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.
Related Articles:
- Long Term Effects of Adderall
- Ritalin vs Adderall – Which is Better?
- Is There a Physical Test for ADHD?
- Intuniv for ADHD: Efficacy, Side Effects
ADHD and ADD Online Diagnostic Test
ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report
Overcoming ADHD: A Guide for Parents
In response to what has this world coming to? I thought the same thing i was dead set against it from the start but let me tell you something if you were set in the position that i was and realize how well the inital out come was you woul change you mind. My daughter could not keep her self still or consentrate on anything for more than 5 min now she is passing her classes with high honors, like i said befor the only issue i have is some of the side effect but as for how it has keeped her on task and in control of her school functions it has been a god sent so untill you are in the sitituation that some of us are in get off your high horse and go post your comments some where the can help some one like in the trash bin.
I am interested.
These ADHD meds. are all extreamly addictive drugs; if you absolutly need to be on something so be it. If not take my advice and dont; I’ve seen these medications destroy perfectly normal children. They become addicts and their parents dont even realize it because the doctor prescibed it.
I am 21 yrs old now, when i was a freshman in highschool i became addicted to adderall.. it completely ruined my life. im still paying for it. these drugs can be used in good ways just be careful. amphetamines are verry addictive…. not as bad as say, heroin, lol. but still a bad road to go down. just make sure your kids stay on exactly what theyre perscribed… dont let them sell them to their friends, thats how i heard about them… adderall could really help me in life, but i cant take them without abusing them.
My ADHD story…Shortly after my girls and I moved in with my new husband, I decided we needed a safe place for Nicole to keep the cards and letters she received from her Grandparents and occasionally her Father. Even though they live only 2 hours away, the mail is their only means of communication. In the beginning these letters came quite frequently, and they started to pile up around the house. So we went box hunting! Back then Nicole was 6, so she HAD to have a Disney Princess box. I found a beautiful, shiny Princess box adorned with gold plated corners and handles. We named it The Daddy Box. The Daddy Box sits on the top shelf in my girls bedroom closet. It is almost full of cards and letters now, as it has been sitting there for nearly 4 years. The box comes out occasionally, but it is rarely to reminisce. It saddens me to say that it only comes down from the shelf when my girl is having a bad day or has just been reprimanded for doing something wrong. I hate that The Daddy Box has become her outlet when she is upset. That was never my intention. This weekend was no different. The Daddy Box made its appearance when Nicole was grounded to her room. She typically does not take her ADHD medicine on the weekends, and this day had been hard for her. By the way, she’s had all A’s & E’s in conduct since being diagnosed with ADHD and starting on the lowest dosage of Vyvance. We send her to room sometimes to cool down and re-focus on what’s important. It was only for an hour, and she needed to clean her room anyway! This weekend The Daddy Box experience had a new spin. My youngest Daughter Reese was sucked into the box as well! As she asked me to read her card after card (I could keep going here=), I knew she had absolutely no idea who the cards were from. I read who signed each card, but since she has another Mee Maw, Reese just assumed the cards were from the Mee Maw she sees every week. I let her believe it.
Should I feel guilty for not explaining who the cards and letters were really from? I truly wasn’t in the mood for that discussion. Isn’t she too young at 5 to understand anyway?
-mygirlslife.com
Well alot of you have been wondering how many vyvance the body can handle without overdoesing and dieing.Well when i am on a speed benge ive taken up to thirty five, 30mg vyvance and twenty two, fifty mg vyvance all in the same night.The only problem is no sleep for a few days and loss of interest in food fast heartbeat I was pushing 135-beats per minute but felt good at the same time though.Its almost equivilent to meth if you enjoy a big quantity like I do…..lol
Patrick,
No sir, i do not believe anyone was wondering how many you can take….I do however believe you need to go get help. Sounds to me like you have a serious problem on a down ward spiral to nowhere. Thiss blog was started to ask merely about the benefits of one to the other. Not to figure out how to help my son become an addicted sociopath. But thank you for being a statistic on why people feel medicines like this are nothing bit a joke. Your dr needs to have his liscence taken away for mis-prescribing addicticve meds to people like you. thank you for your help.
Patrick seriously this isnt the place (actually the only appropriate place for that is in ur head). im struggling daily to keep this balance between the adderall thats the only drug to save my life* VS the adderall thats begging me to take just 2 more, just 3 more, etc. & hes right – ur the EXACT reason stimulants have such a bad rep. grow up & make better friends! this site is for those actually trying to get better.
My story is short:
I was diagnosed at age 6, but my parents disapproved of medicating a developing brain, so I went untreated until age 17. On adderall my grades and affect went way up. My doctor switched me to concerta which worked thrillingly well but made me feel anxious and nervous, so I switched back.
OK…… Look people. Everyone is different. For some, adderall works, and for some, it doesn’t. It is like that for every single medicine on the market. Some help you, some don’t. You NEED to communicate with your doctor and let him or her know of all extreme side effects you or your kid has. the doctor will help you: its his job. My opinion is that you should let your kid have a full untreated childhood, and then re-evaluate around high school. Some say ADD can be treated with exercise, and there is developing evidence to support this, so have your 5-15 year old ADD’er run around! But as always, keep talking to the doctor so he can help you through anything. and holly from above, TALK TO THE DOCTOR BEFORE YOUR POOR DAUGHTER HURTS HERSELF!! PLEASE!
There is increasing evidence that medication consistantly, weekend and summer is better for the children in the long run. Medications help synapses in the developing brain link up better than a non medicated or parttime medicated child hense positively affecting their adult life as opposed to those medicated parttime or not at all.
Dana, I was wondering where have you been reading this or heard this evidence at?. During the summer months i usually lessen my sons adderall. His doctor says its ok. So i was just wondering if there was websites or books or non company (like the prescription company) articles that you had heard this info from. I just wanna do right & what is best for my son. Thank you for any help you provide… thanks Colbi M.
remember, the ADHD meds are not only for school time but to help with impulsiveness as well. Children with untreated ADHD have more emergency room visits and for more severe injuries. Over the summer, your child will still be in contact with other children – ADHD can be extremely annoying and you run the risk of jeopardizing friendships because your child cannot pick up on social cues. Also you do not say what age your son is, but children with untreated ADHD are at more risk for addictions, including cigarettes. Bottom line is pediatricians in general take the stance that taking drug holidays is passe, considered more negligent than helpful. Medication is the only intervention that mediates the symptoms of ADHD. That being said, my 19 year old sometimes chooses to not take his meds, if it is a day where he is not going to school, work or driving. Especially driving. Stimulant medications are the safest medication you can put in a child’s mouth and that includes antibotics and tylenol. We have got to stop propagating the idea that stims are dangerous. People self medicate with stims every day – it’s called coffee, Coke, and chocolate bars. Hope this is helpful.
