As you know, I started taking Vyvanse a few days ago instead of my usual Adderall (generic) prescription for ADD/ADHD. I am already hitting some of the Vyvanse side effects.
The generic name of Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine, but the company still has a few years left on its patent, so there is no Vyvanse generic yet. The most common dosages are Vyvanse 30 mg, and Vyvanse 40 mg, but there are 70 mg capsules for those who are prescribed more. Obviously, you can also take two pills to achieve higher-doses of Vyvanse.
Curiously, Vyvanse is also used to treat Binge Eating Disorder, or BED. This is a side-effect of Vyvanse where it reduces your appetite. The theory is that if you are not hungry, then you won’t binge eat. I suppose that depends a lot on what triggers your binge eating… whether it is just hunger, or another stimulus like stress.
Vyvanse Side Effects In Male Adults
As an adult male with ADD, I like to know exactly what I am putting in my body. I don’t just take the recommendation of a doctor or therapist who may, or may not, have the same beliefs and concerns as I do regarding things like medication and their effects on my body. Therefore, I have been reading up on Vyvanse, including all of the government sanctioned warnings, and the company’s legal disclaimers and comments. Buried in all of this legalize is a list of vyvanse side effects.
Fortunately, complex analysis and reading detailed technical documents is what I do for a living, so I am able to wade through this mumbo-jumbo.
Unfortunately, not everyone is able or willing to do this. To help out parents of kids with ADHD, and adults who have ADHD themselves, I have put together a non-scientific, non-technical jargon filled, summary of what the various parts of medical information sheets and side effect warnings typically mean. Note that in the official materials there are no separate notices for the vyvanse side effects in females versus the vyvanse side effects in males. There are some different vyvanse side effect in child though, mostly the warnings that it may increase suicide in kids under 18-years old.
One piece of good news is that you don’t have to take Vyvanse with food, so you can just pop it in your mouth when you first wake up.
You can also check out my review of how Vyvanse works for adult ADD here.
Understanding Prescription Information and Medical Jargon
See your Medication Guide or talk to your doctor or pharmacist about any warnings or drug interaction precautions.
Vyvanse Side Effects in Females
As is often the case with ADHD medication, there are no studies that separately account for how Vyvanse side effects in women will differ from those in men, other than referencing some women only issues regarding reproductive biology.
Vyvanse Side Effect Summary – Understandable Version
The information presented here is NOT medical advice.
This summary is intended to be used in conjunction with a doctor’s advice. Discuss all information with your doctor prior to making any changes in your medications or care.
Vyvanse is derived from some of the same components as Adderall. Just like Adderall, Vyvanse is a nervous system stimulant. As such, many of the Vyvanse side effects are similar to those of Adderall.
The most common side effects of Vyvanse are dry mouth, trouble sleeping, decreased appetite and nausea.
For some people Vyvanse causes weight loss, although like Adderall weight loss, Vyvanse weight loss isn’t really caused by the drug; it is caused by the decreased appetite side effect.
Vyvanse can make it so you don’t feel hungry, and therefore do not eat as often, or as much as you would normally.
Not eating so much is what makes you lose weight, not taking Vyvanse. In other words, if you eat just as much as you normally would while taking Vyvanse, you will not lose weight. Vyvanse does not speed up your metabolism.
The other common side effects listed on the medical information sheet are dizziness, diarrhea, irritability, and upper belly pain. These side effects are probably actually telling you something else, rather than being straight side effects.
Belly pain is probably a symptom that your stomach doesn’t handle medication well. Chances are you are also one of the unlucky people whose stomach is upset by aspirin or Tylenol. If that is the case, your only choice is to put up with it, or try something else.
Vyvanse makes you poop more for many people. Having to poop more often, or urgently, comes from stimulating the muscles that control your bowels.
For many people, the upset stomach comes from too much acid. You can try taking your medication with more water than usual, or perhaps with some milk, or with food, unless your doctor or pharmacist says otherwise.
