Vyvanse & side effects ? Newbie :) | ADHD Information
I started my son on vyvanse. Only 10 ml. per day. My son has shown a slight improvement at school but is more emotional. His eating is the same, sleep the same. He did complain that his legs felt sore. I am giving this low dose a chance. Just based on his improvements so far, 30 ml. would be way to high. I make him eat something before he takes it. no complaints of stomach ache but hten again, he is on the lowest dosage possible .I love this post and am so thankful for this forum! We tried Aderall andConcerta, the latter we were on and tweaking for a month before taking him
off. By that time he was flipping out at school, hiding under desks, throwing
toys... much worse behavior than before the drugs. We took him off and
treated him for his second diagnosis of Anxiety. Then tried Vyvanse, but at
the first sign of trouble we pulled him off, increased the anxiety meds and
are once again trying Vyvanse. My son is 5 and is on 20 mg. We noticed he
was so emotional the first day- basically cried and whined all day long! This
occurred both times. Today is day 2 and much better, but man is he irritable!
He has a stomach ache all day long, doesn't eat and takes forever to go to
sleep at night ! I really hope it gets better. I am happy to hear that you stuck
with it for 6 days and are happier. Maybe I need to give it more time.My son was an emotional mess the first day as well but only on 10 ml. It seems it just needs to be in the system and the system needs to get used to it. we are on day 7 and 8 and no emotional stuff. I feed him before he takes the med. No stomach aces so far and appetite is great. Maybe they do not want to eat because of the stomace aches? I give him his med at 7:00 a.m and he is ready for bed by 8:00. the first few nights, he did not seem as tired as he usually is by he is jsut fine now. give it a chance. I am sooooo glad I did !!like you, we saw almost instant benefits with vyvanse. we started with 30 but benefits did not last past 3pm. went to 40mg, allowing us to do homework after school, but by dinner time he was in rebound mode and unmanageable. we then went to 50 - which has been working well for us - lasting until about 6pm. we spent a month on each dosage before moving up which allowed him to become accommodated to that dosage. we are now back down to 40 as he seems to be experiencing more nausea and dizziness than before. rough, i know. but as long as the side effects can be minimized and the benefits maximized we're going to try to stick with it. even my son begs me not to take him off as he remembers the chaos that preceded the meds.
re: sleep - it always got worse each time we went up in mg's, but our experience is that it does right itself after a few weeks.
re: my son's appetite is down too and he has lost a couple of pounds. so we get a good heaping protein-laden breakfast in him now - send him to school with a juice and a good snack (granola bar, cheese stick, almonds) had the doctor 'tell' him to eat it as he won't do it on his own- appetite minimal at lunch but after dinner it has rebounded and we essentially feed him continually until bed.
re:talking - had that too initially. it went away when we went up from 30 to 40 - haven't seen it since. yes, i know, exhausting, isn't it? sometimes i'd hide in the bathroom just to get some peace and quiet.
my only advise is to do what you think is best for your son. no one can tell you what is right or wrong. follow his lead - observe - keep notes - have his teacher make daily observations - after awhile all these side effects and benefits blurr together and you can't remember a thing when you get to the doc's office to discuss status. notes help alot.
hang in there - the first couple of months while trialing meds can be daunting and mentally exhausting- take care of yourself. post if you have more questions or just want to vent.
Day 5 on this for us and the teacher said he seems more connected. Doing well in all areas except gets more emotional. He has always been emotional . did much better controlling emotions today.
Day 6. The constant rapid speech has stopped !! The stomach aches are getting better. Yesterday was the first day he didn't have one . Sleep is an issue but appetite is slightly better. I'm giving him a big breakfast so that seems to help.
I've noticed some big changes at school & at home. For ex. before I could not have a conversation with my husband or any adult without constant interruption. Yesterday I had 2 conversations with adults with my son present & he didn't interrupt once ! Homework is much better ! His after care teacher & his regular teacher have told me they have noticed a big difference. His work is neater, he is showing self control (i.e. no more falling off his chair, burping, making little sounds, neater work, less careless mistakes, thinking before speaking & acting) also while he's slighlty more subdued he is very expressive with his emotions & is more caring in his behavior toward others.
At home I can tell when the meds wear off but it's ok. Around 6 p.m. which I think is pretty good since I give him his dose at 6:45 am. So far the benefits outweigh the side effects which have thankfully lessened.
