Vyvanse vs Adderall XR – Benefits, Problems
Vyvanse vs Adderall XR:
Vyvanse is a new treatment for ADHD and this article compares it to Adderall.
If you want to learn the 10 most important things you should know about Vyvanse, see here.
Are you confused by all your medication options? (Ritalin, Adderall, Focalin, Vyvanse, Intuniv, Metadate, Pemoline – and that’s just getting started!) Figure things out – a Full List of ADHD Medications tells you what you need to know.
Now…
First, it’s important to realize that Vyvanse is Shire’s replacement for their old blockbuster drug, Adderall XR, which is losing its patent.
If you’re being suggested to take Vyvanse, it’s not necessarily because it’s a better medication.
Shire wants to turn it into a billion dollar drug, and has unleashed a marketing campaign of that magnitude, aimed at consumers and doctors.
On the other hand, Vyvanse does have some advantages over Adderall. It also has a few disadvantages.
Comparing Vyvanse vs Adderall is made slightly harder because both drugs are amphetamines. If you take either, you’re getting pretty much the same thing.
That said, there are some important differences.
1) Vyvanse is 100% d-amphetamine, while Adderall XR is a mix of 4 different d and l-amphetamines.
This mix in Adderall may make it more effective, stronger. But it might cause more anxiety or physical side effects. See later for discussion of the differences between the amphetamine types.
The next big difference is that:
2) Vyvanse is released via digestion, while Adderall is released by bead technology.
The digestion release may make Vyvanse smoother, last longer, and have less variability. What you eat might not effect it so much, while Adderall XR may be more effected by, say, having a cup of orange juice.
This release also means that snorting or injecting Vyvanse provides less of a high. As many have pointed out, however, Vyvanse can provide a high just by being taken at higher doses.
Advantages of Vyvanse
We have a full article discussing the Advantages of Vyvanse.
Vyvanse has been shown to have effect for a very long time, up to 14 hours in some studies. While realistically that duration of effect may not happen, it works fairly well for fairly long.
This is likely because its release mechanism is typically smooth, meaning less variability.
Finally, Vyvanse is pure d-amphetamine, which may mean less of certain side effects compared to the l and d-amphetamine of Adderall.
Disadvantages of Vyvanse
Vyvanse is basically nothing more than extended release Dexedrine. And while it seems to have fewer side effects relating to anxiety and release, it may cause more side effects like reduced appetite.
Because Vyvanse is so new, it may be significantly more expensive than other options or not covered by insurance, especially since both Dexedrine and Adderall are available in generic form. We also simply do not know as much about it as we do about the older drugs.
Finally, some users feel that it’s not as strong as Adderall, and that it stops working earlier than advertised.
l versus d amphetamine
Remember that Vyvanse is pure d-amphetamine, while Adderall is a mix of d- and l-forms.
The d form may be more effective at reducing impulsiveness and overactivity. The l form, on the other hand, may increase concentration better, but it may also cause more anxiety. It is also per molecule less effective than the d form, but such a distinction is perhaps irrelevant.
The d form may effect more dopamine, as opposed to both noradrenaline and dopamine in the l form. This theory, however, is not established. Noradrenaline is involved in anxiety responses, which may explain why Adderall XR seems to be worse for anxiety.
Adult ADHD:
ADHD is a lot different in adults than in children. Hyperactivity, for instance, is not necessarily there or in the same form as in kids.
If you are over 18 and worried that you might have ADHD, check out an ADHD Test Made for Adults.
Learn what the 4 Secrets To Success with ADHD are – it could really help you understand what’s going on in your life.
The above entry contains numerous inaccuracies, and a poor understanding of both medications referenced. The most concerning statements relate to the idea that Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) is “weaker” than Adderall XR (dextroamphetamine/amphetamine extended release). It is important to understand that the active component of both medications is exactly the same – dextroamphetamine. Dextroamphetamine is also available generically and inexpensively as both a regular and sustained-release formulation.
There are differences in how the dextroamphetamine is delivered depending on which formulation is used. According to the manufacturer’s FDA application material (some of which can be found with diligent searching of the internet) the maximum blood levels of dextroamphetamine peak higher with lisdexamfetamine than with any other formulation containing an equivalent amount of the active medication. This peak blood level occurs within 3-4 hours after ingestion. This is at about the same time one would experience the peak blood level if one swallowed the standard formulation of dextroamphetamine – but the peak blood levels may not be as high.
Because the body needs 11-12 hours to reduce the blood levels by one half, lisdexamfetamine achieves an “extended duration” of effect by starting from a very high blood concentration. Conceptually this could be acheived with a similarly high dose of “immediate-release” (standard formulation) dextroamphetamine. The downside to this approach is that the high, early peak of dextroamphetamine may not be well tolerated.
Interestingly, very little of the lisdexamfetamine “prodrug” makes it into the blood stream. What is absorbed unchanged peaks around an hour after ingestion and is rapidly converted to dextroamphetamine or excreted – virtually none is left by the time the dextroamphetamine peaks. This is further evidence that the “secret” to the duration of action of dextroamphetamine is a high initial blood level.
