I actually have a dual motive for this post. Would like feedback if anyone has had similar issues...but this is also day one of new med combo and would like to report on effectiveness to help others if possible.

I met with a new Psychiatrist today who I like very much thus far. He seems knowledgeable and seems open to my own input. To me that is important - I have been living in my body and with my brain chemistry for 39 years so I have gained what I believe to be important insight on what my issues may or may not be and what has been effective for me thus far. At any rate - I am optimistic he can help me which is huge because the last doc who treated me (not yet a full-fledged Psychiatrist) was hopelessly inadequate at treating adult ADHD and I am finding out that 80-90% of what she stated as fact was indeed false. (This is a bit off subject but a cautionary tale to those who are newly seeking help for the problem - seek out someone qualified to treat adult ADHD - it makes all the difference in the world!)

So briefly my history - I have been taking antidepressants for my entire adult life. I took a trycyclic before the advent of the SSRI and then Zoloft, Prozac and for the last 6 years - Paxil 50MG a day. About a year ago I started on Adderall - complete life change.....I became productive at work for the first time in my life, I started getting what I now construe to be "normal" satisfaction out of day-to-day life - totally lost the need to self-medicate (I was a severe alcoholic for the 7 or so years leading up to starting the Adderall), etc... I thought that was it - that I finally found the magic bullet. About two weeks ago, I started to feel like EVERYTHING was crapping out on me. Lost my all-important focus (left power source to my laptop at home when leaving for a business trip and then left brand new cell phone in rental car when coming home from same trip) - basically the way I used to function all the time. Plus depression started to return. For the past few days I have had to force my way out of bed in the morning and have been moving in the slo-mo that is signature to depression.

So....bringing us back to today. Saw new doc- talked over my history - symptoms and meds I have taken. He prescribed this combo:

Stay on Paxil - 50MG once a day.
Added Wellbutrin 75MG once a day - then to 150 after a week
Added Vyvanse - 70 MG once a day

I'm pretty optimistic - on paper this makes a lot of sense. I have spent the better part of the past seven years depressed even while taking Paxil. The Paxil served the purpose of keeping me from the kind of black clinical depression that has landed me in the hospital on at least two occasions but that is about where its functioning ended. I was in some kind of gray territory - didn't feel bad enough to stop functioning or entertain suicidal thoughts but definitely didn't feel good enough to lead what anyone would construe as a life. Hated to do everything, went through the motions just waiting it out til the end. Drank a LOT to attempt to have a few moments in life that may be considered enjoyable as well as to have one thing to look forward to. Well as we know Paxil is an SSRI - only addressing Serotonin. Well as we have also found out - those of us with ADD have a little dopamine issue as well. Well in my case it may turn out to be quite a large dopamine issue - causing those terrible ADD symptoms as well as affecting mood dramatically.

SO - it appears the rationale is to blanket the problem - to stage on coup on those receptors. Paxil for the serotonin, Wellbutrin for dopamine and neuroepinephrine and Vyvanse to specifically target ADHD issues. Again on paper it seems like perfection but I have been fighting these issues long enough to know when to be cautiously optimistic.

So - if anyone has had similar problem or been on the same med coctail (I know this is doubtful as Vyvanse is so new) I welcome your insight.

Otherwise....I will post back to give progress. I know this may take a bit - I have learned patience through the many drugs I have tried. Wellbutrin (like SSRIs) may take a bit to set in. I also read that it may take a week to gauge Vyvanse (curious to me as Adderall was instantaneous). But I will be back with a report.

Thanks

Short AM update.....

I am at work at about the time Adderall used to kick me in the butt and get me started. Not feeling it so far.

BUT....I don't feel all flaky and spacy like I did when taking Concerta and Focalin so that is a plus.

If I were to make a premature judgement - and day two is way premature - I would say it is helping me from trying to do 80 things at once but not going the whole way and helping to clear the fog on the task at hand. It's like it took me 50 percent of the way. Guess that missing norepinephrine might be an issue....hoping the Wellbutrin will eventually pick up where Vyvanse leaves off.....

Back with more updates.