Thanks Jo. I’m also an RN though not a peds RN. You made some excellent points. My grandson is 10 and cannot read the cues and I can tell more mature kids his age think he can be obnoxious. It would crush him if he knew. I was there doctor who told m
Me the data from these studies is coming in as the first kids put on meds are grown up and she said the study she read results were kids medicated consistently throught are better settle and productive as young adults. He own son was medicated driving her to be an ADHD expert among her peers. Then I got to thinking if mine went off meds for summer I would not be able to provide for us because no one would babysit! As far as accidents my granddaughter kept jumping into water over her head forgetting her swimmies. She’s on her ninth life. Both of them are a front in a parking lot!
S
Adderrall XR has no street value. That fact might give you a clue. it is not addictive. It produces no great high. Know what your talking about.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5. I have fought with him and his father about the need for medication since day one. He has been on almost every ADHD meds on the market at some point. For him vyvanse is working wonderfuly. Since the vyvanse his grades have gone from failing to honors and he was acualy avoided a fight the other day. He has been hospitalized and had surgery because of breaking his hand, fracturing his skull, and splintering both bones in his leg and his ankle. Vyvanse has helped his impulse control tremedously. Adderall made him too emotional he cryed a lot but vyvanse seems to just do what its supposed to without any side effects so he will take it where others like concerta and even stratara cause side effects and he won’t take the meds.
i liked jo and dana’s comments, i think the only good time to take my daughter off the meds is when i know she’s gonna be at home with just us. she’s 10, and sadly, is experiencing the trouble of making ,and keeping friends, all the school issues we all know goes along with adhd, hopefully the vyvanse will help with these issues, we are going to start it tomorrow. she had been on focolin xr, and it helped some, but it seemed to stop working, that or her body grew immune to it..if that happens, i don’t know. i do totally agree about the summer issue, cuz we’ve been “fired” by sitters, and not just once either. and she was even on meds too. finally, to nick, it sounds really good what you said about a “untreated childhood, and developing brain”, but, what do ya do when every teacher’s report, and day camp report, is ALWAYS on how your kid was not following thru, impulsive, interupting other kids, and when you pick them up, they are always standing alone, with no friends around? i know for me, it just rips me up. and she really is a sweet kid, with a big heart, just a bit more to take at times than other kids are. we do alot of hiking, and i’m working on a space for us to get creative with art, with the hopes that she can express herself, without anyone placing any kind of jugdements on her. adhd is a really sad disability, it can ruin a life, if you dont know what it is. i feel sorry for all the kids out there that go untreated, that get made fun of, or get harsh disiplines from parents that are at thier wits end, and have no patients left, and refuse to ask for help for thier kids.
My son is 6 years old and me and my family have long noticed he was different , like hyper different, he always did what i told or asked him NOT to do. It’s like if i said NOT to do something then he could NOT resist the temptation to do it. My mother had been trying to say (and we’ve had some really ugly arguments ) he had some form of autism but i knew that wasn’t it. Finally after his teachers complaining of impulsiveness and suggesting a behavioral evaluation, he’s been diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Adderall XR it’s been almost a week and i haven’t started him on them and at the end of each day this week i’ve regretted not starting because i imagine the day could have been so much better no fussing, no yelling, no repeating myself over and over again, no feeling like crying because he doesn’t listen. We went out for an early dinner today and he was making a lot of noise while playing his Nintendo DS (which has been a pathetic alternative to keep him busy) so finally i got sick of the noise from the game and his mouth and decide to take the game away and as soon as i grabbed it to take it away, my only child, my 6 year old son took a swing at me. I was kinda surprised at him but a part of me wasn’t. Is it possible that if his medication is NOT the right dosage, his behavior could get worst???
Give him the medication!
Latoya, definatly try the medication, and read up on the side effects, i’ve never noticed my daughter get worse, it just seemed to wear off over time, and then back to the same behavior as before taking the meds. honey, i know its hard, just try to keep in mind that he really can’t help it. i know how frustrating it can be at times, but try to put yourself in his position. i really don’t think the kids realize how they behave, they aren’t able to think thru actions,BEFORE hand. keep intouch with your doctor, and educate yourself on adhd, at times, you’ll be educating people like your sons teachers on adhd, lol. you might have to increase the meds after a period of time, or even cut back, or as in our case, change meds. it’s helped me cope with keeping intouch with the teacher’s too. i tell them at the beginnig of each year about her adhd, and it helps, because they get a heads up on why, or why not your child behaves a certain way. and the open lines of communication is a huge support, these teacher’s are with our kids as much as we are. they, at times need just as much support as we do. and remember, you’re not alone out there. try to get creative with getting him busy in a positive way, where you know he can do absolutly no wrong, like going for walks and giving him one of those cheap desposable camera’s, have him take photo’s of what HE WANTS, and incourage him. he will love you for it. get your own and take photo’s together, doing stuff off the wall like that, is new and enjoyable for both, child and parents,. and we NEED TO SHOW them, that we do love them, and ENJOY them….i hope i was helpful, this is all just my experience, and things i do.
And, by the way, i think i have adhd too, i know for a fact looking back on my life as a kid i had it. my mother was horrible to me, nobody understood me, she was very abusive both physically, and mentally. i do not speak to the woman any more, and she missed out on the creative, giving person i’ve become today. And it wasn’t because of the way she raised me either. i noticed it on my own, and i began several journals. one i started with my kid is a GRADITUDE JOURNAL, we write about 3 things everyday we are thankful for, and it’s a positive thing. it helps us stay grounded, and thoughtful of others too. plus, it,s MORE positive talking time for us, and she can’t get it wrong.