Adderall XR and the generic formulation are designed to mimic using the standard Adderall tablet dosed with a 4 to 5 hour interval between the first and second dose. This means that the peak blood levels with Adderall XR occur at around 3PM, not 2 to 3 hours after the medicine is first swallowed. The XR formulation is just a more expensive, albeit more convenient, way to do the same thing as taking an Adderall tablet in the morning, and at noon. Adderall tablets are also generic (and have been for a while) They are quite inexpensive for a months supply – available for less than $10 at many pharmacies. Again, if a higher dose were taken as a single dose in the morning, provided the effects at the peak blood level (between 2-3 hours after ingestion) were tolerated, the long “half-life” of the medication should provide many hours of reliable medication coverage.
There is not evidence that lisdexamfetamine lasts longer than other formulations at equivalent doses, nor that this is an advantage. The manufacturer of lisdexamfetamine developed and markets this product to replace Adderall XR revenue which will be “lost” to generic competition. They did the same with the XR formulation of Adderall when the tablets were to become generic.
It is not true that lisdexamfetamine is safer from an abuse perspective than other stimulants. Lisdexamfetamine was rated by amphetamine abusers to be equally well-liked as a dose of amphetamine which generated equal peak blood levels. However, the duration that the drug was rated well liked lasted longer with lisdexamfetamine than with dextroamphetamine. It is true that to be absorbed and rapidly converted to dextroamphetamine the medication must be swallowed. So injecting and snorting are not desirable forms of abuse. Unfortunately the formulation itself presents some novel ways that it can be abused (or inflicted unknowingly on others). It is true that like all amphetamines, lisdexamfetamine is considered among the most likely medications (schedule II) which may be abused.
The original author above neglects to inform that the “l” isomer, levamphetamine has very poor activity in the brain. it is approximately 1/10 as potent as the “d” isomer dextroamphetamine. The “l” isomer does have more potent effects on heart rate, blood pressure, nausea/GI symptoms, etc. The Adderall formulation (as I understand) was originally developed as a brand name alternative to dextroamphetamine for appetite suppression many years ago. However, the formulation found more favor as an ADHD drug, and the company rapidly moved in that direction.
The costs of the newer medications are around 10 times higher than their older parent medications. Don’t be fooled, this is big business. The author of this article did not take ownership, nor state their qualifications. They may be a drug rep for the company that would profit from increased sales of lisdexamfetamine. They may have been written someone who has a financial interest in promoting lisdexamfetamine, and/or creating concern about Adderall.
Careful reading of the prescribing information on both medications as well as the corporate sponsored studies (which carefully avoid direct comparisons) reveal that side effects are common with both medications, and that lisdexamfetamine may have higher rates of nausea/loss of appetite, and other problems. The manufacturer has confirmed that considering the blood levels of dextroamphetamine delivered, that the lowest dose of lisdexamfetamine (20mg) is essentially equal to 12.5mg of Adderall XR (there are two commercially available lower dose strengths). The 70mg lisdexamfetamine dose delivers more dextroamphetamine than 40mg of Adderall XR. The maximum recommended/FDA approved dose of Adderall XR for adolescents and adults is 20mg – beyond this dose, no additional improvement in ADHD symptoms were seen, but there was an increase in side effects. This does not mean that the patient does not PREFER a higher dose, but that is a differnt problem.
Typically, all stimulants are a bad idea for patients with anxiety. The same is true for patients with bipolar disorder. Since stimulants, particularly those delivering dextroamphetamine are likely to be abused, these medicines should not be used (or used with extreme caution) in patients with a history of substance abuse. It is also important to realize that lisdexamfetamine has not been systematically studied in adolescents – this is a population with special problems in terms of knowing what is the correct dose (not too little, nor too much), what are the effects on the rapid growth at this age (stimulants do stunt growth), and the issues of abuse and diversion which are more common in these patients.
Many internet posters would have you believe ADHD is just about finding the right dose of the right medicine – and alway that answer is whichever is newest. Do yourself and your child a favor – go to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry or the American Academy of Pediatrics websites, find, read and understand the diagnosis and treatment guidelines for ADHD developed and endorsed by these organizations. Understand too that ADHD is diagnosis which can only be considered after ruling out all of the other possible explanations (ranging from snoring to seizures, immaturity/cognitive delay to sleep disturbance) for the behaviors seen.
Medication choice is (or should be) a complex decision which balances risks and benefits for a particular set of circumstances for a patient. Sometimes, depending on the condition, the best treatment is not a medicine at all. In all circumstances, you should ensure that the person making the selection is doing so with the best available information. This means the prescriber should know more than what the drug rep or company-sponsored “expert” told (or sold) them.
Good Luck.
A Pediatrician
Dear Pediatrician,
Thank you for your long and insightful post. I want to let you know that I am not a drug representative. I am a student with some research experience at Harvard Medical, and am eager to learn more.
That said, I believe Vyvanse is a valuable new option for ADHD, and that my original post – barring corrections noted – is valid.
d-amphetamine is indeed more potent in some ways on a one-to-one ratio than l-amphetamine. I disagree with your 1/10 contention. Source 1 puts it at about twice as potency.
But this molecular one-per-one ratio doesn’t change the fact that some people feel that Vyvanse is too weak.
The l-form is also linked to various unpleasant side effects as you discussed, which is another reason in favor of Vyvanse.
