-6-9 witch doesn't have the side effects that the other drugs do.These Vitamins have helped my son more then any drug out there for add or adhd.along with teachers who really want the best for him and that he likes.  

[krismel]

My 7 year old was put on 20mg in Dec 09, at first it made him sick to his tummy for a week. That went away and everything went well after that. His grades went from F's to A's and B's, and he himself said he loved being able to think good lol. Then in Feb he started rolling his wrist, eventually the other wrist as well. Then i noticed he would cry, and i mean a sobbing cry and couldn't stop over anything. His temper was out of control. Now not only does he have temper and emotional problems, he has a neck tic too. He rolls his neck and his wrist. Im soo worried about him, and I did call his doc, she told me to discontinue the meds. This med worked with helping him focus, but horrible side affects, and I dont think they should have the med out.

[Queenny2010]

About a year and a half ago, my daughter was put on Vyvance.  She began to change.. her mood and behavior was slowly changing.  I really didn't put 2 and 2 together until the dosage was increased a few months ago.  My daughter became a total "monster". Disrespectful, extreme irritable, mood swings, very aggressive, insonmnia, weight loss, headaches, vision problems, tics (first couple of weeks), teeth grinding, and totally out of control.  So bad the her school has labeled her as a "bully". I've taken her off and now trying to see if I can get her some help.  I want my sweet daughter back.  I'm praying that none of the side effects are permanent.

[Ceige]

Last october, I was having serious trouble staying awake at my desk at work. I was 31 and they told me to stop driving, and work forced me onto disability (FMLA or get fired). I went back to work Mid February thinking I had the issues resolved.  As soon as my stress level bounced back up I was almost unable to stay awake for more than 10-15 minutes. I was told by work to go back to my sleep Dr again or get fired. He said that even if they did the test for narcolepsy that all that would happen is that they would put me on a stimulant. I already see a psychiatrist, regularly. I am on a lot of meds, mainly to keep from hurting people, I am a very violent person off my meds. SO I went to my psychiatrist, and asked him to put me on a stimulant. So he prescribed 60mg of Vyvanse.  First time I took it was 8:30 AM...by 10am I was still falling asleep. So my dr said take another. After that I did not sleep for 40 hours. However, the next 3 days when I took 120mg in the AM around 7ish, I felt awake for the first time in 6 months.I was able to focus at work, people noticed I was not falling asleep at all. I was doing yard work, and going for walks. I had energy and felt refreshed. Vyvance was the best thing that ever happened to me. I now take 120 mg a day, and sleep through the whole night, and feel able to live again. I dont know about anyone else, but it truly helped me.

[alk41379]

I have a 10 yr old son that is Autistic and has signs of ADHD. When he was three we started him on Risperidal that seemed to do the trick! As he grew we needed to up the dose and now at 10 he is taking adult strenght doses of risperidal and they even added in another medication called depakote which in less than a years time they have had to adjust that dose three times. For the past two weeks he has been way "out of control" throwing chairs, tumping over desks, kicking people, screaming out loud, just really ugly!! I tried to get help and no one seems to want to help. But I got ahold of a drs office that he is a neuro-psychologist and behavioral medicine specialist and he is suggesting vyvanse, but we have to go and see him first. Has anyone ever had this type of problem?? Please comment back!!

[Sandman2]

Never had this type of problem, but looking at the two drugs - if I had to make a choice - I would go with vyvanse.  But thats not the point.  You (apparently) have a doctor who has given up.  You definitely need another opinion.  Frankly, I tend to like psychiatrists over psychologists, but if he is  a behavioral medicine specialist he should have the experience to help you.  Experience is really what it is all about!  And yes, you definitely want to go and see him.  You definitely want him to spend some time with your son.  You definitely want to keep seeing him.  You definitely want to pick his brain on ways to help your son besides just the medication.  You want to use his experience (not just the meds) to help your son.  Also if you have any other questions (and I would love to know how the meeting went and how things are going) please start a separate post.  I just stumbled across this out of curiosity. Good Luck!!!

[meghanjett]

I am not prescribed to Vyvanse, nor do I have a child. However, I have been taking 50-60 mg of this a day and I have NO complaints. I love it! I feel so happy and cheerful when on it. I am nice to everybody and am just a joy to be around. I am talkative and funny and extremely sweet and sensitive. It's like I'm really me again. I'm also much more focused in school and I've even got my diet under control. Plus, I have the motivation to do whatever it is that I want to do. So, I'm sorry you're all having trouble but, it looks like there are some mixed responses. Maybe Vyvanse just isn't for everyone. :D

[allmymarbles]

Since when is daydreaming a disease? What would we be without our dreams? And since when can a teacher make a medical diagnosis? And why would a doctor go along with it? Your boy is fine. Don't let anyone do him any more harm. By the way, the upper he was given negatively affects growth in children.

[allmymarbles]

You are on speed and you are addicted. Think about rehab. You have to get off this stuff slowly.

[sassy262]

My 5 year old son starting taking Vyvanse 20 mg the 13th of May the first few days it was like having a different child he paid attention more and could even count to ten now I have to say I am scared out of my mind last week he tried to strangle himself thats a mothers worst nightmare. Is this what the side effects are to the medicine? Has  anyone else been through this

[pippapeterson]

Vyvanse permanently changed my life. I took it for 6 or so months and it was bliss in the beginning. I could finally focus. I could listen as much as I talked. But soon things turned for the worse. I started to get irritable and hate just about everyone around me. I could focus still but it was on unimportant things. My relationships went down hill and I stopped taking it. Now nearly a year after I quit I do not feel the same. I have lost my ability to be comfortable in social situations (I used to be VERY social). I think it has caused almost an Autistic reality for me now that I am off of it. I honestly don't feel like I have ADHD anymore. I feel like I have depression, autism, bipolar disorder and social anxiety. If you ask me ADD was fun compared to the state of my head these days. Honestly, I blame the 70 MG Vyvanse pills my doctor prescribed me.

Thanks Western medicine, me and my health will be seeking aid elsewhere.....

[Omega123]

GET RID OF VYVANSE!! It ruined my life I cant stop having panic attacks if I have to fight it I will this drug hurts, my heart hurts no doctors can cure me. Take it from me its the most regretful thing I have ever done. I wish no one EVER feels what I feel. Its a lie its not right. Its very painful and those who thought of this drug should be punished. I dont want anyone to feel this pain, you gain suicidal thoughts, and the pain in your chest. STOP THIS!!!!

[nik318]

I was diagnosed with ADHD a couple years ago, started with adderall (adderrall), then went to Vyvanse a few months ago.  I am beginning to notice a few adverse affects but I am able to focus much more than ever too.  Though today I am laying off the caffeine as it seems to support flushing of sorts that I believe is a distant precursor to heart attacks (joy!).

***To those who are parents taking their kids to doctors; you're doing what a good parent does.  You are trusting medical professionals who know more than you do to take care of the situation.  This can go badly and it can go well, its not your fault, you are doing what is the best thing for your children!!!  I am not saying it would be detrimental to do your own research!  Doctors etc can only look into so much information while working, finding a far out study or other information that contradicts your doctors is not a bad thing.  Just make sure your doctor(s) is(are) the best qualified people to be addressing this issue with your children!  You don't want a doctor who specializes in geriatrics to be treating a child or vice versa***

To those of you having a hard time with Vyvanse, I empathize with you.  Though I don't feel what you're describing I do notice some very minor, but otherwise noticable, adjustments in my mind when taking vyvanse or adderall (adderrall).  Go to your doctor, go to a specialist, I know it sounds horrible to say "get more meds" but there isn't much you can do but do that, especially when you are still adversely affected by the vyvanse after ceasing taking it.  There is always something out there to counter something else, now whether it has been developed yet or is on the market yet, is up for debate, even look at dietary things that may impede its affects.  I used to have anxiety attacks before taking ADHD meds and I still have very minor ones but they appear to be associated with other things (lack of sleep and driving for example).

Children, or anyone, may change (and I mean in a good way, IE: not anxiety attacks) from these meds due to its affects.  I have found that I have had to deal with emotions that I never even felt before, anger etc.  I'm 27, and started taking them when I was 25, and I'm dealing with emotional issues most people deal with then they're, what, like 10?  Yeah, that's the reality of it, I need to develop the neural pathways associated with these things and go through some of the same learning experiences that everyone else did but at a much younger age.  Treatment can be a process, see your doctors!  If they can't help, go see another doctor!  Go see a specialist!  That's these peoples' jobs!  Some may be more focused on treatment than studying it etc, just find the ones that can do it or research it, the internet is a great place to do research, and as much as people knock wikipedia, there are usually referenced sources on wikipedia that you can go to confirm various claims made on a wikipedia page.

[SPD_MOM]

I take 70mg of it every morning, I am also 36 years old and a councilor.  I love it for me.  I have ADD I was diagnosed as an adult.  I got good grades, not great grades, I had wonderful parents and teachers that took time to help me stay focused to get through school, My life was so filled with cheos because everything in my head got jumbled around and I couldn't figure out how to focus on any task without getting side tracked over and over and my family and my body suffered for it.  Since I have been on vyvance, I can focus intensly and clearly on things, I do talk a lot but I am aware that I am doing it, I talk a lot because I am so excited that for the first time in my life I can unscramble all my thoughts and communicate them clearly without struggle.  I used to start a sentence or story and halfway through I would jump to another topic or just stop talking because I lost focus.  I am so much faster at everything I do now because I can think each step through and stay focused on my tasks.  It also curves my appitite but I am responsible and mindful that I do have to maintain a healthy diet.  I used to eat because that was easy to focus on and food didn't ask for anything in return.  I would feed my problems, now I eat just because I need a certain amount of food to be healthy.  If you don't eat you will get the shakes.  As for children I don't know I thought the drug was for adults.  My son has Sensory Processing Disorder the school thought he was ADD, because some of the behaviors are very similar, but what is causing the behavior is very different.  He takes no drugs, he sees a Occupational Therepist at Easter seals and now that I am able to be more organised with my acctivies and thoughts thanks to Vyvanse I am able to focus on his theropy at home as well and his grades and behavior have improved.  Most kid's with SPD never get diagnosed because they have been labled ADD / ADHD.  Look into it, check it out be your childs advocate not a victim.  I was my son's voice and now he and I are so much better.  

[lexyyy]

Hi I'm seventeen years old been taken vyvance for bout four months now, I have  constant nauseated feelings off and on I feel shakin and my heart keeps racing my whole body has those tinlgyly feelings and I jus feel like crying if one could please tell me what is happening please let me know asap! I don't know if its a panic attach offa and on or what but I'm also perscribed to steraline?!

[jennaisaspaz]

I am a seventeen year-old female, taking 30 mg. I have had a mixture of good and bad experiences while taking Vyvanse. While the medication does what it's prescribed to do (keeps me focused, alert, etc.), I can't help but be worried about the feeling that occurs during the comedown. As it slowly starts to wear off, I feel very frustrated and irritable, and especially anxious. Nothing specific sets me off; it can be anything. I'm usually an upbeat and happy teenager, so I know this isn't normal for me. The other problem I'm having is that I'm starting to notice that the Vyvanse is wearing off a lot sooner than it used to, though I know this generally happens while taking a medication over a long period of time. I just recently upped my dosage to 40 mg, because I need to be able to make it through an entire school day. I'm curious as to what people are doing to solve the irritability/anxiety problem, so if you have any suggestions please let me know.

[Jorg]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.  My 7-year-old was diagnosed at age four. My 14-year-old was diagnosed at age eleven.  Vyvanse has been a Godsend for all of us.  Side effects are reduced appetite during the day, easily remedied and dry mouth.  Absolutely no other side effects.  My 7-year-old and I take 40 mg and my 14-year-old takes 30 mg.  She has no hyperactivity.  Quick summary of meds history:

ME:  
1.  Concerta - no appetite during the day, binging at night leading to weight gain; reduced yammering but limited increase in productivity, extreme dry mouth and extreme rage when meds wore off.
2.  Adderall (adderrall) - same as Concerta but weight loss made me tolerate longer than I should have. Rages almost made family leave home.  Lasted a few months then I switch to XR.
3. Adderall (adderrall) XR - extreme dry mouth and heart palpitations which stopped when I stopped the meds.
4. Vyvanse - GODSEND!  No letdown, no high, dry mouth managed with small sips of water throughout the day. Increased productivity, even moods, improved social interaction.

7-YEAR-OLD
1. Daytrana - patches caused allergic reaction resulting in welts on the skin.  Three years later the scars remain.  Left her "under control" which is not what we wanted.  Almost droid-like.
2. Concerta - see my note above. Add crying over EVERYthing.
3. Adderall (adderrall) - highs, lows, rages, letdown and extreme headaches.
3. Vyvanse - see my note above.

14-YEAR-OLD
1. Adderall (adderrall) - extreme headaches, extreme dry mouth and complete shutdown of her normally fun-loving personality.
2. Vyvanse - ditto on the bliss above.

Slight changes in formulation of one med to another can make a huge difference as can the dosage.  The Vyvanse gives eight even hours of coverage.  To manage around the loss of appetite, try packing a bigger breakfast and eat fruit or salad during the middle of the day when you aren't hungry.  The fruit hydrates and lets you get something healthy into your body when you really don't have a taste for anything special.  Then a lighter dinner and tons of water during the day should do it.  

Best wishes everyone.

[fighting]

My story would be 10 pages...my son, 10 years, adhd, vyvanse is great during school, at night he is a monster! He is getting worse every day. Mood swings, anxiety, defiant, depressed, hits himself, thinks no one loves him! Were in the begining process of weaning him off, i anyone has any advice please help! DO NOT GIVE YOUR CHILD THIS MEDICATION! My sweet loving child is very mentally sick from vyvanse, and i cry every day! I am a mother who cares, but i am living in hell with this. Its like my 10 year old is a meth addict, and i promise for those who thinks you finally found the right medicine for your child like i did...think again, the mg. will continue to increase and so will the side effects! DO NOT GIVE YOUR CHILD VYVANSE! I also have to give him clonidine at night to put him to sleep. My family is having to go to therapy b/ c of vyvanse. DO NOT GIVE YOUR CHILD VYVANSE!!!

[Sandman2]

Interesting.  He is great during the day when he is on vyvanse.  But at night (as the dose is no longer effective), he is a monster.  So you have to give him clonidine.  
   Sounds like the vyvanse (which is a long acting drug) is acting way too long.  What kind of a doctor are you seeing?  Vyvanse is given because it can't be abused by teenagers (among other reasons).  Not sure why it would have been prescribed for a 10 year old.  Which leads back to my question of what kind of a doctor.  He should have been all over this problem much sooner.  By the way, make sure you are tapering off the clonidine as you taper off the vyvanse or you will have a lot more problems.  There are other meds that should work better for your son.  However, there are also a lot of methods that can be used at home and at school that will also help him.  Hopefully, this is what the therapy is about.  All studies I have seen have shown that a combination of meds and therapy are the most successful.  And if therapy alone works, that is wonderful!   Good Luck

[electrickitten]

This medicine has been a double edged sword. While I feel like I'm more productive when I take it, it has enduced and enraged a deep depression within me. I'm obsessed with suicidal tendencies, although I keep in mind that it's the drug and not me, and that I should not kill myself. I have a history of depression, and when I was 14 I had a serious attempt. Three months ago I got angry at my boyfriend because he triggered me, and punched a wall. I broke my hand bone, 5th metacarpal, and had to undergo a painful surgery. I've been withdrawn from people, and seem to be losing some of my relationships. Not to mention that my boyfriend broke up with me 3 days ago...
Luckily, I am very calm, and the changes in my actions (besides the hand breaking) have been mostly subtle. Although the depression, and feeling of absolute weakness will not go away.

I have decided to stop the Vyvance after finally telling my doctor. I took the last pill today. I'm terrified that I'll lose a little productivity at work, and gain a little weight, but this drug can kiss my ***. I've had enough of the depression, and I'm finally setting my mind on positive thoughts instead of self-defeating ones.

Enough of the though-loops where you obsess about one thing constantly, and you overthink everything. I tend to be self-critical, so my ego and sense of self-worth have taken a beating. But I can't be a victim of my circumstance and let my addiction to Vyvanse make me quit my life.

I take 30mg (or is it 35?) tablets about 5 times a week. I can't imagine a young child on this medicine.

Parents, beware: That same mental alertness that makes your kid more productive also makes him/her question themself in very devastating ways. Kids are guided by social interaction with their peers, and this medicine makes you antisocial. This causes a severe depression and constant need for approval. Since the kid takes the drug they can't stand the weight of their own emotions so they lash out in anger or irritability. Either that or they become withdrawn because they feel like they can't relate to anyone. This is a standard symptom of amphetamine based drugs (especially for kids who are more suceptible to depression, as most are). Please monitor your child closely and if they seem like something is wrong and you can't quite put your finger on it, know that your child is going through hell.

What is worse for an active mind than constant confusion?

[Bryson38]

Here is an interesting story about Vyvanse. I took Vyvanse for a year 2008-2009.  This drug worked well for me.  About 8 months into it I started having severe neck pain followed by intense migraines.  After about 5-6 migraine episodes I was walking into my office and I lost all function in my left side, after arriving at the ER and subsequent CT scan, I found out that I had suffered 4 strokes.  I was in very good heath (not over weight, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol) etc.  The only thing the Drs could point to was the Vyvanse. they found no clots, no hole in my heart, no plaque build up.  Since being off of it...no more migraines and thankfully no more strokes.