My little boy has been on Vyvanse for a year now. He is eight. He tells me that he wants to take “his medicine” because it makes his brain “less wild”. I can definitely see that it helps, but it’s not the total answer for us. He is on 50 mg. and it is really destroying his appetite, so I’m reluctant to raise his dosage, but we still do have significant attention and focus issues. He now has a huge breakfast and barely eats a thing until 4 or 5 pm. So, should we increase his dosage to try to handle the still problematic attention issues? For those readers who take Vyvanse, how do you feel when you’ve gone too high? And finally, does it ever make you feel tired maybe an hour or two after you take it?
I’ll start with this: Sorry this is very long-winded discussion, but I hope this helps someone.
Okay, so I hadn’t taken any sort of ADHD Medications until my sophomore year of College; my parents are the sort of people who don’t buy into ADHD, so their solution when I was a kid was to just put me into more sports and say go easy on the sugary drinks, etc.
((Retrospectively, I don’t know how it wasn’t pointed-out early in elementary school: hyper, never listened, curiosity always getting me into trouble, being put up for gifted testing, only to find that I actually had a reading deficit that needed attending to, etc.))
So, I had my various little mental-lapses in school and of course, there were quite a few times when my precociousness, shall we say, got me into trouble. However I never got bad grades in school—(especially once I was past ~the 5th grade….early on my teachers would say I rushed and was too careless)—just the opposite, in fact. But as time went on, my one real hiccup in terms of an effect in an Academic setting was that I was an ungodly slow test-taker and indeed a slow and meticulous worker, though with much procrastinating and distractions, on everything else (much to the disbelief of many of my former teachers). Little did I realize that as I’d gotten older that my ADHD (I am speaking now only in terms of an Academic setting; I am still a spate of Energy) was now hiding in plain sight behind (being compensated-for by:) my somewhat anal-retentive / perfectionistic personality traits.
So, from there, long story short, my Professor for an Honors Math class told me during their office hours that I actually acted just like one of their kids—obviously very bright, but with ADHD—so when I finally got tired enough of running out of time on exams, making mistakes I could kick myself for, etc., I told my parents I’d send them the bill, like it or not, and went through the hassle of being diagnosed, (Hours and Hours of testing—IQ Tests, Achievement Tests, Memory Tests, Math Tests, Spatial Memory and Processing, etc. etc.—the whole 9 yards) all to the University’s satisfaction. (My result was something along the lines of a perfect on the mathematical & logic sections, still very high verbal scores, but the working and spatial memory of your usual pet Goldfish).
So at first, I really didn’t really feel the need to try any medication, being happy to just have a little more time to be able to show what I’d learned, but eventually I decided it couldn’t hurt to try it.
I started out on 40mg of Vyvanse, but didn’t like it because it lasted so long that I had problems sleeping (yet the drug actually made me feel drowsy at times; not that I could fall asleep), but also because it ‘dulled me out’ mentally to the point that I felt like an observer to my own life (and it didn’t help that my blood pressure had shot up to like 160/80).
I later tried Adderall XR, 30mg XR at first, then I later switched to 20mg XR/ AM and 10mg XR /Afternoon, just to have a little more control over how long it lasted and to what extent I felt like putting up with side-effects on any given day.
I asked my Doctor about it both because It has cheaper generics for a nearly identical product, and because Adderall is a mix of the D and L Stereoisomers of the Amphetamine racemate, vs. Vyvanse that only contains the Dextroamphetamine—that being touted as a good thing because the D form of the drug is theorized to act primarily on Dopamine modulation and the L form of the drug is theorized to act primarily (though not as potently) on Norepinephrine modulation, which in addition to its normal role as a neurotransmitter, also helps modulate blood flow in the brain (There are a few different root causes of ADHD, all leading to the same ends more or less.).
—So, that being said, as Adderall provides a better balance in neurotransmitters, as it were, I feel like that’s why I felt more normal when taking it—that is to say that I could concentrate, and still be a human being and laugh, etc.
Plus for me, Adderall XR also has the benefit of not lasting as long, so I don’t have so much trouble falling asleep, and my blood pressure was only slightly above normal range in the systolic — 130/60.
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Okay, so that was my big long story, but here are a few side-notes—-God knows how long it took me to find fresh/ scientifically detailed info on this stuff after reading the same drivel 20x on every site I came across—->
As stated–If you’ve had problems with drug abuse in the past and find that non-stimulant ADHD medications do not control your symptoms, then Vyvanse may be better for you, as it is harder to abuse since the Medication is predominantly inactive until the cleavage of an extraneous Lysine molecule during digestion, unlike Adderall which is ready to go— so that means that injection, snorting, crushing, etc. Have almost no effect on the drug’s delivery (However it can of course still be abused by just taking more).
–Strattera and other nonstimulant-based ADHD spectrum drugs will not be properly effective for those who do not take it every day, as prescribed (no “Drug Holidays” like with the Stimulants); in fact, it may take as long as three weeks for the drug to reach therapeutic concentrations and for your body to adjust to the medication to feel the effects. Depression and other Psychological and Physiological side-effects are common if you discontinue these medications abruptly, and therefore it is advised that you consult your Doctor before doing so—there’s no point in pretending to go along with a treatment plan you’re not happy with.
– In pediatric populations in particular, The Levoamphetamine (L-Amphetamine) in Adderall has shown to have more effective symptom control in some individuals. This comes about because you can only increase the amount of the Dextroamphetamine so much and still achieve a clinical benefit, as there is still a limited number of receptors for the drug to work on. However the L stereoisomer binds (though with a lower affinity) to a different set of receptor sites, giving a more potent overall effect for those who are more sensitive to it. The Levoamphetamine is also faster acting and longer lasting. However the Levoamphetamine in Adderall, for some patients, provides a stimulant high akin to other illegal stimulants, and is therefore at a higher risk for abuse.
–If you’re a parent and considering allowing or making your child—Especially a YOUNG child—to take any of these stimulant drugs, I would seriously consider taking a step back, considering how bad the symptoms and behaviors really are, and If taking a stimulant-based drug is really worth the risk versus waiting to see if they outgrow some of their issues.
–>Stimulant based drugs used long term, besides the stated stunting of growth– on Young children through Early/Mid Adolescents, it will markedly reduce the Gray Matter proliferation that takes place (then and only then) in the frontal lobes as your child develops, and thus makes them more likely to be permanently dependent on (or at a higher dose of) ADHD medications.