Your conversion ratio is a bit off; 30mg Vyvanse is typically considered to be equivalent to 10mg Adderall.
As for abuse potential, see source 2. While preferred to placebo, compared to immediate release, Vyvanse scored significantly less in many areas of potential abuse including likeability and scored significantly higher in “dislike” scales for drug abusers.
You are absolutely right that a balanced attitude needs to be taken towards ADHD medications. This post does not pretend to be an overview of the ADHD field, and merely seeks to compare and contrast Adderall XR with Vyvanse.
Best,
David
1) http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions.com/content/4/1/3
2) http://jop.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/23/4/419
Hi,
I have been taking Vyvanse for a few months now. While it has help me to accomplish at lot a work, it makes me going through severe insommina (3 days of insomnia for each 20mg pill I take). I have never been a heavy sleeper but the pill makes things much worse for me. If I take care for more than three days in a row it affects may mood (it makes me feel a bit paranoid).
My doctor cannot go any lower in terms of the dose he is giving me but the effects of only one 20mg pill stays with me for more than a day despite I weight more than 200 pounds!
Any suggestions or comments for me will be greately appreciated!
Dear ADHD In Adults,
Remember, I am not a doctor. You may be interested in asking your doctor if Vyvanse can be split up. I believe it and that can allow for specific dose tritriation.
Ask your doctor to look it up, and I’m fairly sure he’ll agree.
But again, he’s got the MD for a reason, and I don’t =)
Thanks for reading! Remember, if there’s a topic you’d like to see covered, please let me know =)
Insomnia is a huge side effect with Vyvanse. I had taken Adderall for almost 8 years and switched to Vyvanse about 5 months ago. Immediately even at the smallest dosages sleeping became an issue. Ive just learned to deal with it and after months the problem is still there.
So either get used to it or talk to your doctor to find something else.
As far as splitting it up goes – I have slit capsules before by pouring them into water. It works okay for me.
Anyways, thanks for your original post, admin. It was a good read!
I love adderal though i was recently prescribed vyvanse insted. Fuck me?
i have always had a problem with ADD. my grades were never the best. when i get in highschool i heard of adderol. it was a popular drug i guess you can say. a friend gave me some and i noticed a complete 180 change in my behaviors at school… i listened to every detail my teacher would say and write everything down… i skipped lunch for a week striaght re writing notes to make them perfectly neat. i pushed my boyfriend away however, when hed try to talk to me id be aggrivated because i guess you could say he was ruining my “focus” i would stand in the halls with my friends and just stair at something on the ground… no one liked me on it… i was a pretty big bitch to say the least…. (sorry bout the lang) so i came off of it…. i wanted to be on it because it made my grades better and i felt better about myself but i couldnt deal with being so mean to my boyfriend. Recently when i came into college my doctor prescribed me vyvanse… ive only been on it a couple of weeks but its helped so much. i take 50 mg and while i do find it hard to want to lay down to go to sleep i normally can fall asleep within a reasonable time…for me (its always took me awhile to go to sleep) during the day im really talktive. im upbeat and focused… while before on adderol i would seclude myself sorta like i was in my own little focused world.. i do notice somewhat of an irribility but nothing like on adderol.. point is vyvanse has given me the focus i need while stilll being social. so thumbs up for vyvanse. :)
thanks for reading.
David, thank you for this post. I’ve just been prescribed Vyvanse because I needed to switch to an extended release medication (I had been taking generic Adderall). My doctor didn’t explain very clearly why he prescribed this instead of Adderall XR. After reading your article and the comments I feel much more informed.
Thanks cd and Bill for the kind words. =)
It’s great to hear that you found the article useful. I don’t have a particularly strong opinion towards Vyvanse, but do feel that it isn’t substantially different from Dexedrine.
The best way for you to show your appreciation is by linking to posts you find useful, whether on your blog or forums that you frequent, especially ones related (in this case) to ADD.
And remember, if there’s a topic you’d like to see covered, let us know.
Best,
David
I have taken both… I started off taking Vyvanse (50mg) a couple of weeks ago. At first I feel great, a lot of energy, I’m on top of things. Then by mid afternoon I can start to feel it wear off- like I’m crashing. I start getting an upset stomach, my neck aches, and I get a headache. I thought I was getting sick so I kept taking it. Then on the weekend I stopped for a day to give my body a rest – all the problems stopped. I told the doctor and he switched me to Adderall XR. The side effects are not as bad. I still get headaches and the pill doesn’t hit me as hard as Vyvanse does an 1 hour after you take it. If I had to choose one that I thought worked the best it would be Vyvanse. However, side effects I would choose Adderall XR.