Do not take your ADD-ADHD meds with orange juice. Orange juice speeds up the absorption of some medications including Vyvanse and Adderall making their distribution into your system uneven. You don’t want a sudden rush of Vyvanse pumped into yoru system.
Maybe You Don’t Have ADD ADHD
As always, consult with your doctor or other practitioner before making any decisions.
If your Vyvanse (or Adderall, or Ritalin) prescription makes you dizzy, lightheaded, buzzy, jumpy, agitated, or skittish, then perhaps your dosage is too high. Talk with your doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist about trying a lower dose.
If you are already taking a very lose dose, or even the minimum possible dose, there is another possibility you should consider. Maybe you don’t have ADD after all. Here is how to tell if you don’t have ADD ADHD.
I’m 26 & have been taking 60mg of Vyvanse for about a week or 2 now. But this morning at like 6 am I was rolling over & even with my eyes closed, the entire world was spinning. It lasted about 10 seconds & went away. I chalked it up to sleep. But running around with my husband & son, I was getting extremely dizzy while grocery shopping & it was the same; about 10 seconds of feeling like I’m super drunk-world spinning- then stops. Even after it stops though, I constantly feel like I just got off a merry go round & am figuring out how to walk straight. This is the first day it’s felt like this, but it’s been very constant all day. Coming & going like clockwork. Idk who else to ask, so I’ll just ask y’all. Anyone else experience this???? What do I do?
I doubt vyvanse would do that to you but I don’t know just stop taking it and see if it goes away. Especially at 6am when you haven’t taken it yet. I don’t wanna say you’re wrong and spreading bad rumors like some of these comments on here because I really don’t know. Some things just cause really bad effects for some people. I hope you come back and tell us how it worked out for you after you stopped or if it just went away.
It sounds like vertigo
I would think it would be out of your system by 6am. Unless you take it before bed, if that’s the case you would never be able to fall asleep. I have had the dizziness feeling you were describing. It’s not from meds. It usually happens to me when I get light headed. Like if I have my head looking down at my phone, then I look up really fast. Stuff like that gives me the dizzy feeling. I wish the best of luck to you, and hopefully you can stop taking vyvanse
For the pure use of studying for tests, this is great. Start off with a small dose if you are given large mg amount. I’m 5’3″ 112bs and take half of a 75mg then 4 hours later take the next. Eat something before. Side effects I experience are: loss of appetite, numbing of face (a little swollen) and hands, shakiness(which is a more serious side effect). The only reason I didn’t worry about is was because my first time I took 2 75mg in 12 hours of a night and it was the only serious side effect I got, if I got multiple I would have gone to the doctor. To add to that I didn’t eat before or during it so I think I was shaky from that too. I also got hot flashes and a heat rash, and moderate twitching. I recommend not taking as much as I did, now when I have to study I take one for a whole night in increments. Coffee helps a lot if you have a low mg or even a high, just gets you a little amped up to do the work…. Just dump some of the capsule in water and drink it. Definitely can concentrate better and do well on midterms and finals. Hoping to get my own prescription soon
75mg of vyvanse? Why are some of these comments so off?
Only goes up to 70 mg for Vyvanse
Vyvanse does not come in 75 milligrams
HI,
My son, 8 years old, just started taking Vyvanse 20mg/day a week ago. Since then he has developed a large blister/sore on one side of his tongue. Is this an effect of the medicine? Ive read dry mouth is a side effect. We also need to dissolve it in water as he can not swallow it yet. Is there anything we can do to counteract this, if it is coming from the Vyvanse?
Dry mouth is a side effect, but I don’t know about all the way to sores. Drink more water, but if it keeps up, see a doctor.
This may be due to the fact that the medication sometimes makes you chew on your tongue. I have had the same problem before because i would chew on my mouth so much while on the medication it made it severely raw.