–> If you do decide your child’s behavior warrants treatment, try a non-stimulant like Strattera first, but if that’s not the right fit, make sure you save the Ritalin/ Concerta (Methylphenidate) for last, as its Mechanism of Action is most similar to Cocaine / Methamphetamine’s, and has been associated with the most adverse side-effects–but even then, make sure your child is prescribed the lowest effective dose of whatever medication is decided on; realistically, this will take some amount of trial and error, but all too many Doctors are content to just pick a dose and leave it at that, so speak up. I say this both as a Molecular Genetics, Pre-Med Major, with a good deal of research experience, and someone who went through this themselves.
Undergrad, thank you for the long detailed reply. That is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping to get, as my little guy is still too young to fully explain how the Vyvanse makes him feel. My son is severe. He is barely hanging on in the reading/writing department. Happily, Math seems to be intuitive for him. We dropped soccer, because (except for short moments of brilliance) he just couldn’t focus on the game, and that’s on meds.
You spoke of the meds possibly causing a lack of development in children’s frontal lobes. I would very much like to read more about that. How were they able to determine that? Autopsy, brain scans, what? Might you be able to give us some links to read up on that more fully? I thought that the exact opposite was true. That ADHD kids were deficient in certain neurotransmitters and the medicines helped “normalize” their brains and brain development. That belief was part of my original decision to go to meds in the first place.
I’ve read about the stunting of growth due to appetite suppression, and yes I’m quite concerned about it. My son’s doctor said that stunting wouldn’t happen unless the kid gets obviously underweight. The literature seems to allude to their “catching up” sometime later, or on a drug holiday, except that from my reading, those seem to be falling out of favor. In the past year, my boy is growing, but his usual slender muscular physique seems to be even more slender, and it does seem that more of his classmates are taller than him, then say a year ago.
i am glad patrick left that awful description of his overuse. it reminds us how dangerous pharmacueticals can be if taken improperly. learning about the similarity of ADHD meds to the actions of meth was important to me. Meth is some awful life destroying crap. Maybe ADHD meds are too. only time will tell.
I agree with karen undergrad. Thank you so much for that information. That is what i have been asking and asking and trying to find information on. If possible ( aswith Karen) where have you found this information at? All i can ever find is the run of the mill same ol same ol. Is there a link to website or book or newspaper/magazine article this came out of that I could attain on my own to do a little of my own research. That and in order for my sons iDr. To even pretend to listen to me, I need to come more than prepared with proof & somehing more solid than ive heard…. Please and thank you!! Any help would be great help!!
I have a 9 year old daughter who has been struggling with inattentive adhd for a while. Things have gotten pretty bad recently so today she has taken her first dose of medication ever, 20mg of Vyvanse. Does anyone else take Vyvanse for inattentive adhd or know what I should expect? Will she perform better right away or does it build up over time? What’s the best medication for inattentive adhd?
Oh Latoya. I really really understand your dilemma, I do. But you need to at least give him the medicine and see how he does. If you are really nervous about it, start him on the medicine on a weekend or a day youre home and keep a careful but not too obvious eye on him. It took me 3 years of daycare, preschool and kindergarten telling me my son had adhd before I even would get him tested. It was only until first grade where he actually had to to settle down in class and do work that I realized we might have a problem. I just felt so bad for him because he was constantly in trouble at school for wiggling and making noises and blurting out answers and just being all over the place. I tested him in October but STILL didn’t start medicine until CHristmas Break. I am sure you’ve heard this before but I am so glad we did. He is still the same sweet rambunctious boy, but can actually put a lego set together without getting frustrated and throwing it everywhere, then crying about it, then getting mad. I started my boy on his meds the week before he went back to school from Xmas Break. It is amazing. Granted, he is on COncerta, not Vyvanse, and I definitely do not see any weight issues. He started his medicine and was 78 lbs, and we just went to the pediatrician on Thursday and he is still 78 lbs.
Another point to ponder. Just because you start him on the medicine doesn’t mean you have to keep him on it. The medicine will start working that very day. As for the med holidays. I am an ER nurse and a suprisingly large amount of us have adhd children, mainly boys. Some holiday, some don’t. But the common theme is that you have to deal with the ADHD behavior, and sometimes its actually worse for the children because they don’t understand why they are doing what they are doing and they become increasingly frustrated. Since it seems the main concern for side effects here IS weight loss and that is the main issue with this medicine, maybe trying a different one? Adderall I know makes you lose, as my husband has started on that medicine and is getting stick skinny. From my personal experience I would try Concerta. Everybody is different but it doesn’t hurt to try.SOrry for being so long winded.
I didn’t get diagnoses as ADD untill early adulthood but it’s suggested a lot of my problems growing up could of been due to or at least contributed by the missed diagnosis. My doctor first tried me on strattera, which help none and made me a bit sleepy.
Now, this is where I disagree with Shelly. My Doctor next tried me on Concerta and worked me up to the max daily dose over a period of 2 months or so. I barely felt any “upper”-type feelings such as it being dangerously like coke/meth, not much improvements in symptoms, and still struggled in college (especially in comprehension and daily attentitive). After 3 months he briefly had me taking Ritalin, too in place of Concerta, 3 or 4 times a day for hopes it may at least last longer. Methylphenidate (generic for concerta and ritalin) were caffeine pills at best. Finally, I worked my way up to 30mg Adderall XR once a day. It didnt last as long as my long days did so few months later he put me on regular Adderall 30mg twice a day. I’ve been on that for 4 years now and am 30 years old. The other day a friend let me try a Vyvance. I can’t tell much of a difference honestly. Now, I’ve already established that concerta-type drugs are very mild compared to potential others. My question is is Adderall the most potent/effective stimulant on the market or are there other possibles to which I may not feel the need to take 2 pills totally 60mgs a day. Plus, sometimes I forget my second one at home or something and have to work all day. Can the clinical daily dose for a 180 lb. man ever be prescribed for more than 60mg per day? Thanks.
