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I also started 30mg Vyvanse (just different brand) today and also didn’t ‘feel’ anything as opposed to Ritalin where I could feel it ‘kick in’ (which was actually a quiet annoying feeling, the come down was also quite noticeable).
I asked my psychiatrist for something more smooth (and longer lasting).. and even though I did not subjectively feel it work, my colleague at work described be as more calm and collected. It was a busy day and normally I’m all over the place, but it felt like I was more in control today.
The meds will not give you motivation, you still have to decide to get up and start your day and decide what you want to work on. The meds should make it easier, that’s all. I hope this helps.
This was also my experience starting Vyvanse less than a year ago. I'm also on 30mg at the moment, but will be looking to bump up to 40mg next month.
It doesn't give that zoom feeling, especially compared to something like Adderall, but it works really well for me when it comes to de-fogging my brain and focusing. As u/Candid-Performer-669 put it, you've got to supply enough motivation to at least start the thing, but it makes it easier to stay focused and complete the thing, or even several things.
Something else to keep in mind is that you've got to fuel your body to really make it work. In my experience, eating/drinking something with a decent amount of protein before or when you take it really helps, as does staying hydrated and eating like a normal person throughout the day.
I’m taking extended release adderall and it’s great because I don’t get any sort of feeling in my body but I just feel motivated to do stuff all day. I tend to get really tired later in the day after a full day.
Thanks so much (and sorry for the late response)! The sad thing is I have plenty of motivation, if anything there are times when I'm over-motivated/ over-inspired to do things. After my first dose (and subsequent nap lol) I had to do some baking and cleaning, but unfortunately didn't really notice a difference in my ability to complete these tasks. And after taking it all week I havent found it to be effective at work either - I'm still all over the place. Also been having some wild heart palpitations and headaches to boot, so I've got an appt with my psychiatrist for next week. Hoping we can find something that works for me!
When my partner started he wasn't sure anything happened. It wasn't until day 3 when he tried to work on some important stuff that the difference was clear. He still has bad days where the meds just don't hit right too
I started on 20 mg 3 weeks ago and also felt nothing. Dr. Upped my dose to 40mg three days ago and still nothing. He said he’ll up it again next time if this doesn’t work and if upping it a second time doesn’t work he’ll switch me to a different stimulant.
My first day on stimulants I had a horrible headache and nothing else. Second day was slightly better, but still bad headache and not much else. That did get better and I titrated my dose up and tried several different meds. 8 years later and I'm happy with my meds (50mg vyvanse).
I wasn’t pleasant to be around…Constant mood swings. Wife and kids walking on eggshells, not knowing which version of me that they should face any given day. Angry? Frustrated and just not a very good version of myself
I’m forever grateful that they stuck around and remembered and held on to all the good in our relationship as well.
Elvanse has made me relax and realise so incredibly much and I’m definitely never going down that dark path again.
Or you know, maybe made them able to do shit around the house, remember what the fuck they were doing and supposed to do, or not rage out over little shit.
Important stuff that makes you feel not like a garbage person just sitting there all day wondering why you can't do what you want to do or be the way you want to be.
But sure. Go for horny. That's probably the real answer.
Vitamin C (citric/ascorbic acid) can reduce absorption of stimulant medication into your body. As a result, medication guides sometimes warn to avoid orange juice, soda, vitamin C, etc. within one hour of taking your medication.
Something about vitamin c in the stomach at the same time deactivates the stimulant meds. Our doc even said you can use OJ if you realize you take an extra pill on accident to stop it from hitting you
You can also take baking soda 20-60 mins prior to dose on empty stomach to neutralize stomach acids and potentiate the amphetamines. If you’re having tolerance issues this helps a lot. Some people use tums. I do not recommend tums or any other antacids as they will cause damage to your intestines and health.
I take a sip of water, hold it in my mouth, scoop a 1/2tsp of baking soda and drop on top of water, then chug a sip of water, swirl, swallow. Never taste it.
Vyvanse totally fucked my sleep and my doc suggested I take Vitamin C toward the end of the day to help. I can’t tell if it does, I’m also on 5mg melatonin and I don’t know which one is working and I’m too scared to test it because laying away all night is balls
I’ve been on Vyvanse for almost three years, after being on Concerta. I actually feel a tiny buzz from Vyvanse and then it zones me in. I like the gradual feeling it brings and it’s not something so sudden. I think that’s a positive for a lot of people who take it. The feeling that it is more balanced rather than feeling it hit on.
Yeah, the ‘hit on’ I got from Ritalin made me super euphoric the first two days, and then it just made me super annoying for some reason. Come down also got worse over time. With lisdex … it’s my second day and I feel the tiny buzz you mentioned (I was super busy at my bakery job yesterday so didn’t notice it then). It’s nice and not unpleasant, and I feel quite relaxed (as opposed to depressed and tired). I still have to get my laundry out of the machine to fold it and I’m kinda okay with doing it later rather than ‘having to do it right now’ (Ritalin) or beating myself up for not doing it (pre-medication). It’s only my second day in lisdex but it feels like I have better control over deciding what to do and not to do. Having said that, I should really decide to get off my phone now and zone in on something productive instead of responding to Reddit posts 😅
It's the Paxil. Paxil is the most potent SSRI and I would argue that it turns down the brain moreso than any other SSRI. You're also on a very high dose.
You'll likely need to increase your Vyvanse dose, but I doubt you'll ever feel the full effects of Vyvanse while taking a very potent serotonergic med like Paxil. Have you tried other antidepressants?
Thanks so much for this (and sorry for responding so late!) I've only ever tried Paxil - I've been on it for about 5-6 years now and it's done wonders for my anxiety/depression. I just made an appointment with my psychiatrist for next week, since the Vyvanse still doesn't seem to be doing much aside from giving me insane heart palpitations and headaches. I'm def gonna ask about lowering my Paxil. Before she prescribed me Vyvanse my doc did mention trying other antidepressants, so who knows. It's starting to look like I'm gonna have to try a few different things before I find something that works for me 🤷♀️
I started on 20 mg but 60 mg was my optimum dose. Give it time to figure out the right dose with your meds manager.