Dearest Lisa, I have a 28 year old daughter that the same symptoms of psychosis, which caused her to become violent. She then ended up with a mixed mania diagnosis by the states Psychiatric Corrections Facility for evaluation to stand trial. Luckily she was not guilty, but has had this problem for years on amphetamines. But I believe she abused Vyvanse, Adderall, alcohol, pot, cocaine all together. we are so very blessed to have her with us still today and getting back to normal every minute. we’ve been told she should not still be alive, after jumping out of moving cars due to ? many overdoses due to her not knowing or having any memory of what she was taken. She is such a dear, but I’ll be clear, she is aware and acknowledges this was her own doing. I take Vyvanse daily, and for me at 52 feel as if I am loving to learn and remembering all that I now read, research, since I now have an interest in many things. So good for you for stopping Vyvanse and not continuing. Now if you were having any alcohol or mixing this drug, this is probably the cause, not suggesting this. Such a young girl like my daughter I understand the lifestyle is to have fun, but for this mom to you, please have fun safely! God Bless!
I really like every one else’s insights on vyvanse, wheter its good or bad. I took vyvanse daily n 10.mg of xanax 3xs daily for a yr and I felt on top of the world. I finally after 13 yrs out of school.. got my GED & enrolled in community college. I was fine for a while then my agoraphobia kikd in full speed. I skipd school n flunked out. I’ve since gained all the 70 lbs I had lost. I’m alwa depressed n lonely.. I started taking 70.of vyvanse 2weeks ago and I don’t see any WWII loss I’m going crazy!!!!what do I do???
Vyvanse won’t help you lose weight on its own. It does make MOST people less hungry, but if you are eating for comfort or other reasons, it won’t change the math of calories in versus calories out. It also sounds like you need to work with your doc on some of those other issues. Out of agoraphobia, depression, and ADD, the least important one is ADD, unless your ADHD triggers those others. Either way, be sure and work this with your professional. Based on what you’ve written here, this is not something for “let’s see what the group thinks.”
30 mg of Xanax a day??? Really…
Here’s my situation… Recently being diagnosed with ADHD, I’ve tried adderal IR, ER and
Vyvanse 50, then 70mg, and they have absolutely no effect on me after a few days of taking them. The adderal IR had no effect whatsoever. When I say no effect, I mean it’s like taking a sugar pill… it just stops working after the 3rd or 4th day. I don’t get it? Have you ever heard of this?
Everyone reacts differently to medications like these. It may be that your liver is clearing it out of your bloodstream too quickly. It may be that there IS an effect, but you can’t see it, or it isn’t the one you want. I almost gave up on my meds as not doing anything, until my wife noticed I was interrupting people (classic blurting) less frequently. I still wasn’t noticeably (to me) more focused on my work, but I kept on with it. It never helped as much as I hoped it would, but it did make some things better.
Talk about it with your doctor and make sure you aren’t taking anything that would interfere. Then, if they don’t work, they don’t work. Stop taking them. No need to waste the money or mess with your biology. Don’t give up though, look for other things that may work for you. If you want to try something else, consider fish oil or zinc, which currently have very thin research indicating they may be helpful for some people.
If it makes you feel any better. Edward Hallowell, the guy who wrote many classic ADD books, including Driven to Distraction, mentions in his book that his type of ADD does not respond to medication either.
Wow! I cannot believe that your grammar was corrected and criticized either! I just wanted to thank you for sharing your experience. I have wondered about vyvanse as well and am glad that others have shared similar beliefs. This just confirms my thought in regard to this med! Thanks Again!
Thanks. By the way, I’m always happy to correct any typos or grammatical errors if someone points them out (and they are legitimately errors and not just differences of phrasing something.)
Just to let you know vyvanse is not affected by oj because it doesn’t start working until your enzymes have broken the medicine down. This drug can’t be abused like adderall. If you did something like snort vyvanse it wouldnt do anything. It’s a good drug to give to people that may abuse these type of drugs. Vyvanse also last longer this way also and is the reason people say its smooth with no ups and downs.