My message in this post is to be very careful-listen to your body, don’t ignore things like
dizzy spells, chest pains and headaches and especially don't do it because you're afraid the Dr. is
going to take you off the med- trust me after almost dying and spending a year in rehab
it’s not worth the risk
Now I don’t know whether or not the Vyvanse caused the strokes or if it was a symptom of the type of drug...a
Stimulant.  But I know this; it was one of the 2 or both.  The risk of stroke is in the formulary for Vyvanse as well as all stimulants.  The scary thing:  I saw several Neurologist before the strokes...not one even hinted that the vyvanse was causing the migraines let alone the risk of a stroke ; most weren’t even familiar with the drug.  I’m not saying to go out and scrap your stimulant/Vyvanse,  that’s for you and your  Dr. to decide, the risk im sure is not very high but please be careful and again listen to your body and report anything do your doctor.

Cheers

[k1037]

I get so tired of these kinds of discussions.

Guess what would happen to you if you took more Thyroid medication than you needed (or were misdiagnosed and shouldn't have been on it)? Your eyes would bulge, your weight would plummet, your blood pressure would skyrocket, you'd have daily headaches, heart palpitations, be at risk for heart attacks and strokes, and all sorts of other medical problems for weeks, all from something as innocent and natural as thyroid hormone.

I've been on ADHD meds (the latest of which is Vyvanse) for 8 years. I need less and less of a medication the longer I take it, and each dose begins to last longer. My heart rate sits around 80, I can exercise without any problem, I can take *naps* while the medication is in effect, my blood pressure never jumps over 110/70, and I never have so much as a headache or a dry mouth.

If you are having crazy side effects (which are clearly associated with overdose and/or a high) from any kind of ADHD medication, it's a pretty clear sign that the strength is far higher than what you need or that you have been misdiagnosed. There is a pretty clear progression of ADHD medications, and the absolute *LAST* thing you try are amphetamine-style medications like Vyvanse. For someone who truly has ADHD and for whom lesser medications do not work, Vyvanse and Adderall (adderrall) are perfectly safe and work very well.

[bapetnut]

What are these people talking about the pill "Vyvanse"? I have had ADHD for yrs and seem to have no problem with Ritalin. I didn't Like Adderall (adderrall) at all it made me "spaced out" and not me..I have never had a problem on Ritalin 10mg 3 times a day for the last 4 yrs. I guess I will have to read up on this pill Vyvanse caz it does not sound good and never heard of it in my nursing career, They usually RX Concerta for children and NEVER Ritalin for kids due to could cause heart problems. Sorry to all of you with ADD/ADHD on Vyvanse..I am going to check into it. Never heard of it before and my Dr;s never prescribed it before to patients..It was either Adderall (adderrall) or Ritalin for adults, and Concerta for children with some weight loss at first with both meds.. Good luck to all:)

[RebeccaLynn27]

I was recently informed that I suffered from ADHD, bipolar, depression, anxiety, and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress DIsorder (PTSD). I'm on three different medications as of right now (Citalopram 20mg, Lamotrigine 25 mg, Vyvanse 50 mg). I started taking one medication at a time so that I was able to determine what ones "worked" and what ones did not. I had no trouble with the Citalopram or the Lamotrigine, but Vyvanse has brought an odd habit to surface. I've been taking the Vyvanse for a few months now. I have experienced some of the side-effects such as: dry mouth, loss of appetite, and insomnia. I have no interest in eating. I forget about it all day and end up having to force myself to eat. The dry mouth isn't really something I am concerned about, and the insomnia is something I have dealt with before this medication. All of those side-effects were listed on the information sheet I received from my doctor, therefore I expected them. However, the odd habit I mentioned above is something that scares me, and worries my family. I have spent up to 6 hours in the bathroom analyzing my body, which I have always had a problem with. I have acne, and I get ingrown hairs on my arms and legs. They are not noticeable to anyone else, and they're not painful at all. I've been picking my body apart trying to get rid of all of these things. It drives me crazy because I have tried to stop but I just can't. I keep picking at them and ripping my skin open to get rid of the parts I can see on the surface, and the stuff below the skin. I have holes in my skin, some that are as big as the circumference of an eraser on a pencil. I used a pair of tweezers, and I kept pulling things out of these holes that I THOUGHT were hairs. I looked it up last night and I also looked at the layers of skin and from what I researched, and to my understanding, I've dug into my skin past the epidermis and dermis, and the hair-like things I was pulling out were nerves, and possibly blood vessels and a muscle called hair erector muscle. I have scars from doing this, and I cry over it all the time because I just can't stop. No one knows what I am talking about when I explain this to them, I've asked my doctor and they weren't able to give me any information but they did prescribe cream for the open sores to heal, and the scars to diminish. The bad thing about this is the Vyvanse has helped me stay calm without making me space out, it's given me much needed patience because I don't focus on the little things that make me angry. I feel a lot better when I am on the medication and I've tried to stop taking it but I lasted only a week and I was the most unpleasant person after the 2 days without the medication. I'm assuming the reason I pick my body apart has something to do with the improved concentration, because I'm so focused on what I'm doing when I'm picking at myself. Also, from standing up for hours doing this in front of the mirror, I have developed severe back pain, and I'm worried it could be worsening my scoliosis. If anyone has had this happen to them, with or without the medication, or has any information or advice, please let me know! Thanks :)

[Kiddo25]

I really need some GOOD MEDICAL advice on this medication.  I am 28 year old Managemnet/Tech consultant and for the past 10 years I have been taking 10mg regular Ritalin (since MBA program i have been taking 90mg a day) and 20mg SR BID, I am unwilling to switch as I can control my 10mg easily depending on how much i have to stay up and study... i do go on days without sleep and get evverything i want to get done which is good and than crash sleep for a full day usually on weekends...

Now everyone's comments on V is scaring me because i do have sever panic attacks at times especially with school and relationships when it doens't go the way i want... and for those who posted and siad they have experienced panic attacks I am sincerely sorry because it is something that I don't want anyone to experience EVER!!!  When I had panic attacks it gets SOOOO bad that I rather die (thank god to Ativan now I know when I almost have a panic attack i am able to stop it before it gets worse).... so this is PART ONE of my question for everyone who went through it on V

Secondly, I am on Neurotin (Gabapetin) for my neurological sensitivity and my displaxia on my hip which I need hip reconstruction for... since I have been diagnosed I have been taking Imovane (Zopiclone) not as a sleeping aid but 7.5mg breaking in half at a time is the ONLY PILL that relieves my pain (as it is CNS depressant).  NONE of the pain medications (i am talking about Oxy, T3 etc etc works for my pain and i absolutely hate Oxy for its constipation side effects that after my arthroscope surgery I rather be in pain than take one more oxy)... so my second question is as we all know any amphetamine based drug will decrease your circulation and someone posted DVT if I am correct..or something similar... ) How is V compared to the regular good old ritalin on this issue?

I am already on so many meds for my pain and my panic attacks.. the last thing I want is to have any more stress or suicidal thoughts (which I had a few episodes before).  I know I have quite a bit of problems and the MBA program does not help at all in terms of my stress and lack of sleep...

I am from a medical family background so I would appreciate someone who have similar background (or is knowledgeable enough to really guide me here) for me to switch to V.... I have the medication infront of me but I am NOT WILLING TO GO THROUGH PANIC ATTACKS or make my current medical condition even worse

Please reply and thank you guys...  

[Kiddo25]

well... no one posted anything to he-p me so i decided to try 30mg 1/2 at a time... you think amphetamine on the streetes are bad?  you think crystal meth kills you fast?  think again!!!  whoever invented V shold USE THIS DRUG AS A TEACHING AID... THESE ARE THE SYMPTOMS THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE DRUGS!!! DON'T DO IT!!

SO HERE IT  GOES: my wo4rst fear is panic attack... throughout the whole entire time whenver artivan wears out... i feel it again.  but then you get really drowsy on ativan so your pbody wants to orest, your brain wants to work, so you are strugggling like me to finish 4 papers it was one of the worst weekends ever.. but then again, i cannot say it's worst, because I felt like I was dreaming now i think back..i don't recall much other than lots of LIFELESSNESS but FOCUSED and finished the reading but for the article to be on heathcare industry which I enjoy, because of V I was like emotionless, not excited about new initiativeso r inovations, or anything.. just read read and nothing ,,,, i couldn't be alone i thougtht i would have a heart attack if i am alone and i had a sense of horror arised ouyt of me the whle timelike someone will kiill you today... it was scary

then occassionally i had suicidal thoughts thank god i didn't feel that (h maybe i did but i was too LIFELESS to realize i was alive still)  if it wasn't for ativan i probably would have suffered brain dgaame from passing out with no oxygen in my head and hyperventilating \

as I have read every single word of this forum before i took itw, none of the symptoms were surprissing in any way, and I also had them all before vyvan'e help.. now the interesting part is the hallucination part... it doesn't relaly belongt in the amphetamine faily but i felt it.. i saw shadow move and i always psycnoanalyze things.... when i use get stressed or panic attacks, i hear my mom screaming about everything i do and i am just wrontg in evry way, so this time around hearing my bf talking to another girl.. well i can't complain compare to my mom
scream

i hear things.. i hear music all the time i compose and p;lay and i dont' care if anyone thinks i am crazy i aoways have voices song
\ol9j

[Sandman2]

  Oh boy, I think I know why nobody has replied.  You have got a full boat going on and not many people have been on that boat.  
   As an aside I can relate to your Oxy statement.  I was on it after hernia surgery, and if you think constipation was bad for you - imagine the fun after hernia surgery.  Thank god for stool softners.
   Anyway, I can't help much.  Hopefully, you are seeing a psychiatrist.  I don't think any other medical specialist could handle the combination of effects that you have going on at this time.
  I assume that you do know that any med taken for the first time is a trial and error approach.  It really takes some experimentation to find the right one and the right dose.  If you have a doctor that says take this and call me in 6 months, its really time to find a new doc.
  I would also recommend that since you have adult add or adhd, that you visit these two sites.  http://jeffsaddmind.com/for-first-time-visitors
           http://totallyadd.com/#/welcome/
  Hope this helps a bit.  best wishes.

[momandnurse]

It's not about parenting.  In some children, there is a real physical imbalance that affects their brain.  I have two children, one is in the gifted class the other is on Vyvance for ADD and still struggles with learning.  But at least on her medicine she can focus and with extra work, she can pass without nightly tears and breakdowns.  She told me, "On the medicine I can ignore everything around me like it's just me and the teacher."  
Both kids raised just the same, in a loving house, with two parents exactly the same way.  Trust me, it is not the parenting.

[Zippie99]

When I read these posts, I sense a negative attitude about these meds.  By no means am I a proponent of medicating any child unnecessarily.  My HFA (high-functioning autism) 8 yr old is also AD/D.  For years I worked with his specialists using ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) skills to help him with staying on task.  He would always come to me, “Mom, I am so confused...” My poor child tried so hard and still could not stay focused long enough to learn core concepts, those that many children his age take for granted.  Being mainstreamed in public school system, even his teachers and aides agreed -- this was something he was unable to correct himself.  The neurologist put him on the low dose of Focalin XR and within 6 weeks, he became star student of his class for the month.  He gained independence amongst his peers and new confidence in himself and his abilities. As he became used to it the time-release medicine would wear off by the end of the school day.  So it then it became increasingly difficult for him with after-school activities such as homework and sports.  As with any medication -- you must continually monitor its effectiveness, especially with child’s ever-changing body chemistry.  Because Focalin XR is time-released; doubling the dosage would not make it last longer.  So I inquired about Vyvanese, because it lasts longer (13 hours) and can also be taken in food.  It could solve 2 problems: the medication was not lasting long enough and my child cannot swallow pills/capsules.  He has been on it since the beginning of the school year, he has no side effects and for now, it is what works for him.  I clearly understand what my child goes through because I realized I have AD/D.  Many people do not realize that a non-medicated AD/D person will find themselves doing 15 different things simultaneously -- all at different stages – and nothing is completed.  Only those with it; can even understand how overwhelming it can be to live with.  The medicine is not a cure, but it does help you stay focused so you can get stuff done.  

[adambr59]

im 13 and i took vyvanse this afternoon..my legs and arms feel like jello and my stomach achs like a *****. im twitching like crazy, and i feel like im waiting for something..but i have no idea what im waiting for. wtffffff

[daydreambeliever2010]

It's interesting hearing all of the negative feedback. I was on 40mg and recently had to get off Vyvanse because I am pregnant. It made a huge difference for me. The first two days on it I had a really hard time sleeping, but I was fine after my body adjusted. I also made sure to take most of my dose in the morning and the rest at lunch so it carried me through the day. I am sorry so many people here have issues with it.  I was on ADDERALL (adderrall) before and that was aweful for me!!  Even my husband can tell a difference from when i was on adderall (adderrall) vs. Vyvanse vs. now off (loves me now, even when things are undone around the house).  

Maybe the med type is wrong and a different medicine would work?
Or maybe schools ahould let kids run around outside for a while before working? Exercise helps me a lot.

[daydreambeliever2010]

FYI- I had only read a portion of the posts when I wrote that response. I do think that anyone who is experiencing any sort of side effects should go IMMEDIATELY to the doctor who perscrived it. Additionally, I have had a wonderful psychiatrist. I soul NEVER recommend going to a GP for this stuff, unless they were really experienced and up-to-date on all of this. There is a lot of stigma about the disorder and the meds (with good reason for misdiagnoses and med abuse) and if you are misdiagnosed you will have a different experience with the medication. Also, medication isn't for everyone. Seek alternative therapy, counseling, or some other type of support!  I have two timers I use throughout the day to time my work and breaks. I have a graph paper moleskins that I use for lists and plotting out my day.  I have a weekly/monthly planner as well.  And a techy phone for alarms appts etc.  
Does it work? When I remember to use it it does!  I had it for when I was on the medicine and now for when i'm not taking it. A launchpad place work well too! My husband helps to charge my phone when I forget to and he makes sure it's at me launchpad for when I get ready to work in the AM.
That's just me... but there are TONS of things out there that can help if you really are dealing with the negatives of ADD/ADHD.
Good luck!

[sherwoodjeff]

I also now have all day panic attacks...I feel like  I am going to have a heart attack all day long!!! I STARTED VYVANCE 6 MONTHS AGO!

[allmymarbles]

Re: Your first entry

I stand with you completely. It is a sad day when the standard for normality in a child is getting good grades.

[summergirl70]

I would have to disagree with your post. I have 2 children who never gave me a minutes trouble and one that has been a nightmare to raise. She has several mental disabilities and cannot function without the medicine. I tried no medicine foregoing any "peace" it might have brought me. Without it she constantly does things that endanger her life. She is lucky to be alive right now. But since taking the medicine has ceased all of her dangerous behaviors. With that being said I HATE medicine and resisted having her on it so many times. I am still searching for other alternatives but until I find something that works will continue the meds. I don't like the things I am seeing about Vyvanse as this is what she is on but I don't know what else to do. I love her and want the very best for her. There are some very sorry parents out there who are to blame for their childrens misbehaviors but to all who want to say that all parents are bad if their children are being bad you are being ignorant. I have devoted my life to making sure my daughter gets better even when that meant not dating for 3 years. I am a good parent and I have a difficult child. I will never stop trying to protect her and do whats best for her!

[atravis]

I am new to this forum, and I only came in here hoping to find other parents that are experiencing similar problems as my family and I are.
My son was diagnosed a couple of months ago with ADHD. I've known for years that he had a problem staying focused and he was a bit more hyper than my other two children. But I did not want to be one of "those" moms who medicated her child to get a little bit of peace around the house. So my husband & I found ways of dealing with it....constant reminders to do homework and chores, cutting his sugar out of his diet, eliminating all food that had red dye in it. Put him on vitamins to increase his focus (which didn't work, by the way). Whenever he entered third grade, his workload increased, as well as the intensity of the type of work that he was doing. His grades started dropping, even. His teachers recommended that we have him evaluated, so I did. I still waited another 4 months before I allowed the doctor to put him on medication. My husband and I talked to our son about this...we told him everything that he needed to know...about ADHD, about the medicine, etc. We gave him a choice and waited. He chose the medication. He said that he couldn't focus on the assignments and he was frustrated.  
The doctor put him Vyvanse. The first month was amazing. His grades went up by 10 points. It was wonderful! He was happy, calm, and his reading focus improved.
BUT- It has been nearly four months. He was expelled as of today and put into an alternative school for his fits of rage and lashing out at the teacher. My son has never had a problem with depression or anger and has always been a happy child. But this medication has turned him into a monster! His good grades are not worth the change the he is suffering, and the anger and depression that he is feeling with it. The doctor tried Risperdone in addition to the Vyvanse, but it made him sleepy and "zombie-like"...and to be honest, I wasn't that comfortable with the first medication, let alone putting him on an anti-psychotic to reduce the effects of the Vyvanse.
I'm not sure what we're going to do now. I am looking into alternative medicines and additional diet changes that may help, but to be honest, we're all at a loss here. What I do know is that Vyvanse has been the biggest mistake that I have made to my son's well-being and I refuse to allow this madness to continue!

