10 Things You Should Know About Vyvanse
This article was written by a new addition to our team who has significant personal experience with the ADHD medication Vyvanse.
None of the ADHD medications I had tried, Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera and Wellbutrin had helped me much. Vyvanse has.
First, I go over 10 things I’ve learned from taking Vyvanse for about a year that may help you if you are taking or considering taking it.
These are things you can pretty much only know if you have been taking it for a while – that would have made my life a lot easier had I known when I was starting!
And if you want to learn more about ADHD, see here.
The 10 Things You Should Know About Vyvanse
1) Vyvanse is extremely long lasting
Its half life is about 9 and a half hours give or take an hour or two. That means that in most people, the medication has some effect for up to 14 hours! But there is more to the story – see element 8.
2)You can take Vyvanse daily
You can take it every single day of the week, every day of the month, and every month of the year – and it still works!
You hear all the time about people saying they develop tolerance to ADHD medications or they stop working – so I was very scared. I didn’t want to take Vyvanse every day because it helped so much and I couldn’t stand the thought of it not working anymore. But thankfully, it seems you can take it daily and it still works!
Online ADHD/ADD diagnostic test
3) At the right dose, you might start thinking that it isn’t working anymore eventually.
It seems that a lot of people who take ADHD medications, when they find the right dose and are consistently taking it, don’t really feel like it is doing anything.
Which is wonderful! Because, for me at least, it means that my personality and who I am are 100% intact – I take Vyvanse and I feel like it doesn’t do anything (but it does!)
Now when I tell you that the Vyvanse still works for me and that I very often worry it has stopped working, you may feel doubtful. The reason I can say this for sure is that if I try a slightly higher dose, say 50mg instead of 40mg, then I feel way, way, overfocused. If the 40mg had stopped working, this would not be the case.
4) Vyvanse is d-amphetamine
It turns out that Adderall is made out of d and l-amphetamines. The l-amphetamine type may be responsible for the weird feeling some people get on Adderall. It does provide more of a motivational kick, however – but I much rather not have it and feel like myself.
5) Vyvanse is mostly digested in the blood so what you eat likely won’t affect it so much
With some ADHD medications, your diet content really affects how the drug is released. It turns out that with Vyvanse, most of the action takes place in the blood. This means that your diet likely won’t affect it so much, but I still don’t drink orange juice in the morning on it.
6) It takes an hour to kick in, and two hours to fully kick in
I take Vyvanse in the morning with a cup of water and have a snack 20 minutes later. It starts having an effect I can notice at 20 minutes and is ‘fully’ operational (to the point where I trust myself to send emails or work on something) at about 1 hour.
7) Exercising does not seem to change its effects very much. I can get a 20 minute high intensity cardio work out and still feel the Vyvanse working normally. This is very important because I love exercising.
8) It becomes weaker at night
When I first took Vyvanse, I felt the difference from 9am in the morning to 9pm at night. With time, I felt like it stopped working at 7pm and then, increasingly, that it stopped at 5pm. 9am to 5pm is 8 hours. I started getting depressed and was not able to do things past 5pm; figuring out what’s really going on got me back on track.
At 5pm or 8 hours in, the levels of Vyvanse are about 60% of their peak (for me, at least, and in my estimation).
At 7pm, or 10 hours in, the levels are about 40% of their peak.
At 10pm, or 13 hours in, they are at about 20% of their peak.
How do I know all this? First, this is my personal experience. Second, I am basing it off my experiments with Dexedrine instant release. See the next item.
9) I think there are about 3.3mg of Vyvanse to 1mg of Dexedrine instant release. I can’t find a number from a reputable site for conversion, but this ratio seems to work and I’ve heard it in several places.
This is important because I’ve found that I need to start taking small doses of Dexedrine at night to keep my levels of d-amphetamine where they need to be (yes, I know how horrible that sounds. ADHD is not always fun.)
What that means is as follows: I now take 2.5mg of Dexedrine IR at 6-7pm, 2.5mg at 8pm, and ~4mg more somewhere around 9-10pm. (This is all based on my taking Vyvanse at 9am but I usually take it earlier these days. When I started, I was so depressed that I was sleeping a lot.)
The reason this is important to you is that you may have a similar experience to mine in that you might need to work on things that take focus or need ADHD symptom relief even at night. Vyvanse works really, really long, but at the low dose it is at night, I simply can’t function in what is now ‘normal’ to me.