Okay.....doing my very best not to get discouraged...too early BUT

Late yesterday....the Vyvanse dropped out my system like a rock about 3PM. It was all I had to get home and then go right to sleep. Woke up groggy and seriously moody this morning. Took the Vyvanse - Wellbutrin - Paxil cocktail again this morning before leaving for work.

About 9AM (about 1.5 hours after taking it) - started to feel better again. Not Adderall-like feeling better - but not moody and and not scattered and loopy.

Again I am not ready to write it off...it was a pretty significant change in meds - adding Wellbutrin and going from Adderall to Vyvanse. The way I see it now....

If you don't have a very serious problem with depression and Adderall tends to be too harsh for you or craps out on you - Vyvanse may be the best thing since sliced bread - I'm recommending it to my daughters doc - she cannot tolerate Adderall because of the late day crashes (mostly a rush of depression) Although I came down early and hard yesterday, I can tell Vyvanse is much more subtle and my reaction could very well be due to the drastic med change.

My stance today - I'm going to attempt to stay patient. I was one of those for which Adderall was serving as relief for ADHD AS WELL as depression - the Paxil is only going half the distance with addressing Serotonin. Still hoping the Wellbutrin will eventually take hold and supplement the part of Adderall that was affecting my depression. From my experience so far - if folks are hoping Vyvanse will help depression - don't hold out on that...not seeing that benefit at all. But it does seem to be affecting ADHD symptoms.

Be back with more info! Hope this is helping.

I'm going to continue to post in the event anyone reading this is in a similar situation but those looking for information strictly related to Vyvanse - this thread may or may not be helpful until I solve anti-depressant-related issues.

I woke up Saturday morning - pleasantly surprised. First weekend in a very long time I was able to get out of bed with ease. When I was taking Adderall, weekends were not good unless I took the Adderall. I couldn't get out of bed at all until I took it. This past Saturday morning I woke up pretty happy and energized and felt I would be okay, even without the Vyvanse, although I took it along with the Paxil and Wellbutrin because my Psychatrist told me not to take med vacations.

That's where the good report ends but this most likely has nothing to do with Vyvanse. My daughter is bipolar and a stress level - Richter scale 10 problem happened on Saturday afternoon to throw a wrench into the mix (without getting into detail, everyone is ok now). Well that set off a level of anxiety I haven't felt for at least 10 years. I suspect it may have something to do with Wellbutrin. Slept most of the day yesterday and still am having anxiety today. Called MD - waiting for advisement. I will continue posting if Vyvanse is kept in the mix. I suspect it may be - he will probably sub Cymbalta for the Wellbutrin.

Be back with an update - and still would welcome any feedback. Thanks!

Please keep on posting. This is very interesting. I've heard that Paxil actually loses its effect over time as the body builds a tolerance to it? Have you tried Lexapro? After 3 + years on Prozac my doc switched me after I had a bad anxiety attack and it has worked wonders. I'd watch out mixing Cymbalta and Wellbutrin though. Might be too much norepinehrine action going on there.

Keep us updated on Vyvanse too. I've been on Adderall XR for about a year and am very curiuos about how long Vyvanse takes to kick in and how long it *really* lasts. You might want to ask your doc about Desoxyn. I think it also does some stuff with serotonin (could be wrong??) so that could possibly be a one shot deal for everything.

J

Thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it. I've also been told that Paxil dies out after a while too. They have also discovered it is VERY difficult to stop taking and I think that is why I have had a hard time getting docs to switch me to something else. I actually know two people who take Lexapro - and they both love it. Once I get the ADHD issue under control, I'm gonna start pushing the issue.

Actually, I think his plan is to take me off Wellbutrin and start Cymbalta in its place if I can't tolerate Wellbutrin. Not sure what he will say - it was a very stressful weekend so he may want to see how I do once the situational stress passes.

I need to learn more about Desoxyn - I hear it can be hard to get and hard to get a doctor to prescribe. I don't know if my doc would balk at it because I am a recovering alcoholic but he - as well as my PCP- have not balked at Adderall (probably because Adderall STOPPED the alcoholism in its tracks) and I have not had a history of abusing it. It has taken some enlightened drs though - I had a few that refused Adderall when finding out about the prior alcoholism.