[Ashleyx]

Well I'm 14 & I take 40 mg VYVANSE let me just tell you the terrible stuff that's happend to me TODAY:::
Well I had ISS and for those who dont know what that is it's in school suspension, I have many study halls so I only had work for a hour and the other six were absolutely insane! For some reason I keep getting aggitated with anything the teacher would say & that's usually not like me I'm always respectful & what they say goes . But what happend was I was getting really fidgety and bored and the teacher would say something to me and I'd reply with a wise remark and I'd start flicking paper at my friends so I got moved to the desk infront of the white board and on the board someone drew a weird looking animal and I got scared! Like I didn't show that I was scared but it was all mentally I was afraid! And I had to sit there and stare at it for probably 20 minutes and as soon as the bell rang & the teacher poked her head out the door for the next teacher to trade spots I took my stuff and went back to my old seat & she asked me what I was doing and to sit back down snd in return I responded no I'm not sitting there it's stupid and we started arguing  and at that point I was ready to walk out and just sit in the main office but my friend looked at me & told mr to sit there for a minute who is also on vyvanse! So I sat back by the hidious creature and moved as soon as she walked out of the room. The next teacher came in and said he heard all about me and I wasn't phased I started flicking papers and got yelled at twice for it. Then another teacher came next period and I can't remember what I was doing but he threatened to kick me out and to ask this girl sitting by me what it was like and I stood up for her and he said I'm not pickin on her and I said oh my gosh yes you are and I started just freaking out. But last period  me and the last kid I was telling you about were talking about vyvanse and we both get agitated easily and act to impulse and he said that his first fight was on his medication and when he's on it he hears things sees things and twiches alot. & than this other kid i meet there said he wanted some. He didn't say he was addicted but you know when someone is like 3 time today he keep asking me if I could give him some of my pills I didn't know what to say the kid was completely normal and he POPS VYVANSE! It was a crazy day it was just me and 4 other kids in one room for 8 hours 2 kids on kicked out and left me with these two kids who I've never meet a day in my life but we're really good friends now.this medication deffinately messes you up mentally and no matter what any doctor says it IS ADDICTING!
* I have ADHD and nothing else at all no anger problems at all

[ZRD]

I am on 70mg Vyvanse for an odd reason... I am 27 and have been diagnosed with schizzoaffective disorder bipolar subtype since the age of 12. Well I just recently started seing a new psychairtst and he questioned wether the antipsychotics and antidepressents actually did not cause what is called a paradoxical effect in me. So he took me off of them and asked me if I was willing to go inpatent and try something that would induce the symptoms of my supposed illness to make a better diagnosis which I thought was absolutely crazy but I was willing to really see. Well he put me on Vyvanse 70mg instantly and I expected to go into a full blown mania with psychosis. Ironic thing is I did the complete opposite. My symptoms went away. So we thought mabey we would try without anything and I becaame very emotionally distant from the world so we put me back on it now  I am now relaxed, laid back, and without symptoms of psychosis or bipolar. This has been 8 months now that ive been on this medication the whole time. I was on disability now I am working full time and at risk of losing my SSI which I am actually proud of. My state does alow me to "buy into medicaid" because I make under 20000 a year but its alot better than being given 7000 a year that I felt like I didn't earn. Now within the last two months though I started to have some side effects and he added clonidine to counteract them which has really helped. Now I do understand my case is very unusual and do not recomend it to anyone else diagnosed with any Psychotic based illness but if you really want to rase heck I personally would go with the antipsychotics which runed 15 years of my life. And ive seen many with permanent life long debilitations caused by them. I personally would like a controlled medical study done around the basis of my case to find out how common it might be. Vyvanse has been a life saver for me but I do understand where others are coming from but each case is individual and I personally think any med no matter what it is can totally work for some and completely screw up others. But for some looking for a Vyvanse alternitive I would look at ironicly Lovasa which is basically a medical grade fish oil I would recomend the Lovasa over otc fish oil for two reasons 1 most otc fish oil doesn't contain enough DHA and AHA to be effective without taking a huge amout of them 2 the risk of mecury in otc preperations Mecury is thought to be a possible cause of ADHD in some children. I will look up some studies showing Fish Oil and its effects on ADHD. Oh by the way why I am recomending this is my neighbors kid was diagnosed with ADHD and tried everything and it made him worse then she found this option and it has changed his life. It will take weeks to work though

[Sandman2]

   Wow, that is really something!  Does that mean that you had ADHD the whole time and got misdiagnosed because it was so severe?  And just being curious was it a psychiatrist that first put you on the antipsychotics and antidepressents?
   Also wanted to add that Costco carries a wild salmon fish oil tablet that is very good.

[Bosak]

I have been taking pills everyday for the past 12 years. expect on a couple occasions were I would try different forms of medication or just quit for a couple weeks.. I am now 18. I have been diagnosed with Adhd, major depression, odd, ocd and anxeity.  Growing up I felt like a test experiment. Having many trials and errors with different kinds of pills.   Growing up your body changes, adapts and reacts differently to different chemicals. I would grow tolerant of pills, the doctors would then raise the dosage or switch the pills.  A lot of the time the pills I was taking that were meant to help me were actually making my problems worse. It was a cycle. We'd figure out with trial and error what pills would get the desired result. It would work for a good year or two, but then I would grow tolerant and we'd have to change again.  My pills stopped working again. I now feel these very intense degrees of negative emotions. It overwhelmes my mind and thought process. I was recently hospitalized for suicidal thoughts with (compulsive tendancys).  The amount of stress and anxeity i was feeling was creating more psychological problems.  id be stuck in this high intensity self destrucive thought process. I was aware of it, I knew what I was doing to myself, But as much as I tried I didnt have control over it. I had to let it run its course. I felt like my mind had a mind of its own. It is the strangest thing expecially because I was aware of it and had no idea how to deal with it.   I started developing a tourettes like symptoms, except its not caused randomly its cause by my emotions. The intensity of these emotions cause my body to react to them. I would react in many different ways.  I was hospitalized because my intrusive suicidal thoughts were becoming more detailed and more frequent. Creating a deep desire to kill myself.   I still had to take the pills even though they didn't work. (At the hospital the focus was on how to deal with "lifes problems", Not med problems) I had to wait to see my doctor again. I've tried stopping cold turkey years before but having withdrawls is a very scary thing, epecially when your so young..    As of now I am on flouxotine and vyvanse. I take these pills to focus,and I cant tell you how many times I zoned out typing this. I take these pills to stabalize my mood.Everyday I'm dealing with something different.  I am not healthy anymore. I'm very sluggish.  Im shaky, my pulse rate is high, Ive been having random extreme twitches and spasms. I just learning that the ringing I've heard in my ears for as long as I can remember isn't normal. When all this time I just thought it was the way the silence sounded.        I want to live IN the now, instead of waiting for my med's to work "right." I don't want to be a guinie pig anymore, I want to solve my own emotional problems,  instead of depending on a drug that's making it worse.  

[Sandman2]

   Don't know if it will help, but check out these two links to people with somewhat similar problems.
   http://www.medhelp.org/posts/ADD---ADHD/Starting-Vyvanse-w-Mixed-Feelings/show/1505331#post_6845201
   http://www.medhelp.org/posts/ADD---ADHD/Dexamphetamine--Epilim-for-ADHD/show/1505888#post_6843409
    I also think that the more that you can learn about ADHD, the better you have a chance of dealing with some of the things affecting you.  With that in mind, you might want to check out the two links I suggested to paying it forward.  Best wishes.

[unclesam710]

I think sometimes we are not heard by the psych doctors because they get bennies from Drug companies.   My son just turn 11 3 weeks ago and is 56lbs.   Hasn't gain weight since two summers ago when I took him off the adderall (adderrall) xr.  After summer was over he gained 5lbs.  The psych doctor but him on this drug Vyvvanse 30mg.  He has been trying to gain weight but when he does the school gym teacher makes him exercise more because he's slow.  They took the fat out of milk lunches.  I have him bring a lunch now.  The first month of school he forgot his lunch box.  He brought two lunch boxes home with lunch in it.  Teacher knew he was not eating and throughing lunches away.   But I got two sandwiches back?  How long was this going on?  Doesn't Doctors or Teachers care when your child looks like their being stared? Either by the child/ and or the meds.  I had to see the Assistant Principle on this one!  He then was watched for 2 months by placing my 5th grader with 5 year olds to eat, while his peers watch this!  Now I make him drink an Ensure everyday.  Still can't gain.  I told the Doctor I was going to take him off the meds and her eyes light up like I was taking her money away!  He now is more compulisive and stuck on one thing.  He is slow at getting things done at home and confused at where he is going through the house.   He use to be fast at getting ready and fast in Gym class.  Being on this Vyvvanse is worst than Adderall (adderrall).  His additude and talking to self and always agrueing with me is worst than I ever thought.  I now think it is the meds.  Being on this medicine  not only makes him near death but changed my son social life of being pick on more and his whole additude and being more depend on me.  More forgetfull and lost!  This is not the same child!  I am starting today to slowly get him off the meds.  The doctor didn't even give me a small dose package.  She told me in the past to take him off on weekends and back on for school days.  Can you believe that!  Mess with drugs with a underweight child.  on off on off  but don't put it in writing!  I am going to listen to that!  

[Sandman2]

   Ok, ton of stuff going on here.  
First thing that comes to mind is that he needs have a 504 plan or an IEP so the school teachers and that system know how to deal with him
   Second thought is that you definitely need more information about ADHD.  A book that will give you the means to get the school lined up on your side, and help you with him is "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley.
   Last thought is that your doctor is not making any money off of the meds.  Its standard practice, don't use the thought that your doctor is a money hungry person as an excuse for doing anything.  However, your doctor should have been giving you advice on the weight loss problem. And the school should have definitely been more involved!  
   I can't tell what kind of a doctor you have been seeing.  There are definitely some more skilled in working with ADHD then others.  
   My personal advice is to get the book I recommended.  Read up on ADHD and then using that information go from there.  If I can be of any more help, please ask!

[smartmom43]

Those of you who say only bad parents put their kids on drugs are DEAD I mean DEAD wrong and very ignorant!  I have never been a supporter of using medication.  I have a son who has been struggling in school since the beginning.  Before he started school I was home with him everyday, never did a day of daycare.  I read to him everyday, took him to every free child activity I could find, I sang to him, played with him, cuddled him, created art with him etc... It was wonderful.  No sign of ADD at all!!  Than SCHOOL entered the picture.  We hit a brick wall!!  Reports came home, he's not doing anything, he's daydreaming.  I was in disbelief.  So much so that I asked if I could sit in the back of the class one day in second grade and observe.  (I was a teacher before I had my child.  I have a Masters in education.  So I knew what I was looking for.) In first grade I asked his teacher if she could try to ignore the negative behavior and not point it out to the class everyday.  He was becoming a nuisance to his classmate.  They all were getting on his case to DO HIS WORK.  Sadly this teacher didn't get what I was trying to tell her and she continued the negative reinforcement, causing my son to retreat further into his shell.  Kindergarten teacher diagnosed ADD right away and she he needed to learn how to conform.(he was never a behavioral problem and never disrespectful to any teacher-just daydreamed and did nothing in class).  Third grade I had conferences with his teacher and guidance because I was still hearing the same exact concerns since kindergarten. We tried a positive behavior chart.  When he completed his work he would get a smiley face stick.  It did help keep him on track but he hated it.  (for what ever reason). Fourth grade more of the same, daydreams doesn't do his work.  I had him tested for gifted because despite it all he was a solid A/B student.  I took him to be tested privately WISC test.  The test said she felt like she was talking to a college student.  His verbal skills were off the charts scoring 142.  But his processing was off the charts in the other direction 82.  No one had answers for me.  $400 dollars later I had a worthless score because the school would not accept him as gifted because of his classroom performance.  None of his teachers would recommend him.  I stormed the administration building an marched into the gifted office furious and in tears.  The nice pleasant lady in charge was so patience with me and nodded as if she cared and understood.  Her answer, let the school test him.  So in fifth grade he sat through another three hour test.  The tester said there's no way a child with ADD could sit through such a long test.  (She didn't ride home with him after the test-He was one angry child.  Said his feet were freezing and couldn't stand sitting in that one room all that time.  It was a horrible experience for him).  A week later we all met in the guidance office.  The nice lady from the gifted department, the principal, one of his teacher's(who wouldn't recommend him for gifted), the guidance counselor, who's job was to record the minutes of the meeting and me and my husband(my son's natural father)
I had the results of the testing ahead of time.  His score was 125(this was averaged with that extremely low processing speed).  I prepared for the meeting the night before(stayed up all night writing my own evaluation)
So there we sat, my husband and I across the table from the panel of "professionals" .  It was decided before we entered the room.  There's nothing wrong with your kid.  He's not special in anyway.  He's getting good grades but doesn't meet the number for gifted 130.  But they made sure to tell us, if he doesn't start putting forth effort he his going to have big problems in middle school.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Why the hell do you think I've tirelessly working to figure it out all of these years.  (OH and they did recommend medication in an oh so subtle way, because legally their not allow to do that.  It's all about CYA-cover your a__). We left the meeting with nothing but the promise that your kid's future looks bleak!  How comforting.  
Oh and I didn't mention the endless fights about him doing his homework.  It was sheer hell for everyone, including his younger brother who had to hear it every single night!
Onward, sixth grade, middle school.  I hold my breath. Maybe this will be the year it all clicks for my bright child.  I month of middle school passes and bingo, a concerned math teacher calls me.  I think this advanced math class might be to hard for your son.  He just sits there and literally does nothing. Won't even take out a book.  We meet I give her a brief overview (by the way before son entered middle school my husband and I called for a meeting with guidance, administration about our concerns with where this was going and what we might do to head it off)
Ah, now the wise elementary school's panels predictions were coming true.  Why?  because you can't pass in middle school without doing the classwork.  It's part of the grade.  No more could my son get away with sitting in the class doing nothing, not studying and getting good test grades.  Everything counted.  So what started to happen?  FAILURE!!  Not right away.  First he got is first C than his first D and finally in seventh grade his first F.  
Public school was a success.  They had beaten the child down to nothing FAILURE!!

con't on next comment(I have exceeded my word limit)

[smartmom43]

I could not let this happen.  It was destroying me, my family,  and most importantly, my son.  I knew this was not simply a case of a LAZY child, which was now the label they were slapping on my child!  Enough!!  Home schooling and private school were not an option as money was tight and I felt being my sons teacher would not work for us.
But at this point I was considering virtual school.  Than my sister recommend a doctor that she had heard about.  (because this consistent behavior from k to 7 needed to be address somehow).  Enter the medication Vyvanse. (Oh I didn't mention that my sons handwriting was very bad and he almost had an aversion to writing.  He was being criticized by his seventh grade science teacher about his terrible handwriting.  This made him feel shttier than he already was feeling about himself)
I reluctantly and very hesitantly started him on Vyvanse about 4 months ago.  All I can say is OMG all the problems that nobody could solve for 8 years DISAPPEARED immediately! I talked to his math teacher a week ago and let her know what was happening and she said she could tell me the day we started.  The change was that dramatic.
My son did not want to take the medicine.  I hated "pushing" it.  I have never ever been a "drug" user. But I was scared for his future the labels the feelings of inadequacy failure.  What would it lead to?  What would his future hold?  
He took it and could not believe how focused he was.  Writing no problem!!  Teachers were being nice to him.  Homework, no problem.  No fighting. No misery. No more crying. (I guess that makes me a bad, stupid lazy mom, as many of you have suggested. Taking the easy way out.  What a piece of crap I am.  A no good for nothing parent.)
I still lie awake at night wondering if I'm doing the wrong thing for him.   I don't want him to be dependent on this medicine for the rest of his life. But the other alternative was more destructive to his well being.
I'm not going to stop searching for answers.  We will try the natural way by changing diet.  I always explore and try environmental techniques.  I find positive discipline and reinforcement works best.
In the meantime, my son is regaining his self esteem and learning finally what it feels like to be a "good student" and get positive feedback from teachers.  I'm hoping these new skills, handwriting, completing assignments, organized in a planner(all of which he is doing well for the first time in his short life, will remain with him, with or without the medicine.)
We will eventual try it without medicine and see what happens.  I'm hoping and praying for the best for my son, his future and his happiness.  Isn't that all any "good parent" wants for their children HAPPINESS!?  Isn't that all any of us really want for ourselves?!

I hope you  were disciplined enough to read this whole long post.  And I hope all the idiots out there learned something.  And will keep their ignorance to themselves.

God Bless!

[motherof3989]

i would have to agree with smartmom43...no lady you are not a horrible mom otherwise that makes 2. my son was diagnosed with sever ADHD @ the age of 3 and we did the diet change and the support groups and early intervention childhood classes...you name it we did it. It wasn't until kindergarten he was exposed to meds we started with a non-stimulant med but yet he still had issues with the impulsive behaviors and the OCD then we slowly introduced adderal 10, 20,30mg each month the dose increased but the behaviors only deminished for a short period of time. when we finally got a good dose and the behaviors were minimal we had to figure out how to have the drug in him longer then 5hrs so we put him on the extended release adderall (adderrall) after sometime none of the adderall (adderrall) worked a total of 2 yrs and the behaviors came back. My son has now been on Vyvanse for a yr and a half and we just increased his dose to 60mg wich is a lot for a 7yr old boy, but it does the trick and without the meds it is complete chaos and he feels horrible because he cant control his impulses. its not an easy way out it is looking out for the best interest in my child. i will not sit and watch him fail in life, education, or watch him become part of the jail system and guarantee half the ppl in the system have some mental, or learning disabilily, adhd, bipolar etc. and all because they're parents didnt want to take the easy way out. well call me what you want imma save my child and he's going to do something with his life and all because of EARLY INTERVENTION, SUPPORT GROUPS, A LOVING AND CARING MOTHER and VYVANSE

[dollyn]

I never said that any one was a bad parent. what I have said is that Teachers and Doctors need to test for everything.

My son has LGS .But his teachers said he had add and adhd and I have even heard Bipolar.

Many Children who have Seizures you would think they have add or adhd or both of them.

so I belive before putting a child on these strong drugs that the Doctor should run blood test and and mri and a video eeg.

your son sounds a lot like my son was before we found out that he was having seizures . there are so many different kind of seizures and some you cant even tell the child is haveing seizures.