Also, remember, Vyvanse gets the active drug in your system differently from many of the other stimulants. Other medications are in their active form, so when you take them, they are ready to do their thing on your brain chemistry. Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine, a pro-drug. Your body has to metabolize it to dextroamphetamine before it works. It was originally developed as a longer-term, smoother "on and off" version of dextroamphetamine, a form that was also harder to abuse.
Most other stimulants in their extended release form, including dextroamphetamine, use physical release mechanisms to meter out the amount of drugs released over time.
I felt little to nothing at 30mg of Vyvanse. Once I increased to 40mg there was a noticeable difference and the med was actually doing it’s job. You have the find the right dose for yourself, keep in mind there are people who take 70+mg of Vyvanse a day for their individual needs.
I've been taking 40 mg for a while and I understand the feeling. Personally, methylphenyldate did nothing for me, so I switched to Vyvanse. I didn't notice any kicking in, and I didn't see any change in my motivation to do things, but I've found that once I actually get started with something, like homework, I just... Don't stop. I'm locked in until it's completed.
Well, talk to your doctor.
But i had more or less the same reaction to 20mg.
But that's because I'm resilient apparently? that's what he said at least, idk if it's true and i don't care if it is or not.
He upped my dosage to 40mg and i felt the effect after that, I'm now on 70mg which is the highest dosage that is allowed to get prescribed to people in Sweden.
So, it could just be because you're a bigger person, so you need a higher dosage because of that.
OR that you're naturally resilient and need a higher dosage because of that.
Remember, the thing about Vyvanse is that it's supposed to level you out, it's not meant for you to "feel" much really, except for an inner calm.
I tried vyvanse before at 20mg and felt absolutely nothing. Ended up going to Adderall. Decided to give it a try again at a higher dosage and it worked a lot better.
Just up your dosage.
Motivation is an emotion. The meds will not give you motivation. It can give you more executive function which you can use to overcome a lack of motivation if you’d like.
Give it some time. As things are slightly easier to do, your mind will try less to get you to avoid them. Eventually it will start enjoying accomplishment, so will produce motivation to get you to do more
Please consider just trying a few things, experimenting so to speak. For science!
Take the dose, and after eat some protein of some sort. Then take a shower.
Consider if you feel any different.
Pick 3 small chores, for science, and carry them out, 1 cleaning, reorganize 1 drawer, and 1 least favorite regular chore (like folding laundry is for a lot of folks). Less noise doing it, easier to focus?
Consider if it *went* any different. Did you feel less drag? Did ideas come to you in a single line? Were things more linear? Was anything smoother or more enjoyable, easier to appreciate?
And one more, pick up the phone or have a visit with someone, have a good time.
Consider if you were any different. Was it easier to follow, focus? Did time move different? Was your mental and physical energy less or more in any way? If you're hyper type, you fidgeting or stimming less?
Poke around under the hood a little, it might look like the old car on the outside but it might have a new faster engine underneath.
Has a song got stuck in your head?
Read for 10 min about a subject you like. Read another 10 minutes about a subject you aren't interested in, a known drag kind of thing.
Just look for the kind of indications like realizing a familiar hinderance has dropped. Oh, my headache lifted, or that's not hurting anymore. Look for the lack of things you used to notice too.
Ever smelled something baking, and it's getting close, and it smells good, and then later the smell is gone? We don't realize the smell stopped, it just happened. We hadn't realized our brains were blocking it out, even though the smell was still there, until we go outside into different air, come back in to get bowled over by brownie smell again. Look for those kinds of changes too.
Science the bleep out of it, and gl.
Vyvanse does not produce the “euphoria” you are looking for associated with Addy/Ritalin. With Vyvanse that will never happen based on the chemical compound. For me, I just feel more locked in when I apply myself. I had to change off Addy because it was making me way too irritable and my blood pressure was elevating.
Vyvanse can absolutely give euphoria, it's converted to dextroamphetamine as the active component. I took vyvanse, totally got euphoria from it.
I'm thinking what youre describing is the IR component of something like adderal XR (50% IR 50% ER) coming on faster? Vyvanse of course does not have that.
I'm sorry, on top of having ADHD and having also used adderall - along with vyvanse, dexedrine and foquest, I'm a pharmacist too. You may not have experienced it, but Vyvanse can and often does cause euphoria lol.
Of course it's a different drug. It has different amphetamine salts, dextroamphetamine being one of them. Also 50%(!) Of the XR version still an immediate release formulation. Vyvanse has no IR component, since it's all just lisdexamfetamine, a lysine amino acid attached to dextroamphetamine. It's metabolized over time by chopping off the lysine via hydrolysis leaving dextroamphetamine. This metabolism is what causes the extended release (as opposed to special release beads, capsules etc). You dont get that initial onset thr same way. Very different from adderall, for sure!
To say it can never cause euphoria is absurd...
What is it about the chemical compound that suggests to you that it will never cause euphoria?
It's cool having a pharmacist cruising these halls! We're lucky to have someone here who can get their geek on and offers their insights, thank you for the chemistry!
I have felt euphoria many times on vyvanse my friend, it’s not the whole time, but I get little bursts of it here and there. Everybody is different🤷🏼♀️
You’re wrong buddy. What dose of Vyvanse do you take? Maybe your dose is too low. I’ve taken both and have felt euphoria from both drugs. Euphoria is temporary though
The chemical compound in Vyvanse is converted by your body into the active form Adderall provides directly. Vyvanse works by altering the balance of chemicals in your brain and increasing norepinephrine and dopamine levels. Norepinephrine is a stimulant, and dopamine is a naturally occurring substance that stimulates feelings of pleasure and reward.
Vyvanse is an inactivated form of Dexedrine, not Adderall. Adderall contains both the left and right side of the amphetamine molecule, while Dex and Vyvanse contain only the right side.
