Vyvanse
Ok, so my daughter has been on Vyvanse for about 2 years. She started at 15mg and slowly went up to 70mg, which was too high and is now on 50mg. My question is, it worked great for awhile, but now it seems that it is wearing off in the afternoon (around 2 or3). My problem is, I give her the pill around 8 (any later and she doesn't focus in the morning) and if I give it to her earlier, it seems to wear off earlier in the day. I know Vyvanse is supposed to last between 10 and 12 hours, but has anyone else had problems with Vyvanse wearing off earlier than it should? Does anyone give a booster pill of something in the afternoons or is it possible that her body is just too used to the Vyvanse and she needs another type of drug? I am very hesitant to ask my doctor about other drugs because she started on Medidate CD and went absolutely crazy. I know the drug in Medidate is the same in several meds and I am afraid she will react the same way if I give her another brand of medication with the same drug as Medidate CD. Anyone have any advice? The manufacturer's claims for their long-lasting products seem to be idealized...just as are auto manufacturer's fuel efficiency claims. 70 mgs of Vyvanse stayed working in me for 8 hours tops. I was given a prescription for regular release mixed amphetamine salts (generic Adderall) to take in the afternoon to carry me through the evening. This afternoon "chaser" seems a rather commonly accepted tactic doctors use to get kids and adults through the day in a more or less medicated state. Me me me! I have the issue going on right now with my 6 year old son and am at my witts end! I LOVE Vyvanse but it is no longer effective for the time needed at school. I have to give it to him 2 hours before school for it to take effect and then it's out of his system by 1pm! The teachers and principal are going nuts. Just last week after a meeting with the doc, we too tried the 'chaser method' with adderall at lunch time (5mg) It made his hyperactivity even worse! I read online the precaution that Vyvanse shouldn't be supplemented with another stimulant (from the side effects category) ? Maybe that was the issue for him. I have read that combining the new Intuniv with Vyvanse can give it a longer lasting effect, so next week I think that's what we are going to try. Uuuuugggg!!! Sometimes it can be the most stressful experience of my life! Our son has been on Vyvance since April and we too see it wearing off around 3 or 4. The dr prescribed Adderall as a booster, 5 mg. We only give it to him if he has a late baseball game or we are going out and he needs to be focused and calmed down.Also, if the Vyvanse is wearing off as early as 1pm he could take another Vyvanse and it would still be worn off before bed...just a thought... [QUOTE=Logan'sMom]Also, if the Vyvanse is wearing off as early as 1pm he could take another Vyvanse and it would still be worn off before bed...just a thought...[/QUOTE]I wish they could do that, but b/c Vyvanse in a time released drug the doctor's will not give two separate doses throughout the day. At least mine wouldn't.
My doc was willing to do it when we were trying Adderall XR. But I'm not that familiar with Vyvanse so there maybe something different about that medication in particular...It has been a couple of weeks now and I have since gone to my doctor and discussed this problem with him. He took her off of the Vyvanse and put her on Intuniv. What a difference!!! It is like I have my sweet happy little girl back. She is happy, non argumentative, easy going, eating like a horse (she only weighed 48lbs at 9 years old...in the 2 weeks she has been on this she is now at 53 lbs), sleeping well without clonidine and actually wants to do things with us and her brother.
I have heard this medication is really only for kids with the ADD part of ADHD (which is what my daughter has), but I highly recommend talking to your doctor about this to anyone that was or is going through what I was. I cannot begin to tell you the changes that have happened over the past few weeks. Even in the first week alone, I would ask her to bring something to her room and I got an immediate "ok" and it was done. No more arguing, fighting or screaming at her to get things done. And, the best part is, it lasts just about 24 hours. I would say we get a good 20-22 hours out of it.
Thanks for all the advice, I will keep you all updated as time goes on.
Thanks for the update! It's great to hear you're getting some good results.
I also thought that Tenex/Intuniv was just for ADD kids but my son takes it in addition to his other meds for anxiety and to help the side effects of the drugs. It works very well for him but it wouldn't work by itself for him. I hope your success continues! 
Enter Your Email below to claim your Free Book