[AshleyTheKid]

I'm a 16 year I'd high school student. Who was taking Vyvanse, and before that Concerta. I changed from Concerta to Vyvanse, because I eventually got to the highest dose, and it just stopped working for me. I went back to the old hyper self I was. When I first got on Vyvanse I stayed up for a week straight. I had gotten no sleep at all. After I finally got over all that, it went very smoothly for a little while. I was concentrating on my school work, making good grades. Then after a while I just started feeling weird. Like I wasn't my self anymore, I was never talking to my friends or anyone for that matter. I just became isolated, and eventually became very depressed. I would just cry for no reason, and I was very irritable and complained about everything. I also lost a very large amount of weight. I would never eat, I just never had and appetite anymore. Also when the medication started to wear off, is when I would become severally depressed. I couldn't take it anymore, I hurt myself a lot. I didn't know what was happening to me. I felt like a completely different person. A person that hated everything. My friends started to become worried and everyone would ask what has happened to me. I just told them I was taking medication for my ADHD, ADD, and ODD. I told my mother about it eventually, and she took me back to the doctor. And all he did was up my dosage. I begged for my mother to make me take it anymore, it was ruining my life. In my opinion, wanting your child to have nearly perfect grades, isn't worth ruining their whole entire childhood. I stopped taking all medication for my problems, and now I believe my life, my attitude, and even my grades are the best they have ever been. I'm proud of myself. And I will never take any medication like that ever again. Neither will I give to my children when I get older. I believe it is just a life ruining, not a life saver. You shouldn't try to make your child perfect, they'll figure it all out on their own soon enough. I did. I hope my story helps you all with your children.

[candy952]

I am 19 and started taking 40 mg of vyvanse 6 months ago to help me focus in class and complete my college work. Initially, I lost a ton of weight and became obsessed with controlling what I ate even when not taking the medicine.  I became anti-social, very stressed, and very intolerant of others.  My friends noticed the change in my personality, but I convinced them it wasn't the vyvanse.  Although I knew I was an emotional wreck, I could not stop taking it because I was addicted to losing weight and getting good grades.  I get very horrible headaches at night and can't even see straight, yet my addiction to the drug overpowers these side effects.  When I stopped taking it for a few days at the start of summer break, I immediately became depressed and tired all the time.  I had no motivaiton to get up and function without taking the pill.  I was anti-social and even developed social anxiety.  I am smart enough to know how horrible this drug is, yet cannot quit taking it and therefore, cover it up from my parents.  I "fake it til I make it", but inside I am miserable.  My sister also takes the medication and has the same  side-effects, but we do not talk about it.  I hope I can eventually take myself off this drug, but if you have not started taking it... stop immediately.  I am now a different person and hope I have not lost my life to this drug.

[CMG32]

I've been on Vyvanse since October last month.  I figured I'd just throw in my two cents.

Background:
All my life I've felt "off".  Meaning that I believed to be a very smart person but all that "boring stuff" I never could focus on, especially in school.  Grade and High School, I had friends who were A+ students and felt the same about the subjects I couldn't stand, or really, couldn't focus on.  Yet they managed to pull out A's on tests while I was staring blankly, managing barely C's.  The subjects I loved, I got A's, but even then, I found it difficult to fully engage in them the way I wanted.  My younger brother and I were both similar in that regard.  Except he seemed to get in trouble more often.  (I tended to be craftier and when the hyperactive side of me struck, I weasled my way out of consequences)  I remember teachers when my brother was in second grade saying that my parents should consider getting him medicated.  At that time, being medicated for ADD/ADHD was taboo.  My father attributed it to laziness and lack of determination.  Being that I was afraid that he would brand me the same way as my brother, I kept my mouth shut.  I didn't want to tell him how I was struggling so bad.  I even convinced myself he was right and I just wasn't trying hard enough.

Well that was years ago and since then my brother has learned to live with his lack of attention, trying to make it work for himself.  However, I found that I have gotten worse.  Once in college, I discovered that I could no longer pick up a textbook for a class and read it.  I was staring at the lines.  I'd read it over and over, but none of the information sunk in.  It was just words.  I couldn't connect the meaning to something so simple.  I knew I wasn't an idiot so there had to be something else.  At that point, I also had grown accustomed to sleeping with a fan on.  Not so much for the breeze, but more for the white noise.  It seemed to ease my lack of attention by tuning out the outside world because I couldn't do it by myself.

In the years since, I have declined to where I was forgetting simple things that were said to me just seconds before.  I was walking places and bursting into sudden sprints and not knowing why.  I even turned down random streets and pulled into parking lots, putting my car into park and not having a clue as to what I was doing there.  I couldn't shut my head off, like constant TV static.

I needed to go for a physical last year for other problems.  My doc was booked for 2 months so I saw his PA.  After the physical, I mentioned the memory issues.  She said well, it seems ok to me, next time you need to do something just concentrate hard on it and FOCUS.  Yeah, really good medical advice.  I decided then to seek a psychiatrist.  I went to one clinic where a doctor was accepting new patients.  I made an appointment and crossed my fingers.

My time with him was very relieving.  I felt like I wasn't alone.  I explained my problems and he wasn't quick to say ADHD.  He said possibly depression.  He put me on Wellbutrin because it has a mild stimulant and referred me to see their clinic's psychologist for a more in depth analysis of my problems before he and I moved forward.  He wanted to make sure that there wasn't something else he was missing.

Well, after I saw the psychologist, he said that I passed the tests, but everyone presents differently.  After reading my history and hearing me, he believed I fit the ADHD mold but he also said I've learned to live with it so well.  Adults don't just develop ADHD.  Its since childhood.  Either you learn to live with it, or it will rise up and just get worse.  He said even though I did well living with it, my recent history showed it was rearing its ugly head in full form and I needed to stop it.

Wellbutrin, as you probably guessed, did absolutely nothing for me after a few months.  I went to the psychiatrist again and he prescribed me Vyvanse.  I started at 40 and have since been brought to the max of 70.  All I can say is FINALLY!  FINALLY something that works.  I feel completely focused, motivated, energized.  I do have side effects.  Some days worse than others.  Dry mouth and no appetite being the worst.  But really I was almost 200 lbs and I'm down to 148.  Can't say I'm complaining.  I do get tachycardic now and then, but my psych is watching to make sure its not serious.

I understand how people are complaining about side effects, but you must realize that everyone is different.  Not everyone is going to find their answer in this medication.  Your body's chemical balance and wiring is probably different than mine and the rest of those who have found incredible relief with this drug.  My answer to you:  Find something else.  Just because it makes you uneasy doesn't mean anything.  A drug like this would not be cleared unless it showed significant improvement in a majority of people.  I work in health care, so I feel I can legitimately say that with complete confidence.  Trying new medications is all trial and error.  I've had bad reactions to other meds in my past, but I know its not the drug, its me.  Drugs are not tailor made to fit a person.  That's impossible with side effects that come with everything.  But given a little will power and sacrifice, you can tailor make yourself so that you can fit the medication.  And I've never been happier.

(Ok, more than 2 cents...more like a dollar)

[Sandman2]

      thank you for your post.  Everyone is different.  You were finally fortunate enough to find the right doctors    
    If you haven't done so, there are two very good sites dedicated to adult AD/HD.  One is http://jeffsaddmind.com/for-first-time-visitors    and the other is totallyadd.com.  Check them out.  There is a lot of really useful information.
    Please feel free to add your experience to this forum !!!!!

[FarrahDD]

My exPierence with ADHD med's, being a patient myself, has substantially maxed every standard I have. Yes this drug is abused by some and you can blame parents for being failures, but when that kid lands a 300,000 $ job, because from middle school all the way through the day they take their MCAT they're recieved outstanding marks, they'll be thanking their parents. You don't have to take it every day, that's the beauty of it. You use it to help and improve your life. I have a severe case myself. I struggled with ferocious grades until I started taking it. I now have straight A's in medical school. If I didn't get focused, buckled down and tuned out the nonsense around me, there's no possible way I would've made it this far. I'm not advocating this to children by any means. The story about the kid with the ticks is horrible. You also have to ask yourself, what kid doesn't day dream? Every kid doesn't want to pay attention in school. They're fine at least until they start puberty. They're minds and bodies are in no shape to handle 20 mgs at a young age. As far as anger and all that, that's why you wait till their older, to handle their emotions better. When on the medication, irritability is present, although in young kids it will take the for of anger. I'm just trying to make it clear, just because it doesn't work out alright for one person, doesn't mean it had a bad ending for another.

Farrah.

[Moke64916]

Amphetamines for ADD/ADHD work well.  I would not dis any of them.  It all depends on the persons brain chemistry and how they take the medications.  I've been taking adderall (adderrall) XL for over a year now.  I've had no problems with it.  Vyvance would be the same.  

[ditzyandhappy]

I had a similar story last night, it happened to me.  I was on Vyvanse for 5 months then stopped taking it and started again about a week ago at the same dose.  i am 33 year old. female non smoker fit mother of 2 small kids.  It was working well for me except I started having neck pain and migranes (migraines) which I had never had before.  The headache was behind my eye, I was having a heated discussion with my husband (probably due to vyvanse and coming off it) in the evening and then suddenly I was unable to speak, my thoughts and words became mumbled, my head felt like a ballon and my eye and face felt numb. I was unable to see out of one eye.  It lasted for about two hours, I was terrified and afraid to go to the ER. I insisted I was fine and went to bed.  My doctor feels I may have had a stroke and told me to get off the vyvanse completely.  I hope it wasn't a stroke and that I can go back to being my ditzy happy self.

[ditzyandhappy]

Thanks so much for your post. I was always wondering what happens to a kid who starts meds at around my own child's age 6 and continues for years into adulthood. Your story is really eye opening.  the thing about the medication is they are a symbol of hope for parents who truly love their kids but are frustrated by the school system, their expectations, and wanting to do what is best. I was diagnosed with adhd and failed in school but as soon as I got into college, even after dropping out my creativity and daydreaming was rewarded. good luck to you, life is a grind and no drug can fix it.

[ditzyandhappy]

Thanks so much for your post. I was always wondering what happens to a kid who starts meds at around my own child's age 6 and continues for years into adulthood. Your story is really eye opening.  the thing about the medication is they are a symbol of hope for parents who truly love their kids but are frustrated by the school system, their expectations, and wanting to do what is best. I was diagnosed with adhd and failed in school but as soon as I got into college, even after dropping out of high school.  In college my creativity and daydreaming were rewarded. good luck to you, life is a grind and no drug can change that fact or give you the coping skills to deal with it.

[Rickjones]

Im 17 now and have been taking Vyavanse for about 4 years now. i was on a few other types before Vyavanse such as concerta since i was probbaly 7 or 8, and for as long as i can remember i have had heart palpitations, i am not sure if its my add meds or anxiety attacks. i have never said anything about it to my doctor or parents and im starting to get scared.. like i am waiting to die and i have been gettting really paranoid that something horrible is wrong with me. the servirity of my heart palpitations differ sometimes lasting only a few minutes to about half an hour. i have gotten to the point where i barley eat any more and sometimes have nausea . I seriously DO NOT RECOMMEND ADHD meds for children any parents out there really need to talk to their kids about this and the way it makes them feel. the heart paplpitations come and go sometimes i have a few in one day or only one a week or sometimes i go months without having one. But recently i have noticed a increase of heart palpitations, nightmares where i wake up with my heart beating out of my chest, chest pain and frequent head aches. As for anyone who thinks Vyavanse is not addictive IT TOTTALY IS!!!! it feels like im on speed and sometimes when i froget to take it i crave the rush. I am a pretty stressed out kid tho.. ive always delt with family problems and a few years ago my father died and i spiraled down mentaly and was almost admited to a mental hospital. When i do not take my Vyavanse for an extended period of time i get wild mood swings and am really angry, which normally ends up with things being broken.

[Sandman2]

   Rick, your only big mistake is not talking to your doctor about what is going on.  These meds effect everybody differently!  Thats because we all are different, have different needs, different body weights, etc.  The point being you were put on Vyavanse when you were 13.  You are a very different person now.  The Vyavanse could be part of the problem or it could be all of the stress you are under.  Anxiety attacks will also cause any of the things that you mention.  The point being - don't be afraid to mention this to your doctor.  These are things that can be dealt with!   Good luck!!!!!

[Rickjones]

Thank you for the advice and tomorow i am either calling my doctor and seting up an appointment or going to the ER if the chest pains and headaches keep up along with a rapid pulse while at rest. i have dealt with the heart palpitations for a while and i know what feels normal and currently things just dont feel right. Thinking back i felt fine and hadnt had any problems for a month until i went to the dentist a month ago and had some cavitys filled and my dentist used a reusable syringe i think. all i know was that it was a syringe and it was metal. could my problems be cause by some sort of infection due to my dentist not sterilizing his tools correctly? also i was recently raised from a 50mg to a 75mg vyavanse then back to a 60mg when i felt way to drugged out and am trying to wean myself off by getting my doctor to lower the dossage each checkup. I feel myself starting to become really addicted to them.

[Sandman2]

   I do think talking to your doctor is a good idea.  I also wonder what kind of a doctor you are seeing, as at least some of this sounds anxiety related and you would want a doc who is familiar with that.
   By the way here is a link to some general information on anxiety - http://www.medhelp.org/medical-information/show/408/Generalized-anxiety-disorder?page=3
   I didn't realize it could also cause headaches.  Its probably worth you doing a bit more research into it.  I'd bet with the end of the school year, tests, etc. that you have been under a bit of pressure the last month or so.   Best wishes.

[Doogood19]

I'm 16 years old, male, 6'3", 185 lbs. I have been prescribed Vyvanse to treat my ADD symptoms for about two years (currently at 70mg), and the results have been amazing(so far). I have maintained a 4.0 GPA or  higher in every grading period so far in my highschool career. But, I have recently noticed that I often get dizzy while doing cardio workouts, and a dangerously high heart rate.  However, I'm in no means out of shape, and am extremely ripped. I'm worried that Vyvanse is messing with my heart, and I'm not sure what to do. I was a 3 sport varsity athlete as a freshman, and this issue is really giving me a scare. I would just stop taking Vyvanse, but it helps me do great in school, and I'm getting to the point where I'm dependent on the drug.  What do I do?

[VyvanceMom]

We have been on vyvance for almost a year now. It has worked wonders for my son( who is 11). From the very start, it totally made him do a 180. He was struggling with school, friends and at home. They Vyvance has been amazing. The only thing that worries me is the weight loss. He went from a size 16 slim back down to a 12 slim. We let him skip the pill on the weekends and just eat.
Bottom line, If I had to do it again, I would.

[wilton55]

Sorry all, but, add messed me up all my life. Back then there was no Add. You  just was slow and had mediocre grades if you tried real hard. could not keep focused, could not read without stopping and going back to read what you missed. could not have conversations without your mind wandering. would have to ask people to repeat what they said. never could listen to my teachers, my mind would wonder too much. I am now 55 years old. diagnosed with add 2 months ago. was put on adderal now on vyvanse. I wish so much I had this as a child. everything is good now. life is altogether different. I am normal now. like I am supposed to be.  

[hkestel]

I have two children diagnosed with ADHD. My 13yr old son has been on Adderall (adderrall) XR, Focalin and currently taking Vyvanse 70mg daily. It has helped him with his concentration tremendously. Without meds, at the age of five, my son only slept 4 - 5 hours a night, was constantly talking, running, singing,climbing, jumping, CONSTANTLY !! He could not hold eye contact for two seconds, could not follow directions for anything...it was like trying to talk to someone on a week long cocaine binge ! These medications have definately helped him be able to function more at school and at home. My 12 yr old daughter was on Vyvanse until just over a month ago. She would pick at her skin...any small bump, scab, mole, skin tags...she has scars on her arms now. The psychiatrists answer to this problem was to increase the dosage...then give her Zoloft for OCD...I was not happy with this. Her pediatrician tried Intuniv..at first no difference then at 2mg she dosed off and on all day and couldn't sleep at night, Stratterra made her violent..I weaned her off all her meds. For over a month she has been off meds. She now has stopped picking at her skin, sleeps better, stomach has stopped bothering her, not constipated all the time. These medications affect different people differently...thankfully neither of my childern have had any heart related problems from taking stimulants.

[Hit_The_Snooze]

Just because you had a bad experience doesn't make it right to pull it off the market. Sounds like you all were prescribed the wrong dosage or were misdiagnosed by your doctor and given the wrong drug for your condition. I'm narcoleptic and I have been on Vyvanse for 3 years to combat my narcolepsy. It has completely changed my life and I am so thankful that I have my pills. I only wish I was treated sooner in life - but most people don't get properly diagnosed with narcolepsy until their early 20s. Docs always jump to conclusions and think the sleeping is depression... It takes them forever to realize that I was not depressed I was tired!  I wish I could have been awake for high school and college. I feel like I missed out on a lot. But now I have Vyvanse and I have a healthy sleep routine, my immune system is working properly, I have a working metabolism again, I have energy to go on long walks, I don't fall asleep behind the wheel, I don't forget things like I used to and I'm not grumpy from being overtired.  Thanks to Vyvanse I can experience life as a normal person. I'm so grateful for this drug!

[Hit_The_Snooze]

Just because you had a bad experience doesn't make it right to pull it off the market. Sounds like you all were prescribed the wrong dosage or were misdiagnosed by your doctor and given the wrong drug for your condition. I'm narcoleptic and I have been on Vyvanse for 3 years to combat my narcolepsy. It has completely changed my life and I am so thankful that I have my pills. I only wish I was treated sooner in life - but most people don't get properly diagnosed with narcolepsy until their early 20s. Docs always jump to conclusions and think the sleeping is depression... It takes them forever to realize that I was not depressed I was tired!  I wish I could have been awake for high school and college. I feel like I missed out on a lot. But now I have Vyvanse and I have a healthy sleep routine, my immune system is working properly, I have a working metabolism again, I have energy to go on long walks, I don't fall asleep behind the wheel, I don't forget things like I used to and I'm not grumpy from being overtired.  Thanks to Vyvanse I can experience life as a normal person. I'm so grateful for this drug!

[whidbeymom]

My son is currently taking vyvanse and he is experiencing hallucinations. It has been working great all accept for that. He has been on other meds and would have a temper and still couldn't focus or sleep. All accept for the hallucinations I liked it. But I don't like it no more.  He has been having issues the whole day with seeing bees everywhere. Crawling out of the couch or down into it.  Even into the ceiling and on blankets and on our decorations in the house. He even thought his brother had bees on him. So I will be calling the doctor in the morning.  My son went from a A/B student to D/F student when taking him off meds last year. I saw him calm down a bit. But not be able to focus at all.  Now it is heart breaking to see him rocking, crying and freaking out from seeing things.

