Input on medications, please? | ADHD Information

I've been working with Vyvanse too. 30, 60, 90 mgs and even tried diluting the contents of one capsule in 2oz of water, stirring well and only drinking 1oz of it to get a 1/2 dose. so that I could try 75mgs.

60mgs did not work for me... 90mgs worked great, but like you, caused awful insomnia. So then I backed off of that.. and tried 60mgs again.. nothing and then I tried the 75mgs yesterday. Better, but not as good as the 90mgs was. I was trying to find a dose that would let me sleep! However, I was able to fall asleep last night at a normal time AND without the help of Melatonin that I usually take. I also tried taking it at 6:30am instead of 8-8:30 that I've been doing. I think it's helped doing that.

I'm learning that Vyvanse is a little different than most stimulant meds as far as you really do have to give it time at a proper dose to get the full effect. Most people give up on it when they get bad side effects.. but if they stick to it, it'll get better. I'm one of those people that felt this way... I was up until 4am and woke up at 7am and couldn't deal with that every day. (even though I only tried it once at the time).

Today I took the 90mgs again and we'll see if I can sleep normally or not tonight. I do like the focus that it gives me though, just need to work on the sleep issue more.

Right now my main concern is the headaches I'm getting from it in the afternoon around 3-4pm.

ShawnB,

I too am still playing with the dosages.  I recently reduced my dosage from 60 to 50 because of the afternoon headache.  It did seem to help some, but it also reduced it's overall effectivness so I may try 60 again for a couple of weeks.  I'll talk to the Dr, but probably wait till my cycle starts so that I don't confuse my cyclical(word?) migraines with headaches from the meds.  I still have great hopes for the Vyvanse and getting beyond determining how much to enjoying the prospects of managing ADD and moving forward.

Alex I honestly don't think that less than a week is long enough to tell when a medication is working or not. If the side effects increase or it gets worse I'd say, suggest the doc try something else.

Hey everyone, I'm Alex.

I've got a few quick questions about different ADD medicines, if you guys could give some advice. I've had ADD for most of my life, but I only started medication recently. My doctor gave me two test perscriptions, one of 30mg vyvanse, and one of 50mg vyvanse.

First perscription, for 30mg vyvanse, did absolutely nothing. I didn't notice a different in anything, school-related or non. The only difference is that I didn't eat my lunch the three days I tried it.

Second perscription, for 50mg vyvanse, I noticed at best, an extremely mild change in behavior on the first day. I was a LITTLE bit more attentive than usual, but not a lot. Also, I didn't consume my near-daily energy drink, because I just didn't want to. (I suspect this is med related, because normally I love these things, and for the last like.. 4 days, I couldn't drink them.) That was not a problem, because the 50mg vyvanse keeps me awake. Although awake during the day, I'm by no means energetic, nor am I focused. So the first day on 50, I noticed a relatively mild change, but it was atleast beneficial, so I figured I'd go with it. Unfortunately, that night, I didn't get to sleep until almost 2AM, because I simply couldn't. I wake up at about 7AM every day, so 5 hours of sleep was a relative drain on my energy (Normally). That was completely overlooked, because the next day I took the 50 again. The beneficial affects seem mildly depleted, but still vaguely there. Another 2am night, also possibly med related. Same thing the next day, 5 hours of sleep. Yesterday and today, I've noticed NO benefit to attention, and been inable to sleep. Generally I'd take the medicine at like 745, then go to school. I wouldnt notice anything until around lunchtime. After lunch, I noticed a marginal affect, but then it would rapidly fade. Also, I've been relatively unable to eat anything in between 7:30am and 730pm, with the exception of possibly the occasional snack after school, around 5ish.

So the questions:

I don't think Vyvanse is right for me. Does anyone else notice this, where the effects (insomnia, mainly) last far, far, far beyond the benificial effect of the medication?

What are some comparable medicines, preferably with not quite so long-lasting side effects?

What are the most effective (generally) ADD medicines? I've been trying to do a bit of research on my own, but time is a factor because of school requirements.

Thanks in advance

-Alex

Alex, I agree it doesnt sound like Vyvanse is working for you. There are many different ADHD meds and you should discuss your options with your doctor. Concerta comes to mind as it is a 12 hour med and is a different class of drug than Vyvanse. I know several adults who take it.