I've been on it for 2 years, off and on. I went from a 30 mg dose to a 50 & purposely took two of the 50 to see what it would do & convinced my dr that 100 was good for me. I'm 14 girl & I weighed 140 at the time. It made me stutter more than I usually do & made my brain go so fast that I couldn't remember anything. I switched to Focalin & it sucked then Adderall which was OK but I wanted to go back to Vyvanse & try lower dose bc I knew 100 was too much and he conplied now I'm on 70 & I have never been happier. (wrong doses have horrible effects I've been there!!) Vyvanse by far is the best medication I've tried. I struggle with bad depression and I don't tell my doctor about it but I know I have it. Thinking about suicide all the time the only string that was still attached was the fact I'd hurt my family and my dog who's my best friend would be put down because I'm her everything and she wouldn't eat. I have attempted suicide. But now. Now I'm on 70 and I am just so happy. I'm motivated. I'm optimistic. I care about other people. I'm a really good person now. The downside is I occasionally get dry mouth resulting in bad breath. I don't lose weight from it anymore but it makes me so motivated. I see things in a much better way I hated life b4, i was always mad. Definitely recommend. If you think you are on a wrong dose talk to your doctor right away. This is a stimulant. This is a drug to temporarily change your brain's function and it's nothing to joke about or put off. Don't let yourself put it off.

Anonymoussusan

No

I was diagnosed early in middle school with ADHD. I was put on Strattera but shortly after a week, I stopped taking it. My 6th and 7th grade years, I was sent up for expulsion from school for nothing more (I kid you not) than talking in class and distracting others. I had received 65-70 write ups in both my 6th and 7th grade years. Before I continue, yes we had recess and yes I ate an adequate lunch that was provided by my parents everyday. The problems persisted into high school where I would go to sleep in class or do something other than what I was supposed to be doing. I barely escaped high school alive. I will note that I excelled in all of my computer science courses (I'm in I.T. as a profession now). Got into college, and the same thing was occurring. All of my computer science classes were great, the rest, not so great. After I graduated and went into the work force, I realized that my work was sloppy, my office was a mess and I never got anything accomplished. I would start a project and not finish it, etc. I was put on Adderall. I tried IR (which I took every 4 hours) and XR (obviously once a day). Both had side effects that were worrisome. When I went back to the doctor (over a year later) I asked about Vyvanse because I had heard that it was a lot smoother and performed better than Adderall. I have been on this medication for over a month now, and everyone notices a difference. My office is cleaned and organized (and so is my house), my work is done on time and I am consistent in my work. I would recommend this to anyone who has tried other medications and has not had success. I will note that it has taken away a good portion of my appetite, however, I am a few pounds overweight and it's not really hurting anything.

comptech68

Lexington, SC

After being diagnosed at 5 with ADHD, this was the first medication my son's psychiatrist prescribed. We did notice some improvements with his focus, but very little improvement with hyperactivity or impulsivity. This medication was also negatively affecting my child's appetite. The psychiatrist kept him on Vyvanse for approxiamately 8 weeks before switching him to another medication. In hindsight, I really believe the doctor should have simply slowly increased his dosage of Vyvanse instead of completely switching to a different type of ADHD medication. His grades were slowly improving while taking it. He switched him to a different medication that only made matters worse and set my son back in school. I would recommend Vyvanse as a starter medication to other newly diagnosed children. However, if a change in appetite occurs I would recommend that parents suggest an appetite stimulant to be taken with it.