Hi! I loved your post, it was very helpful. I am now taking 50mg Vyvanse daily. It has worked wonders in my life! I have no noticeable side effects and if I wanted to, I could fall asleep right after I’ve taken it (no problems sleeping whatsoever). My problem is that I will be without insurance in a month and I think I might be without it for quite a while. My doctor was suggesting maybe I switch over to a generic form of Adderall. I have never taken Adderall before, and the Vyvanse has worked great, but I guess I am forced to make the switch for financial reasons. I used to take Ritalin, and Concerta, but Ritalin gave me too many side effects and the Concerta just plain didn’t work for me. Do people like me normally have a problem switching over to Adderall? I know everyone is different, but I was liking the no side effects part of Vyvanse. Or maybe, is there a way to acquire it cheaper? It is quite expensive without insurance.
how do these two compare to concerta and ritalin?
dave: you might be interested in the article Adderall Vs Vyvanse – http://healthlifeandstuff.com/2009/08/ritalin-vs-adderall/
Christina: You might be interested in asking your doctor about Dexedrine, which, according to Wikipedia, is the active ingredient in Vyvanse, and which is probably available as a generic.
And everyone remember I am still no doctor =)
This above post is true….and Dex is available for very cheap- maybe like 25$ for 60 pills… thats what my generic adderall is….dex is even more prehistoric than adderall…so I think it should be even cheaper. Christina….if you said you liked the no side effects, try and go for dexadine, ive been prescribed Vyvanse, Adderall, Dexadrine…Vyvanse at 50 mg did nothing for me…and Adderall 20 mg tablets i end up needing to take like 2 or 3 a day….and there are tons of sideeffects….heart racing at times…but the Vyvanse worked for me for like the first 5 days i took it, then, nothing…
Im doing school work aalll the time…and without it, well, i wouldnt even be in school still at this point! and my house would be a mess! lol
I have a question….if i was prescribed 50 mg of Vyvanse…and it worked for the first few days- ive been taking 40-50mg of adderall since then…and it does the job!
What would happen if I took 100mg of Vyvanse (2 50mg) the way my dic told me of the difference in strength,,,it sounds right? no?
From what I know, the max recommended dose of Vyvanse is 70mg. Your doctor should know whether exceeding that range is safe – or, more accurately, if it isn’t significantly dangerous. Remember, Vyvanse is an amphetamine and addictive as well as potentially having very serious side effects. As such, the best idea seems to be to take the minimum dose possible and to explore alternative options like non-stimulants if an adequate is not achieved.
Vyvanse conversion into Adderall may work similar to your math, but as the first poster mentioned, there are complex chemical issues and the release may mean you are exposed to excessively high levels of amphetamine if you take a non-recommended dose.
Please be safe! =)
today, i took my vyvanse, which is 30mg, and i had no effects from it at all. i have only been taking this perscription for less than a week, so tolerance probably isn’t an issue. any ideas?
Thank you so much for your post. I was just prescribed Vyvanse by someone who actually co-developed it for Shire. It felt much like an endorsement and didn’t feel I had much of a choice in the matter. Thought I had taken Aderall several years back with unperceived benefits. Hopefully this will be effective, yet the cost does concern me. Money is money and if this is just a knock off or some super small alteration to extend a patent, than I would rather go the inexpensive route. I’ll post back again. But David, thanks again for the post.
I just got a prescription for Vyvanse today and I curious how it will work for my son. I asked the doctor if we could try Dexedrine but he steered us this way. He said he didn’t like having kids taking multiple doses per day. It makes me wonder what kind of payouts Shire is giving to doctors. Personally, I’d just prefer to give him two doses of the cheaper alternative and then let it wear off so he can get to sleep at a decent time.
I have taken Vyvanse for half a yr now and liked it, the only problem is the “come down”. Vyvanse is like crack but I like it. but then again who doesnt like crack?
Its been two weeks now that I’ve been on the “V,” 50mg. Previously, I had been taking adderall xr 15-30mg for about 3 years. The main reason I switched was that I wasn’t comfortable with having to take two doses of adderall on some really tough long school days (I was finishing my senior thesis and juggling a million other things). So my doctor described V like it was some sort of miracle drug, “oh it is so smooth, it lasts so long, it will be perfect for you.” Well, other than it costing 6 times more than my generic adderall xr, I find myself completely pooped and lethargic by lunch time… ugh. I’m in a worse boat now than I was with the adderall regarding duration, but I do agree with other posts that the side effects are A LOT LESS.
What should I do… increase my dose or maybe switch back to adderall? the concern I have with adderall is that I don’t want to have to increase my dose and then deal with the extreme side effects of a higher dosage.
I’m in law school now and desperately need to have a stable level of focus throughout the day. What should I do?
Hi. Interesting article about yet another new ADHD drug. I’ve been on adderal since the mid 90′swhen my son was diagnosed and I was as well. I take 2- 20mg standard release adderall per day. After reading this I may try Vyvanse. When Adderall 1st came out it worked very well for me. When the generics hit the market I noticed a reduction in effectivness. There has recently been another generic released that is pink and called simply amphetamine salts. These work about as well as eating a skittles. They want me to believe that the generics are no diferent from the name brand but the effects, or lack of just don’t jibe. I will try this drug for the simple reason that the generic adderall has become ineffective. Once the generic of this hits the market it’s quality will most likely also diminish. I have an extreme case of ADHD and hope I can find a drug that will control my symptoms like the original Adderall did. I also wish the drug companies would produce a generic that not only had the same chemical composition as the name brand but also worked in the human body in the same way. Thanks
Vyvanse is not extended release. Vyvanse contains a prodrug of dextroamphetamine, that is, it must be absorbed in GI tract where it is converted biologically to dextroamphetamine, which is the responsible for the drug’s activity. The T(max) is approx. 3.5 hours (i.e. peak levels).