Hi I am 24 years old and started taking Vyvanse 20mg about 8 months ago. ( I have been tested multiple times and have ADHD and this is my first experience with stimulant adhd meds, was on straterra before but had VERY bad side effects, also I can not sleep well at all with Vyvanse today) During the first two weeks I had never been more sane in my life, ie focused, able to read, do what Im supposed to, stay on tract, etc.. It worked great. However, it started to not work. My doctors have been increasing the dose and now 8 months later I am on 70mg. It takes me forever to get up and once I take my Vyvanse it takes about 2 hrs to kickin. Ok now here is where my questions are. It is no longer working the way it did. Whatever I start to do its like I get stuck doing that one thing for hours and not complete anything else. This has been happening for months and I can no longer bear it. If I start reading, Ill be reading for 3 hours and much of the time be reading sentences over and over again trying to “get it perfect” or if I shower, it can take 4 or 5 hours to get ready. What is happening, what are these adverse effects? Please help if you can. Thank you
Samantha, it sounds like you may be having some anxiety as a side effect of the amount of medication that you are taking, thats a pretty high dose. It also sounds like it is leading to some OCD type behaviors. This is definately something that you want to discuss with your doctor. Let them know what you are experiencing because it is not normal and it is hindering your daily life.
I’ve been prescribed a lot of different drugs having ulcerative colitis, ADHD, Social Anxiety, depression, and whatever else I’m forgetting. I’ve taken numerous pain medications (prescribed & not) for my Ulcerative Colitis pain (which is hard to get enough pain medicine for as its a constant pain, and the only over the counter drug you are allowed to take is tylenol, which doesnt work) but I’ve taken or been prescribed oxycodone, percocet, dilluaded, lortab, tramadol, and maybe a couple others for pain. None of those are really dangerouse if taking a high dose other than the amount of tylenol in some, otherwise you’ll just pass out. I’ve also taken Klonopin for a long time. None of those are nearly as addicting or dangerous as Adderall. I don’t take the stuff everyday as I don’t like the way it makes me feel when coming off of it, which is why I think a lot of people keep taking more to avoid the “coming down” feeling. It helps a lot with studying, paying attention, and tests, but its easy to take too much. I had some blood tests for another medicine and I’m pretty sure the adderall lowered my potassium to a dangerously low level and also lowered my hemoglobin (iron) more than usual. So it is addicting and tolernace builds up fast is why they used to suggest taking a few days off, which helps a lot. I can take 20mg IR a day and be ok, where as someone without any tolerance may experience heart or other problems.
Justin
for ADHD I don’t think most doctors will prescribe more than the 60mg total a day for Adderall. I’m prescribed 40mg a day and after being on that for a while I either need to take a break for a few days – a week and it works as well again. I weigh about the same and my doctor wouldn’t go up to that even yet. I think the only way more than 60 mg is prescribed is for things like narcolepsy. If you can take a week off and then see if it works like it used too. Amphetamines build up tolernace quick, but the tolerance also goes down pretty fast. Also don’t take vitamin C or anything with it at around the time you take the pills.
I just started taking vyvanse and im on 40 mg a day all i notice is that it dose work for about 4 hours and then I get mad and moody for like 2 hours and loose all the focus it had given me for the day can anyone help with this should i b on a higher dose or on something different all together
Hi, well my son 8 yrs. old was diagnosed with ADHD at about 6. He is more of the “can’t focus type than the hyperactive type. He is very active but he isn’t violent or mean. So we talked with a psychologist when his first grade teacher started sending home notes that he couldn’t stay on task. His school got a team together to help him and gave us things to try at home. Well, no improvement. He can read any word you give him but ask him to tell you about a paragraph he just read and he can’t. His mental math is astounding but ask him to work it out on paper and he struggles. His handwriting is all over the place. He is loud at home to where we conisder him to be obknoxious (sp?). Anyway, we finally decided reluctantly to try meds when he was in middle 2nd grade. His teacher met with us and explained how it was affecting his self esteem at school and that is what did it for me. His dr. started him on 15 mgs Adderal XR. The change in school was immediate and we were all schocked and in tears. It was so apparent that this was what he had been struggling with. But after it would wear off, he was very emotional. Like just sitting on the couch with his head hidden in a pillow looking at me like “do something, this sucks” so we had major issues with the “come down” on adderall. We spoke to his ped about it and she upped him to 20 mgs (which by the way has never made sense to me and we are trying to keep him on as little meds as possible). The 20 mgs didn’t do anything good or bad, just the same so we requested going back to the 15. We were not giving him the meds on the weekends.. we started to notice though that even though they are suppsed to be in and out of your system, he was still emotional on Saturdays and then on Mondays again when we’d start it again and he’d have a tough time with it. Anyway, I just went back to the dr. to see if we could lower his dosage to like 10 XR adderall for the summer so we could keep him on the meds but not too much, so she suggested Vyvanse since it supposedly has less anxiety and peaks and valleys. We met our insurance deductible so I was like “yeah totally, lets try it”. It is $180 for 30! We don’t want to give it to him only during school, we want something he can take every day without that horrible come down. So I got the 20 mgs of Vivanse today (for free since we met our annual ded) and we’ll see how that goes. These meds do so much good for kids who are struggling who have the talent but can’t keep their thoughts in one place long enough to carry it out. But there are def. side affects that are undesirable. Hopefully the vyvanse works and doesn’t cause that major crash that adderall did. Fingers crossed.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at 3 years old. I was an extremely hyperactive yet bright child with a very limited duration of concentration. The Dr. prescribed Ritalin. My mother found me at midnight pulling my clothes out of my drawers, refolding them and then replacing them. Again I was 3. My parents decided to discontinue medication and just deal with it. I could naturally play a full game of soccer and then go hike for 3 hours then continue with swimming for the rest of the day and still be pumped at bedtime. I struggled through school to sit still and keep my mouth shut. Even to the point where my desk was placed in the back of the room facing the back wall being at least ten feet from another student. I spent most of my recesses in the classroom for bad behavior. My hyperactivity started to lessen as I went through puberty but my attention span never seemed to develop. When I could do algebra at 5 I could barely pass with a C in high school. A great deal of anxiety developed as I became an adult for various reasons but mostly my apparent inability to follow through really started to take a toll. I ended up dropping out of high school at 17 (though I did get my adult diploma) and took a bad route through meth for about two and half years. I worked odd jobs which I repeatedly failed to stay focused in while working. At 23 I regained composure in my life and went to college. It wasn’t like high school but I still had a horrible attention span and could not retain information because I was daydreaming most of the time. At 25 I dropped out of college in my last quarter just shy of my degree. I managed to land an awesome job but ended up losing it because again, I could not stay on