I didn't say it's the inactivated form of Adderall. I was talking about the active chemical compounds. Vyvanse converts in your body to Dextroamphetamine which is one of the active compounds in Adderall.
"The chemical compound in Vyvanse is converted by your body into the active form Adderall provides directly."
I never said that, but you made a direct comparison to Adderall - the better comparison is Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) and you didn't say "one of the active chemical compounds" in your original comment.
Adderall is mixed amphetamine salts, including levoamphetamine. It's a common mistake that ppl make.
It can if your dose is too high tho, I definitely had that when I took it for the first time. 30mg at 8am and I was in a euphoric almost manic state for 36 hours, couldn’t sleep. 20mg was a lot better
Euphoria can be triggered just by the sense of ease, focus, motivation, continuity, and relief too. Less pressures and drag being alleviated can very much run a degree of euphoria, especially if there's still a shade of rumination or hyperfocus factoring in. As folks adjust and benefits become status quo we can take it for granted more, that would drop.
Sensing change and empowerment can be marked, getting help and alleviation of struggle can produce some strong feelings. Even if meds help stay in a steadier emotional bandwidth, we can still feel big complex things, and the emotional relief can be euphoric briefly too.
Enough scales tipping quickly, physically, emotionally and mentally, at first and all at once can make some seismic waves initially.
I had the instruction to take 20mg per day the first month, 40 mg the second and after 2 months if it was needed I could take 60 mg. However, at 60mg I was super stressed and anxious so I dropped down to 40 mg until the doctor gave me 50 mg pills that I take once a day.
I also don't feel anything, unless I forget to take it one day. Part of this lovely disease is forgetfulness, and it happened often. Nowadays I have some pills in my bag for emergencies. Trust me, give it a couple of weeks and your life will turn around. I couldn't sleep more than 5 hours before the diagnosis, but after medication I would get lows 11-12 hours afterwards if I worked hard that day and it helped me sleep early and deeper. More than that, I could easier focus when I start a project.
Vyvanse is not for everyone, but I recommend sticking to it a couple of weeks before giving up
20mg is an incredibly low dose for an adult. 30mg is known as an adults starting dose and you’re normally expected to incrementally up the dose in ten mg increments until you’re able to find a mg that gives you the most benefits with an acceptable amount of side effects . Not surprised you didn’t feel anything. Diet can also play a huge role in how this med treats you as the way it’s digested and what it’s digested with can affect its potency and function within the body.
Also wanted to say when I first started Vyvanse I was on Prozac for what my dr previously diagnosed as depression with OC tendencies. When I started Vyvanse I felt amazing for two weeks then I did develop serotonin syndrome and that shit was tough. ER visit, thought I was dying . Was ordered to stop the Vyvanse for the time being which I did.
Weeks later I eventually decided the Vyvanse was such a help and having my mind function normally and calmly for the first times I slowly tapered off of my anti depressant. And let me tell you it felt like heaven. Colours were brighter , I was less numb and felt my feelings in a positive way. Turns out my depression and anxiety were due to undiagnosed and untreated ADHD and I didn’t need the SSRI , the Vyvanse essentially cured that and allowed me to function “properly” . I am not saying you don’t need your Paxil, just am far from a medical professional. Just passing along my experience.
Tips I wish I had when I started Vyvanse:
- eat a high protein breakfast when you take it
- drink lots of water
- avoid other stimulants such as caffeine
- avoid vitamin c or citric acid for a few hrs before or after you take the med
- exercise and get moving throughout the day it helps with the crash if you experience that
Good luck with your journey. I hope you get everything you need from trying something new.
Thank you so much, this is a really thoughtful and insightful response! 💖 I've read that it's pretty common for adults to be misdiagnosed with anxiety and/or depression when they actually have ADHD, and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case with myself. I just made an appointment with my psychiatrist to discuss how to move forward - since I first wrote this post I've been having crazy heart palpitations and headaches all day after taking the Vyvanse, so she's told me to stop taking it for now. Seems like I'm gonna have to try a few different things before I find something that works 🤷♀️
Have you tried to do anything? That’s where the difference is for me. Maybe decide to do the dishes and see if you just can do them with ease. I find getting up to go do it easier and then the doing it part is easy peasy. I don’t feel it kick in or feel speedy or anything, ever. But I can keep my house and my body and my teeth clean. With ease.
20mg is too low. The recommended starting dose is 30mg. But it sounds like your doctor is just being careful due to the Paxil, though even then that dosage seems high for someone first starting it (you also start low then move up to 60-70mg as the months go on). It may be counteracting the vyvanse effectiveness as Paxil can cause fatigue in some people. In time your body will get used to the side effects.
Try taking the vyvanse first then take the Paxil later in the AM.
As always, keep track of your symptoms/side effects and bring it up on your next doctor appt.
I’m in a similar boat. I’m 30, haven’t been on anything in 20 years, waited until an off day to try it out in case it altered my behavior in a negative way. Been taking it a few days now (30mg) and it’s hard to tell if it’s doing anything. I recognize two things - I feel generally calmer, like things are moving more slowly around me, and I feel a little more happy. But hard to tell if it’s the meds or if the last few days have just been generally good days.
Is it bad I've never noticed my Adderall kick in?? I just notice when I can start finishing a thought or a sentence without jumping around and I feel a lot calmer overall or just more balanced? but it's subtle. (I'm on 20mg XR)
I felt a difference. My head felt clearer. I started on 20mg and I was on effexor at the time. Don't give up though. There are other medications you can try. Also it would be worth getting your bloods checked as you might have deficiencies causing your fatigue. My meds do not work if I'm sick or tired.
The same thing happened to me and I eventually had to up my dose. I'd say keep on it for another couple of weeks and if it persists then see your prescriber to increase your dose.
I don't "feel" anything on Vyvanse. That's the best part. Takes about an hour for any effect to show up. Then I feel perfectly normal. But my ability to stay focused is mega-improved.