LouieMerlin

USA

First of all, if you have gone through the hoops and hurdles of finding just the right ADHD medication ( and dosage) for your particular type and form of ADHD, you know exactly what the title of my post means. Although this was a disastrous and stressful six weeks of my life, resulting in yet another go at yet another type of medication, it may just be that this was just not the medication that worked with my symptoms and brain type. But, we ADD'ers know exactly what I'm saying here because they probably went through this same gamut ( or one similar) themselves in order to find what worked for them also. That said, I can only reveal my own personal and highly subjective experience with this particular medication. Here it is: ~I was nauseous the whole time I was on it( and adjusting the dosage to find which dose would be effective). ~ I became seriously agitated over each and everything as it began to circulate through system( about 45 million yes to an hr.) ~ As it began to wear off at 3:00 p.m., the slide off point was too drastic and quick, leaving me irritable, not hungry, unable to wind down to get to sleep, and an intense loss of thought process/words/ cognitive functioning etc...In fact, it seemed to me and my family members, that my symptoms presented themselves worse than before the med had kicked in. Thankfully, I have now finally found what works for me and I wouldn't go a day without it because the results have been so drastically positive( but that would be for a different review of a different med I will leave nameless in this review, because this review is about my Vyvanse experience.) :) Alright now, I hope this has helped you muddle through a bit of this ADHD trial and error (search for what works); however, as previously stated, you have to find what works for you and this may just be the thing for you. Just don't waste six weeks of your life on it like I did. If it doesn't work after a couple of weeks it probably won't, and in fact, may just make some individual's symptoms worse like it did mine.

lauradia7

Omaha, NE

I have recently begun taking Vyvanse for my ADD, and I have to tell you that it is the BEST prescription medicine on the market in my opinion. I have tried Ritalin and Adderall in the past, and both gave me terrible side effects. The side effects with Vyvanse were minimal to start with  (slight headache, dry mouth) and as the weeks wear on, I find them tapering off. I feel more alert taking this versus other pills I have tried in the past. I am able to effectively manage my time, keep my stress regarding due projects at a manageable level, and complete tasks on time. No more procrastinating! This drug has done wonders not only for my concentration and focus levels, but also for my GPA in school! If you suffer from ADD, ask your doctor about Vyvanse today!

fmulmt217

Apopka, FL

I'm a 23 year old female, just graduated college. I've read a couple of the posts on here, especially the ones pertaining to taking vyvanse will not change or "alter" your personality. I have been on 50 MG of Vyvanse for about a year now, and agreed it does help with organizatinal skills and overall MOTIVATION. I think the scary part of this drug however is that it is so chemically similar to methamphetamines which are known to be highly additive. I have had days where I would stop taking the medication, only to find myself more disorganized and disoriented with tasks than before I started taking the drug. I highly recommend this for the treatment of ADHD, especially for its positive influence on initiating and following through with mundaine task oriented activites. However, there are other side effects I havn't seen posted on here that I have suffered. For instance when I take the pill at 8AM around 3 I begin to feel SO CRANKY. Its almost to the point where its obvious Im coming off a very strong drug. Tried advil and ibuprofen-didnt work. I mentioned this to my psychiatrist and he recomended a higher dosage since its a slow release drug and the peak impact isn't "suppose to exist" so neither is a hard crash.... Yet taking more made me concentrate so much on one particular thing I wasn't able to multy task. It raised my anxiety to such a degree that I began taking xanax in the afternoon to come down off of such a hard crash. I now rely on xanax just as much as vyvanse, even though my psych. doesn't approve it so I have to go to two different docs for these scripts. Another side effect I havn't seen so far is how vyvnanse can alter a persons reactions in more light hearted "fun" environments. Since this drug is used for primarily task oriented, homework style acitivities, it is limited in its ability to allow the brain to have fun and let go. Especially with children I think this could be a problem since life is not always oriented toward tasks but also people and relationships. It creates so many personal tasks within the individuals mind that there is a block between that and the perception what others may be expecting from them. A personal example of this is when Im at work sometimes people with laugh or joke about things but because the vyvanse is so strong I may not understand or get the joke bc my mindset is very direct. This may not seem like a big deal but when you are trying to form corgial relationships with collegues its a direct hindrance. Another time my manager was trying to explain how to scan a document and my mind was so concentrated on "getting it right" as in a math equation or puzzle, that I was unable to pick up on his body language-- of which was conveying "RELAX its not that difficult youre only scanning a document."This not being able to slow down in some instances or feel the fun when someone is joking around may not be directly correlated with its effect on anxiety.I must admit there cannot be a pill that responds perfectly in every situation but too strong a Vyvanse dose is far worse-- as in no sleep, and symptoms mentioned above than too little. My advice, start small and see if this is the right drug for you. I would say: Take this drug but consider your options