task. Two years ago I went to my primary doctor who tried to tell me I was bi-polar. This doctor tried to bounce me through a variety of drugs which I refused. I was able to get a referral to a psychologist and I gave her the run down. I had a history of drug abuse and was a bit nervous when she brought up Adderall. I was frankly surprised she would even prescribe it due to my past. I was about to start school again and really wanted to follow through. I had become very depressed about the issue. Well Adderall XR made my stomach sick and would stop working after about 3 hours and I would crash so hard I fell asleep. I couldn’t do it. She then suggested Vyvanse. I am now 34 and am prescribed 60 mg of Vyvanse. I made it through a full year of school with a 3.4 gpa. I cannot take the entire 60 mg at once though. it is just too much and it makes me clench my jaw as well as cause other various attention issues when I am in public. Vyvanse is more of a powder than little pellets like Adderall but it also stops working quickly like Adderall does though I don’t crash so hard I fall asleep. I actually have to pop open the capsule and take about a quarter of it in the morning then a little more than half of what’s left at lunch time followed by the rest at about 3pm if I feel off task. I feel incredibly strange doing it but for me it works best this way. I have to be careful not to take it too late or I have to take benedryl to get to sleep and will usually sleep poorly if I do. I really wish it wasn’t an extended release in this sense. It seems like the drug lingers and though I can be physically exhausted at 1 am and my brain seems to cling to the last remnants refusing to drop it’s attention. I recently moved and now need to find a new doctor which I hate doing. Does anyone know if there is a version of this drug or something similar that isn’t an extended release I can mention to the new doctor? I need lower doses a couple times throughout the day versus one high dosage. Half the time I don’t even take the last bit of it and I don’t take it every day. I am about to go back to school again for a four year push and have this dreaded feeling of losing sleep due to the lingering remnants in my system and am hoping a non XR version will help with the trouble I have getting my brain to be quiet at night. I become very nervous when I go to the doctor and I tend to become like a deer in headlights when asked if I have any questions so any suggestions on how to bring it up would be welcomed as well. Thanks in advance for any help!
I have a question, my son has Autism and he is not very wild but his attention span stinks. He is 11 and a very playful kid but with the short attention and his weird eating habits, do you think if I were to get him on this med from our dr it would help him any??
I am currently participating in a Methadone maintenance program , I am not ready to stop .
My ADHD needs to be addressed again. Have you done studies concerning the use of Vyvanse
and Methadone ? I know from past experience that I need a type of amphetamine and the opiate-
substitute .
… I like how one person here writes, “Stimulants are the safest kind of medication that you can put in your child’s mouth, and that’s “including” tylenol and etc.”
Wow… I love how roughly 80% (if not “seriously” more) of children who actually just remove food additives such as red dye 40 (red lake 40), yellow dyes, blue dyes, aspartame, and etc. out of their diets long enough no longer qualify/show legitimate sighs for ADHD. That and ofcourse eating and changing their lifestyles… not to mention how watching TV 24/7, playing with cellphones, and living for the internet might just somehow play a role in this whole “ADHD” thing as well…
But as we all know it seems that sadly the majority of lame parents out there are just to lazy to enforce such changes on their childrens’ lifestyles, and actually not screw their children with drugs that long term (and short term as well) DO effect their mental status and chemical brain functions… But just give em pills and that will surely fix the issue now won’t it?
Now that I think about it, most American adults who have health issues (or mental issues that are often due to long term unhealthy lifestyle habits) decide that they’re to lazy to actually put in some realistic efforts and just live off of all their little pills and perscriptions… I swear…
ADHD medication is addictive, but I find it surprisingly easy to gradually lower my dosage. Because of my panic disorder and anxiety I take xanax. I think I could go from my 45mg/day of adderall down to 15 in a few days with no problem except for a bit of fatigue and a lowered mood. With the xanax it would take at least a month to lower by that much. If you really need adderall don’t be too worried about addiction, but don’t abuse it. The euphoria that these drugs create is inevitable and is caused by the same chemicals that make it work. Just remember that it is something that helps you, and that it will no longer be able to help you if you begin to abuse it. While these medications may be prescribed in instances where they don’t work it may be the only solution for many people, including me. After 2 years of extreme fatigue and poor grades I began on adderall and am finally able to live a normal life. I eat organic food and tried man different diets, supplements, and medicinal herbs, but this seems to be the only thing that has given me my energy and focus back without increasing my anxiety.
i am not going to write some loooong drawn out response to this. i’m just going to keep it simple and short. i took vyvance for about a year when i first separated from my ex-wife. i had adhd as a child and tried many medications. i have been able to control my adhd a lot more over the years due to massive amounts of martial arts training. well, after the separation, i had a lot of trouble controlling it and i tried vyvance. it was like the miracle drug they needed when i was in high school. i am now off of it again, but, if you have add or adhd, i highly recommend this medication.
I was finally given a prescription for Adderall XR 20 my when I turned 25. I have been struggling with concentration and impulsiveness since I was younger. While adderall has significantly improved my admit life, I do not blame my parents or my doctor (yes I’ve had the same doctor since literally I was born) for not putting me on amphetamines o understand their reasoning. My parents did several things to help me cope with the effects of ADHD. Mostly they were patient, kind, understanding, and taught me how to link consequences with my actions. Almost like being in a cognitive behavioral therapy session if you will except these were daily reinforcements. I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and ADHD at a young age. I can tell that when I’m not on a drug holiday that adderall speeds up my heart rate causing my brain to react with anxiety symptoms. I just try to remain calm and remind myself that I am not in a situation that warrants anxiety and it is a physical cause from my medication. I do have to take some time out to myself to recollect, but overall adderall has significantly improved my comprehension skills and has allowed me to earn all A’s in my upper level college courses. I dropped out of high school and received my GED so this is a big feat for me. Long story short… Parents that have children who are suffering from ADHD… Just be patient,kind, and reinforce good behavior and link bad decisions to the consequences they produce. Educating your children helps in more ways then most understand. Also, do know that A’s parents, ADHD is not a direct result of anything YOU have done. Furthermore, your children will need you for the rest of their lives especially during their bad days with ADHD and those of you that have children with ADHD are all familiar or will become familiar with these days. You are the person your child will look to for a sense of normalcy and comfort when the world looks at them as freaks, brats, psychos, “crack heads”, or whatever else kids come up with these days. For those of you that had doctors that caught this early, have no fear and rest assure that your child will find ways to cope (as long as you help) and be able to live a happy and healthy life.