I will continue with updates on Vyvanse once I get myself squared away again. It was showing some promise.

Thanks again.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It's great when someone documents their reactions so clearly.

Like you said, it's going to be difficult to judge how Vyvanse is working because you started other medications as well. The reuptake inhibitors are rather complicated drugs. They have a wide variety of therapeutic effects and adverse reactions, all which change over the first few weeks.

I wonder if Vyvanse may take a while for the body to get used to, as well. It's very possible, since enzymes in the digestive tract are used in its activation. Your body might need a period of adjustment to realize you need to produce more enzymes of this type.

WRT to Adderall, isn't it considered to be "stronger" than all of the other stimulants (arbitrarily, or course)? This may be why you just don't feel Vyvanse, but it may still be helping.

Your fatigue also could be caused by Wellbutrin. I've taken it before, but don't remember how I reacted in the first few weeks. However, when I took Strattera, I was incredibly tired during my initial two week titration, after which I felt fine.

Well, it's nice to hear that you're doing OK with the new medication cocktail. The beginnings can be very difficult with unforseen side effects and changes.

Thanks for weighing in!

Yes I am on Day 6 and not ready to throw the towel in yet.

I am still having some discomfort but through the muddle think I am beginning to notice some of the benefits of the Vyvanse. As each day goes by, it seems to be more effective at clearing out the dust. Motivation is not the same as Adderall but I think..as you said...there are too many other factors muddying the waters right now to make that judgement. Adderall was helping with depression as well as ADHD and I don't think the Vyvanse will accomplish that the way Adderall did. That may be the motivation issue. So the supplement of Wellbutrin....once it makes itself at home up there, may address that issue and make Vyvanse a much better choice.

So thats where I am at now.....some anxiety and depression but not giving up. One experience from my past makes me downplay the titration of any other anti-depressant I have started. In 98' my PCP started me on Zoloft. It eventually took hold after three week of little to no sleep along with climbing every inch of my walls and convincing myself I was going crazy. So it's all good after that LOL.

Thanks for the contributions and I'll keep reporting. I'm hoping the Vyvanse data will be more helpful within the next week or two.

Day 7 -

Okay closing in on a week now.

I don't have much new news - I think the anxiety was situational and not due to Wellbutrin - it seems to have passed.

The Vyvanse effectiveness is status quo. I am getting about 50 percent of ADHD symptoms relieved. I forgot to mention that mine is entirely Inattentive so I can't speak to its effectiveness for the "H" symptoms.

To recap...without any medication....I would go to work and if I had 10 tasks to complete that day, I had portions of all ten running through my brain at the same time and between this inability to organize as well as 18 trips to the bathroom, cigarette breaks, impromptu conversations, surfing the Internet right in the middle of a task because I would think of something I wanted to look up....I was lucky if I finished two of those tasks. On Adderall....I walked in....did my AM crossword puzzle on the net while Adderall was kicking in, organized all tasks neatly on my desk and plowed through task 1-10 thoroughly, neatly, completely, in order and with time to spare. On Vyvanse....I don't have the distractions I named above...I stay at my desk and my focus is better but it still takes me quite a bit longer to get through everything and I am back to being more distractable during very boring tasks. This isn't a HUGE problem because a lot of what I do is involved and interesting BUT I as I said I am still operating much slower than I can afford to which is causing me to work later into the evening which isn't good since I have a teenage daughter. The upside....there is NO coming down - at least for me. It is much much smoother. As I noted earlier in the week....if I don't need it for concentration, I could go without taking it and not practically fall into a coma. Headaches are gone too. I used to get a pretty significant headache at least every other afternoon on Adderall (think it was mixing stuff up up there too vigorously or something LOL)

Another important note I have been meaning to relate: The usual disclaimer first - all drugs effect different people in different ways but.....if you are concerned about appetite supressant - I have had NONE. If anything it has made me hungrier than before I took it. Now this is not good news to me - a 39yo female getting middle-age spread, but it may be noteworthy to someone who has a child who has not been able to take Adderall because of appetite supression. My nephew had this issue - The Adderall helped his ADHD but he refused to eat. For a growing 10yo who is already so skinny the wind would take him away - huge problem. I would wager he wouldn't have this problem with Vyvanse.