FSU2011

Melbourne Beach, FL

I'm bipolar with an anxiety disorder.  My thyroid levels are a bit low but not low enough to raise my L-Thryoxine dose.  I'm also going thru menopause.  I was so slow, sluggish and puffy.  I was also unable to concentrate on anything for very long. Vyvanse woke me up.  It gave me the extra push I needed to get motivated.  I was a little anxious when I first started taking it but that soon went away.  I lost 10 pounds.  I can now concentrate a lot better and I have more energy.  I have been on Vyvanse on 8  months now.  I feel  great.       

RuralAngel

Dover, DE

I like the long-lasting effects of this medication, as it lasts throughout the day.  I have also lost approximately 25lbs since I started the medicaitons.  Unfortuately, my focus decreases a few hours after I first take it and at times, I feel it "exagerates" my ADHD symptoms, causing me to take on too much.  It also increases my irritability and mood swings.

pollenia

West Palm Beach, FL

I suffer from ADHD, depression and anxiety.  In my past I have had to take several different medications for each of my symptoms.  About a year ago my doctor switched me over to Vyvance.  It is incredible.  It has completely changed my life.  Several of my friends who now take it will tell you that it "changed their lives" or that they feel like they "have a new lease on life".  I know it sounds too good to be true, but I have to agree!  Unlike other ADHD medicines, Vyvance does not make me feel jittery or like I'm on a caffeine high.  It makes me feel almost relaxed and able to concentrate and do my work.  It really has made me feel like I am able to get things done and concentrate on the task at hand.  To anyone who is currently taking medicine for any of these illnesses I would recommended that you talk to your doctor about trying Vyvance.  I am so happy now that I only have to take one pill a day to feel even better than I did when I took 3 or 4!

snowbunny7391

West Monroe, LA

I have been using Vyvanse 60MG CAPSULES for about 13 to 14 months now for ADHD.  I believe I have been ADHD since childhood and was overlooked.  I've scored high on assessments and tests for ADHD, but because of my past history of drug abuse, my doctor was cautious to use any stimulant medications for treatment.  I was diagnosed as being bipolar roughly around 2001 or 2002.  When you have both Bipolar and ADHD, I have read you must treat the bipolar first because the symptoms of both of these illnesses mirror each other.  In other words, they sometimes look alike.  I feel like because of the difficulty I had in school as a child into middle and high school, I knew that I had some sort of learning disability.  My ability to focus was literally impossible, but I can remember looking forward to that first day of school to learn and being in college prep courses.  Once I was in the classes, it was like someone had hit me in the stomach because I was so lost.  My mind would always be somewhere else too.  No matter where I was in life or what I was doing in the present time, my mind was ALWAYS somewhere else.  Since I started Vyvanse,  I have found it much easier to focus on one task at a time.  I began going to college again.  Math was always hard for me, but this time I'm able to understand what I'm doing and where and why I make the mistakes I'm making.  Usually, it's because I get in a hurry as most people with ADHD do.  If you and your doctor decide you should try Vyvanse, from my personal experience, taking it everyday is the best way to use it.  If you take a break from it, the next time you take it will possibly make you feel kind of nervous or a little jittery.  I'm sure this depends on your dosage and on an individual basis.  My experience is that it's best to take it everyday.  I would also take it early in the day or it may keep you up at night.  After a while, I was able to go to sleep on it pretty easy.  I don't find Vyvanse habit forming at all. 

barbishere

Edgewater, FL