[carebear610]

im currently on vyvanse and after about 5 months i started having severe panic attacks that forced me to go to the ER. My heart rate was very high and is lasts for hours unless i take xanax.I also constantly grab at my neck and move around. I'm just scared that this could be life threatning

[carebear610]

i have exactly the same problems with vyvanse. I also take xanax to calm myself down, but im worried this medication may cause life long problems. I've been forced once to go to the ER because i felt like i was having a heart attack. I've never had panic attacks before vyvanse and now they diagnosed me with a panic disorder and its not a quick panic attack they will go for hours unless and take xanax. I thought i was the only person that goes through this.

[dixiechick41]

My daughter is 14 years old.  She has been diagnosed with ADD-combined type since 12.  She has taken Focalin XR for a year but had a lot of side effects, insomnia and stomach pain being the worst of it.  So, recently her doctor switched her to Vyvanse 40 mg.  She has always been impulsive with her anger but since starting Vyvanse a couple of months ago the evenings and mornings are horrible!  She screams, kicks, and hits.  She just can't control herself.  After she has taken her medicine it takes an hour or two for it to really calm her down.  After talking with her doctor yesterday, we decided to take her off of it.  I much rather take the normal ADHD impulsive anger then what I have seen with her on vyvanse.  

[SamanthaRose13]

After reading posts and comments from all over forums and information sites, i can only notice that males have more bed experiences than females do with vyvanse.
I am a 19 year old female and have been on vyvanse for almost a year now and the only negative aspect ive ever experienced is trouble falling alseep and a little weight loss which ive easily managed by having alarms set in my phone.
Nevertheless, unless you have ADHD and have dealt with the struggles in everyday life for yourself, you will never be able to fully grasp the positive aspects you receive with vyvanse. Not only am i able to sit in class at university now but i have more focus and patience than ever before. It has allowed me to feel how normal and simple lives can be lived and i will never regret this choice my family and doctors helped me make  

[Triarch]

Everyone's system reacts differently.  I have had a very positive experience with Vyvanse.  If it doesn't work for you, try another medicine or whatever method you think is best for you or your child.  If you wish to share your negative experience with the drug, fine.  But who are any of you to condemn others, the manufacturer who makes it, etc. etc.  It obviously works for a lot of people.  Why would you want to get it banned for everyone?  

It is the same with many medications.  Unfortunately the only way to find out what works or doesn't is through trial and error.  Don't go around claiming "The Sky is Falling" , so to speak.

And marijuana for ADD?  REALLY!?!?!?!  Okay, so it may calm a hyperactive child, but they will also have a case of the "F**k It's" for the rest of their life.  There are plenty of studies to confirm that!   It is pretty consistent in it's effects.  

[hoppii]

I was on vyvanse for about a year, and quit about a year ago when my blood pressure was up 160/98 and I thought I was having a heart attack. I didn't want to admit it was the drug (even though I knew it was) because I felt so dependent on it. I felt like I couldn't work hard without it, even though I used to be able to before.

I've been off it for a year now and even still, I feel like I have heart troubles. I have had several panic attacks even being a year clean, and I am also having chest paint (similar to panic attacks) when running which I never had before ever. Even as I write this and how I have terrible anxiety, I am still hoping there is a way that I can still take it. I miss that high but I don't want it to kill me.

[MrsZebra]

I am a 33-yr-old with systemic lupus, narcolepsy & ADHD due to PTSD. I was on Concerta for 3+ years which helped with overall tiredness & ADHD but not the narcolepsy. I tried NuVigil for narcolepsy, which only aggravated my dissociation (and it turns out I have a genetic marker that indicates a natural resistance to modafinil).  I've been on Vyvanse over a year now instead of Concerta & NuVigil and it works wonderfully on me. Not only am I thrilled about knocking out 2 problems with one medicine (as I have to take so much stuff already) but I can finally stay awake, concentrate, and behave like a regular person.

I've also had an unusual positive side-effect in that Vyvanse has greatly reduced my dissociation from my PTSD. It has not triggered panic attacks. I have, however, almost stopped having menstrual cycles entirely since I started taking it- but this is fine with me as my husband and I have no plans to conceive.

[dmerchant2]

this morning i took 100mg of vyvanse just for fun i am not diagnosed with adhd. i am 14 and right now i feel like i can focus and i am not distracted by anything. i have read all of the horrible experiences you have had and i am quite scared. am i screwed?

[Sandman2]

     Only if you keep taking it.  If you don't have AD/HD - then what you are doing is taking speed.  Speed while it will do what you have just described can also become highly addictive and can really screw you up.  

[dmerchant2]

i dont know if i have add or not but i do know that vyvanse makes me feel like i can reach my full potential in school. it probably isnt a good examination of the medicine since i have only taken it once but i cant see how 20 mg can effect someone like people are saying it does when i took 100mg and i feel fine

[Cyrren]

My son has been on 20mg of vyvanse for five months. All I can say is WOW! everyone has noticed a drastic improvement in his behavior. Without his meds, he is unable to control his impulsive behavior, can not sit still and can not focus. He couldn't even focus to eat his meals. He was in the third percentile for height. Since being medicated, he has put on weight and gained four inches! He asks to help me all the time and the only negative I have to say about the med is that it seems to have flattened his mood but he says he is much happier when he takes his meds because he can control himself. Thank you vyvanse!

[whiten87]

Just because you had negative side effects with Vyvanse does not mean that it is a terrible medication and needs to be taken off the market. I take Vyvanse 40mg daily and the quality of my life has improved tenfold. No ones body is the same so everyone will have different reactions. Vyvanse is just not for you. Millions of people are allergic to peanut butter, and will die if they eat it. Should peanut butter be taken off the market? No. Its just not for them.

[Clew930]

Just saw this thread because I realized that my bp was elevated today when I went to the dr. I noticed that if I take my medication before working out that my heart races at a lower intensity rate than normal, so I try to work out before I take my meds. I have now been on it for about 2 yrs and started on 30 mg Vyvanse, then to 40, then 70, and went back down to 50mg. At 70 mg I was grinding my teeth and had a surge of energy that lasted all day and was great, but at the end of the night I crashed like a 7 yr old after halloween. I was unable to function b/c the crash was so hard.  So I asked my pdoc to lower the dosage and now I feel fine. I still have energy that lasts all day, I can focus and get my work accomplished and I don't notice when the medication wears off. It does take 1 to 2 hrs to kick in, and I do notice that. I am 30 now, and I was diagnosed as an adult, as a child/teenager I was an A/B student mostly but it was a lot of effort in class to achieve this. I could never get work done after school, and projects were a bust. I always thought it was laziness and now I realize the difficulties I had focusing. I'm a smart cookie so my grades were based on my tests scores not my daily work thank heavens. The few classes that placed 40% or more weight on daily assignments were my lower grades including a couple of C's. Again I attributed this to laziness of lack of interest. I never went to dr's as a child unless something was seriously wrong, so issues like this were not even in my radar.

I am truly grateful for Vyvanse, even though I do not take it every day as suggested. I usually break on the weekends or if I know it's going to be an easy day, mainly b/c I don't like taking medication. Now that I have an appropriate dosage for myself (after trial and error) it really makes my life much better. Because of my history although I personally can not imagine giving this to a child (I currently don't have children), but I do recognize that it would have helped. I like to minimize the amount of meds taken, I should be on antidepressants and sleep meds (these were my first problems that took me to the psychiatrist and psychologist) but I stopped those due to severe weight gain. I was overweight and they caused a 60lb increase in a 6mth period. Vyvanse has not helped me lose weight, but it does reduce my appetite and has stopped the gain in its tracks. So that's a bonus for me.

Overall, b/c I can function my depression is manageable and once I found the right dose I have had minimal side effects. I would give this a thumbs up to anyone who needs it, but you need to be patient and talk to your doc to figure out the best does for you.  

[Phds]

***NOTE: I have read many times Vyvanse is more effective for adults than with children. Also, your weight/height/frame has little to no effect on dosage. It depends on how your liver metabolizes (different kind of metabolize than food) it.
I'm 19. I was diagnosed with ADD/mild ADHD when I was 11. The doctor prescribed 15mg Adderal and I hated it, felt emotionally detached and refused to take it anymore after about 2 weeks. Fast forward to my freshman year of college and I still couldn't focus, sit still in lectures, was constantly scatter brained and my grades suffered tremendously. I then decided I would try medication again. I talked with my doctor and she introduced Vyvanse. The standard adult dosage is 30mg and thats what we started with.
POSITIVE SIDE EFFECTS:
I instantly felt a difference and my grades showed. Because I am so scatter brained, my essays usually reflect that and I end up losing points because I wasn't concise or clear in my direction. I took a test the second day of taking Vyvanse, an essay test, and produced work that usually takes me several rough drafts to achieve. I got an A-. I spend my time while doing work more productively, completing homework faster, I have found my memory has improved, because I've actually been able to give full attention to my surroundings and I can articulate myself better. At times, I don't complete my sentences because I have already moved on to the next thought and started talking about that. I was always the kid that teachers said was an A student that produced B level work as a result of my learning disabilities. Literally, for the first time in my life I am able to get grades that reflect my intelligence and interest in learning. My mood and energy hasn't been effected, I feel no crash after it wears off. The only indicator it wore off is simply the fact that I can't concentrate anymore, back to my old self. I don't take Vyvanse on a daily basis, but a semi-regular basis. If i don't take it that day I don't feel debilitated or feel it is a crutch I can't learn without.  
NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS:
Loss of appetite. I've been solving this problem by making sure I eat a big breakfast before I take the Vyvanse, will usually have a light lunch or many snacks throughout the day and by dinner time the Vyvanse has worn off. Also, although some people say it lasts 10 hours (they advertise 8-10) I usually get about 6 hours effects. I was already a very bad sleeper, (took around 1 hour to fall asleep, woke up several times throughout the night) so I'm not sure if Vyvanse has had any affect on that. I know that if I take a pill at around 8pm (if I can't concentrate and need to study) I will definitely not get to sleep by at least 3 or 4.  

[whateverwhocares]

My daughters and myself were on Vyvanse, for ADHD, we all have asthma too.We took the medication as prescribed so we did not over medicate ourselves. I took 40mg and they were on 30mg we started on it in the fall of 2009. August of 2010 my 14 year old daughter had been complaining of feeling tired and not being able to breath. I took her to the doctors, she was given antibiotics for a sinus infection that same night my husband was up and found her unconscious, she had a seizure like episode then stopped breathing. I had to do CPR on her while we were waiting for EMS. She acted like a 5-8 year old for three months and a year later is acting like a 10-14 year old. Many test and huge amounts of money later no answers our doctors, yes a cardiologist, neurologist and pulmonolgist said they all  thinks it was the vyvanse and we took her off it. This summer I started having chest discomfort, increased fatigue and felt like I was unable to breath. My 14 year old daughter said mom that is exactly how I felt. I have never had anything like this before and now I am 34 and with  heart problems. I am now seeing a cardiologist and have been diagnosed with mild ischemia. Hello world this medication will mess your heart up and had I know that we never would of taken this medication. . Our doctor has called the manufactures and guess what they will not take or return his calls.

[madmom710]

thank you for your comments i told the dr obout the motor tics and speach the just gave me 2 more drugs to add to this i give up i cant give him meds anymore when i look at him i want to cry i only started this because of the school  now im going to say the hell with meds teacher get paid to teach all kids not just the a students of the world

[madmom710]

thank you for your comments i told the dr obout the motor tics and speach the just gave me 2 more drugs to add to this i give up i cant give him meds anymore when i look at him i want to cry i only started this because of the school  now im going to say the hell with meds teacher get paid to teach all kids not just the a students of the world

[Sandman2]

   Wow, I feel for you!  That has got to be so frustrating!  Makes me wonder what kind of a doc you are seeing?  There are other things to try without adding to the list.  Check my post here as it applies, and I certainly would suggest getting the book I recommended.  It will help.  
    http://www.medhelp.org/posts/ADD---ADHD/ADHD-IN-CHILDREN/show/1617030

[ajl920]

I am 21, currently on Vyvance 40mg. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2nd grade and started ritilan. I had the heart racing side effects as well as the loss of appetite. When I was in 7th grade I was switched to Strattera which made me sick every morning for a month straight until I switched to Concerta. The concerta worked wonders however my heart began to beat so hard and so fast at night I couldnt sleep. For the course of my highschool education I totally stopped medication all together. My grades dropped major. After having my son, going back to school and working full time, I knew I needed somthing to help focus. I could not make it through the day...I would start somthing, wouldnt be able to finish it, my mind would wonder and I had no want to do anything. I started taking Vyvance a month ago, and its been alright so far. I am able to start somthing and complete it as well as maintain my thoughts. I have a history of depression but since taking this med I get occasional spells where I feel so down and start panicking I can not function then all of the sudden the feeling goes away and I'm fine. I have dry mouth and it is hard to swallow sometimes. Also, I can not take a good deep breath. When i need to yawn, it just will not come out. Its very agrivating. Weight loss is another side effect i've experianced. The first 2 weeks I lost 10 pounds. I forget about food totally until the med wears off then its all I think about. I haven't had any trouble sleeping. So far I think it is a pretty good medicine, I would just like to get these feelings of major depression to go away.....with out taking another medication....

[psychftw]

     I tried Vyvance to treat ADD but after taking it the first time I was absolutely convinced it was not for me. I had extreme flight of thought, I was incredibly irritable and had a heart rate of 150 with chest pain. As if all of that was not bad enough I was also having tactile hallucinations. By the time the medication took full effect I had to call a friend for suicide watch because I was having intense delusions and tactile hallucinations and no longer trusted myself not to do something stupid. I discontinued the medication immediately and have never taken it since but the tactile hallucinations and delusions persisted for approximately 2 months.
      My boyfriend at the time was also taking Vyvance for ADD and after a few months being on it he had a psychotic break. He developed medication induced schizophrenia. It also made him extremely aggressive and he became abusive.
      Just as a point of reference neither myself nor my former boyfriend have, or had any other mental illnesses that could account for the symptoms we experianced on Vyvance. I can say with certainty that I never had episodes of hallucinations or delusions prior to taking it or after I had been off of it for long enough. I would advise people to be extremely careful taking this medication and definitely talk to your doctor and ask lots of questions before deciding to try it.

[p7ainjane]

your perfection must be overwhelming for most people... good luck with that. I wait for when you require medication for a condition or disease, and you decide to turn it down because you deam it uneccessary or are these guidelines just for other people.

[Sandman2]

   Hey, it doesn't work for everybody.  We are all different.  Psychftw definitely had a bad experience whether it was the doctors fault for prescribing the meds or the dose or simply just bad body chemistry - it happens.  Frankly, her response would be very scary.  Fortunately, most people don't react that way.

[Lwelch92]

I wish I would have never started taking this medication. I've been taking it for over two years now and I started of at 50mg and now I'm up to 70mg and 5mg of Concerta (I think, who knows its been switched so many times.) Vyvanse worked perfectly when I first started, I was in college and thought it was a miracle drug. I could focus, stay up and study, and got great grades for the first time in my college career. Two years later I dread taking it everyday because I never know if it's going to work or not. Not to mention, I work 10-12 hour shifts and I have to take multiple pills through out the day to keep me focused. I tried to stop taking it this past summer and went a whole three months without it. I was completely useless, all I wanted to do was lay in bed and eat all day long. I had absolutely no energy, so therefore I was basically forced to get back on Vyvanse. I just hate how when it's not working properly I feel like i have some sort of special needs, I slur my speech, can't articulate my thoughts, it takes me much longer to complete tasks. I would not suggest anyone getting on this drug because I would hate to know that they couldn't wake up one morning and feel like a normal person without having to take Vyvanse.

[Lwelch92]

After reading some of the other comments on here I also need to add: when I first started taking Vyvanse it was an AMAZING medication, and it stayed that way up until around the one year mark. Like I said in my previous post, I've been on this medication well now that I think about it for almost three years now. It's horrible, I literally can't function without taking it. I usually try not to take it on my days off but if I don't I'm a complete zombie. I could sleep the whole entire day. I hate feeling that way and it is because of this that I continue to keep taking Vyvanse. My doctor said it is basically withdraws from not taking it that day, however like I stated before I stopped taking it for three months once and those feelings never went away. I had to coerce myself into getting up and doing even the simplest of things, and before I started taking this medicine I was a happy, outgoing, active person. Now even with the medicine, I'm usually anxious, irritable, and not my normal self. Don't get me wrong sometimes I still do get those "High on Life" feelings where I want to call everyone in my phonebook and tell them how much I love them or update my Facebook on how wonderful today is going to be. But, those times don't come around too often anymore. I really wish I could stop taking this medicine and for those of you who think it's so great now just wait.. It won't be. It used to be wonderful, I had so much energy and felt like I could conquer anything. I lost 50 pounds (doing absolutely nothing), got straight A's, I was completely happy. Now I'm on the highest dose possible plus taking Concerta for the afternoon, I've gained back 20 pounds, I can't sleep, clench my jaws, have dry mouth, am constantly thirsty, have slurred speech, a twitch in my head and neck not to mention the worst part is I have had a normal bowel movement in over 3 years. I know that is gross and I don't even like talking about it but trust me, having to run to the bathroom every morning for the last 1,100 days as soon as my medicine kicks in is not something I would have agreed too in the beginning. Please don't put yourself through this. I know it may seem amazing and a miracle pill but get off of it before it's too late and your forced to take it for the rest of your life.

[cgregg]

My son was having chest pain so tapered himfrom 50 to 40 mg. He is now having panic attacks and crying.

[margypops]

Seems there are more negatives about Vyvance....its good to do research and not listen to those who think every child has some sort of disorder and shove drugs into  them .