Even Vyvanse can be concentrated, which is why the DEA still insists on making it a Schedule 2 drug. It may be harder, but not impossible.
The drug information sheet from the manufacturer and the NIH both still contain a warning about citrus (orange) juices creating faster uptake.
WOW, I can not believe 26 people managed to read this article. Thanks for sharing your personal opinion, but “plain english” does not mean run on sentences, incorrect grammar, awkward wording and fragmented clauses. My recommendation is to take some more of that vyvanse and purchase Writing 101 for dummies before you start publishing online.
Wow. I can’t believe you stopped by just to bash my grammar.
I write this blog as a labor of love between my numerous freelancing gigs. I write it for free. That means that I write it fast. I don’t have the time to update it as often as I would like, but I do my best, often late at night.
Maybe you should consider purchasing Common Courtesy for Dummies before you start commenting online.
The last time I took vyvanse I didn’t feel like it was helping me at all at 60mg. So stupidly I took another 60mg capsule before asking a doctor or reading reviews online about side effects. Varry quickly the effects started to kick in, I started to have strong hillusinations and heard a screachey noise calling my name in the distance. I also was vary dizzy and I had bad dry mouth, it kinda felt like I had smoked a whole lot of weed. The effects of the pill lasted about 1 hour until I fainted IN CLASS and rushed to the hospital. Vyvanse is an interesting drug but I don’t think they should be in the hands of children as it is so easy to get high off of or overdose!!!
No that didn’t happen but thanks for trying to scare people!
I was just diagnosed and prescribed vyvanse two days ago. I was started on 50 mg day. The effects seem to come in waves…one minute I am calm and do not notice side effects, the next I feel like some idiot that popped too many vivarin pills (gitters/skin craw/insomnia). How many days do you give your body to adapt to ADHD medication before you know that the dosage is too high.
Also can someone clarify what the statement about not drinking orange juice…does it heighten the affects of the med or do they neutralize them. Because there are times throughout the day that I need the side affects to go away. Otherwise, i (who has never taken any med unti two days go) I have found that I have tons of energy (all of a sudden I am happy, hyper – until two days ago, I have been in a severe depression for two years
Talk to your doc right away about the side effects. You don’t need a full appointment. Call and leave a message and tell them what you are experiencing. They can tell you whether to ride them out or to change your dose, or to stop taking it altogether.
The orange juice thing gets a lot of mention even thought not many docs think it is that big of deal. The concept is that OJ makes your body absorb the drug at a faster rate than it would otherwise. That makes for a “spiky” effect where the medication rushes into your body and then, maybe, runs out too soon. In practice, the docs I’ve talked to said that while it might give you a faster “rush” in the beginning, the effect is short lived. Once the medicine is absorbed into your body and out of your stomach, then OJ shouldn’t have any effect at all. The short version is to take your meds with water, not with OJ and everything should be fine.
My son takes Align and Prilosec and just began taking Vyvanse. Is there going to be an absorption problem?
I don’t know what Align is. Typically, if there is an issue, the computer the pharmacist has flags it, but only if you get all three prescriptions at the same pharmacy (or chain). It never hurts to ask though. Either way, make sure the doctor knows about the Vyvanse and the doc knows about the Align and Prilosec so that nobody get a bad surprise.
i hate vyanse it causes a very bad stomache ake
I have been taking Vyvanse for a few months now. 30mg capsule.