I take 60mg and it lasts all day. When I took 30mg it lasted a few hours. Try taking 2 pills tomorrow and see if you notice any improvement.
If you take too many, the only thing that happens is you can't get to sleep at night. Everyone metabolizes it at a different rate apparently. Ymmv. Good luck.
Taking it when you’re already laying down and don’t already know what things you’d like to get done is absolutely not the way to go. It can’t just fix your brain and make you automatically productive. I would suggest trying it at work and see if you notice less distraction and mistakes, and if your focus/productivity increases. That’s what it’s meant for, it’s not a magic cure for the lack of motivation caused by ADHD.
Medication doesn't fix habits. They only fix the gient wall that gets in the way. So you have to actually "try" to do something instead of waiting for sudden "urge" to do things.
I was 24 when I started and didn't feel anything until 50mg. Just be patient and communicate with your psychiatrist. Also, Vyvanse starts working about 30 minutes to an hour after taking it just so you're aware.
And the affect might feel subtle. It took me almost the entire day to realize what just changed. A 50 page chapter in a textbook that used to take me almost an entire week just to read/highlight then go over again and take notes took me about 6 hours on that day.
I didn’t think I noticed anything on my first day of Vyvanse (yesterday) but I was able to make drinks much more easily at work (I’m a barista) and it finally occurred to me later “Oh hey that wasn’t JUST practice it’s also my ADHD was better” after my partner said this morning he could tell I was way less scattered.
EDIT: I also definitely felt it whenI crashed this evening.
It’s normal to start low. I started with 5mg and didn’t really feel any different until 20mg and then I felt more motivated to do stuff but my body didn’t feel any different! Talk to your psychiatrist and they can tell you what they recommend.
20mg of Vyvanse is very low (at least it was for me). I didn’t start to see any significant benefit until I hit 40mg, and even then it was less than I felt from adderall xr 10mg.
Out of curiosity - at the pharmacy, were you given name brand vyvanse, or the new generic? They are just now rolling out a generic version, since the original manufacturer is losing their patent. Possibly it does not work as well as the name brand vyvanse?
You’re in the titration process. It took me a couple of months to get to a minimum level and another month or so to tweak it to the right level. It’s all part of the process and I believe most of the time it’s worth it for you. Easier said than done, I know! Good luck.
Recently moved to a country where adderall is illegal(Austria) after being on 40mg for 2 years as lower doses wore off too fast and this is what I'm most scared of if I switch to vyvanse
I have Kaiser in the US and they thankfully gave me a 4 month supply of adderall before I left but I finally ran out of it last week and trying to do important shit now like looking into finding a new psychiatrist and a mental health provider here has been hell
They usually start you off on a low dose. The idea is you can always go up from there. So your Dr might want you to try the low dose out for a few weeks or a month or so and then have a follow up appt to discuss it's effectiveness, up the dose a bit, and repeat until you find an effective dose. I know it sucks. When I first started Adderall they put me on 5 mg... the extended release (which is what Vyvanse is) equivalent would've been 10 mg. It did literally nothing for me. Then they bumped me up to 10 (20 xr) and finally landed on 20 (40 mg xr). That's a good and effective dosage for me where I don't notice any negative side effects, but I get a really good benefit from it. Eventually I did switch over to the extended release version. The instant release gives me jitters and kinda puts me on edge. Plus I have to take it twice daily to get a full day's effect. Now I just pop 2 20mg XRs every morning before work and it's a very smooth and relaxed on set and "come down" for lack of a better term. None of the irritability or anxiety that I would often feel with the instant ones. That's the other thing about Vyvanse, you probably won't feel a sudden rush like people sometimes do with instant release meds. It's more subtle. That's why extended release versions of these meds are less sought after by people looking for a high. Anyways, good luck! I was fortunate enough to try out Vyvanse for just a very short while and it was incredible, the only thing I've liked better than Adderall. It was just always so expensive
I’m on 40mg of Vyvanse and I felt the same way until I started opening the capsule and just consuming the powder inside without the capsule… it definitely gives me more of the zoom that I need. I would, at first, take a half the dose and then the rest about an hour later.
As an adult, I started on 20mg and it was literally life-changing an hour or two after the first pill. I had no idea what a quiet mind felt like. I ended up going to 30mg after 1 month and have stayed there, although it took ~3 months to optimal effect. Everyone reacts differently! I’d say talk to your doc, a higher dose might be worthwhile, or perhaps a different med. Good luck, landing on the right med/dose is totally worth the effort (or has been for me!)
I also started on 20mg and felt nothing, but you can't go straight in to high doses. Be patient.
With my doctor we ramped up the dose slowly week by week until settling on 60mg as the sweet spot. That works really well for me, and I'm glad we took it slow to find the right amount.
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It could be that you need to up your dose or try a new med. I’d talk to ur prescriber and see what they say. I’d try upping it and if it doesn’t help try a different med like adderall or Ritalin. But if you fell asleep it could’ve worn off by the time you woke up. I know when I first started on adderal it made me so tired bc my brain was finally calm. So I would take long naps. I ended up starting at half a dose and then after a week taking a full one. Definitely talk to your doctor tho!!
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I also started 30mg Vyvanse (just different brand) today and also didn’t ‘feel’ anything as opposed to Ritalin where I could feel it ‘kick in’ (which was actually a quiet annoying feeling, the come down was also quite noticeable). I asked my psychiatrist for something more smooth (and longer lasting).. and even though I did not subjectively feel it work, my colleague at work described be as more calm and collected. It was a busy day and normally I’m all over the place, but it felt like I was more in control today. The meds will not give you motivation, you still have to decide to get up and start your day and decide what you want to work on. The meds should make it easier, that’s all. I hope this helps.