10) Being on Vyvanse for a year has given me stability
I have had more than 40 hobbies in my life and I’m just a college student. I would go from learning calligraphy, to conducting medical research, to crashing parties, to bike riding, to swimming, to hip hop dance, to studying infectious diseases to… you get the drift.
The ads for Vyvanse say something like “consistently Vyvanse.” I hate ads and you do too, probably. But, for the first time in my life, someone called me ‘consistent.’
If being consistent means sticking with a job and performing well, getting promoted and professional recognition, studying for classes, developing meaningful friendships and relationships over time, being able to remember things that happen to me – being happy, sure I’ll take it.
Even if the ADHD part of me does not, does not in any way shape of form like being called ‘consistent.’ =)
Adult ADHD:
ADHD can be different in adults than children. If you are concerned that you might have ADHD and are over 18, see an ADHD Test Made For Adults.
And knowing the 4 Secrets to Success with ADHD may make your life a lot easier.
Related Articles:
ADHD and ADD Online Diagnostic Test
ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report
Overcoming ADHD: A Guide for Parents
Hi Audrey,
My 10 yr old son (also 50lbs) did not have all the side effects on Vyvanse yours has but he did have anger, moodiness, headaches & stomachaches. He also had the not eating thing but I have not found any that you dont have that with. We switched to Concerta and 5mg of LexiPro and the moodiness and all the side effects we saw before except not eating were gone. Hope that helps!!
Audrey,
I appreciate your comments, but in the future, make it clearer that this is strictly an editorial and based upon experiences you have had. I am a physician and I can attest that although some people have had experiences you describe… there is absolutely zero literature to support your anecdotes. Although you supplement with dexa without problems, you should realize other people reading this will do the same. Supplementation with other drugs are often the reason for these cardiac side-effects (ie sudden death) and it’s extremely dangerous to do this.
So i appreciate your observations, however it needs to be clearer that this is a non-scientific, editorial commentary and any thoughts about supplementation need to be discussed with your doctor
Likewise, the precentages you have described indicates that you have no idea what the term “half-life” means nor its application to plasma concentrations or volume of distribution
–Mike D.O
someone i know has HDHD but does not take his medacation everyday he would take it for about a month and now he doesnt take it any more he is super skinny its ridiculous and hes a little crazy and he doesn’t barley eat anything but junk food and also he is always spitting………….
i luv ur article and you helped me figure out that he has HDHD ur the one who helped me figue it out thank you and good luck
plaese tell me what i can do to help
My twelve year old was just prescribed vyvanse…he was on concerta and it caused the moodiness that others see in vyvanse, now we are hoping that the opposite of what happened to colleen happens here…
Crystal, I hope your experience turns out well. We have seen better results with 1/2 the lowest dose of Vyvanse. I’m not sure if this will be all that we will need, but this may be all that my child can tolerate of this drug at his age and weight. We have also only been giving him Vyvanse since Dec. 22. So, we have a little while to go to determine whether we are on the right path.
Mike, I’m not sure what “dexa” means or “half life” and what you are referring to with those statements. Maybe you could provide more detail. I have heard conflicting information on “splitting” a Vyvanse capsule, but I am following our pediatrician’s guidance. What does dexa mean and what have I mentioned in my posts that could cause heart failure? Describe what you are referring to with your “half life” comment, please.
My 9 year-old son was prescribed Vyvanse 2 months ago due to the fact he was having severe moodiness on the Concerta. Since being on Vyvance my son is withdrawn and has no appetite. He will also breakdown and cry for no reason – and he says he doesn’t know why. I miss hearing him laugh and seeing him smile. I am extremely concerned and have an appointment next week with his Psych. I have hear great things about Vyvance from others – however I do not feel that this is a good medication for my son.
Hi Sue,
I was reading your comments about th withdrawn aspect of being on Vyvanse. We have been on 20 mg Vyvanse as well as 1mg of Intuniv. My child is also 9 year old. We have never been just on Vyvanse so we decide this week to see what it was like just to be on Vyvanse. NEVER will I do that again. The reason we did that is my son is very calm and quiet. We were worried that the intuniv was making him to subdued. When we was just on Vyvanse he was fine at school but when he came home he cried all night and complained about everything. After 3 days we put him back on intuniv. While he had lots of energy and was the most part back to his energized self he was also not able to calm himself. I spoke to his pys and we might on winter break try 1/2 a pill of Tenex. We haven’t decided yet. I loved that he had his energy back, but I couldn’t take the tears and being upset for the slightest thing. I am curious at what your psy will tell you.