I too am experiencing much “tiredness”. My focus seems to be alright, though I was hoping for more in that aspect. I get the tired feeling very soon after taking the Vyvanse, maybe even a couple hours after taking the meds. In addition to taking the meds I also use self discipline to try and pay more attention and focus. Now I am not sure if the focus I think I have been getting is not actually from the med, but more of a placebo effect from myself. More of a “I really, really want to be more focused” so I unconsciously pay more attention and therefore seem to be benefiting from the meds. No other side effects and it has been around 3 or 4 months since I began taking Vyvanse. Admittedly I do not get as much sleep as most people do, but I have been this way for all my life, I typically get around 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night, and have had this schedule for maybe 20 years. Just thought I would share… Namaste
Bob,
It is really tough to KNOW what the meds do and do not do for you. Much of life is a subtle interplay. Perhaps the meds are giving you the focus and your self-discipline is the placebo? Or, just as likely, the combination of the two is what works. Maybe the meds give you enough focus to carry your self-discipline forward. Just don’t confuse what you do with what your mind does. Just because you get a report finished on time doesn’t mean you didn’t have to fight it. That might be all the meds do, is make the fight easier.
Either way, if you have something that works, congratulations. If not, change it, whether meds, lifestyle, or whatever. I am a big advocate of going off medication every once and a while to see if you really need it. Stop taking the Vyvanse some time when things are not at a critical state. See if you sleep better or are less tired. See if you are just as focused and disciplined without. If so, consider getting off the meds all together. Why take something if you don’t need it?
My 5 year old daughter just started taking vyvanse 20mg two days ago for adhd. she came home from school and said she likes her medicine because it makes her do better in school. but she said she did have a slight stomach ache yesterday and this morning from the medicine. we have to give it to her in water because she can not swallow pills yet. she has tried eating before and after taking it but still bothers her stomach. Is there anything i can do for her?
I don’t have the chemistry degree to back this up, but it is my experience that Vyvanse seems to make my stomach more acidic. Something like Tums would help with that. Your daughter may not have that specific of a vocabulary about what is going on in her stomach. Try and see if she means that it is acidic (burns) or if she means cramping or nausea. Nausea can usually be helped by taking it with food. I’m not sure what might help with other things. Whatever you come up with DO DISCUSS THIS with your doctor. Side-effects are the indicators of issues sometimes and you want a professional making sure that your daughter is getting the right dose of the right meds without causing any harm.
I’ve been taking vyvanse 50mg for a few months now, and did not have many bad side effects until recently, and they are only when I am “comming down” from it. I have been very, very tense in the afternoons, and mostly, have not slepted over 5 hours the past week and a half. I’m having very painful tension headaches, and cannot keep my eyelids still when closed. The strangest thing is that I never felt like this before, even after using higher doses. During The first few months on this medicine (maybe 3 or 4), I would usually give myself less hours of sleep by choice, but could always go to sleep if I wanted and knew I needed to.
I would like to stop taking this medication, but I don’t want to compromise with my focus and listening abilities, as vyvanse has had a great impact on my school work and overall has helped me think more clearly and rationally than I was ever able to.
In the past 2 and a half years I have taken Adderall 20mg IR and Vyvanse 30mg, then upped to 50 mg… I miss the Adderall IR, as the kick it had in it. With my current medication (Vyvanse 50mg) I find my self getting tired and relaxed a lot on it. Ultimately I will not even get the stuff done I intended to(on some days). This mellow/relaxed crash will occur probably 5 hours later after taking it. I don’t feel bad at all but I just don’t feel motivated or focused which defeats the purpose of taking Vyvanse. I am starting to second guess my self with the Vyvanse…. I recently went to the doc and asked for a script of Adderall IR along with my usual Vyvanse script so I could counter the mellow crash, but they said absolutely not! I will have to pick between the two. I am not sure what to do though? What is your opinion on which is better? Adderall is easier to use(short acting) and is more intense, and so are the comedowns. Vyvanse on the other hand is harder to use (sleep disturbances), but is more smooth ultimately. The big positive note is that there is less of a comedown or a withdrawal from what I have experienced with Vyvanse than with Adderall. Which is the only reason Id think to stick with Vyvanse. Please enlighten me with your opinion. Thanks!