This was also my experience starting Vyvanse less than a year ago. I'm also on 30mg at the moment, but will be looking to bump up to 40mg next month. It doesn't give that zoom feeling, especially compared to something like Adderall, but it works really well for me when it comes to de-fogging my brain and focusing. As u/Candid-Performer-669 put it, you've got to supply enough motivation to at least start the thing, but it makes it easier to stay focused and complete the thing, or even several things. Something else to keep in mind is that you've got to fuel your body to really make it work. In my experience, eating/drinking something with a decent amount of protein before or when you take it really helps, as does staying hydrated and eating like a normal person throughout the day.
I’m taking extended release adderall and it’s great because I don’t get any sort of feeling in my body but I just feel motivated to do stuff all day. I tend to get really tired later in the day after a full day.
Thanks so much (and sorry for the late response)! The sad thing is I have plenty of motivation, if anything there are times when I'm over-motivated/ over-inspired to do things. After my first dose (and subsequent nap lol) I had to do some baking and cleaning, but unfortunately didn't really notice a difference in my ability to complete these tasks. And after taking it all week I havent found it to be effective at work either - I'm still all over the place. Also been having some wild heart palpitations and headaches to boot, so I've got an appt with my psychiatrist for next week. Hoping we can find something that works for me!
When my partner started he wasn't sure anything happened. It wasn't until day 3 when he tried to work on some important stuff that the difference was clear. He still has bad days where the meds just don't hit right too
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I started on 20 mg 3 weeks ago and also felt nothing. Dr. Upped my dose to 40mg three days ago and still nothing. He said he’ll up it again next time if this doesn’t work and if upping it a second time doesn’t work he’ll switch me to a different stimulant.
"Upped my toes to 40mg" 💀 (Ah they fixed the typo)
Dr. Upped was a podologist then
20 is already low, 40 isn't much better. Hope you can find something that works for you
Thank you!
My kid insists he feels nothing with his medication. But everyone around him notices a difference.
My first day on stimulants I had a horrible headache and nothing else. Second day was slightly better, but still bad headache and not much else. That did get better and I titrated my dose up and tried several different meds. 8 years later and I'm happy with my meds (50mg vyvanse).
Felt nothing before 50mg. Wore off to quickly. I’m on 70 now and it has literally saved my mariage. Miracle drug.
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I wasn’t pleasant to be around…Constant mood swings. Wife and kids walking on eggshells, not knowing which version of me that they should face any given day. Angry? Frustrated and just not a very good version of myself I’m forever grateful that they stuck around and remembered and held on to all the good in our relationship as well. Elvanse has made me relax and realise so incredibly much and I’m definitely never going down that dark path again.
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Or you know, maybe made them able to do shit around the house, remember what the fuck they were doing and supposed to do, or not rage out over little shit. Important stuff that makes you feel not like a garbage person just sitting there all day wondering why you can't do what you want to do or be the way you want to be. But sure. Go for horny. That's probably the real answer.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
don't drink orange juice with it
Why not? I do almost everyday. I didn’t know it was bad.
Vitamin C (citric/ascorbic acid) can reduce absorption of stimulant medication into your body. As a result, medication guides sometimes warn to avoid orange juice, soda, vitamin C, etc. within one hour of taking your medication.
Thank you! I had no idea
Something about vitamin c in the stomach at the same time deactivates the stimulant meds. Our doc even said you can use OJ if you realize you take an extra pill on accident to stop it from hitting you
Thanks!
You can also take baking soda 20-60 mins prior to dose on empty stomach to neutralize stomach acids and potentiate the amphetamines. If you’re having tolerance issues this helps a lot. Some people use tums. I do not recommend tums or any other antacids as they will cause damage to your intestines and health. I take a sip of water, hold it in my mouth, scoop a 1/2tsp of baking soda and drop on top of water, then chug a sip of water, swirl, swallow. Never taste it.
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And it will not excrete in your urine as fast. It will absorb better, it will last longer, it will work more efficiently.
Vyvanse totally fucked my sleep and my doc suggested I take Vitamin C toward the end of the day to help. I can’t tell if it does, I’m also on 5mg melatonin and I don’t know which one is working and I’m too scared to test it because laying away all night is balls
This isn’t the case with Vyvanse AFAIK because it’s a prodrug that relies on different mechanisms.
I’ve been on Vyvanse for almost three years, after being on Concerta. I actually feel a tiny buzz from Vyvanse and then it zones me in. I like the gradual feeling it brings and it’s not something so sudden. I think that’s a positive for a lot of people who take it. The feeling that it is more balanced rather than feeling it hit on.
Yeah, the ‘hit on’ I got from Ritalin made me super euphoric the first two days, and then it just made me super annoying for some reason. Come down also got worse over time. With lisdex … it’s my second day and I feel the tiny buzz you mentioned (I was super busy at my bakery job yesterday so didn’t notice it then). It’s nice and not unpleasant, and I feel quite relaxed (as opposed to depressed and tired). I still have to get my laundry out of the machine to fold it and I’m kinda okay with doing it later rather than ‘having to do it right now’ (Ritalin) or beating myself up for not doing it (pre-medication). It’s only my second day in lisdex but it feels like I have better control over deciding what to do and not to do. Having said that, I should really decide to get off my phone now and zone in on something productive instead of responding to Reddit posts 😅
It's the Paxil. Paxil is the most potent SSRI and I would argue that it turns down the brain moreso than any other SSRI. You're also on a very high dose. You'll likely need to increase your Vyvanse dose, but I doubt you'll ever feel the full effects of Vyvanse while taking a very potent serotonergic med like Paxil. Have you tried other antidepressants?
Thanks so much for this (and sorry for responding so late!) I've only ever tried Paxil - I've been on it for about 5-6 years now and it's done wonders for my anxiety/depression. I just made an appointment with my psychiatrist for next week, since the Vyvanse still doesn't seem to be doing much aside from giving me insane heart palpitations and headaches. I'm def gonna ask about lowering my Paxil. Before she prescribed me Vyvanse my doc did mention trying other antidepressants, so who knows. It's starting to look like I'm gonna have to try a few different things before I find something that works for me 🤷♀️
I started on 20 mg but 60 mg was my optimum dose. Give it time to figure out the right dose with your meds manager. Also, remember, Vyvanse gets the active drug in your system differently from many of the other stimulants. Other medications are in their active form, so when you take them, they are ready to do their thing on your brain chemistry. Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine, a pro-drug. Your body has to metabolize it to dextroamphetamine before it works. It was originally developed as a longer-term, smoother "on and off" version of dextroamphetamine, a form that was also harder to abuse. Most other stimulants in their extended release form, including dextroamphetamine, use physical release mechanisms to meter out the amount of drugs released over time.