I waited a very long time to ask my doctor to put me on something to help with my inability to concentrate on simple tasks (and of course the more difficult ones). I wanted to make sure I knew what the benefits were as well as the drawbacks. I think it is a smart idea to withold putting your child on ADHD medication as long as possible, depending on the severity. I’m only 14, but I couldn’t wait until my brain had finished developing because I was failing in school, I had lost friends, I was having all sorts of mood swings, and I procrastinated virtually EVERYTHING I possibly could. My suggestion to Latoya would be to put your son on the medication. There is absolutely no shame in it, and lots of kids take something for ADHD. You might want to start him out on a nonstimulant-based drug, like Strattera, but make sure he takes it every day, and monitor his behavior closely for a little while. If it ends up not working out, take him off it and possibly try therapy to control some of his actions.
I don’t get the “addiction” comments; I have the most addictive personality in the world, and I never got addicted to either Adderall OR Vyvanse.
FWIW, I like Vyvanse a lot more than Adderall; it is less “racy,” and the time release is much smoother, even without taking it with food.
I have 3 sons. One with ADD and one with ADHD. My second son has ADD and fortunately I had his first grade teacher educate me about ADD and suggest my son be tested by the school’s workers. He was positive and I also had him tested privately which suggested the same. I did not quarrel with this because I worked with him consistently on ABC’s every night and yet the next morning he wouldn’t remember what we had learned the night before. I cried and began to think I was either a BAD mom or he was mentally retarded and I hadn’t noticed it! He was put on Ritalyn and did very very well. He was the ideal student. He was about 15 and went to stay with his dad whom I was divorced from. His dad disagreed with him being on the medication and immediately took him off. It was long after that he started having impulse difficulties and was stealing, breaking and entering, running with “bad kids” and got involved with pot, AND his grades dropped and he quit school! He is a high school drop out, been in trouble with the law on and off since then. My youngest son with ADHD was put on meds and also did very well. His father also went into denial and told the courts I was medicating him unnecessarily etc. Eventually he went to live with his dad and went off his meds. Same scenario has ensued. However, my youngest son chose to move back home at 15-16 due to his father’s violence. Fortunately although he was in trouble with the law and out of school I made him get a job to stay busy, get his GED and he is going to get back on his meds to help with his impulse control. He has a job interview tomorrow morning for full time work as he is turning 18 this week. NO MEDS can sometimes lead to bad lives! Just sayin’ if you are busy parents with careers…think of the consequences on your child’s life and future before knocking medication. I was a single mom and I wanted the BEST for my kids. It helped one and could’ve helped two of my sons…maybe some day people will put those links together. Many young men/women in jail are ADD or ADHD with impulse control issues!
I am 26 years old and have been taking Adderall for 2 years. I know they say it’s very addictive but here’s my question. Is it the drug they are addicted to or is it being normal? I often cannot afford my medication so I will skip a dose so I will have it available for me at a later date. When I am not on my medication I know it. When i am not on my medication, there’s no need to ask myself if I took my pill yet because I know I haven’t. I am bonkers. I turn a 5 minute conversation into a 2 hour one, over every topic that has nothing to do with what I started talking about. I yell out bizarre comments I am thinking, without asking my brain for permission, and I become embarrassed an hour later when I realize what I said. I become so anxious and angry that I have punched holes in walls and broken windows. I wake up in the morning and say to myself…. “today is a day to go back to sleep; not work” so I go back to sleep, don’t call in, just silently quit. I will often do things that I am oblivious to doing like scratching a mosquito bite so much that i end up with a bloody scab. I will take things apart and tinker with stuff and not even know I am doing it until the next day. Maybe my case is more severe than others since I have never heard of other people doing some of the crazy things I do. So where comes the point that addiction to the normality of life is bad???? I am not addicted to the drug…. but for once in my life feeling like I have a place, like I have a home, like I fit in, and like I belong. Yes, I am addicted to that.
If you’ve ever been a “problem-drinker”, a tight-ass doctor will not prescribe these great psychoactive drugs. Because a book tells them that in general, a problem drinker WILL DEFINITELY WITHOUT A DOUBT ABUSE ANYTHING THAT MAKES A PATIENT FEEL BETTER AND GET ALONG IN THE WORLD. I have been prescribed Amphetamine-type drugs , and I have been prescribed Opiate-type drugs. I went into both experiences with an investigational attitude to see if the drugs caused me to go back to alcohol , or do any negative changes. Guess what? So many areas of my life improved in so many ways.For years, the psyche-docs have tried to find the right combination of anti-depressants to manage my physical and emotional pains , and I’ve hovered at the edge of suicide for years. This is a horrible way to live , but I can’t do suicide because there are people that I love , and I don’t want to do anything that might cause them one tear-drop of pain. Antidepressants do not work. We,the patients , do not all fit in these tight little pidgeon-holes of “Who’s gonna do this,” and these guys ARE ALL gonna do that, those generalizations simply are not true. It’s either buy the clandestine crank, or get help from a doctor who cares, or suicide
And, the same goes with opiates for physical pain. I’ll take them instead of suicide. The drugs never sent me back to the booze
Okay, to Patrick, noone cares how much meds you can take at a time. Most normal people take medication for medical purposes and don’t take them just to act like dumb-a$$es! As to everyone else that have general questions. I have recently started taking vyvanse for adult add. I was first put on 40mg daily and found that it wore off around 1-2pm. My doctor then upped my meds to 60mg daily. I have no bad side effects. The only thing I do experience is hot flashes when I try to clean house or move around a lot. It does cut my appetite a lot. I have only been on the medication for about a week and a half and have already lost almost 10lbs. A friend of mine was on vyvanse and went from nearly 150 lbs to 120 lbs in about 6 months. I also have friends that have children on vyvanse and said their children have infact lost weight while taking it, but assured me that the whole no appetite thing comes to a hault once you have been on it for a while and you will no longer lose weight while taking it.