Remember that all of these meds affect everyone differently, which is why they have different meds. (Well, that and the drug companies need new medicines under patent to charge big bucks for.) That being said, I prefer Adderall non-extended release (generic) because it is more “manual”. Like you say, it kicks in fast and lasts about 4 hours. If you time your doses right, the only comedown is in the evening, which is when you want to be coming down anyway. I never had too much trouble with any sort of “crashing” so I might be biased.
Furthermore, if you can “tinker” with your meds if you so choose. Early day, take early dose and just space your next doses to get to the end of the day. Or, if you have a long day, go one “extra” to stay more alert through the late evening (but watch out for your sleep).
I never really liked Vyvanse. It didn’t feel more effective and seemed to have more side effects and sleep problems for me.
Hope that helps, but no matter what I say, it will work for you the way it works in your body, not mine.
Good luck.
I took Vyvanse for a little over a week and by the second day it started causing some pretty severe psychosis symptoms for me. It was like a portion of my brain split off into a separate personality which spent the entire duration of the drug’s effectiveness constantly berating and deriding me for every single thing I did. I only got away from the voice when the Vyvanse wore off, so it ended up being 8 or 9 hours of emotional torture every day. At first I thought I might be going schizophrenic (I didn’t think a basic stimulant medication could cause something so abstract as “an internal monologue that hates you”) so I kept taking it even though I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. After finally calling my doctor he advised me to stop taking the drug immediately and to flush the remainder of the pills, and once it wore off the voice thankfully vanished. I know it’s highly unlikely that anyone will have the same symptoms as me but I’d still like to share in case there’s anyone out there that does. Believe me there’s nothing scarier than having your own mind turn against you!
Yikes! I’ve never heard of anything like that happening. Certainly that would be a deal breaker for me!
I just wanted to thank you.. This is what happened to me.. I didn’t realize it was the med.. I felt like I was going completely insane!! Very much appreciated.. I have an appt today with my Dr and because of you I can now explain what’s been going on.. I took it yesterday and that was when I had the feelings and psychosis.. I’m a Nurse and I was only taking it at work.. My Gram passed away not to long ago and we all thought I was having trouble with her death.. which I am.. but I didn’t work yesterday and I took it for some energy.. and I thought I was going INSANE !! It’s horrible.. I am so grateful for you sharing.. That shit is horrible.. Never thought a medication could do this to someone.. Geeeeeze.. Take good care..
I hear voices normally and vyvanse doesn’t make them any worse. Why are there all these scary stories on here??? I just don’t believe them. If this guy really started hearing voices especially the kind he’s describing he wouldn’t call his doctor to see if he should stop taking them… my voices are nice sometimes but not very often and especially when they first started it was a living hell and I would have done anything to stop them! I live with my voices now and it’s all good but I bet you this guy has never heard voices. And some of these comments are so wrong. I don’t know how the moderator let’s them through!!! I hope all mine do because someone needs to call them out.
P.S. anyone out there that actually hears voices never let your doctor put you on olanzapine! Maybe it was just way to high of a dose because she kept going up and up on it trying to get the voices to go away completely which they never did on any dose of any antipsychotic which I’ve tried 6 or 7 but anyway my soul was gone on that stuff!!! Now I’m on ziprasidone which made my life so much better! Sorry I’m going on and on but anyway DONT LISTEN TO THESE INSANE STORIES OR THINGS THAT SEEM WAY OFF! I’ve replied to a few today. I don’t know what some of these peoples goals are like they
I’m just gonna stop talking or else I’ll just sound paranoid but you can’t believe everything on the internet remember that! Kinda like how I used to believe in thought broadcasting and machines that beam voices into your head and radiate you ? hahahaha I forgot what the little gun was called it’s been so long. Anyway I’m not that crazy anymore and you should understand what I’m saying I hope. People put fucked up shit on the internet for tourchered people for fun I guess like telling me stupid shit like hiding under a big piece of sheet medal would stop the beams. People are messed up to people and others have hidden agendas.