Hi i was wondering if anyone has had a child on Vyvance at age 4. i am looking for some feedback on this. my grandchildren are 4 and have been on it for 2 months. i believe they are too young for this treatment or any simular treatment. please give me a little insite. Thanks!
HELLO EVERYONE, MY SON IS 7 AND HES BEEN ON VYVANCE FOR 6 MONTHS AND EVERY 3 WEEKS WE HAVE TO CHANGE HIS MEDICATION CAUSE HIS BODY GETS USE TO IT AND IT WEARS OFF BY THE THIRD WEEK….I GIVE IT TO HIM AT 6 A.M. AND BY 11AM ITS OUT OF HIS SYSTEM…..HE DOESNT EAT, AND HE IS VERY MOODY…ANY SUGGESTIONS OR SOMETHING NEW I SHOULD TRY..PLS HELP!!!!!
THIS IS BULLSHIT IM SO SICK OF GOVERNMENT TELLING ME WHATS BEST FOR MY KID SCREW THE GOVE
Cyndi-
The indication by Vyvanse is for children who are 6 years and older. I think that this may have more to do with the fact that most insurances don’t cover it until then and because 6 is the age where kids are in Kindergarten and concentration in order to learn critical educational skills is important. My pediatrician wanted to put my son on is at 5 (He is now 6. We waited until he was 6 and he has been on it for almost 3 months now-its been great.) The reason we discussed putting him on it at 5 was because of his impulsivity (is that a word?). He would never look before riding his bike out into the street, and exhibited other behaviors that were dangerous, like asking everyone if her could ride in their truck whether he knew them or not. No amount of discipline or discussion helped this. I was getting worried phone calls from neighbors a lot.
My doctor said that this was a situation where he would feel comfortable placing a child on it at a younger age. We simply couldn’t afford it then, and had to be more diligent about keeping inside if we were not able to supervise him until he turned 6.
My advise as a mother who has a child on this medication and also has a mother in law who I know wouldn’t have made the same choice is to support your child and the choices they make for their kids. I think 4 is young to be on this medication, but I don’t know anything about your grandchild. Many people don’t think any child should be on this medication. Learn about ADHD and why your grandchild is on it. My mom and dad took a CHADD course to better understand my and my son’s situation—this has made all the difference in their relationship with both of us. I am able to open with them more than anyone else in my family. If you want to voice your concern for their decision, it would be better accepted if you have done your homework first, which it looks like your doing by reading here. I am sure it is hard being a grandmother who doesn’t get to make the decisions for kids that they love. It is hard making these difficult decisions too.
So my 15 year old dughter was diagmosed with ADD today and although she doesn’t have the uncontrollable signs she has trouble concentrating on homework and is emotional and moody. She is being prescribed Vyvance and nothing I read mentions it is for her age. just curious why the gap between 12 and 18. Personally, I dont feel she needs medication but am willing to try it for a bit to see if it helps her.
Chris,
I was 15 when I was finally diagnosed with ADD. I too, did not exhibit the hyperactivity in the school setting but did have considerable trouble concentrating, staying on task, and contolling my emotions. As a small child I was very hyperactive, impulsive and had trouble academically in school but due to a tramtic experience as a child my ADD symptoms were dismissed. Being diagnosed as ADD at 15 was probably the best thing and the worst thing that had happened to me. The best was I was getting better grades and that felt great but the worst was the self esteem damage that occured due to all the struggles academicly. The medication I was prescribed at the time was dexidrin and that was 18 years ago, it did wonders for me. I bleive it is now called Vyvance. I just started Vyvance a month ago due to the shortage of Adderall and there is a difference. Vyvance is not as strong as Adderall and already I have had to increase the dosage. So be aware that dosing may need to increase much more frequently than other ADD medications. All you can do is try a medication and see how it works. Some ADD meds work for some and not for others, such as ritilan did not work for me at all where as it works great for others. Getting on the right treatment plan is a process, do your homework and listen to your daughter and your motherly instincts and before you know it you will be back on track.
People whose rapid thoughts aren’t regulated by wellbutrin often do better on adderall or ritalin, probably due to a more intense dopamine reuptake.
5’10″ 260lbs 17 years old Highschool student.
I used to be a screw up failing all my classes and just not caring about it… At all!
Ive been taking Vyvanse for some time now and this is how I feel!