[worldindboarder3]

All you guys bashing Vyvanse are so funny! This medication has been a miracle for most people. What do you expect to achieve by this? Vyvanse is by far the calmest stimulant medication they give to ADHD patients. Just because you had bad side effects from it doesn't mean you should try starting a petition and talk bad about vyvanse. Obviously you have had bad side effects. well guess what...It depends entirely on the person, so obviously this medication was not for you! It's not the drugs fault that it doesn't work for everyone. Everyone is acting childish. GET ON A NEW MEDICATION IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT AND STOP BITCHING!

[jess2011503]

dont assume your single percent accumulates to "most" my son was put on it two weeks ago..we are waiting to "adjust"..and since he was put on he is an emotional wreck and i really see little improvement in his ability to focus. My son has no learning disabilities, just a line of teachers who really dont like their job.. and who dont know how to deal with a gifted child. Any child who doesnt fit into their little "drone-like" training. I am so sick of public school, inept teachers, and a system that only works for those who are in charge. So tired.

[1mommyof2]

I'm sorry but is there a child under 5 in the world that does not have problems with attention or hyperactivity.  The problem is parents can't let kids be kids anymore.  Everyone wants a magic little pill to fix everything.  Mom and Dad are tired when they get home, and 3yo won't stop screaming and running and wants to play.  Whats wrong with him? Can't they make a pill to calm him down so we can rest?  This ADHD diagnosis in babies is BS!  Kids are hyper. Deal with it.  If you can't, here's a solution thats even safer for your children.  You take that crap and see firsthand what they go through and teach yourself how to deal with it so that you can teach them.  I'm not saying that every case is lazy parenting or that every case is misdiagnosed.  But there is an extreme spike in the diagnosis of add/adhd in children, however most of the time there is no actual scientific evidence that this disorder even exists.  

[teachermom3307]

I am so shocked that you went through so much for so many years! That is insane. By reading your story I would have immediately guessed your son as gifted LD, not really learning disabled but ADD which shows itself as in inability to learn, which is not really an inability to learn put an inability to conform to giving the school the proof they wanted that he was learning (turning in Homework and not daydreaming) do to lack of performance. I am surprised that he was not tested for ADD earlier? What made you decide in Middle school to finally go in the direction  Medication and/or ( I'm guessing) a diagnosis?
Reading all of the posts on here really make me grateful that I am a Special Education teacher myself and have lots of experience with 504's IEP's and meds. My son sound al ot like yours but I had him testing in 2nd grade, tried every intervention in and out of school, and several meds. before finding Vyvanse last year in fourth grade. Like you said it changed our lives! He scored a 4 on our state writing assessment (out of 5), and scored advanced on his TCAPS ( our state comprehensive assessment).
I really dislike the camp that "blames" the parent for ADD/ ADHD. I have 3 children ages 17-9 and they are all completely different, the oldest is very hands on, great at History and English, a a solid low B student who never picks up a book. My youngest is the genius of the House, she reads non stop, never has to study, earns all A's and Advanced on state testing. Then there is my wonderful 11 year old who is a daydreamer, with horrible handwriting and was never successful in school, He would spend ours on what should have been 20 min. of Homework. Then there is my 11 taking Vyvanse, he knocks out homework in 15 min. and scores advanced on state tests.  The best part his personality is unaltered with Vyvanse which you can not say of all meds. My point, all three are raised by the same parents, with the same rules, in the same environment.  So how can ADD be "blamed" on anyone?
Thanks for sharing your story

[silverbirdo]

I'm a 22 year old, male, and have been on Vyvanse for about a year and a half. I started taking the pill because I have always had extreme difficulty in concentrating on studies (not necessarily ADD), and I decided to give it a try to help with my college classes. I take no more than 4 a week (only on harder days of studying).

Pros:
- It works, mostly. I don't notice a complete change - but once I zero in on my work, I can stay concentrated for a long time. I get a lot more work done, and waste less time.
- Appetite suppressant. For me atleast this was a positive. My weight loss was not dramatic, and decreased at a good pace.
- Energy. My favorite part, it helps me wake up and stay awake (but there is an energy crash in the late afternoon).


Cons:
- Zombieness/Emotionless. Actually this is sorta across the board, because I also occasionally get extremely talkative. But most of the time, I can even tell that my face is utterly blank and just have no emotion to alter it.
- DEPRESSION. This is why i'm trying to get off the drug. The depression isn't very strong, but that is the problem. It is so subtle and natural I believe it has latched on to my already light depression and made it worse. It will randomly build up.
- Autopilot. The focus I get doesn't feel natural. I feel like my body is moving on its own. Not in a huge way, but it does feel weird.
- Grinding teeth. Didn't happen at all on 30mg, but I occasionally clinch my teeth really hard together, which in turn causes jaw pain the following day.

Pro/Con:
- Loss of thought. I used to daydream, A LOT. This helps me clear my mind and focus. But at the same time it really worries me.
- Dependence is light. Fortunately this is very minimal for me, but I think its because i'm good at resisting addicting things. I could see it being a problem for others

Conclusion:
I have a love-hate relationship with it. Some of the side affects are actually positive for me. But in the end, I think the negatives outweigh them. I suppose i'm on the side of NOT recommending if you are similar to me, but it seems like a GOOD OPTION IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE MEDICATION of some type. I rarely have any major side effects from it, and when I do they aren't a big deal (maybe because of my size, 6'4, 200lbs.?). The depression feelings I spoke of significantly increased when I went from 30mg to 60mg. Although it does help at work, I think that i'm going to stop when I graduate next spring. I'd recommend staying on a low dose if possible, for the less I took, the less frequently (in an exponential way) I had bad side effects.

[crazymom950]

My son took vyvance for six months when he was age 8  for his ADD.  He developed severe motor facial tics, OCD behaviors, and decreased social awareness.  After stopping the vyvance, these symptoms went away and he returned to a sociable, happy kid.  The motor tics remained slightly.  We will not try vyvance again. He currently takes 50mg of strattera, has a 504 plan, sees a psychotherapist 1X per month and has a 3.5 GPA.  I keep him organized by viewing his lesson plans daily, having him do homework immediately when he comes home from school.  His passion is skateboarding, so I make sure to take him to competitions and make a big deal of it for him. My son is now 10 years old. All of this keeps him confident, happy, and successful. It is a lot of work for me. I have 4 children total.

[beckyga143]

my son is 15 years old.he is able to speak for hisself.he likes the results of vyvanse.sence he was in kindergarden,he wasnt able to concentrate.i was always getting calls from school that sean is not behaveing,come get him.always in trouble for not sitting still,just to much energy.i was a parent that said i am never putting my son on drugs.but now i have.after all the fights i put up for him,i thought teachers just wanted any child that was not perfect or different up to there standards just did not want to deal with the child.5th grade.he never really passed a grade.pushed through system,so to make this short.they wanted me to have a phycology exam.they came to term that he had short term memory.so smaller classes less work.it took sean 5 to 6 hours to do 30 mins of home work,so i told them,they stopped most of that.ok here we go..been through every thing possible.barrow county never said take to dr and see if he has add,adhd or whatever.he learned nothing.so moved to loganville,started 8th grade at giwennett school system.after few months,i started getting calls again that he was in trouble..etc.next chapter...8th grade counsler asked did he take meds for add.no.well i think he should see a dr.i called his ped.dr.she told me a good dr,well i told him the story.so u would prob think he just wrote script.no thats not what happen.gave me 3 sets of forms for teachers,and one for me.it had questions,opions how u felt..etc.took back he put him on vyvance.i was very scared i started meds on weekend and out of school a day or two,i wanted to make sure he wasnt a zoombie..his behavior changed and he started makeing a"s b"s.so u can sit back and do nothing.or you can get help.sean said mom this med is good.i can sit and learn now.he enjoys learning now.so thats our short story.i didnt have my son drugged up because i couldnt handle him,like i said,i waited to he was 15.he is still sean but happy that he can learn.parents dont no whats going on in there childs mind.seans problems were something he couldnt help.one day he might grow out of it,he was worrying about things at school.about me,his brothers long story.anyway my sons mind ran like a tape,over and over.how could he focus.add adha kids need help.they are just like they do speed everyday and vyvanse helped him.i bet u anything if u met him,you wouldnt say that kid is drugged,but before he walked in circles,merry go round and round again and again,so please dont tell me that i drugged my son.how dare u or anyone else say that.ask him yourself.i wish id put him on meds alot sooner..do whatever u choose but do not say i drugged him.thank you......becky....ga

[mamaluvshergirlDaisy]

My two younger brothers where diagnosis with adhd at ages5-6 for three years we didn't give them medications. We've tooken great care of the as in we our mother,father,my sister and I where firm ,consistent ,patient,loving,kind,we tryed therapy,counseling, even a group of people from this program I forgot name of it but it was a rap around group to help all issues parenting, how to mentally support them ways to understand how they see think what they feel from there experiences. Yes they where young they tryed but the have no control over there conditions,  they would it irradiated. By them own self ,each other, and with us,then they really started to get in trouble in school they where picked on put in special ad classes then after talking to aredr therapist rap around are intermediate family we asked them at ages 8-9, if they wanted to try it they wanted to they couldn't deal with in them selfsame they take vavanse40 myself in morning it works they can function with out been distracted by them selfs they can focus on school, its been 9 years they both been on the medication  one of my brothers is 16 now hes a freakin calculator, he knows technology hes like themanual to every device  he's really smart too smart to be in special classes,,my other brother is 14 hes good at using his hands and smart he can take something apart to fix it and put it back togather perfectly, bikes, electronics,he is 14 and he fixed my brakes on my Ford 2002,,,and he fixed the dashboard meters, I'm amazed by them,,, and they are not irradiable ,they happier with us , them selfs, they get it now how to relax,,some times they do forget things some times they forget there meds they can handle two or three days with out them there not druggies, they don't like the constant moving talking unfocusedness ,they like to be on top of the game,  once my 16brother told me once he got used. To taking me the meds he says"I feel normal like nobody's watching me to act crazy I can be like everyone else I feel so different I can't talk to girls with out feeling stupid I can enjoy everything I'm able to do, I don't need to run around unless i want to exercise ,I don't need to argue, I'm sorry for been a problem for you mom and pops,"....so I tell him its not your fault not mine not moms or dads its just something God decided to make u how you are, ,he knows I know mom and dad know,how u tryed to overcome it naturally,, it just Got hard God mad man, mad us smart,made genuses to make this tools to help us in life,, you deserve to be happy with out struggling to keep your self focused,"he says "ya I know but isn't drugs bad?"at first a didn't know what to say"so I just told him the truth"yes drugs are bad they make people turn to the streets,around dangerous people,broke nomoney,they get real addicted to them the sell everything they have just to get high,and they ended up with Boone drugs make you unhealthy,disliked,untrust worthy, that drug addictes lie cheat steal,it alters there mines the don't care for no one even them selfs just the drug"he says "what about the drugs I take?" I said "uhh people make those drugs those are medications to help you, just as you would take cold medicine to help. You get better,like when u have a tummy ache,  you take peptoe to fix it,or like when you fell off your skate board and fractured your ankle that pain medicine to make pain go away,,,its okay as long as Dr thinks. You need it,,but if use it for other reason like to get high that's very bad and selling it is very bad to because some people like to get high and addicted to drugs,people who sell them go straight to jail, people who sell drugs Dr gives them, get in big trouble with everyone Drs copps parents BIG SISTERS, then when the really need medications the can't have it nomore at all even if there in superbad pain people who sell street drugs get in trouble by cops judges PARENTS BIG SISTERs and gangmembers kill drug dealers and take drugs and money they go after. Family's,,"SO I STRECHED THE TRUTH, JUST INCASE HES THINKING ABOUT IT, GOT TO SCARE HIM A BIT, BUT WHAT IF HE WANTS TO TRY TO GET OFF MEDS, HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, WAS. I CONVINCING HIM TO SAY ON THEM WITH OUT KNOWING,IM JUST TRYIN TO KEEP HIM OUT OF TOROBLE,,,,WAS I WRONG FOR SAYING EVERY THING I TOLD HIM???????   Last thing he says was "thanks mom and dad just said Dr. Give meds to help you thereare no other drugs,"    I was like oh Kay well your welcome"he starts talking about weed he say why can't everyone smoke weed," oh man I thought to ly self I'm gunna get in trouble taking to him about things like this,but if our parents would talk to him about this thoughts and problems who would he turn to some kids perpressure,I. Tell him "sick people who are dying in pain every moment of there life, are okay to smoke it, they need Dr's. Refferal saying why you need it if you need it for serious pain releaf, also for very sick cancer patients get to smoke because it helps them get hungery because they have a hard time eatting and gaining weight that's why its okay for some people,so unless your dying or someone you know is smoking,don't hang out with them unless there sick or dying,if there not there braking the law,"he says okay I'm going with my friends I say bye love you stay out of. Trouble and don't ruin your life one puff messes your life, promise u wont he says promise. I wont come on I'm. Not stupid,,,IM SO WORRIED, HOPE HES NOT THINKING ABOUT. GETTING OFF MEDS TO START SMOKING WEEK,,    ,,,,,,,SHOULD I TELL MY PARENTS??? WHAT IF IM WRONG HES JUST CURIOUS, ASKING QUESTIONS,    ,,,WONDERING ABOUT IT MAYBE AT SCHOOL OR HIS FRIENDS,,???? Hope he's staying a good boy,,,,,I never had adhesive but. When I was his age I smoked weed I drank I told my mom and dad I promise I wouldn't they never do that stuff,,I did though ... IM I A HIPPOCRATE ??I didnt want him to think it was okay because I did it I I did deal with what he has to live with,, I did it for fun recreational at party's. I was young I just did whatveveryone was doing I didn't want to get left out,,,HOPE HE DOESNT FEEL THAT WAY,, MY PARENTS DIDNT WANT TO TALK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT IM OLDEST I HAD NOONE BEING HONEST WITH ME,,PULS THEY ACTED AS IF THER WAS NOT SUCH THINGS AS DRUGS AND I PRETENDED I DIDNT EITHER.............................AT LEAST HE HAS ME TO TALK TOO.     ,,,,, BUT IM I WRONG FOR EXPLAINING THESE TOPICS WITH HIM EVEN THOUGH HE HAS ADHD, ,  IF HE DOES. END UP  SMOKE WEED,      WILL THAT BE HIS MOTIVE..... WILL I BE BLAMED???????????

[Sandman2]

    Its interesting in that in,  "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley, she says (p162) that "stimulant medication reduced the risk for substance abuse by approximately half in adolescents.  Teens that remained on medication during adolescence had a lower likelihood of substance use or abuse in their young adult years."   I think one reason for this is that grass is used to reduce  the anxiety and depression that can accompany the ADHD.  And if the child is not aware they have ADHD, and can't figure out why they are different - they tend to self medicate more.
    So in short, the more a person knows about ADHD, the less the chance for self medication.
   My concern is that the meds have worked so well for them, that nothing else has been done since.  Meds are only half the answer - even less as they mature.  Information about ADHD and learning coping strategies are highly important!  While I know that getting 16 year old boys to listen to anything is tough - you might want to check out an adult web site called totallyadd.com.  They (among other things) have a whole set of videos that are pretty entertaining to watch (in fact they were a recent PBS special).  If you think they are worthwhile, show them to your parents and then have the whole family watch them together if they think it is appropriate.  In any case, the brothers do need coping strategies.  Also, the book I mentioned above is worth getting.  Hope this helps.  Glad you are trying to help!
Best wishes.