I have been on vyvanse for 12 months. first prescribed at 30 mg. I am now on 70mg. I think I really did myself.a disfavor by going up and am getting more nervous and agitated daily, and the feeling of it wearing off gives me extreme panic and anxity attacks. I am 5″6 and 148 lbs. Can these side effects be a cause of too high a dose or have I just platued? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Too high of a dose can indeed cause side effects. The tricky part is that they seems to vary greatly from person to person. Talk with your medical professional about your dose. The best course of action is to “step back,” where you take a slightly smaller dose and keep reducing it until it stops working. Then you go back up to the dosage that worked for you last. That way, you’ll be taking the minimum effective dose. If 70 mg of Vyvanse is the minimum effective dose for you and you don’t like the side effects, ask your provider to let you try a different medication. I would suggest starting with the ones that are available as generics. They are cheaper and work well for many people.
Our 11 year old has taken ADHD medication since first grade prescribed to increase his focus and attention to detail in school. He was taking Concerta, but when we changed doctors she changed him to Vyvanse because she hoped he would have a better appetite. We used to take him off Concerta in the summer so he could sleep better and eat more. She does not seem to agree with med vacations. Our son has been taking Vyvanse for 6 months now and the good news is that he is gaining weight and doing well in class socially. However, he has already had a couple of dosage increases because he seems to build up a tolerance and it loses its effectiveness. He has trouble sleeping too and we try Melatonin to help with that. It is very scary to give children meds and I hate it. I wonder why our doctor has Vyvanse pads of paper and pens and signs all around her office and just hope she is objectively treating our son and not just pushing some pharmaceutical company’s profits.
As a school nurse administering some of these medications to about 6 students every morning, I only just recently heard about the possible “negative” implications of taking them with OJ. I have been using an orange flavored beverage for my students, giving them less than 2-3 ounces to take their pill. I called the Concerta toll free number and a local pharmacist and neither stated that OJ interferes with or speeds up absorption of the medication. So where can I find this information? I have seen anecdotal comments on forums like this from individuals, but it would seem that if this is the case, there should be some kind of investigation/research somewhere, and that it would be beneficial to pass this on to pharmacists who dispense the medication to the patients. I plan to change what I use in my clinic, but I know my students are going straight down to the cafeteria and drinking OJ for breakfast. I would like to be able to back up the teaching I feel like I need to give them. Any factual information would be welcome. Thanks!
Colleen,
You’ll find it mentioned in FDA dosage guides under “Interactions” of “Acidifying Agents”. Generally it will not mention orange juice by name, but rather ascorbic acid, or sometimes, fruit juices. Also, on the information sheets that accompany the prescriptions when they are filled, it is alluded to. For example, my d-amphetamine salt combo sheet from the pharmacy says:
“Certain foods and drugs can affect the amount of acid in your stomach and increase or decrease absorption of this medicine. Tell your doctor if you take any of thse products: fruit juices, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)…”
Apparently, antacids can also cause some of the ADHD drugs to be absorbed faster or slower (faster for Adderall, I believe).
Recently, I have heard that this is over-cautious drug labeling at the affect is minimal, but for THAT I do not have any documentation that I can point to.
Hope that helps.
My son has just started to take the Vyvanse 3 days ago. He was on the Conserta. He seems to want to sleep a couple hours after taking this new med, but he also seems to be able to focus better and has not had the angry out busts he was having on the conserta. Has any one else seemed really tired on this. Will give it a few more days and see how it works while he is at School. I also worry hearing about the weight loss, He has lost alot of weight, never being a big eater anyway and very picky has not been good. he is 8 years old and only is 47lbs. But the Doctors seem to think he is fine. Still very concerned for him being on these meds but the improvement at school has been so good.
this post is relieving because i was on vyvanse for a while and I lost a lot of weight like 25 pounds in 2 weeks. I’ve been off of it but haven’t been able to concentrate as well with other medications.