My Life With Vyvanse. 120Mg (daily)
I need to get a mouth guard, because when the medicine starts to wear of and I’m still focusing on somthing. I can’t focus on my mouth constantly grinding/clenching my teeth together (even while I sleep). But that’s just a small price to pay for being the Smartest most egar to learn person in ALL of my classes. :)Seriously I feel as if I know EVERYTHING. I finish my work in all my class early and just sit there bored out of my mind. I look foward to taking notes and learning. My organizational skill are astronomically higher! School is so easy now. I wish we would had done this sooner :)
I think of everything,Every possible outcome of every action, in a split second… My brain is a computer… That learns… Which means it’s even better than a computer!
Everything I do is in moderation Like I’m never hungry. But I make myself eat because I know I need to.
I am happy and I am healthy. (leaning my Fuel to work ratio out). I’m finally starting to get to that point in my life where I enjoy… life. It’s nice not being a failure. Now that I am succeeding in every way… It’s not hard to have a positive outlook on life :)
I really hope I can get a job and put my new found “amazing-ness” to work!
I have a 9 year old son who was just put on Vyvanse 30mg. The first day of him on it, was amazing! He is more calm and listens so much better. He complained that his tummy hurt a little. Day 2 of being on Vyvanse, Still, a huge change! My son listens, picks on his siblings less, acts more mature, and he doesn’t put up an argument about wanting to do his home work!!! He is complaining of upset stomach and that he feels pretty dizzy today. He was running a small fever earlier today also. My sons appetite is not so hot while on Vyvanse. Although, we make him eat his meals anyways. Anyone educated on Aspergers Syndrome? I was told that the symptoms of Aspergers syndrome has the same symptoms as ADD or ADHD and ODD(opositional defiant disorder),…..And that so many Children/teens get misdiagnosed!!! Im wondering if I should have a specialist look at my son just to make sure he 100% is A.D.D., because I have never had him checked for Aspergers Syndrome.
Hi Angela,
I saw your post. My son who is also 9 complains about his stomach hurting if I don’t feed him before I give him the Vyvanse. My son is only on 20mg. 30 mg seems high but I guess it depends on your son. My son did weigh 88lbs and since we have been on Vyvanse (since August) he has lost weight. He is now 77lbs. The key for us is giving small meals and I make sure I buy things that he likes. Does your son go to a psychiatrist or his regular MD. I noticed your comment regarding Aspergers. I do have some family members who have it and I would never classify my son as having it. He is a classic case of ADHD. He has a hard time focusing. He isn’t hyper etc. If you read up on Vyvanse you will see that his appetite will change from being on it. Good luck.
I have been on Adderall XL for nearly 3 years which used to work great. I work a 12 hour rotating shift, and in my junior year in college. Everything was great, my medicine was working so well, my grades were so great that I even made the Dean’s list. But now, 3 years later, everything is different. I feel like I have lost control over my life. I have become so disorganized, I never meet my deadlines, I procrastinate, and among many other things. Does this mean my medicine is not working anymore? I’m afraid to switch a medication that does not work well with my body, I had such a bad experience with Concerta, and I don’t want a repeat of that episode. I don’t really know what to do.
Shannon, I’ve been on Vyvanse for awhile and have never tried Adderall, Concerta or any of the other meds for ADD; however, I have also experienced periods of disorganization and have always been a procrastinator. The author of this article states: “It seems that a lot of people who take ADHD medications, when they find the right dose and are consistently taking it, don’t really feel like it is doing anything. Which is wonderful! Because, for me at least, it means that my personality and who I am are 100% intact – I take Vyvanse and I feel like it doesn’t do anything (but it does!)”
I would take that to mean that if you are constantly feeling like you’ve lost control of your life, and not just at certain times or because of temporary situational matters, when you did NOT have these symptoms previously when taking Adderall, perhaps it is indeed due to your medication not working as well anymore. The article states that “..Adderall is made out of d and l-amphetamines. The l-amphetamine type may be responsible for the weird feeling some people get on Adderall.” Maybe if you’ve been getting that “weird feeling” more often, or at all, when you previously did not, it would be worth mentioning to your doctor. Vyvanse may not be the change you need, but if these problems you describe continue to persist, you might have to make some kind of switch to get back on the right track.
I still have ‘bad days’ and many instances of not feeling in control of my life, but I think that’s more of my personality and how I react to stress or depression, because when these symptoms ease up, I once again feel the medication and the dosage I’m on is adequate and doesn’t need adjustment – yet.