I have been taking Vyvanse for 4 Months Now. I am a 40yr old Woman working as a Quality control Manager. I have always struggled with concentration of any kind. I don’t read books for fun because if I can’t finish it in one night I never go back to it. I always felt that I had to work 2X as hard as others just to be a B+ Student. I earned my MBA in 2007 and it has been very hard for me to get to this point. Now that I my life has actually started to low down, my inability to focus has impacted my job performance. At least before when I had so much going on (working, marriage ,going to school, raising a family and trying to be super Mom with all the kids extra activities) I was forced to stay on top of things. Now my mind just wanders. Finally, In March this year, went to a psychologist and was diagnosed me with ADD. My family dr. started me on Conserta, but I was allergic to it. I would start Itching 1 hour after taking it. My hands, face, and feet would swell and my skin turned a shade of pink. It took about three weeks before I convinced my Dr to try something else since she had never heard of someone being allergic to it. She worked with me to find the right dose of Adderal XR. Starting low and working up to 35mg and then finally to 25mg 2x per day. It worked great for about 2 months but then I started getting waves of highs and lows and was not sleeping. I switched to a dr. a friend recommended for this treatment. (I still use my other dr. as primary care. I like her just not her specialty) this dr. switched me to Vyvanse 70mg base on my dose of Addera XR. His instructions were to take 1 to 1 1/2 a day. I did not know you could spit them. So when one was just ok, I took 2 in the morning = 140mg.The only time I got jittery with some Increase heart rate was 1 hour after taking it. But I normalized out shortly after that. I was able to focus all day with consistency in my functionality and then around 8:30pm I would start to get sleepy and felt that I could go to bed at anytime. I was very productive and not mean to others and I was also sociable. But insurance won’t pay for more than 45 in 30 day period. I have been taking only 70mg per day for 3 months and I am productive in the morning but I turn in to a Zombie in the afternoon. I basically sit at my desk looking at my computer for 3 hours. Then I get a second wind about an hour before it’s time to go home. 1 1/2 Months ago my new Dr. referred my to a Psychopharmacologist. (a Psychiatrist certified in pharmacology) since I have multiple issues (I am Hypothyroid (have been since 12yr) and some depression associated with getting old and empty nest) To help with my afternoon crash he just prescribed me low dose of Dexadrine (only 5mg) . I am told to take 1 or 2 after lunch. I start this today. Based on the previous post I am optimistic that this will help. For those of you also experiencing this drop in the afternoon I will post back next week to say if it helped or not. I have never posted on a blog before and I apologize that it is so wordy. I found this blog very informative and helpful so I felt compelled you join in.
Started my first dose of V at 20mgs yesterday. Felt fine all day and found no need to drink coffee. I’m also on mood stabilizing meds. (1200mgs of Nurontin at night and 200mgs of Wellbutrine in the morning). I have a family history of bipolar disorder and have found that psychotherpy + meds. have helped tremendously. I’m a 51 yr. old successful executive. However, three yrs. ago my performance and focus on completing assignments significantly decreased. After 20 years of favorable performance evaluations, I was now considered a poor performer and started the job transfer or demotion process. I’m hopeful the V will allow me to back on my “A” game at work, while having a happy, empty nest home life with my wife & pets. Anything to be concerned about with the above mentioned combo of meds? What sexual side effects can this combo produce? I’ve always been the “half-full” optimist and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Anyone out there in a similar world? This also is my first-ever blog. Hope I’m using it appropriately.
I like this drug at 30 mg as it helps concentration that is lost with other drugs for depression and anxiety. It doen’t increase my anxiety at all. In regard to Sleep I take 2 10 mgs of ambien to sleep 5 hrs anyway and this dr8ug has not effected my sleep habits at all. (Cpap Machine for sllep apnea is good for a couple of hours. I’m on the following drugs : Wellbutrin 450 Mg, zanax 3mgs, Oxcarbazepine 900 mgs, Terazosin 2mgs, Paxil 60 mg, lopermamide 10mg plus one or two others as needed. I a walking pharmacy, but a very successful business executive. I do recommend if any of you take as many drugs as I do to limit your alcohol intake. I abused alcohol while using these drugs and it lead to some serious memory loss from the night before. Canabis or nothing at all is a better alternative. I haven’t tried this with Vyvanse, but I’m sure I will for a calming come down effect.
Thanks for sharing, everyone, and I apologize for not responding as well as I should. As always, I remind you that I am not a doctor, and you should take anything I say with a large grain of salt.
nayfro: I wish I could help you! I think that you might want to ask your doctor about increasing your dose or trying something else. You might find that Dexedrine instant release work with similarly low levels of side effects because they are the same class of amphetamine (I believe!) Also, nutritional factors can play a role in how the medication is absorbed, so changing your diet might help.
Kelly: thanks for sharing, and I hope things work well for you!
EZ: I wish I could give you insight into the combo of your meds, but I hardly know enough to say anything about one of them! I don’t know about neurontin, but Wellbutrin is not as associated with sexual side effects as most antidepressants.
Wish you the best of luck getting back to your A game!