3500 calories in a pound ×25 you’re talking 87500 calories. 28000 is the healthy recommendation for 2 weeks… Another person pushing bad side effects for this good drug. Shire is ripping us off though.
Just trying to figure out the best “drug” with the least amount of side effects for my 15 year old son (adhd). He has been on concerta which worked well for about 2 years, then he started having horrible insomnia. Switched to adderal (no appetite, very fatigued feeling). Now trying Vyvanse…almost too scared to try this because of all the negative side effects.Looking at “alternatives” like Flavay? Have you heard of this…and what do you think about Vyvanse???
Concerta is often considered the “lightest” of the official ADD medications because it technically is not a stimulant, however, that doesn’t necessarily make it lower impact.WRONG!Here is the real story about Concerta, which is a continuous release preparation of methylphenidate, the drug in Ritalin. (The “non-stimulant” one is Straterra.)
I am not a big fan of Vyvanse. My primary concern is that it seems to strongly interfer with my sleep, while ironically, not making me any more alert. In other words, I’m tired, and I can’t sleep. Blah!
Regarding Flavay, I will write up a post about it today or tomorrow. The short version is that the best claim either Flavay or Flavay Plus can make is that they have an ingredient or two that has been the result of inconclusive studies. You can always try it out and see if it works, but if it is really expensive, give a day to write up the post and you can probably get the same potential effects in a cheaper way.
I would like to comment on your previous post:
How To Tell If You Have ADD ADHD
You have written that you can guage if you may not have ADHD by the effects of the medication. An example of such effects you posted were:
“…they say that the ADD drugs made them feel like their head was buzzing or racing, or it made them lightheaded, or it felt like their heart was racing.”
You went on to say such effects indicate that the person could very well not have ADHD, or have a very mild case.
It must be pointed out that stimulants have essentially the same effects on people with ADHD as they do on those with, with regards to non-executive control functions.
Rapid heart beat (racing heart) is always an effect of a stimulant at high enough doses. Dopagenic effects increase blood pressure. Changes in dopamine will induce light head effects.
This is why use of stimulants are contraindicated in people with ADHD if they have a history of high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease.
Having ADHD does not make one immune to the basic effects of stimulants.
The “paradoxical” calming effect seen in ADHD patients using stimulants are based on dopamine re-uptake and usage helping certain parts of the brain function more normally, but does not negate the normal effects of stimulants on other parts of the brain.
As with any condition, one should confer with the experts on if the medication is helping or not.
All that said, the effects of medications such as stimulants on ADHD patients are better used as a confirmation/verification tool rather than as a way to see if you do not have ADHD.
The effects are striking wrt attention and calming etc. but having a racing heart and feeling dizzy or light headed is not an indication of a person not having ADHD.
You did say in general that people have different responses to medications, but the message I took away was that certain effects (that are common to all stimulant users) may be a strong indication of not having ADHD.
I just wanted to clarify that this is generally not the case.
Regards,
Mike
Mike,
Thanks for your comment.
You are correct that there are certain biological effects of stimulants that are common to anyone who takes them including increased heart rate and in some cases higher blood pressure (Although if there is TOO big of a difference, definitely tell your doctor. This really freaks them out.) We can term these things the “non-brain” thing, to put it bluntly.
When it comes to things like a fast heart rate, there is the reality of number of beats per second versus the perception of a faster beating heart which when properly counted ends up being all in your head. Often, people will “feel” their heart racing when it is in fact their mind racing either from over-stimulation in the environment, or in this case, from the medication. It was this to which I was referring.
However, your point is well taken that an increased pulse is NOT a point of comparison to look at.
In the end, it seems like you and I are on the same page. If none of the ADD meds do what they are supposed to for people with ADD, then there is the POSSIBILITY that you do not have ADD in the first place.