[TERRIFIEDMOMMY]

HI. I HAVE 3 BOYS WITH ADD/OCD 14YR OLD,ADHD 10YR OLD,AND THE 5YR OLD IS BEING ACCESSED FOR ADHD/ANGER?. WELL WHEN MY 14YR OLD WAS YOUNGER LIKE IN KINDER TEACHERS COMPLAINED OF NO WORK DONE IN CLASS JUST DAYDREAMING AND ICOULDNT GET HIM TO DO HOMEWORK. TEACHERS FROM FROM KINDER TO FIFTH EVERY YEAR SAME COMPLAINTS THEY SUGGESTED I TRY MEDICATION. I SAID HECK NO. HE'S CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND I SET HIM UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEPT MENTAL HEALTH(FOR A DATE ALMOST A YEAR LATER) WELL DURING THAT TIME I WAS BEGINNING TO GET THE SAME COMPLAINTS ABOUT MY THEN SECOND GRADER.  WELL SOMETHING HAPPEN THAT THEY RESCEDULED MY 14 YR OLDS APPOINTMENT FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 5 MONTHS I AGREED AND ALSO REQUESTED A NEW APPOINTMENT FOR MY SECOND GRADER THEN. HIS APPOINTMENT WAS ABOUT A YEAR WAIT ASWELL. MY 14 YR OLD TOLD ME ON THE DAY OF HIS APPOINTMENT TO LET HIS LIL BROTHER BE SEEN CAUSE AS HE GOT OLDER FOCUSING GOT HARDER. SO I HAD MY 2CND GRADER EVALUATED. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD/ANXIETY. HE WAS THEN SEEN BY A DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED HIM MEDS IWAS AGAINST IT BUT I REMEMBERED WHAT MY OLDER SON HAD SAID. HE BEGAN WITH MEDS THAT DIDN'T HELP CAUSED HIM TO BECOME SLEEPY IN CLASS AND LESS MOTIVATED AND DEPRESSED. THEY CHANGED THE MEDS WHICH HELP WITH THE ADHD BUT NOT ANXIETY OR HIM NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP NO MATTER HOW MANY BOOKS HE READ OR PLAYED. THEY AGAIN CHANGED HIS MEDS AND GAVE HIM A SLEEPING MEDS THAT WOULD CAUSE HIM TO HAVE NIGHTMARES OR HALLUCINATIONS OF BEGINNING KILLED OR DRAG UNDER THE BED OR HIM BEING CUT UP THRU HIS STOMACH AND THAT NO ONE WOULD HELP HIM. HE HAD A BAD DREAM ONE NIGHT AND WOKE UP AND WAS BEGGING ME TO HELP HIM AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW ONLY HE COULD SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON I JUST THRU MYSELF ON TOP OF HIM AND TOLD HIM TO LET'S PRAY HE BEGAN TO CRY TO THANK ME AND ASKED ME TO PLEASE NOT LET PEOPLE TEAR HIM IN PIECES AND THROW HIM AWAY IN THE TRASH. I PROMISED HIM THAT I WOULD PROTECT HIM. HE TURNED AND SAID HE WAS SORRY FOR WAKING ME UP AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE A PROBLEM TO ME AND THAT WAS SORRY FOR HAVING A BAD BRAIN THAT DIDN'T LET HIM FOCUS IN SCHOOL OR CONTROL HIS HYPERNES. I TOLD HIM IT WASN'T HIS FAULT AND HE WAS NOT TAKING THOSE MEDS TO SLEEP ANYMORE. I LET THE DR KNOW AND HE AGAIN CHANGED IT MY SON WAS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL. HE ALSO HAD A REACTION TO THIS DRUG ABOUT A YR AGO HE WAS WATCHING SPONGE BOB AND HIS OLDER BROTHER WAS WASHING SOME DISHES WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE MY NOW 10 YR OLD GOT UP WALKED TO THE SINK GRABBED A KNIFE AND ALMOST STABBED HIMSELF IF MY OLDER SON WOULDN'T HAVE CAUGHT HIS ARM...WE BOTH ASKED HIM WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HE SAID I DON'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO KILL MYSELF.. HUGGED ME AND PROCEED TO WATCH SPONGEBOB.. MY ELDEST IS KNOW BEING SEEN AT THE SAME CLINIC AND HE HASN'T BEEN PUT ON MEDS CAUSE HE SEEN WHAT HIS YOUNGER BROTHER HAS WENT THRU AND HE WANTS TO TRY OTHER METHODS OF TREATMENT MIND YOU HIS DIAGS ARE ADD/OCD. IM SO NERVE RECKED I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO THE 10 YR OLD HAS GAINED WEIGHT BECAME DEPRESSED AND I FEEL HELPLESS FOR THEM. KNOW THEY ARE SUGGESTING MY YOUNGEST BE ACCESSED FOR ANY ISSUES THEY HAVE SEEN IN HIM. ALL THE MEDS AND COUNSELING AREN'T HELPING AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I KNOW HERE IM CHATTING WITH PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR ISSUES NOT A DR THAT JUST WANTS TO GET PAID AT ANY COST. GOD BLESS YOU ALL

[Sandman2]

    Oh wow, do I feel for you!   There is so much you need to know.  I'm sorry the docs haven't taken the time to explain to you what is going on - but thats kind of typical.  They are busy, etc.  One of the first things they should have told you is that every kid is different and they all react differently to meds.  Sometimes, the doc gets it right the first time (usually a doc with a lot of experience), and sometimes it really does take trial and error - hard to believe, but true.
   Anyway, I think the best starting point for you is to get the book,  "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley.   You can order it via Amazon, and its cheap.  There is a ton of info there that will help you.  
    This site has a lot of information that I think you will find useful.  Its
http://www.rxlist.com/tips_for_parenting_a_child_with_adhd/page3.htm#rewards
   If you have any questions, please start a separate post so that I see it.  Best wishes

[AnneHK]

For all those who say that parenting is the problem with our children, you need to educate yourselves. My well behaved teenager was just diagnosed with ADD.  Before this, I had my doubts if ADD was a real condition, but my child can describe his feelings to me.  Ofcourse he never knew anything was wrong in his head because, to him, it was normal. The diagnosis has literally changed his life.  It turns out that he has a very high IQ and should be excelling in his classes instead of failing.  Because of his intelligence he could compensate and get by until high school when his life fell apart.  We are just starting meds and working on getting the right one and the right dose, but on the first day my son was amazed that he could think clearly and focus.  He asked if this is the way normal people feel all the time?   Ofcourse, I'm sure if I was a better parent, he wouldn't have this problem, would he?

[Sandman2]

   Probably the other way around.  If you had been a horrible parent and your child was not well behaved and did poorly in school, he would have been diagnosed a lot earlier.
   And this is really not that unusual for the smart child.  Its the hyper kid that gets noticed.  Check out this link for others with a somewhat similar experience.  http://totallyadd.com/forum/topic.php?id=970
     And by the way, meds are only part of the equation.  The more info you and he get, the better off he will be.  The totallyadd.com is a good place to go as its for adult add which is really where he is and that is a different place then the 2nd. grader with it.  Hope this helps.  And hope, I answered your final question.

[lobobmax]

I am 20 years old and have been diagnosed with ADD since the first-grade.

This is a terrible medication. I used it and I got sent to the ER. My heartbeat per minute shot up to 171 and the medical team in the ambulance said I could have had a heart attack, fatal arrhythmia or one of my ventricles could have burst. Nothing bad happened luckily for me.

This medication worked well for me for a while but then it wore off. My usual dose was 50 mg, but I started on 20 mg.

I had a few panic attacks and tachycardia while using this medication. Vyvanse to me is horrid and dangerous. I advise nobody to use it.

[Sandman2]

    Well, you can't advise nobody to use it since if you read the posts some people have used it and it worked very well for them.  Point is that everybody is different and some have doctors that actually monitor their patients.
   Your case is very scary and I can understand why you would feel the way you do.  It almost sounds like a reaction by someone who doesn't have ADD and got speed - so hoping that was the correct diagnosis for you.  By the way, a very good site for adults with ADD is totallyadd.com.  Lots of sharing by people with ADD issues. It helps to know that you are not the only one out there dealing with this.  Best Wishes.

[Jazr2000]

I have NEVER been looking to "dope" up my child.  I just want him to be able to sit in his classroom and LEARN!  Not get in trouble at every twist and turn because he can't stay still, stop touching stuff, aggravating the other students...etc.  I started him on Strattera to start with but it didn't help so we moved him to Concerta.  It helped for awhile but it started failing him too after about a year.  VyVanse seemed like an answer to prayer and it was for about 3 months.  I know not all of it is the medication, my son and I are dealing with issues from my now ex-husband (his dad), but 95% of it IS the medication.  He has become SO angry, rebellious, full of rage, more defiant..etc.  Thanksgiving was the last straw.  I won't go into the details but I said that's it!  I took him off of it and put him back on Concerta.  It is a dangerous medicine in my opinion.  They need to do something about this.  So many children on this medication is experiencing these symptoms and it's dangerous.  

[seekingskinny]

I've been on Adderall (adderrall) for a little over 3 years now, I'm 17.  I'll say what every other positive opinion states first--yes, my grades improved, from Cs, Ds, and Fs, to all A's. This isn't why I take Adderall (adderrall).

ADHD-I doesn't just cause issues at school, it causes issues everywhere. Imagine being told by the educational system, your parents, the world, every day until you graduated grammar school, that you were a "waste of potential." Imagine waking up every single day promising you'll shower, complete your work, leave on time, pay attention in class, listen to your little sister tell you about her day, and then failing to accomplish every single one.

Yes, Adderall (adderrall) improved my grades. But more importantly, it's improved my life. I believe if it wasn't for this medication, I'd have killed myself a long time ago from feelings of inadequacy and frustration.

I agree with the nay-sayers that this drug is prescribed too easily, too often, and too young. I agree that it should be restricted even more carefully than it is right now. I just please, beg you all, don't snatch medication out of the hands of people who really need it. Instead snatch children from parents sick enough to medicate children too early for false or exaggerated reasons.

[seekingskinny]

@AnneHK --I read your comment and started crying. Had the same experience as your son, at about his age. I decided what I wanted to focus on and then I did. It's an amazing experience that offers so much relief...finally knowing that you're not just a f**k-up, but actually have a disorder. Good luck to you and him!

[73Niki73]

2nd day taking 70mg Vyvanse.  I took Adderall (adderrall) 20mg twice daily (IR) and then switched to (ER) since drug shortage.  Felt a little anxious with the Adderall (adderrall) ER, so doc thought I might do better on Vyvanse.  Wrong.  Very nervous feeling -- have strange feeling of 'something bad is going to happen' -- I keep loosing my breath and having to breath in/out like when you have a baby...Dry mouth doesn't even describe it -- no amount of water has been able to get the dry mouth to even lessen.  My hands shake -- I was trying to hold a book before and literally I felt like I had Parkinson's disease.  I keep having to rock back and forth -- It sort of comforts me.  Having a bit of chest pain - sort of feels like I have gas & earlier had a bit of nausea, but that has passed.  I just took 1mg Klonapin to chill the heck out -- Vyvanse has been pretty nasty for me -- I've never ever had any side effects like this on Adderal (IR) and the little bit of anxiousness I had with Adderall (adderrall) (ER) is NOTHING compared to this freaking wacko feeling I'm having right now.  Ugh, I can't wait for 7pm tonight for it to be gone out of my system...Needless to say, this is my LAST day taking this nasty stuff.

Now, as a side note - my nephew has pretty severe ADHD (borderline PDD-NOS) and he takes 30mg (I think) Vyvanse and it has been the only thing he has been able to tolerate.  All the other stimulants brought out OCD/Compulsive behaviors.  The Vyvanse did the same (more mild) at first, but wore off after a few weeks.  He doesn't complain of any side effects and actually received 4 A's on his report card last semester.

So, to sum it up -- I just think that this medicine, like most others, just reacts differently to different people.  I don't think its a terrible drug across the boards -- its just terrible for me.

-- Nicole

[Cogito]

Our boy (now 15) was on Adderall (adderrall) and other meds but switched to Vyvanse about 3 years ago. Night and Day positive results. Here's the bottom line: every person can react differently to meds and sometimes you have to go thru different meds and dosages until you get the right one. Important Things to Remember: 1. Do NOT use anyone other than a PSYCHIATRIST to have your child diagnosed and treated. You are kidding yourself and setting yourself up if you use any other kind of MD. 2. One of the big reasons for Number 1. is that combinations of meds can alter the result/outcome...a good psychiatrist has the knowledge about this that any other kind of doc will not. 3. Kids/people change over time due to changes in body chemistry etc, so don't be shocked or scared if one meds approach starts to become less effective even a year or two later. Love your kids and be willing to do what you have to in order to help them have a decent life. That may include meds or it may not. But don't let the anti-meds crowd in the community convince you to walk away from treatment options that could save your child and your family. Meds work for us. We thank God for them. God bless you all!

[ksvander]

My son is doing VERY well on Vyvanse.  He started with Adderall (adderrall), and did not have any terrible side effects, except that I noticed he cried a lot, and that is not like him.  So we tried Focalin, which I was very pleased with, at least in the morning, but it would wear off by lunch.  He doesn't struggle with academics, but socially and behaviorally, he's a mess.  No impulse control.  Hits friends, interrupts class, has anger outbursts, can't sit still no matter what.  For those of you who say it's a lack of parenting, you don't have any clue until you have a child of your own who does things without even realizing he is doing it.  Today, my son got his meds a little later in the morning than usual, and we were waiting for it to kick in.  I had him sit down next to me on the couch and watch a Christmas movie.  He would start to get up to wander toward the TV, but he had no idea he was even doing this.  I just had to keep grabbing his arm (gently) every time he started to get up, and just say, stay here.  He would, but then ten seconds later, he would be getting up again, without even realizing it.  It's almost like he has an inability to sit down or sit still.  He is definitely "run by a motor".  It is NOT a lack of parenting skills!  It's an actual inability to behave in a normal, calm way unless someone is CONSTANTLY redirecting him/focusing him.  Vyvanse was an answer to prayer.  He is doing so well on Vyvanse, I can't get over what a transformation it has been for him.  He had a few side effects the first week, but they wore off.  He went from having "yellow" and "red" days (ok days and bad days) at school everyday, to having "green" (good) days every day since he started Vyvanse.  I would be very upset if someone petitioned to take this medication away from my son.  This is the first medicine that has helped him be the good boy that he is, and he feels very happy and proud of himself because of it.  Don't take that away from him!

[JLWM]

I am on Vyvanse now and I love it. I have been taking for a few months and it has made a huge difference. Prior to taking Vyvanse, I was taking Adderall (adderrall) XR and I had a terrible experience with it. I am not going to attack Adderall (adderrall) because I think that medications work differently for different people. I know quite a few people who are currently taking Adderall (adderrall) and were not affected by it in the way that I was. When you get your prescription filled, read the packet that comes with it. A lot of the things listed above are things that are listed in the side effects portion and in the portion that warns if certain symptoms occur to call your doctor. Knowing that I have a decreased appetite when I take Vyvanse just means that I have to make sure that I don't forget to eat lunch. Just because I am not as hungry, doesn't mean I don't need to eat. If that is a symptom you or your child faces, just make sure you or your child eats when you are supposed to. Taking prescription medications goes along with having side effects, they should really just be expected. If they are more serious, go to your doctor and figure out what's wrong and if you need to change medications or doses. It took a couple of years for me to figure out which one worked best for me and that is pretty common. In addition to taking ADHD medications, it really is important to also receive some behavior counseling. Medication is not a cure-all. My ADD symptoms are much better on medication, but I have still had to develop organization skills and etc. to be able to productively function. There are a lot of articles online of actions and organization practices that greatly help people with ADD and ADHD. Research what you have and learn the best way to cope with it.

[marcosg123]

my name is marcos garcia a current 7th grade 13 year old in rockford michigan and i was diagnosed with adhd when i was 6 i started on concerta and i had violent fits of vomiting so we moved to vyvance and it is better then addereal because vyvance controls my impluse control but im a freking zombie and the other night my mom rushed to my room waking me up asking why i was screaming i hav terrible fits at night i sleep walk and in my sleep i iether talk about nonsence apparently or i scream ive been having terrible nightmares on and off and if there not nightmares they are some werid dreams lik un explainable  it doesnt help with school very much bc all i do is day dream its lik ive toattaly hecked out of my mind then right befor bed i have a huge burst of energy but after thts over i sleep well (for the most part) well thats my horror story and also how it is good but the bad reallly out ways the good but the worst part is it causes depression and suicidal thoughts/actions so thts my life

[sturz888]

i take vyvanse once a month or so because i like how it feels. go ahead and call me a druggie for taking someone that wasn't prescribed to me. But ten bucks says my liver is working a hell of a lot better than anyone with a doctors note for this wonderful stuff

[sturz888]

vyvanse isn't for everyone bro, if ya haven't already talked to your parents about what you posted i would strongly recommend you do. Since vyvanse clearly doesn't work for ya, maybe there is another pill that is a better fit

[marcosg123]

lol ya think

[MrCool123]

I realize this is a very old post, but i felt the need to point out the other side. I was prescribed vyvanse about 2 years ago. It has changed my life for the better. I am in high school and was having horrible anxiety. I couldn't keep my grades up and had breathing problems from all the anxiety. My parents tried EVERYTHING! Therapy, supplements, and everything else that could possibly help. It finally got to a point that I couldn't stand. I was then prescribed 50 mg of vyvanse. It was amazing. I could finally focus, I improved my grades, and my anxiety disappeared. I have had no negative side effects. I am now a senior and am number 2 in my class of 400 students, vice president of student council, and captain of the varsity track team. I have been accepted to Princeton, Yale, and the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas. I truly believe that I would not be in the position I'm in today without the aid of this medication. I am sad to hear the negative stories of vyvanse, but it was an incredible help for me. My personality did not change at all, only my ability to focus on what I wanted to focus on. For people that were in a similar situation as I was, I HIGHLY reccomend looking into this medication. As always, start with the lowest possible dose and work up from there to see if it's a right fit for you and to find your optimal dosage. Good luck!

[Perron]

Doesn't anyone get Urinary Tract Infections from Vyvanse? I have been on it for about 2.5 months and I have what seems like a 24 hour UTI. I contacted my doctor and he said that it wasn't the medicine, but I looked up stories and someone else experienced the same problem as me and I also when on WebMD and it was listed under infrequent side effects!!! Why doesn't my doctor recognize that!? I need to get off this right away and I don't think I can just ween off it! I need off right now!!!! I don't think I will experience that bad of side effects by just stopping cold turkey since I have only been on it for a while. I am on 70mg and I have cut the pill in 1/2 to see if that would help and it doesn't, so I just need to stop cold turkey.

[dangaadanny]

I'm a senior in high school and I have been taking ADHD medication since I was in 3rd grade and I'm happy my mom put me on it. The next year I ended up in the gifted program at school for smart kids. The medication helps me to not only pay attention more, but it helped me gain friends. I was such annoying kid and the medication helped a bunch to stop that. I've been on Stratera (Strattera), Concerta, and I'm currently on Vyvanse and have been since 8th grade. Vyvanse created the big difference with my friendships. A day with out my medication is crazy and I couldn't live without it.  I stopped for about two weeks back in September because the boy who I had just broken up with died and the medication was causing me to think about it more, but once I got through it I was fine.

[Macsc]

I'm a 44 year old woman who was diagnosed with ADD while in college. I tried Adderall (adderrall), but all it did was dry out my mouth, so my doctor switched me to Vyvanse. Vyvanse dried out my mouth, too... and made me clench my jaws. So much so that they would ache horribly and lead to headaches, but the Vyvanse did help me focus and I graduated Summa *** Laude! (4.0)  It also helped me at work and dealing with my daughter (who also has ADD but is on Concerta).  The Vyvanse somewhat diminished my appetite, but I have gained 50 pounds while I was on it. Not because of the Vyvanse, it is a separate issue. My problem with Vyvanse is the side effects I have been experiencing. I have had rapid heart beat, chest pains, and most frequently, irritability - which seems to be putting it mildly. I can be happy as a little clam and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, I am furious over something inconsequential. I snap at people. I am grumpy. I yell. I was not like this before. I am the person who is always described as "too nice." I laugh(ed) a lot. I was happy. I want to be that again. I do sometimes get the euphoria and "excited rush" from Vyvanse - and I'll admit, I like that... but not enough to keep feeling this extreme anger over nothing. I'm thinking of taking myself off ADD meds altogether.