The only issue is when I explain his diagnosis to family they are very anti-medication & I have not received any support. I've been told I am drugging my child, that I will make him a drug addict, that his growth will be stunted etc etc 
We did try before taking him to the Dr. holistic vitamins but frankly they did not work. School was hell & home life was even worse. I feel now like I can enjoy my son ! I still remember the knot in my stomach when the teacher would send a note, or when grades were posted or the dreaded teacher conferences not to mention the constant tantrums.
unless people live on a daily basis with a child like this, they have NO IDEA how hard it can be - on you, him, and it trickles down to affect the whole family. it's hard watching him struggle - socially & academically -daily, watching your family stressing out attempting to deal with this fireball in their midst, constantly constantly constantly wondering what you could be doing better or more or differently to help him. aaargh! it's bloody exhausting. the last thing on your mind you need is to be worrying about pleasing other people.
NOBODY has the right to judge you or your decisions as his mother. I hope your immediate family (husband or partner) is supportive - that would be hellish and bloody impossible otherwise. but i hope it's just extended family members that are judging and disapproving. Because if the meds are working for your family and you decide to continue, you will need to have a calm sit down talk with them and tell them that you need their support - not their negativity. tell them they are welcome to have an opinion on the subject, they are however, not welcome to voice it in your presence. be helpful, not a hindrance. let them know how bloody hard it is making this decision and they are making it even harder on you and your family by not supporting your decision as his mother.
when people ask me ' how long is he going to be onit?' or ' what are you going to do as he gets older?' 'aren't you worried about addiction/". my standard answer is - "i don't know the answer to that. we live like my son does - in the moment. at this time, the benefits outweigh the negatives. as issues arise, we will address them. i cannot forsee the future. we just take it one day at a time."
good luck pandora174 - trust your gut and speak up for yourself! and your son.
Loved reading these last two posts!!!!
I have been blogging my son's progress as well. Today would be day 6. Waiting to hear from the teacher. We were all anti- drugs! Behavior mod, diet change, etc... still nothing. My my gave me some grief and told me to go on a diet free of preservatives and told me that even if it says No preservatives on the package to NOT trust it! I seriously cannot live that way. I do the best I can to keep him away from food coloring(even though it has not been proven to cause hyperactivity) and artificial junk. I buy mostly organic products etc.. I finally told my mom that we have been going through isues ince he was 3. Social skills class, speech, O.T, etc... this is nothing new and now that he is getting older we want him to continue to do well. He was diagosed with ADHD/Asbergers. high functioning on the autism spectrum. Regular classes at a private school. I told my mom that i was going to try meds and that i needed her support, that i did not take this decision lightly and lost sleep over it, cried over it etc.. I told her that if he is on these meds and bounces off the wall, we will know that he is NOT ADHD. If he is on the med and calms down , we will know he is. She, having been in the medical field etc..actually thought the meds were a good diagnostic tool and she learned that in scchool. YEA!!!
Support is important. It is easy for someone to sit back and judge. We all want what is best for our children and their success. Not being able to take my son to a party because he gets ovestimulated is sad. I just want for him to experience what other children experience. So happy to hear your post! keep posting amd so will I!
Well Day 7. A little of a roller coaster day. Yesterday we received feedback from his teacher & newest grades. He got a 100 in reading & 100 & 92 in Math which he was flunking. Other teachers such as art, Spanish are commenting on his improved work quality & focus !
Also at home he's been writing stories & speaking more maturely BUT he is obessed with his video games to the point he loses his temper & yells profanties. I've taken the Wii & X-Box away & got quite an earful of hateful speech & lots of door slamming 
Today instead of fighting I compromised, no video games for 2 weeks & he can pick a Lego set he's been wanting & a binder to draw his cartoon series. So yeah I gave in but I channeled an interest that was giving negative behavior into other interests that he peacefully enjoys & no meltdowns ! Hopefully I can wean him off th games. Unfornately his NEW best friend in school & he bonded over video games so I can't remove him from video games completly.
Publically his behavior has been exemplary though. We went to dinner tonight & it was pleasant, we all spoke & he colored quietly in his binder !
Sounds like normal kid behavior too!! ( : Great to hear he is doing well in school. Kids are always testing their parents it seems. My son is only allowed the wii once a month. we let him play on a Friday after school until his eyes pop out!! It is a once a month special thing. during the week if there is time after homework, he can play X-Box Kinect only because it is physical activity. Dance central and Kinect adventures. Great games to teach control and he has to pay attention to doing the right dance steps to move on. Might consider that. Games are so addictive. My son would play them every day if we let him. Have a great weekend!