I just started taking Vyvanse 30mg 2 days ago. I was on Adderal XR 20mg before that. I requested a medication switch because of the fact that the Adderal just didn’t seem to work anymore. My doctor raised the dosage of my Adderall from 15mg to 20mg one month prior to the switch but all it seemed to do was increase the side affects instead of increase my focus level. I was also becoming strangely lethargic which is really not normal for me. So far the Vyvanse is working however I could not sleep last night to save my life!!! This was never a problem with Adderal. I am always concerned about dosage. I do not like the idea of a high dose due to the fact that it always accompanies higher side effects. I loved Adderal when I first started taking it. It worked wonderfully. I wish is were still working but things do tend to wear off over time. I was wondering since the two medications are different types of amphetamines (d vs I) that perhaps to counter high dosages one could maybe have alternating periods between the two drugs? For example 4 to 6 month intervals on one medication and switching then to the other medication. Is this something that anyone hear has done before?
It has been 4 days since I started 20mgs of V. I feel alert, but nothing very noticable. How long does it take for this type of meds. to fully take effect? I too have a large BMI, 230 lbs and was wondering if the 20mg. dose may be too small? I’ve called my Doc with this concern and will await his reply. Has anyone felt headaches with V? I also stopped coffee the same day I started V to avoid feeling too jittery. This seems to have been a good move, now I wonder if the headaches are due to the coffee detox vs. the V?!? I still remain optimistic and look forward I my future.
EZ
I have been on 70mg of Vyvanse for the last 6 months. My doctor started me on Adderall 10mg and that was not working so 3 weeks later I was on 70mg of V. The first 4 months were great. I was able to think again and get out of bed. Now I take it and I do not want to get out of bed, clean, and I am hateful. But if I don’t take it I am even worse. I fell like I am going crazy. I am testie with it and hateful without it. Up in the air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thoughts or comments?
EZ: If you have been drinking coffee or other caffeine sources regularly, stopping it could definitely be the cause of your headaches. Caffeine is a stimulant that you can become addicted to, and, therefore, can experience withdrawal symptoms (including headaches) with the sudden cut off. I, personally, have gotten numerous headaches with Vyvanse and Aderall both. Unless you completely stop one or the other, it could be difficult to pinpoint the cause of your headaches. Also, I’m about your weight, and I still get very little effect with a 20mg Vyvanse, but I was used to taking 30mg of Aderall XR, so I’m not sure if it’s just a tolerance issue with the lower dosage or if the Vyvanse is just less effective for you/me. Although they do contain the same drug, the release methods, delivery methods, etc.etc. can all effect the treatment results for different patients.
“Pediatrician” is misinterpreting the label for Adderall XR.
The maximum recommended dosing in children for Adderall XR is 30 mg / day. Why do I say this? Because the FDA-approved label says: “The maximum recommended dose for children is 30 mg/day; doses greater than 30 mg/day of ADDERALL XR® have not been studied in children.”
I believe the part that “pediatrician” is misinterpreting says: also says “There was not adequate evidence that doses greater than 20 mg/day conferred additional benefit.”
Contrary to what “pediatrician” says, that doesn’t mean the greater doses wouldn’t benefit anyone. It just means that any improvement didn’t meet the required statistical significance threshold. It could very well be that 25% of the people taking more really needed to take more and improved enough to meet the 95% statistical significance level, but that when you averaged them out in the patient population with all the people who only needed to take 20 or 10 or whatever, it did not meet that 95% level.
Hi.
I took adderall for a while. stopped, work became an unbearable form of torture for me.
started on some of this vyvanse and it works charms.
but does anyone else taking this drug find themselves contemplating suicide HARD like everyday?
I have been taking different drugs for my severe ADHD for 5 years now. First, I was put on strattera. They ended up moving me over to the good ole’ adderal after that. I hated it. It barely even worked. So, I was put on vyvanse 30mg. That stuff worked!!! But my mom was addicted to meth, so I am 3x more likely to become addicted to it than the average person. Well, my doctor moved me to the daytrana patch which sucked! But now, I am back on vyvanse except this time it’s 70mg. I am 5’3 and 138lbs, so any lack of hunger is fine with me, but I was wondering if anyone else had these side effects:
Butterflies in the stomach
Loss of hunger (and even if I am hungry, I don’t want anything because food doesn’t appeal to me when I’m on vyvanse)
Hardly ever talk (I always talkand joke around, but when I’m on V, I don’t ever talk to anyone)
Severe OCD (I am a slob at heart, but on vyvanse, I can’t do anything without doing it to a T. Like, I will spend hours perfecting my room. Odd…
Any feed back will help. Thank you.
After six days on 20mgs. of V, I found myself depressed with thoughts of suicide and no significant improvement with focus. After a good cry over the weekend, my doc. had me stop the V and prescribed Adderal XL. Will start the Adderal in a few days after the V is out of my system. I look forward to more relief than the V.
Readers: sorry for slow/nonexistant response; very busy.
EZ:
I’m so sorry to hear things didn’t work out. I wish you the best of luck with Adderall, and never forget that things can – and will – get better.
Ian: Please get help if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts. I can not stress that enough.
Your life is too valuable to put at risk.