[aarrgghh140]

You are as dumb as the parents who will just let their kids act as inappropriately as possible and have an "excuse" for it. ADD and ADHD is a struggle, and a hard one and if you don't find ways to assist your child, wether it be a drug or counseling to try to find ways to deal with it. then you are setting your child up for a struggle in life. Dont have children if you dont know how to parent and lead your child.

[Coffees]

I am a special education teacher and we have many wonderful parents who do everything to help their child, awesome teachers who accommodate the child, but they are still not successful. The people who say ADHD is not real or medication is rediculous have obviously never worked with a child with ADHD.

With that being said, both of my children are diagnosed with ADHD and they have a strong family history on my husbands side of the family (all the men, including their father).  My oldest son was diagnosed at 5 and we tried medication (meditate, focalin, concerta) and all of them caused mild seizures (screaming uncontrollably for 20+ minutes when the medication left his system). I gave up on medication and homeschooled him for the remainder of kindergarten. During that time I worked with a behavioral specialist and in first grade he returned to school. We worked very closely with the teachers and did everything research suggested was effective. For 2 years my son never develop friendships, never went a day without getting into trouble (impulsiveness) and failed all tests (but could answer the questions if asked orally). In third grade we drove 100 miles to see a pediatric pshcologist who partnered with a neurologist. The neurologist suggested Vyvance and the psychiatrist said it was obvious medication was the only choice left to help him. The neurologist did a few brain scans when he took each medication and Vyvance was the only stimulant medication that did not cause seizures. Both of my boys have been on Vyvance for 2 years. They have NO side effects. They eat, no belly aches, no neurological problems and they both are making straight A's!

To answe your question, no Vyvance should not be removed but I think general doctors should not be able to prescribe ADHD medication. Just like you wouldnt go to your general doctor if you had a heart attack, because a heart doctor knows the heart inside and out. A pediatric psychologist can make sure the child is properly diagnosed and medication is monitored more closely (and how it responds to the body). Every child is different and every child has their own needs. One medication may be aweful for one child but a blessing for the other.

[Gabi89]

I have been on Vyvance for about 2 1/2 years and I think it works great! I was on 3 different kinds of adderhol before my doctor finally prescribed me to Vyvance. The other medications either wore off half way through the day or made some of my ADHD symptoms worse. Since being on Vyvance I have gone from being an C and D student to getting all A's and B's in my college classes. People who have ADHD don't just take the medication to do better in school, they also take it because it helps with emotional and behavioral problems. I also suffer from depression and I know taking vyvance helps me deal with my depression. Even when I take my anti depressants and not my vyvance I notice that I don't feel the same, I feel down and unmotivated to get anything I need to done for the day; not to mention I have a lot harder time trying to engage in conversation or interaction with people on the days I don't take my vyvance. I don't plan on being on it for the rest of my life, but I know that I still need it, and NO i'm not addicted to vyvance, so I am taking it until I know I can control my ADHD symptoms on my own. If you really have a problem with Vyvance fine, but why waste your time bitching about it on here. Just because some people have negative side effects from it doesn't mean everyone does. It's a prescription medication, EVERY prescription medication has side effects just look at the label on ANY bottle of medication. If you don't like the side effects then just don't take the medication, it's as simple as that!!

[mommy8112]

tHIS IS FOR PSYCOLOVE :
I wish not using medication was an option for some but have you read all the facts of ADHD. How some can be soo severe and some can be mild? I have spent many hours reading many different things about ADHD since my son was Diagnosed with Severe ADHD. If you met my son you would never think he can be as bad as he can be. I don't mean bad as in behavior wise I mean his ADHD can get BAD. I don't want to toot my own horn but I am an amazing mom I have 4 kid and one on the way. I am very into my kids and very consistent and I am all about positive praise and attention. Yet my son still needs medication. not bc he can't sit still but bc he can't be successful in school with out it. If you don't believe in medication that is fine and that is your opinion and you are more then welcome to express it but I don't find it nessasary for you to say its due to parenting. I do believe some parents have a hard time being tough and consistant with kids with ADHD maybe there needs to be some kind of classes for them to take but I do know that ADHD is not something you can just sweep under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. Did you know that it is hard for us as parents at time with these kids but think about how they feel trapped inside there own brain day after day. Unless you have it yourself you will never know what its like. I had someone explain to me what it feels like once and its like my son's brain is a ball rolling down a hill and it never stops. Did you also know that kids whose parents just choose to believe its kids being kids and bad parenting also have a higher risk of becoming a person to self medicate at a teenager due to that fact that drugs is the only thing that makes them feel normal. Believe what you want but don't insult others and there parenting  

[mimig4]

I was changed from adderall (adderrall) to vyvance and have noticed a serious decline in it's effectiveness, along with the same heart palpatations mentioned. Now I'm out of town for a couple of weeks and am clueless what to do as there's a shortage of Adderall (adderrall) in my area(Houston,T)x.-thus the reason for switching meds.

[ujujujujuju]

your loosing your head without it because you became dependent on it. its called addiction, and i wouldn't recommend searching for another medication. people enjoy the rush from these drugs, and use them recreationally, or even  in the morning to help them through the day, but what they don't realize is that it can literally KILL YOU. If i were you i would work on kicking the amphetamine habit before it takes your life.

[tyne82]

My son is on concerta best med I've found.

[ihatemymeds]

my mother wont listen to me. im 17, i shouldnt be struggling to sleep, or forgetting to eat for 3 days at a time. if im off of my medication, all i want to do is sleep, and i am an emotional wreck. my mother thinks im stupid when i refer to my medication as meth. she told me i cant function without my medication, and that its strange that when i forget to take my pills that all i want to do is sleep and not do anything. Ive been trying to explain to her that my body is in withdrawel or trying to detox when, and that its a completely normal reaction to what is being put into my body. my mom thinks my behavioral struggles are because im a drug addict, but the same time my behavior changed, is when i started on vyvanse. Im know for being talkative, patient, and a compassionate person. but ever since taking vyvanse, i hate people, i dont want to be around anyone, and im a vegetable. I sit for hours on end, not talking, or doing anything. ive lost friends because of this. my mom tells me its because im a drug addict. I do admit i smoke marijuana. i know its illegal, and self medicating is bad, but it helps me eat, sleep and not have a constant migrain. my medication has started a horrible anxiety disorder, and i cant sit still without getting hott. my palms sweating, i start digging my toes into my shoes as hard as i can. i dont want to feel like this.

[ihatemymeds]

i understand my moms struggles with not knowing what to do with me because my adhd is so severe, but i have anxiety and depression on top of all this, and am struggling to graduate at this point. i just dont want to feel like such an outcast.

[Sandman2]

   You know at least some of the symptoms you are describing are those for narcolepsy.  People with ADHD usually have trouble sleeping.  And stimulants are used to treat people with narcolepsy.  You might want to check out this site - http://helpguide.org/life/narcolepsy_symptom_causes_treatments.htm
      and see if any of this sounds like what was bothering you.   You also describe symptoms of someone who is being over dosed.  Have you mentioned any of this to your prescribing doctor?  And hopefully, it is not the pediatrician you went to as a child.
     Point being - this is something you want to talk about with your doctor or a new doctor.  Your mom won't have a clue (not her fault).   You might also want to check out these adult AD/HD sites.  Totallyadd.com or http://jeffsaddmind.com/for-first-time-visitors.  Hope this helps.  Best wishes and feel free to start a new post if you have any more questions.

[insightadhd]

thanks for sharing dkpoto! i have witnessed autistic children weening off multiple drugs because they were "going to die" the dr. says.  these children were saved by a cookie.  i was institutionalized due to atrophy from stimulants on many occasions from age 6-17. then i found jesus and cannabinoids.  it saved my demonically altered biological state of mind.

[ceebee272]

With all due respect, your comment about ADHD being caused by poor parenting skills....what a crock of poop! I can not tell you how many times I've heard this from people who haven't a clue what real ADHD is or what it looks like. I have been involved with my kids from day one, involved with their schools, meeting with their teachers, getting involved in their activities...you name it. We set firm guidelines andeexpect our kids to stay within them--my husband and I are a team. We work together to show our daughters we are unified in supporting them, as well as keeping them accountable for their grades and actions. So tell me.... are we bad parents?  Our two daughters have ADHD. My brother has ADHD, his sons have ADHD and Aspergers and my older sister is ADHD....you see where I"m going here?? It's primarily GENETIC. So before you spout off your mouth about ADHD and how you think its just poor parenting, educate yourself and learn. I can't tell you how often I wished we were dealt a different hand--life would have been SO much easier. ADHD is quite real, thank you very much, and it creates challenges and enormous stress within a family.

[specialmom]

You sound like a terrific parent!  It saddens me when people come here for support and are met with negativity.

I would never let strangers on the internet that are very one dimensional make me feel bad for helping my child and doing the best I can.  Most probably feel that way and just wouldn't come back.  It is a shame.  

So keep doing what you are doing and I wish your kids all the success in the world!

[dcurro]

I'm on vyvanse right now. I'm a 16year old girl... I have been trying different medications for my adhd (now more add) and they all made me sick. I stopped taking it for about 3 years and I was failing almost every class because I couldn't get myself to pay attention. At the beginning of this school year, I'm a junior, i was talking to a guy at school and he was talking about how awsome vyvanse is because he used to take it and it made him happy to be in school. i got prescribed to it and i could tell the difference immediately. i loved school. i didn't want to be anywhere but school. ive been on it for about 4 months (40s) and it still works just as well as it first did. Sometimes i get a weird feeling throughout the day, a little like im in a fog. like my body goes numb, but ive gotten used to it. the only thing i don't like about it is i have no personality anymore. the littlest things thriughoutbthe day will tick me off so bad that ill end up crying hysterically or screaming in someone's face. its made me feel like my world is crashing down on me. and when it wares off i get even worse. when my dad just talks to me i feel like something trying to rip out of me and smack him. i just get so pissed off. my dad keeps wanting to take me off but i don't want to. i love being able to do work and be happy to do it. No matter what work im doing. i love taking notes... Everybody else hates it. oh yeah. and i lost about 20 pounds. i eat once a day and its at about 6 at night. im just never hungry. So there are some bad things about vyvanse but good too. i don't think you should put younger kids on it... I think 15 or 16 is good because we know and understand what the vyvanse does. its up to you though.  

[jonnynoxious]

WHAT STUDIES?

You're a liar. I've tried fish oils, vitamins, "ADD/ADHD DIETS," everything.

The thing that worked best for me was a unique antidepressant therapy developed by a doctor who is no longer practicing due to a brain injury from an accident. Even that stopped working as effectively.. to the point where I switched to Vyvanse. I don't like some of the thoughts way late in the night/early AM, and I don't like the sometimes severe irritability, but I've found that can best be managed through consuming enough calories.

[daniel902]

6 days ago I was prescribed 40 mg of Vyvanse, Im 20 and have dealt with ADD symptoms most of my life but have never been prescribed any other medications.  In about a week I have become an entirely different person and notably a better student, other than dry mouth and sweating I have had no adverse effects of the drug. I am thinking about taking it every few days consistent with my school schedule. If anyone has tried doing this id be interested in how  the side effects compare to daily use.

[jul90]

I have been on Vyvanse for about 7 months now. I don't know where to begin describing the effects this medicine has had on me. At first it was amazing - I could focus much better, I could complete my school work on time, I had motivation, etc. Within just a couple weeks it the positive effects went away. I guess I should mention I am a college student and am 21 years old. I was not diagnosed until about a year ago with ADD - though I'm positive I've had it since about 7th grade. I finally went to see a doctor about 7 months ago and began the 30 mg. I am now on the 50's and after just a couple of days, I can already feel the medicine wearing off just about 5 hours after taking it. I sometimes get horrible nausea and this morning was the worst yet - throwing up for hours. I sometimes get weird red blotchy skin rashes on my chest, my nose gets red and my ears get red, and my skin starts to feel hot and clammy. Sometimes I get extremely dizzy on it and have adverse affects in which I feel that I'm in a cloud. If I do not drink enough water, my body will feel like it's literally shutting down. I have to walk about 20 minutes to class, and every time i walk I begin sweating like crazy, get dizzy and tingly feeling. I should mention that I am a woman and I do not sweat easily, ever! i have been having horrible problems sleeping and food makes me sick. I am already pretty tall (5'9") and skinny, and i have lost about 10 pounds on vyvanse. I don't feel like a real person on this medicine. I have wanted to switch to something else so badly but that right there is a completely different story... I go to college and my doctor is 3 hours away at my hometown. Where I live there are no Psychiatrists available (I've been trying to find a new one for about 5 months - none are taking new patients). And worst of all, my doctor is an idiot.

People say that about doctors a lot and it actually makes me mad. I'm studying Psychology and plan to receive a Doctoral eventually and hate when I hear people say things such as that when they have no idea the process doctors go through with patients. My situation though: My doctor schedules me, rushes me, doesn't ask how I'm doing, doesn't try helping me, he's mean and rude, he answer's his iPhone almost every time I make a 3 hour trip home to see him, and when I try telling him my problems he responds with, "So what would you like me to do? Do you want new medicine, a higher dose, what?" I was flabbergasted last time I saw him and he said that. I know Vyvanse has not been out on the market too long and I am honestly extremely worries about taking it. Because of my insurance not accepting many meds, and because of my idiot doctor who doesn't care about me (so much for the ever so emphasized "empathy" I've learned to give to patients) I am stuck on this medicine that I feel is actually going to damage my body in the long run.

I know what i feel sometimes is not normal. I knew when I had ADD when I was a child and that no matter how hard I studied or how many times I read a book being incapable of absorbing the information, that something was wrong. When I first began this medicine and I finally felt "normal," I wanted to cry. I could finally attend class, listen to my professor AND taking notes simultaneously, rather than rushing to get my notes down with no idea what was being said. Almost immediately this positive effect went away. Now, my medicine lasts from about 8:00 AM to 2:00-3:00 PM AT THE LATEST. I have to rush home to do my homework after class, and once it fades, I feel fatigued, tired, like I was up all night, in a fog, etc. If I ever forget to take my pill, I can notice the effects immediately. I feel that I cannot function without and am afraid my body will become reliant on it even though I have gradually increased from 30 mg to 40 mg to 50 mg over the course of 7 months. i can't find a doctor here to help me or anywhere else because apparently my city is booked (not to mention there's an adderall (adderrall) epidemic), or at least there is in my city. I get treated like a druggie everywhere I go for help - even my state university. They require a $300+ test for ADD to actually get treatment, which I cannot afford. So for now, I am stuck on this medicine with all of it's bad side effects. I am not doing as well in school anymore, and I have no social life anymore. All i do is study, and I study harder than anyone I know. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like a complete idiot for trying so incredibly to do well, and doing just as well as everyone else.

Also I wanted to note, I have recently discovered that if I drink an INSANE amount of water, I will start to feel a little better and less dizzy, hot, clammy, sick, etc., but only a little. And I have seen some posts where people said they love that they don't feel like eating and just take the pill with one meal a day or don't eat all. Please don't do this.... A couple months ago I had midterms & was so busy with school that i LITERALLY forgot to eat. i was barely drinking any water and ended up pulling an all nighter one night where I almost went to the hospital. My heart was racing, I was sweating, I had adverse affects in which I was MORE cloudy than USUAL, I felt weak and dizzy, my body was sweating extremely badly, and I felt like I had overdosed. If I don't sleep enough on this medicine, this happens sometimes, and I KNOW this is not normal! The side effects I get with this sometimes scare me so badly, and seeing other people say similar things when this drug is new on the market and doesn't have enough long term results is even scarier.

One last thing, does anyone recommend a good medication they take for ADD? I heard Concerta is good but would like to hear from other people. I have way worse ADD than i ever realized and my doctor doesn't care nor does he feel it's his job to make suggestions as to what medicine is necessary....I need something that will last in the evening..... Thanks!

[Sandman2]

   Oh, did you ever cause me to do a lot of research.  But first.
Geeze I feel for you.  Gotta be like being up a river without a paddle.  I thing (hope) your college should be more supportive. If you have anything on paper with your diagnosis that you could show them, that should be helpful.  Also, with a diagnosis like you have - you are eligible for some special considerations.  I think you need to go see your counselor - not the doctor- and let them know what is going on.  Bring along proof with you.  Your prescription should maybe be enough. If you had been diagnosed while in high school and had a 504 or an IEP, it would have followed you to college and you would be getting extra help.  By law they are mandated to help you.  Go ask for it.  College counselors do deal with this.  They should be able to help and perhaps get you connected with a doctor that cares.
    Ok, thats the college part.
I think that your dose is too high for you.  The problem is that all stims have a certain time in which they act on the body.    I think you are burning yours up at a pretty fast rate - and just uping the dose isn't going to help.  A high fat meal will cause the dose to last longer.  Before you take the med, get a meal with bacon or sausage (heck go to Mcdonalds), and then take the med.  And if you have any 30's left I would try that first.  You need the food  to slow down the absorption.  
    I'm going to give you a couple of web sites to read.  They all have posts by others on vyvanse.  You've got to filter through a bunch of posts - but there are many having similar problems and some with solutions.  You might want to try this in the morning between classes.  Anyway, check out
          http://www.addadhdblog.com/does-vyvanse-work/#bbeb3
          http://www.corepsychblog.com/2009/06/vyvanse-dosage-for-adhd-finding-the-safe-top-of-the-window/#axzz1mcPg0npv
        I am glad to hear you are studying psychology.  Your experiences will help your patients.  Hope this helps, and please post if you have any more questions.  Heck, keep in touch with this site.  Your experiences will be important for others.  Best wishes!!!