Hi I'm a newbie & need all the advice. My son (8) was diagnosed on Friday with ADHD with mild ODD. The ODD is only at home. On Sat we started him on Vyvance 30 mg. Immdiately we saw the change. No more outbursts, focused, no fidgeting, no talking back, maturity,a totally different boy (in a good way) - but- non stop talking. I mean ALL the time, every thought & feeling that goes through his head !
He had a little difficulty falling asleep but I'm worried about tomorrow back to school with this non stop talking Is this a side effect that will go away ? He says that the medicine gives him self control & he feels better but he can't stop talking.
He also receives Speech therapy since he has a language delay. We are having a psych/evaluation over the summer to rule out any learning disorder. He is in 2nd grade in a regular classroom (private Catholic school) & we worried if we couldn't control the impulsivity & rushing through the work he would be put into Special Ed. Right now his grades are not consistent but both the teacher & school pyschologist are confident with th ADHD under control he will be fine in the mainstream classroom. Without meds he is capable of getting good grades but the rushing & messy handwriting lowers his overall grades & the impusilvity hurts him socially.
I am freaking about this non stop talking though & it's driving me nuts too ! Any suggestions please ? Will this go away ??
pandora17440679.6784375
Well the excessive talking has tapered off. Now it's stomach aches & total lack of apetite. I'm able to get in a big breakfast in but after that nothing. Today for a snack, since the teacher told me he refused lunch & snack time, I had him drink an Ensure. He loved it 
Is this a bad idea to supplement his diet with Ensure ? Also the pharmacist at CVS told me to give him a Tums for the stomache. He know DS is on Vyvanse & DS described more of a heartburn sensation.
Any advice or suggestions are really welcome !!! 
Also I've googled on ADHD side effects & I'm totally freaking out but I'm seeing the improvement & even his teacher noticed he was able to sit still & maintain his focus ! That is huge, but she said with the stomach ache he seemed a little down emotionally. She will keep us posted daily since she knows he was just diagnosed.
pandora17440679.680474537
Hi Mommypilot,
You can cut the dose in half and mix it in water. it is tasteless!! The doctor is right aout the entire 20 mg pill being the lowest dose possible but it is not the lowest dose you can give him. You can dose it down as low as 5 mg with dissolving it in water and measuring it out. this is the beauty of this drug! Also just so you know, when you dissolve it in water, you may see sedimet. This is NOT the actual medicine, just the binder. It is not necessary for him to drink this all up. Just do NOT mix it in apple or Orange juice as this reduces the effectiveness. Our neurologist told us he spoke to the drug rep. in length ad learned all of this. also, the drug is still good mixed in the water the next day even though it may say to use it immediately. Good luck! and YES, 20 mg is too much apparently. side effects should not be that severe. Cosult with another doctor who can give you the right dosage/info
Janryry,Thanks for the advice. Cutting the dose in half
worked after that first day and a up until late
december and january. Then it started going downhill besides the loss of appetite the entire
time, he becane mean and grouchy and whiny.
We just switched to intuniv and that just made
him sleep in class. Now tomorrow we start
strattera. I really hope it works without all those
crazy side effects. The intuniv also didnt really
help him focus much. My son started 20mg vyvanse yesterday. The dr
said it was the lowest dose available. He had
excessive talking and jawmovements. Then
anxiety & insomnia last night. He also had no
appetite at all yesterday. The night time was
scary for me. He looked like a drug addict
coming off of speed. He was tired and wanted
to go to sleep but couldnt. And kept talking
about a moth flying around. When I told him to
stop wirrying about it he said he couldnt get it
out of his head. Finally around 3 am he fell
sleep in my bed. Which has only occured once
in the past year because of a nightmare. I tried
to only.give him half the pill this morning but he
did not eat the food it was mixed it so I did not
try again. I will maybe try again tomorrow. Day 8. Today we went to Mass & no fidgeting, asking what time it is, not standing or kneeling etc. Then we had to go to CVS because he wanted all new school supplies because his were messy & he doesn't want that anymore ! This from a kid whose desk was a mess & ate his pencils ! Then we went to a school barbecue & it was so awesome to see him interacting so positvely with his peers. No crazy noises or constant jerking, silly conversations on topics that only interested him. It was worth every bit of regret about putting him on the meds. His happy face playing with kids & fitting in & not once did I have to reprimand him or feel embarrased by an innapropriate word or impulsive action
Hi,
My 9 y/o son has been on vyvanse since 1st grade. When we first started it
he had the non stop talking too. That has gone away completely. His
appetite during the day is definitely poor. I let him eat a big breakfast and
when he gets hungry in the evenings I give him as much as he wants. Also,
we have issues with video games too. He is obsessed! We just took away
xbox and Wii too. I am having issues with him being overly sad right now.
we may need to go down on the dose. Good luck.