Additional side note - Even on Vyvanse I still have my continued distaste for alcohol. To some this is not important but to others who currently or in the past have battled alcoholism - it is nothing short or earth shaking. Prior to Adderall and now Vyvanse - I sought out alcohol as if it were food, water, or oxygen. Not only do I no longer seek it out, I turn it down if offered in a social situation without having to employ any of the behavior modification techniques you are taught in AA. It is like someone flipped a biochemical switch in my brain. I have wondered through this experience if this is not something the medical community is currently exploring or using. I know the thought of prescribing an amphetamine to someone who is not ADHD and an addict would seem preposterous to some, but if it is choice between what 40 Mg of Adderall a day for life does to your liver as opposed to what a fifth or more of whiskey a day does to your liver...well to me that is a no-brainer. Add to that that is is much harder to get your hands on a controlled substance than a bottle of alcohol...the situation becomes even more intriguing. Of course....a true user will find a way to use, but I have not been tempted to abuse the Adderall in the least since I started it. The answer is simple....once my biochemistry was altered for the better - the impulses went away. This is all very amazing to me.

Anyway as far as the Vyvanse..like I said...status quo....I'm playing the waiting game to see how Wellbutrin affects the equation once it has had time to take hold. Since I have gotten some good effects from the Vyvanse and no intolerable effects, I'm not quite ready to scream for my Adderall back.

Thanks and I'll be back soon....

Ok...making it short today......I'm way behind and expect another long night and I'm already sleepy.:faint:

So...I don't think the makers of Vyvanse are going to hire me to produce any televised endorsements today.

Some of my old symptoms are rearing their ugly heads .....It's deja vu all over again.

1. I am back to making a list of everything I lost during the week so I can look for the items on Saturday (cleaning day). So far I'm up to about 8 - including a set of car keys and a cell phone charger. It's like my own little personally sponsored ADHD weekly treasure hunt. Oh the joy.

2. Completely and totally forgot an important appt today. Specifically asked the person to send me an e-mail so I could put it in Outlook a few days ago. They did...I didn't.

3. I drive up 470 here in Denver to get back and forth to work. There are several toll booths. I have a device in my car that tallies the tolls and bills you at the end of the month. My mother and I work at the same place and switch cars back and forth once in a while for certain reasons (too long and boring to explain here). Ran out today to pick up daughter from school. Forgot I was in the car without the device and ran the toll.

So...I am not happy at this point in time. Have to stick it out another week so we shall see if it gets any better but I'm not hopeful.

I am really enjoying reading your thread. I have taken many meds for depression, but I just started on my first ADD med, Adderall, and I am not seeing great results just yet, but I too am waiting patiently and hoping for the best. I have been curious about Vyvanse so I plan to keep up with your journal and see how all is going for you!! Good luck!

As you can see I dropped off the radar for several days. Had doc appt today.....it's back to Adderall. We are hoping the Adderall mixed with the Wellbutrin will do the trick.

Final thoughts....I DID see how Vyvanse could clearly benefit some who cannot tolerate Adderall.....it was much smoother...no noticeable comedown. As a matter of fact ....my daughter's doc is considering it for her because she Adderall crashes about took her out.

In the end, for me, it just wasn't doing the trick for concentration and
space-cadetedness (not a word? I now declare it a word!...Believe me...if you knew me...IT'S A WORD! LOL)

So if you do try it...good luck..I think it may have the ability to bel helpful to some!

Thanks for the updates. This has been very informative.


JR

Sorry the vyvanse didnt do it for you. I think I am starting to feel the Adderall, but I still have a ways to go! I actually stopped Wellebutrin right when I started Adderall and I think that is why I havent been doing so well. I think I am going to ride out the Adderall thing for a little and if need be, add the Wellbutrin back....

Thanks for the updates tlv822. It's been very nice to hear/read of some first hand experience with Vyvanse.