If you are experiencing serious suicidal thoughts, it’s a medical emergency and you deserve medical treatment.
I would first like to point out that while Pediatrician was very long-winded, anyone who already knows the definition of words like prodrug, half-life, peak blood level, isomer, etc. can see that the comment is very misleading(mentioning the side-effects of l-amphetamine but neglecting the desired effects…) That said it’s my turn to get long winded.
I’m not looking at the psychopharmacology from a doctors aspect I’m most intrigued by the comparative abuse potential of the two. I’m not going to lie here, I’ve snorted Adderall before, and I’ve taken well above the prescribed oral dose of both Adderall and Vyvanse. From my experiences I believe that Vyvanse has a higher abuse potential than Adderall. Sure it’s a prodrug so you can’t snort it, but the lack of l-amphetamine and the higher peak blood levels seems to give a 120-140mg oral dose of Vyvanse similar levels of euphoria and energy to a 30mg insufflated dose of Adderall without the pesky l-amphetamine side effects going through the roof too. Not to mention the Vyvanse lasts 4-5x times as long as insufflated Adderall and still has a smooth comedown instead of the hard crash after an intranasal dosing wears off. I think that studies focusing on the comparative abuse via IV administration and insufflation are very skewed considering Vyvanse is a prodrug, and that further studies would show that high oral doses of Vyvanse are comparable to your average insufflated recreational dose of Adderall. The only thing stopping abuse now is the lack of information about Vyvanse in the American drug culture, once the potential is discovered I feel Vyvanse will increase the prevalence of prescription amphetamine abuse.
My husband is currently on Vyvanse but due to insurance issues (they don’t want to pay anymore, it’s so highly regulated) we might be forced to look for an alternative drug such as Adderall. I am really concerned aobut this but we can’t afford to pay retail for the Vyvanse.
I am taking 30mg of adderall 2 times a day and then 10 or 20mg in the afternoon. I have tried 40mg, 50mg, and 60mg of the vyvanse…it seems to work the best at 60mg but still wears off by the afternoon….is this normal? any suggestions?
Sara, I take 60mg Vyvanse and it wears off for me in the afternoon too. I didn’t think to say anything to my psychiatrist until he asked me if it wore off in the afternoon, according to him it is pretty common and his fix was to prescribe me 15mg Adderall IR to take when the Vyvanse wears off.
I take 40 milligrams of Adderral in the morning (two 20′s) before I even get out of bed. If I don’t take the adderall, I can’t even get out of bed; much less, function. This medication works great for me! Not only am I alert and able to focus, but it curves my appetite (only in the a.m.) as well. The only problem is that the appetite suppressant effect only lasts a few hours. By mid-day and early evening I am famished! I also get up several times in the middle of the night to snack. I just can’t seem to help myself with my immense appetite for the rest of the day and night!!!
I am also on 40m of Cymbalta and 20m of Abilify. I workout consistently and try to watch my diet. Yet I suffer from “extreme hunger” early evening and throughout the night!!! I am 210lbs. and desperate to be rid of the uncontrollable appetite!!!
Please don’t suggest that I take the Adderral later in the day. I would literally be an insomniac and be up all night. Taking it in the morning works great for me. But that’s the only time my appetite is under control. Would Vyvanse or anything else help with my appetite? PLEASE HELP ME…I AM DESPERATE!!! Thanks to all.
@ Denny
From what I have been reading, 70mg is WAY to high. Yes, the comedown would feel like hell as you have been superdosed with this stuff. Some that have blogged are on 20mg or 30mg
I have been on 50mg. You see it is just a guessing game for dosage. It’s okay, I lose my appetite, I’ve lost 4 lbs in a month. My anxiety has lowered, but my cognitive behavior is still consistent from before starting (I still think the same thoughts), so if I’ve developed a coping behavior (avoidance, distraction or some other mental rationality in stressful situations), that still continues. I highly suggest seeing a Cognitive Behavior Therapist.
BE CAREFUL>>>
To all those taking:
1) Please do not take Caffeine! This is extremely dangerous and will aggravate symptoms.
2) Remember to check your weight and see if you are eating. If it kills your appetite, we just will be working with low blood sugar levels and that will aggravate things more (making it harder to focus, blurry, harder to rationalize and make sense of things). Eat good healthy foods. Keep blood sugar levels normal. Not to spike or drop.
3) Get good sleep.
4) Get outside more (this is so so crucial for so many reasons. Sunlight, smells, just walking and have the mind moving is very helpful, rather than just sitting still and locking your thoughts in.
5) Please exercise. An active and agitated mind and body just keeps getting more agitated without a release of energy. The drugs manage this in a chemical way, but it does not address this in a physical way. I know this is mentioned everywhere, but even though I know this, it is very challenging to make it happen, yet the results are so noticeable.
- That’s my two cents. Good luck everyone.