JM
Hi Daisy,
You should talk to the doctor about cutting the dose in half. it may be the magic potion. check out my other post about 10 mg. vyvanse. I basically used the post as a blog. it is up to date. We are now trying 5 mg. not sure if it is working but it is good to start with especially if I want to ease him back into 10 mg. 20 may just be too much. some kids are just really sensitive to these meds and it is better to go more conservative at first. Good luck ad please read my other posts. ( :
Jan ( :
I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was an adult. I can tell you that the people who say the meds are bad and that you are poisoning your kid are crazy. If you don't find an effective way to treat his ADHD he will self medicate. Studies have shown children that have ADHD that do not receive treatment are more likely to use illegal substances, cigarettes, alcohol and engage in risky behavior. I found a interesting webpage with information for healthcare providers that goes over the recent studies.http://www.continuingedcourses.net/active/courses/course034. php
Vyvanse helps with focus and starting on tasks but it takes time as you get used to the medication for you to re-learn how to process and store information. The first two months I felt like my memory was worse and my emotions felt charged. In truth my memory has improved well beyond my original limitation even when not on the drug.
When it comes to the emotional issues, think about it. Your child was always emotional, it's just the primary emotion you witnessed was frustration and anxiety. Now the random thoughts are calm and the he can think clearly so the emotional issue takes the forefront. Your child will always feel thing more deeply that you do. It goes with the condition. The good news is now he has the facilities to start coping with it.
Something that has worked for me and my child is using the strength of his logical mind. Explain to him that it's OK to feel the way he does but teach him to pause (on meds this is now possible) and think about how he is feeling. If he learns to identify and logically think about he feels he will learn to minimize the inital shock of a strong emotional charge.
Although not the same think of what it feels like when your hormones shift, around the time of your cycle. Sometime it take you snapping at a few people before you can take a step back and give yourself more emotional room.
Remember how challenging it was for you when this whole process started. It took time and emotional maturity to learn to manage this emotional time. Chances are you has someone in your life to help you get through it or to give you advice. Your child needs that now.
You wouldn't even consider withholding insulin from a diabetic child. Your child has a real physical condition. Help give your child the tools he needs to be successful. Medication is only 1 piece, it helps to put you in a place where you can learn coping skills. Your child will need you to to help them learn coping techniques.
You are already a better parent for looking for help. Lots of parents just keep yelling and then give up. Be proud to be a champion for your child.
Two last tips for non-ADHD parents with ADHD kids.
1) Stop saying the phrase, "That's just Johnny, you know how he is." It hurts, weather you realize it or not. To them it feels like your saying, "Well that's just Johnny, he is always (rude, lazy, impatient, unintelligent), depending on the perspective it's used in.
2) Don't ever tell him he is being sensitive or irrational. It makes him feel broken. When your upset and someone says that to you, does it help calm you down? Does it make you feel better. He shouldn't have to apologize for how he feels. Help him learn to think about his feelings so he can adjust how he responds to them.
Be patient, this is a whole new world to him. He has to catch up in his emotional maturity and understanding. You didn't learn social skills over night neither will he. Help coach him, teach him to internalize, "This person makes me feel, ----" in place of "I hate this person." This will help stop the blame game and remove some social anxiety through good communication techniques.
Oh and no ambush conflicts. Schedule discussions, preparing for a discussion will lower the stress levels.
Hope this helps, and congratulations on your ADHD kid. He has gifts that no regular kid has. He just needs to learn coping skills, help him and nothing will stop him from being successful. You know how us ADHD'er can get when we plant our feet in the sand.
Good Luck! Try and be patient.
Still_Coping40976.354537037 Just to show how the correct medication has changed my life.
I got poor grades in school. Got into drugs, smoking and alcohol in Jr. High and High school. I had a pregnant girlfriend at 17. I didn't finish high school and moved from job to job, relationship to relationship.
Then I got diagnosed, started taking ADHD meds.
Since then...
I finished school. Went back for further education and I am certified in engineering and computer networks. I have been remarried have 2 more wonderful kids and a healthy marriage. I have also received no less than 5 promotions at work and I have received corporate recognition for creating innovative solutions to complex problems improving company operations and customer support. Since the medication I have also been clean and sober. I no longer have this unconscious drive to self medicate to get relief from the symptoms of the condition.