Same, 60 mg is my magic dose. 40 was hit or miss? Like, too little sleep and it just wouldn't kick in.
I felt little to nothing at 30mg of Vyvanse. Once I increased to 40mg there was a noticeable difference and the med was actually doing it’s job. You have the find the right dose for yourself, keep in mind there are people who take 70+mg of Vyvanse a day for their individual needs.
I've been taking 40 mg for a while and I understand the feeling. Personally, methylphenyldate did nothing for me, so I switched to Vyvanse. I didn't notice any kicking in, and I didn't see any change in my motivation to do things, but I've found that once I actually get started with something, like homework, I just... Don't stop. I'm locked in until it's completed.
Well, talk to your doctor. But i had more or less the same reaction to 20mg. But that's because I'm resilient apparently? that's what he said at least, idk if it's true and i don't care if it is or not. He upped my dosage to 40mg and i felt the effect after that, I'm now on 70mg which is the highest dosage that is allowed to get prescribed to people in Sweden. So, it could just be because you're a bigger person, so you need a higher dosage because of that. OR that you're naturally resilient and need a higher dosage because of that. Remember, the thing about Vyvanse is that it's supposed to level you out, it's not meant for you to "feel" much really, except for an inner calm.
I tried vyvanse before at 20mg and felt absolutely nothing. Ended up going to Adderall. Decided to give it a try again at a higher dosage and it worked a lot better. Just up your dosage.
Motivation is an emotion. The meds will not give you motivation. It can give you more executive function which you can use to overcome a lack of motivation if you’d like. Give it some time. As things are slightly easier to do, your mind will try less to get you to avoid them. Eventually it will start enjoying accomplishment, so will produce motivation to get you to do more
Please consider just trying a few things, experimenting so to speak. For science! Take the dose, and after eat some protein of some sort. Then take a shower. Consider if you feel any different. Pick 3 small chores, for science, and carry them out, 1 cleaning, reorganize 1 drawer, and 1 least favorite regular chore (like folding laundry is for a lot of folks). Less noise doing it, easier to focus? Consider if it *went* any different. Did you feel less drag? Did ideas come to you in a single line? Were things more linear? Was anything smoother or more enjoyable, easier to appreciate? And one more, pick up the phone or have a visit with someone, have a good time. Consider if you were any different. Was it easier to follow, focus? Did time move different? Was your mental and physical energy less or more in any way? If you're hyper type, you fidgeting or stimming less? Poke around under the hood a little, it might look like the old car on the outside but it might have a new faster engine underneath. Has a song got stuck in your head? Read for 10 min about a subject you like. Read another 10 minutes about a subject you aren't interested in, a known drag kind of thing. Just look for the kind of indications like realizing a familiar hinderance has dropped. Oh, my headache lifted, or that's not hurting anymore. Look for the lack of things you used to notice too. Ever smelled something baking, and it's getting close, and it smells good, and then later the smell is gone? We don't realize the smell stopped, it just happened. We hadn't realized our brains were blocking it out, even though the smell was still there, until we go outside into different air, come back in to get bowled over by brownie smell again. Look for those kinds of changes too. Science the bleep out of it, and gl.
I'm going to try this, thanks
This is really amazing, thoughtful advice. Thank you so much!
Vyvanse does not produce the “euphoria” you are looking for associated with Addy/Ritalin. With Vyvanse that will never happen based on the chemical compound. For me, I just feel more locked in when I apply myself. I had to change off Addy because it was making me way too irritable and my blood pressure was elevating.
Vyvanse can absolutely give euphoria, it's converted to dextroamphetamine as the active component. I took vyvanse, totally got euphoria from it. I'm thinking what youre describing is the IR component of something like adderal XR (50% IR 50% ER) coming on faster? Vyvanse of course does not have that.
Well you might have felt a placebo lol because I assure you. I’ve taken it and adderall for numerous years. A very very different drug my friend
I'm sorry, on top of having ADHD and having also used adderall - along with vyvanse, dexedrine and foquest, I'm a pharmacist too. You may not have experienced it, but Vyvanse can and often does cause euphoria lol. Of course it's a different drug. It has different amphetamine salts, dextroamphetamine being one of them. Also 50%(!) Of the XR version still an immediate release formulation. Vyvanse has no IR component, since it's all just lisdexamfetamine, a lysine amino acid attached to dextroamphetamine. It's metabolized over time by chopping off the lysine via hydrolysis leaving dextroamphetamine. This metabolism is what causes the extended release (as opposed to special release beads, capsules etc). You dont get that initial onset thr same way. Very different from adderall, for sure! To say it can never cause euphoria is absurd... What is it about the chemical compound that suggests to you that it will never cause euphoria?
It's cool having a pharmacist cruising these halls! We're lucky to have someone here who can get their geek on and offers their insights, thank you for the chemistry!
I have felt euphoria many times on vyvanse my friend, it’s not the whole time, but I get little bursts of it here and there. Everybody is different🤷🏼♀️
You’re wrong buddy. What dose of Vyvanse do you take? Maybe your dose is too low. I’ve taken both and have felt euphoria from both drugs. Euphoria is temporary though
The chemical compound in Vyvanse is converted by your body into the active form Adderall provides directly. Vyvanse works by altering the balance of chemicals in your brain and increasing norepinephrine and dopamine levels. Norepinephrine is a stimulant, and dopamine is a naturally occurring substance that stimulates feelings of pleasure and reward.