I just got back from seeing my Dr this afternoon, and I asked him about any response he's gotten thus far from any patients taking Vyvanse, but since it's so new he had nothing to report thus far.

Hopefully your thread will encourage more people taking Vyvanse to share their experience with it too. Thanks again. ;)

Day one on vyvanse for me, 50mg. Coming from Adderal XR, 30mg. My history is similar... 33 yrs old, on & off anti-depressants for the last 10-12 years. total breakdown 4 years ago, diagnosed w/ ADD + anxiety & depression. Tried several different combos, finally settled on Adderal/Lexapro/Wellbutrin for the last 2 years & feel like a new man.

Last three months, though, lack of interest and/or motivation has crept back in. It's not a huge deal, I'm pretty darn in tune w/ my mental state & am aware of these things & have tools to combat them. Doctor thinks it's possible the Lexapro is loosing its effectiveness, but after talking it over we're going to try this new drug first. He gave me a coupon for a free 30 day supply, and wrote the script for (15) @ 50mg and (15) @ 70mg.
My regular MD is checking on my physical health... doing full blood work to check on my thyroid, as well as the routine stuff. In the meantime, he's told me to start exercising regularly... I used to work out 5x a week & eat well, now I've stopped exercising altogether & eat like crap.

Day one on vyvanse for me, 50mg. Coming from Adderal XR, 30mg. My history is similar... 33 yrs old, on & off anti-depressants for the last 10-12 years. total breakdown 4 years ago, diagnosed w/ ADD + anxiety & depression. Tried several different combos, finally settled on Adderal/Lexapro/Wellbutrin for the last 2 years & feel like a new man.

Last three months, though, lack of interest and/or motivation has crept back in. It's not a huge deal, I'm pretty darn in tune w/ my mental state & am aware of these things & have tools to combat them. Doctor thinks it's possible the Lexapro is loosing its effectiveness, but after talking it over we're going to try this new drug first. He gave me a coupon for a free 30 day supply, and wrote the script for (15) @ 50mg and (15) @ 70mg.
My regular MD is checking on my physical health... doing full blood work to check on my thyroid, as well as the routine stuff. In the meantime, he's told me to start exercising regularly... I used to work out 5x a week & eat well, now I've stopped exercising altogether & eat like crap.

Zio ....please keep me up to date on progress. I am back on Adderall but not in any better shape than when I took Vyvanse. Despite Paxil, Wellbutrin and Adderall....motivation is rotten...getting quite frustrated.

Let us know how you do. Thanks!

Will do. Day 1 is almost over... feel no different. the big tell will be when I get home from work in an hour... will I be able to keep off the couch? Stay tuned!

I was swithed from dexedrine xr to adderall ir recently. Haven't noticed much of a difference.

Day 2 - yesterday... took 50mg at 7am. Felt fine all day, maybe a little sleepy from 2-4pm, but I'm always ready for a nap in the late afternoons. Appetite is suppressed a little, for sure. Not a bad thing for me, as I haven't hit the gym in over a year & am packign on the lbs. From 5pm until 10pm, I noticed I wasn't tired/lethargic.

Day 3 - took 70mg this morning. Doc prescribed me (15) of 50mg and (15) of 70mg, said to try 50mg forst 2 or 3 days & then 70mg. So far, so good. Don't feel any difference. Pluggin' away at work, but it's been a busy day and I do fine on busy days.

Thanks for keeping us updated zio. I look forward to hearing more, and I hope that it works out for you.

Adderall cured my alcoholism as well. I have no urge to drink or Abuse drugs.

=)

I just got prescribed this today; I had been on Adderall XR for two years, but my doctor took me off it a few months ago, due to my inability to eat. I had been a very normal weight, but after being prescribed Adderall, my weight plummeted to a very low weight and I stopped eating for a while.

Anyway, he prescribed Vyvanse, because he said it doesn't have the same side effects as Adderall.

I haven't picked up my Vyvanse from the pharmacy yet, but am hoping it works as well as Adderall did for my ADD... without the added anorexia.

I will keep everyone updated as to how it works. (I am also on Wellbutrin XR for depression - 450mg.)