Hello Everyone, I can relate to many of the posts from others about the struggles of having ADHD undiagnosed and then finally being presented with meds that can help and scared of there effects. I have been on stimulants for 4 years now and I think my experience may help answer some of your questions.
All through school I was constantly getting in trouble. In kindergarten I was sat out in the hall everyday but I never knew what I had done wrong. Even as an adult, I can remember my daily time outs but cannot remember for the life of me what I had done to deserve it. I do know that who I was caused me to experience rough times with friends and ultimately destroy my self esteem little by little as I passed through each grade. I wasn’t stupid however, I scored higher than anyone in my class on the standardized tests they administer frequently in grade school. I graduated junior high as valedictorian and went into excelled classes in highschool. I just had a different way of learning things and interacting with people around me. In highschool, I began to lose what self-esteem I had left and began getting into trouble with the law and drugs. This ate up much of what should have been fun years of highschool and turned into my years of hell. I beat myself up and couldn’t understand why I messed up everything and wasn’t like others. A psychiatrist said I had depression but after years with no sucess trying every anti-depressant out there, then they said I must have bipolar type 2. I was devastated but desperate to feel happy and “normal”. After two more years of trying many different anti-psycotic meds which all made me very ill with no benefits. I was diagnosed as having ADHD. I was put on adderall and my life, my depression, lifted almost immediately. Unlike anti-depressants, stimulants are felt immediately after taking them. I was on 20 mg of adderall xr for 2 years. The doctor I was seeing passed away and so I stopped abruptly from the adderall since I had no prescription for more. Having had experienced past addictions to pain meds, I was scared of withdrawals. Nothing happened however, I just had my ADHD back into full swing. I realized that I may DEPEND on adderall to function but I am NOT addicted. Dependence and addiction are two different things!!!!! ADHD caused me to beat myself up and ultimately lead to my anxiety and depression. Any side effects people experience in the beginning of taking stimulants will fade after a short time and you will be left with the benefits the medicine gives you. I got back on Adderall XR and have been on it for 2 more years with dose increases once in awhile but now I have been on 30 mg in am and 20 mg at 1pm. This dose has now lost the effects it once had. My doctor said tolerance was normal for people and sometimes you need a vacation from one med and put on another before you can go back to the first med. I have been prescribed vyvanse and have not started it yet but am excited to get back to the person I am when my ADHD isn’t destroying my life and making me hate myself. Donald, you are not alone. I have felt the same way in life and had even tried committing suicide because of feeling hopeless when the doctors didn’t see what was right in front of them. Depression can come from other things and not be idiopathic. ADHD untreated is a sure fire way of having a person develop depression, anxiety and suicidal ideations and even attempts. When a disease is left untreated other effects are guranteed to happen to the human psyche. Self medicating is inevitable when our hope has been lost in others who we turn to for help. We try to save ourselves in our last attempt to self perserve. I hope everyone will remember that we know ourselves better than any doctor and a diagnosis is actually there hypothesis which they want to test out. If you do not agree then stand up for yourself. Your answer is out there and hope is always possible no matter what anyone tells you! God Bless.
As a pharmacy student I can hopefully shed light on everyones comments and concerns about addicton and dependence. There should be concern for people who do not have ADD or ADHD to being using stimulants because their body has a normal level of the endogenous chemical and doesn’t need the chemical the stimulants are acting in place of. When someone who doesn’t need a stimulant takes it, then over time your brain perceives this increase in neurotransmitter activity as a message that the increased amount is needed. Therefore the brain makes more receptors for that chemical so that the effects of the extra amount of that chemical flooding the body can be used to initiate the signal. This continues until it is stopped. Once stopped, the normal endogenous chemicals still act on a certain amount of receptors but so many other receptors are not receiving a signal. This causes the brain to interpret this as a malfunction and results in withdrawel symptoms. This is essentially the same thing that happens in any narcotic addiction. This is ADDICTION!
Now that we know how addiction works what is dependence? A person who has ADD or ADHD doesn’t have enough of the endogenous chemicals in the brain to initiate a reaction in its receptors. This is a deficit, just like if you have a vitamin deficit you need more vitamin. Well ADD/ADHD isn’t just like taking a vitamin and your cured. This is a genetic component of the person and there body doesn’t get told to make more of the needed chemical. So when a person who DOES have ADD/ADHD takes a stimulant there brain receives the chemical its needing to function normally. The brain doesn’t build new receptors because it is always going to have a deficit in the natural chemical. This is DEPENDENCE – when a person depends on a medicine to function normally. Just like someone with type 1 diabetes who needs to take insulin because they do not have a normal level of insulin in their body. The people who post comments to make others feel bad about taking stimulants should also visit a diabetic forum and preach about how bad it is to take insulin, and then go to the cancer forum next! Ignorance is damaging and destructive and is the basis for wars and hate. I hope this helps those who are wondering about this difference and also to those who are preaching on the basis of false information or ignorance.
Please can someone help me. I use to be guardian for my niece and nephew who both have adhd. He was started on stimulants at 5 and she is now taking them at 6. They do well in school on the meds, but I have read horror stories about sudden death and heart disease in long term use for children that young, like when they’ve been on it for 7 years or more. They are no longer in my care so I have no say anymore, but they are lke my kids. As far as their developing brains, is there scientific evidence that this will harm their brain development later in life. they are both so tiny for their age already. it just kills me that they are so small and takign this stuff. but they are both doing well in school as opposed to before. should the mom possibly have them take it like 3 days a week and left them be off of it for four days – woudl this be less harmful? if anything were to happen to them i would just die. as for myself, i think i may have adult add – not the hyperactivity so much but impulse and low concentration – disordered thinkign, extreme forgetfulness, can’t get motivated etc. so on a whim i took one of their 13 hour releases – the mom gave it to me. i can’t believe their little bodies take this stuff everyday. i felt like i was on hardcore drugs for most of the day – heart racing, dry mouth. i can’ only imagine what their poor little tiny bodies must be going through. can someone please advise me? is this killing them?