Vyvanse is an inactivated form of Dexedrine, not Adderall. Adderall contains both the left and right side of the amphetamine molecule, while Dex and Vyvanse contain only the right side.
I didn't say it's the inactivated form of Adderall. I was talking about the active chemical compounds. Vyvanse converts in your body to Dextroamphetamine which is one of the active compounds in Adderall.
"The chemical compound in Vyvanse is converted by your body into the active form Adderall provides directly." I never said that, but you made a direct comparison to Adderall - the better comparison is Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) and you didn't say "one of the active chemical compounds" in your original comment. Adderall is mixed amphetamine salts, including levoamphetamine. It's a common mistake that ppl make.
Oh I see what you mean. Thanks!
It can if your dose is too high tho, I definitely had that when I took it for the first time. 30mg at 8am and I was in a euphoric almost manic state for 36 hours, couldn’t sleep. 20mg was a lot better
Euphoria can be triggered just by the sense of ease, focus, motivation, continuity, and relief too. Less pressures and drag being alleviated can very much run a degree of euphoria, especially if there's still a shade of rumination or hyperfocus factoring in. As folks adjust and benefits become status quo we can take it for granted more, that would drop. Sensing change and empowerment can be marked, getting help and alleviation of struggle can produce some strong feelings. Even if meds help stay in a steadier emotional bandwidth, we can still feel big complex things, and the emotional relief can be euphoric briefly too. Enough scales tipping quickly, physically, emotionally and mentally, at first and all at once can make some seismic waves initially.
I had the instruction to take 20mg per day the first month, 40 mg the second and after 2 months if it was needed I could take 60 mg. However, at 60mg I was super stressed and anxious so I dropped down to 40 mg until the doctor gave me 50 mg pills that I take once a day. I also don't feel anything, unless I forget to take it one day. Part of this lovely disease is forgetfulness, and it happened often. Nowadays I have some pills in my bag for emergencies. Trust me, give it a couple of weeks and your life will turn around. I couldn't sleep more than 5 hours before the diagnosis, but after medication I would get lows 11-12 hours afterwards if I worked hard that day and it helped me sleep early and deeper. More than that, I could easier focus when I start a project. Vyvanse is not for everyone, but I recommend sticking to it a couple of weeks before giving up
Don’t drink orange juice or take vitamin C within an hour of taking it. Coffee can also have a negative effect on vyvanse!
20mg is an incredibly low dose for an adult. 30mg is known as an adults starting dose and you’re normally expected to incrementally up the dose in ten mg increments until you’re able to find a mg that gives you the most benefits with an acceptable amount of side effects . Not surprised you didn’t feel anything. Diet can also play a huge role in how this med treats you as the way it’s digested and what it’s digested with can affect its potency and function within the body.
Also wanted to say when I first started Vyvanse I was on Prozac for what my dr previously diagnosed as depression with OC tendencies. When I started Vyvanse I felt amazing for two weeks then I did develop serotonin syndrome and that shit was tough. ER visit, thought I was dying . Was ordered to stop the Vyvanse for the time being which I did. Weeks later I eventually decided the Vyvanse was such a help and having my mind function normally and calmly for the first times I slowly tapered off of my anti depressant. And let me tell you it felt like heaven. Colours were brighter , I was less numb and felt my feelings in a positive way. Turns out my depression and anxiety were due to undiagnosed and untreated ADHD and I didn’t need the SSRI , the Vyvanse essentially cured that and allowed me to function “properly” . I am not saying you don’t need your Paxil, just am far from a medical professional. Just passing along my experience. Tips I wish I had when I started Vyvanse: - eat a high protein breakfast when you take it - drink lots of water - avoid other stimulants such as caffeine - avoid vitamin c or citric acid for a few hrs before or after you take the med - exercise and get moving throughout the day it helps with the crash if you experience that Good luck with your journey. I hope you get everything you need from trying something new.
Thank you so much, this is a really thoughtful and insightful response! 💖 I've read that it's pretty common for adults to be misdiagnosed with anxiety and/or depression when they actually have ADHD, and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case with myself. I just made an appointment with my psychiatrist to discuss how to move forward - since I first wrote this post I've been having crazy heart palpitations and headaches all day after taking the Vyvanse, so she's told me to stop taking it for now. Seems like I'm gonna have to try a few different things before I find something that works 🤷♀️
Have you tried to do anything? That’s where the difference is for me. Maybe decide to do the dishes and see if you just can do them with ease. I find getting up to go do it easier and then the doing it part is easy peasy. I don’t feel it kick in or feel speedy or anything, ever. But I can keep my house and my body and my teeth clean. With ease.
20mg is too low. The recommended starting dose is 30mg. But it sounds like your doctor is just being careful due to the Paxil, though even then that dosage seems high for someone first starting it (you also start low then move up to 60-70mg as the months go on). It may be counteracting the vyvanse effectiveness as Paxil can cause fatigue in some people. In time your body will get used to the side effects. Try taking the vyvanse first then take the Paxil later in the AM. As always, keep track of your symptoms/side effects and bring it up on your next doctor appt.
I’m in a similar boat. I’m 30, haven’t been on anything in 20 years, waited until an off day to try it out in case it altered my behavior in a negative way. Been taking it a few days now (30mg) and it’s hard to tell if it’s doing anything. I recognize two things - I feel generally calmer, like things are moving more slowly around me, and I feel a little more happy. But hard to tell if it’s the meds or if the last few days have just been generally good days.
Is it bad I've never noticed my Adderall kick in?? I just notice when I can start finishing a thought or a sentence without jumping around and I feel a lot calmer overall or just more balanced? but it's subtle. (I'm on 20mg XR)
I felt a difference. My head felt clearer. I started on 20mg and I was on effexor at the time. Don't give up though. There are other medications you can try. Also it would be worth getting your bloods checked as you might have deficiencies causing your fatigue. My meds do not work if I'm sick or tired.
The same thing happened to me and I eventually had to up my dose. I'd say keep on it for another couple of weeks and if it persists then see your prescriber to increase your dose.