I’ve been taking Vyvanse now for about a week after taking Adderall XR for a couple of years. The reason I was switched is because of the overwhelming level of anxiety that I have experienced since my teen years. My doctor had hoped that the switch from Adderall XR to Vyvanse would lower the overall anxiety level that I typically experience. I had been taking Adderall XR 25mg twice a day and I now take 30mg of Vyvanse once a day. There has been no reduction in my anxiety whatsoever and in addition, I feel that the medication wears off far too early in the day. This if anything increases my anxiety as I have an extremely hard time concentrating after about 2:00pm. I do have a doctor that I’ve long suspected of prescribing whatever the drug companies are marketing at the time and using a “rubber stamp” methodology of diagnosing patients. My own diagnosis has been changed at least twice by my doctor at times that coincide with a new drug marketing campaign. After speaking with many other patients of this doctor, my suspicion is even stronger that he is a puppet of the drug companies. Unfortunately, my primary care doctor insists that I use this doctor for my mental health needs or else my PCP will cut off my Suboxone therapy. At least with the Adderall XR I felt like I could concentrate throughout the entire day. Since Vyvanse has done nothing to improve my anxiety and only helps with my concentration for part of the day, I’d just as soon go back to Adderall XR. I feel that Vyvanse has been created to make money, not help treat patients. It would be nice to see far more regulation in the drug industry so that money is not the primary motivation in the creation of new treatments.
I’m a woman in my 40′s taking 50 mg of vyvanse. It’s working well, no real problems but I have a really noticable heart beat sometimes. I didn’t have high blood pressure but I do have heart murmur. I’ve had echo cardiogram and it’s fine…before vyvanse. My blood pressure does run higher on vyvanse…124/70…some variations on that…I exersize and eat well. Should I be concerned?
MY SEVEN YR OLD IS A VERY SWEET AND PASSIVE CHILD BUT SHE HAS TROUBLE SITTING AND FOCUSING IN HER FIRST GRADE CLASS. I DIDN’T WANT TO HAVE HER NAME CALLED OUT EVERY FIVE MINUTES SO I CALLED THE DR. WE TOOK HER AND THE DR. PRESCRIBED VYANSE 20MG. MY DAUGHTER COMPLAINS THAT HER TUMMY HURTS, WILL THIS GO AWAY WITH TIME? SHE HASN’T BEEN ON IT FOR LONG JUST GOING ON TWO WEEKS. THIS DRUG HASN’T CHANGED HER PERSONALITY WHICH IS AWESOME. MAYBE I’M JUST A MOMMA THAT WORRIES TOO MUCH HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM?
I too am going through the same worries, my son is seven and also in first grade; We’ve started him on Ritalin.5mg and for two weeks we notice a different in school and home. But I heard that if one takes Ritalin too long can hurt future jobs and such, can this be true?? And this is why we may give Adderall a try.
How long does it take for this med to get into your system and start working. My son was on adderal 30mg and is now on vyvanse. I am hopeing that it get into his system fast because this is really detering this school work. He is normally an A student but he has manged to fail all his classes except for art and band. Thanks for any info
The key take away is that everybody’s body and inner-workings are different. Some will likely do better with one drug vs. another.
I will say that most of the time Vyvanse will probably come out on top. Research the prodrug technology for some insight.
In order for Adderall XR to release the extended release portion of the medication (the second bead which is coated by a ph-sensitive polymer) it relies on gastric ph. Look up all the foods and medications (ie. Nexium, Prilosec, O-Jay etc.) that can impact gastric ph, could this be a big cause of the side effects of Adderall XR by an early or later peak?
Vyvanse as stated above does not rely on this sort of delivery, rather it is thought to be partially metabolized in the gut and then convert to the blood stream where the remainder is metabolized. (keep in mind this has not been proven but from what I understand it’s what research suggests, ask your doctor for clarification).
It seems that Vyvanse although thought to do the same thing in the brain as Adderall XR (block the reuptake of neurotransmitters and increase the flow of them into the synapse) has a superior delivery system that may be more beneficial for longer action, more consistent delivery and probably less side effects most of the time. (Again this is all an opinion based off of latest science, talk to your doctor and do your own research as well).
For the last comment posted, Ritalin is a methylphenidate (ie. Concerta, Focalin, Daytrana, Medidate etc.) Vyvanse and Adderall are amphetamine. The thought from what I understand is that amphetamine blocks the re-uptake of neurostransmitters and increases the flow of these neurotransmitters into the synapse while methylphenidate from what I understand is thought to block the re-uptake but not increase the flow. This theory also states that a low level of this neurotransmitter function would be associated with ADHD, a high level with impairment in function (ie. stress, agitation etc.), so you want a moderate level of these neurotransmitters working in the brain.
Again, this is all based on scientific theory, nobody knows for sure, the best thing to do is research for yourself, make your own informed opinion and then consult your doctor. Make sure you challenge your doctor so that you are not put on something blindly. They should be able to explain all the medications thoroughly with no bias to one medication. There only bias should be that it fits your lifestyle, your disorder and your comfort.
Wow! So basically, the doctors are fucking us out of our hard earned money. Seems to me that Vyvanse is the same damn thing as Adderall in the tablet form, except it is in a larger dose and generated through a capsule form to last you throughout the day rather than having to take 2-4 tablets every day. Another negative contradiction to my understanding is that while Adderall and Vyvanse are the exact same drug, Vyvanse costs six times as much as Aderall and there are less doses to construct your routine with!!!! I’m PISSED!!!!
will vyvanse make my scores higher in school?
howmuch will i have to take to make all a’s ??
i just want my dad to stop hitting me