This is typical of Adults who didn't get treatment as children. Imagine my resentment at the missed opportunities. All because "Well that's just Wayne, you know how he is..."
Sometimes a bigger picture helps put the situation in perspective. Can you afford not to help your child?
Still_Coping40976.3511805556Thank you still coping for your words of wisdom. My husband is a
physician and uses that statement about withholding insulin often when
explaining why we do it. Actually after we realized our son had ADHD
he looked inward at himself and discovered he too has adult ADHD and
as a result there have been tremendous changes in all our lives. My
now 10 y/o son recently switched to concerta 54 mg which is a better fit
for him and it has been incredible. We recently went away for the
weekend and I thought I forgot to bring the meds. He was concerned
because he did not want to feel 'out of control' or 'wild' according to him.
Sometimes we question whether we are Doug the right thing, but
something inevitably happens to reinforce that, yes, we are. I want to point out one that I find a lot of people overlook.
These medications do affect brain chemistry. If a med is working and suddenly it stops working, looses effectiveness or seems to have too much of an effect it may be due to another external factor being overlooked. Is there a new huge source of stress in his life? Is his diet, routine or sleep suddenly altered? Is there a new medication that may be complicating things.
For me this realization came with Vyvanse. I had a sports injury that my doctor prescribed an opiate pain med Vicoden. All of a sudden my emotions were raging out of control. It looked like the Vyvanse was no longer working or it was too strong. Turns out I have a reaction if I take pain meds with the Vyvanse and the reaction lasts for 2 days after I stop the pain meds.
So the situation for me became, what is more important, pain control or focus. Well I tried other ADHD meds and Vyvanse was the best so I had to go to a more homeopathic alternative for pain management.
The results worked for me and it was only a minor discomfort until I healed. Just wanted to make the point that, especially with the ADHD anything that can mess with your head could change the effectiveness of the ADHD medication or even make previously unnoticeable side-effects more pronounced.
On a lighter note I just wanted to reassure you parents on some of the positive things and some advantages your child has over you vanilla folks.
( The vanilla crack is meant to be lighthearted )
Some of your special little ones advantages:
1) Thinking outside the box. We have a different view of the world. We don't quite get the artificial limitations people put in place. So we don't even see your Box or understand these artificial limits. This is great for anyone doing research, engineering or troubleshooting. Doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, engineers, technology and business founders are just a few of the careers we excel in.
2) Stronger Emotions. This too often gets pegged as a detriment. You take the good with the bad. Your little one will feel friendship, loyalty, love, compassion and joy at a level you could only dream. Once someone show genuine affection and care for us we become the most stalwart of allies. Woe to anyone who means ill to our loved ones. If you need someone who will stand against the gates of hell with you, prove yourself to someone with ADHD. They will be there, enthusiastically fighting the good fight right at your side.
3) Hyper-focus. Ever noticed he can immerse himself in video games? Well with the proper guidance he can direct this substantial energy into useful things he enjoys and accomplish more than anyone else effortlessly. The key is understanding his strengths and challenges. It's really important that he get into a career where he can be fully engaged and allowed to be creative. A strong sense of accomplishment is a requirement for people like us so we don't get bored.
4) Perspective. This one comes with age but with a strong family support system its easier to attain. With all of the challenges we face and all of the turmoil we generally end up being more understanding compassionate people. As long as our mentors can help us to learn how to remain positive, we can avoid becoming negative and jaded.
5) Infectious enthusiasm. When we feel excited about something it's hard for other not to jump on board. This with the perspective that comes with time can make us successful visionary leaders.
Some successful famous people known to have ADHD:
Howie Mandel - TV Show Host, comedian
David Neeleman - Former CEO and founder Jet Blue
Michale Phelps - Olympic Gold Medal Winner
Ty Pennington - TV Personality
Woodie Harrelson - Actor
Richard Branson - Founder Virgin Airlines
Charles Schwab - Founder, Chairperson, and CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation, the largest brokerage firm in the U.S.
Justin Timberlake - Actor Musician
There is more, too much in fact to post here. It's not all bad. No one said it would be easy raising a potential world or industry changing visionary. Nothing worth while is ever easy.
Best wishes for you and your future leader. Remember we have things flipped. Small things are a big deal to us big things come easy.
Don't forget Adam Levine from Maroon 5!