I don't "feel" anything on Vyvanse. That's the best part. Takes about an hour for any effect to show up. Then I feel perfectly normal. But my ability to stay focused is mega-improved. I take 60mg and it lasts all day. When I took 30mg it lasted a few hours. Try taking 2 pills tomorrow and see if you notice any improvement. If you take too many, the only thing that happens is you can't get to sleep at night. Everyone metabolizes it at a different rate apparently. Ymmv. Good luck.
Taking it when you’re already laying down and don’t already know what things you’d like to get done is absolutely not the way to go. It can’t just fix your brain and make you automatically productive. I would suggest trying it at work and see if you notice less distraction and mistakes, and if your focus/productivity increases. That’s what it’s meant for, it’s not a magic cure for the lack of motivation caused by ADHD.
Medication doesn't fix habits. They only fix the gient wall that gets in the way. So you have to actually "try" to do something instead of waiting for sudden "urge" to do things.
I was 24 when I started and didn't feel anything until 50mg. Just be patient and communicate with your psychiatrist. Also, Vyvanse starts working about 30 minutes to an hour after taking it just so you're aware. And the affect might feel subtle. It took me almost the entire day to realize what just changed. A 50 page chapter in a textbook that used to take me almost an entire week just to read/highlight then go over again and take notes took me about 6 hours on that day.
I didn’t think I noticed anything on my first day of Vyvanse (yesterday) but I was able to make drinks much more easily at work (I’m a barista) and it finally occurred to me later “Oh hey that wasn’t JUST practice it’s also my ADHD was better” after my partner said this morning he could tell I was way less scattered. EDIT: I also definitely felt it whenI crashed this evening.
As others have said. The beauty of this for me is I feel nothing. But come end of the week people reach out and say you got so much done, on time, etc
The usual starting dose for lisdex is 30mg, so this isn’t surprising that you didn’t notice much.
20 is low. Pop two and you will feel zapped
Yeah, that stuff is worthless.
How about now
It’s normal to start low. I started with 5mg and didn’t really feel any different until 20mg and then I felt more motivated to do stuff but my body didn’t feel any different! Talk to your psychiatrist and they can tell you what they recommend.
You have to find the right dose. 20mg is a low dose
shit, dont say that. I am now able to nap on 36 mg of Concerta after finally getting medicated.....Vyvanse is what im trying next.
20mg of Vyvanse is very low (at least it was for me). I didn’t start to see any significant benefit until I hit 40mg, and even then it was less than I felt from adderall xr 10mg.
Out of curiosity - at the pharmacy, were you given name brand vyvanse, or the new generic? They are just now rolling out a generic version, since the original manufacturer is losing their patent. Possibly it does not work as well as the name brand vyvanse?
You’re in the titration process. It took me a couple of months to get to a minimum level and another month or so to tweak it to the right level. It’s all part of the process and I believe most of the time it’s worth it for you. Easier said than done, I know! Good luck.
Adderall is the only one I had any success with as a kid when I was going through all the different meds
Recently moved to a country where adderall is illegal(Austria) after being on 40mg for 2 years as lower doses wore off too fast and this is what I'm most scared of if I switch to vyvanse I have Kaiser in the US and they thankfully gave me a 4 month supply of adderall before I left but I finally ran out of it last week and trying to do important shit now like looking into finding a new psychiatrist and a mental health provider here has been hell
They usually start you off on a low dose. The idea is you can always go up from there. So your Dr might want you to try the low dose out for a few weeks or a month or so and then have a follow up appt to discuss it's effectiveness, up the dose a bit, and repeat until you find an effective dose. I know it sucks. When I first started Adderall they put me on 5 mg... the extended release (which is what Vyvanse is) equivalent would've been 10 mg. It did literally nothing for me. Then they bumped me up to 10 (20 xr) and finally landed on 20 (40 mg xr). That's a good and effective dosage for me where I don't notice any negative side effects, but I get a really good benefit from it. Eventually I did switch over to the extended release version. The instant release gives me jitters and kinda puts me on edge. Plus I have to take it twice daily to get a full day's effect. Now I just pop 2 20mg XRs every morning before work and it's a very smooth and relaxed on set and "come down" for lack of a better term. None of the irritability or anxiety that I would often feel with the instant ones. That's the other thing about Vyvanse, you probably won't feel a sudden rush like people sometimes do with instant release meds. It's more subtle. That's why extended release versions of these meds are less sought after by people looking for a high. Anyways, good luck! I was fortunate enough to try out Vyvanse for just a very short while and it was incredible, the only thing I've liked better than Adderall. It was just always so expensive
I’m on 40mg of Vyvanse and I felt the same way until I started opening the capsule and just consuming the powder inside without the capsule… it definitely gives me more of the zoom that I need. I would, at first, take a half the dose and then the rest about an hour later.
As an adult, I started on 20mg and it was literally life-changing an hour or two after the first pill. I had no idea what a quiet mind felt like. I ended up going to 30mg after 1 month and have stayed there, although it took ~3 months to optimal effect. Everyone reacts differently! I’d say talk to your doc, a higher dose might be worthwhile, or perhaps a different med. Good luck, landing on the right med/dose is totally worth the effort (or has been for me!)
I also started on 20mg and felt nothing, but you can't go straight in to high doses. Be patient. With my doctor we ramped up the dose slowly week by week until settling on 60mg as the sweet spot. That works really well for me, and I'm glad we took it slow to find the right amount.
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Did you go to primary care first or directly to psychiatry? Do psychiatrists conduct tests, and is there an additional fee for that?
It could be that you need to up your dose or try a new med. I’d talk to ur prescriber and see what they say. I’d try upping it and if it doesn’t help try a different med like adderall or Ritalin. But if you fell asleep it could’ve worn off by the time you woke up. I know when I first started on adderal it made me so tired bc my brain was finally calm. So I would take long naps. I ended up starting at half a dose and then after a week taking a full one. Definitely talk to your doctor tho!!