If anyone else has anything to post about the new med, I would love to hear about it!

i know its kinda a personal question, and if you dont feel comfortable taking about this, thats fine. this question's directed at everyone, and i know this might not be the exact right place to post this, but im almost too embarassed to start a new thread.

my question is in regard to vyvanse's side effects. mine were.....normal, cotton mouth, alertness, a strange regard towards food (i was hungry, sometimes starving (not literaly), but i had no desire to eat anything, but i did anyway), and finaly, impotance. all the symptoms vanished once i stoped taking my 70mg a day dosage. i've been on addy ir 30mg, which worked, but my doctor suggested vyvanse for longevity. i switched but the symptoms were too much for me to handle and im now on addy 30mg in the morning and dextroamphetamine 10mg early-mid afternoon. and that symptom went away. and i didnt think anything of it for a while, and then i was looking around the forum and realized that no one else reported this symptom at all......which makes me concerned, even more embarased, and VERY glad that this is a semi-anonymus message board lol.

so the question is has any other guys, between 15 and 25, experienced this problem? or just anyone in general?

As you can see I dropped off the radar for several days. Had doc appt today.....it's back to Adderall. We are hoping the Adderall mixed with the Wellbutrin will do the trick.

Final thoughts....I DID see how Vyvanse could clearly benefit some who cannot tolerate Adderall.....it was much smoother...no noticeable comedown. As a matter of fact ....my daughter's doc is considering it for her because she Adderall crashes about took her out.

In the end, for me, it just wasn't doing the trick for concentration and
space-cadetedness (not a word? I now declare it a word!...Believe me...if you knew me...IT'S A WORD! LOL)

So if you do try it...good luck..I think it may have the ability to bel helpful to some!
Maybe the Vyvanse didn't work as well because you were going through Adderall withdrawal(I was on 20mg XR). My doctor keeps telling me that I wasn't having Adderall withdrawals but I'll swear up and down that I was. Tired, depressed, brain-fog, and generally in bad shape for 3-4 weeks after I switched from Adderall XR to Vyvanse.

After a month or so the Vyvanse is working alright. I was on 30 mgs but now i'm bumping up to 50mgs today. We'll see how that one goes. :P

Very interesting thread. I've also taken Paxil and Adderall at the same time. I wish that I had never started Paxil - it was great while I was on it, except I could never really feel emotion (bad or good), I was always neutral. But, coming off of it was the literal worst experience of my life. Months of suicidal depression because of withdrawal. I barely made it out. Now, I'm searching for a better ADD med and trying my very hardest not to go back on an SSRI because of what it did. I really hope that I have the strength to not go back to Paxil. I advise everyone to try everything else possible before resorting to taking it :(

I am so enjoying reading this forum and wanted to give everyone a bit of my experience with Vyvanse.
I have been taking antidepressants for six years (was taking Zoloft 150 mg) and about four months ago I changed doctors and he changed my meds to Remeron 45mg and Lexapro 10 mg for depression and anxiety and Xanax when needed. About two months ago he diagnosed me with ADHD which was quite a surprise. I believe it was because I have no motivation and have no interest in anything. So I started Vyvanse 30 mg and I feel like I can the conquer the world. I don't sleep all day like I did before and I can tackle projects that I never had the energy to do before. I do notice that it only lasts 5-6 hours. The side effects I have are dry mouth and shaky hands. I go back to the doctor tomorrow and was wondering if I should increase the dosage to 50 mg?
Thanks so much for this forum!

Vyvanse is a pretty direct medication. I didn't need any time for it to start working, just the proper dose. My psych prescribed 70mg and it was too low since I had been on 60mg of Adderall XR. That first day, I felt horrible and it just got worse as the day went on. The next day I switched myself back to the Adderall XR.

I did a lot of checking online, and with tons of great info from people on this board I was able to determine that my dose was way too low. Just to be sure, I ate two of the 70mg Vyvanse, and it worked fine for me right away. I was totally focused, very productive and happy to be alive.

It's not like an SSRI that takes weeks to get into your system to be effective. If Adderall XR was effective for you, Vyvanse will most likely work very well... if dosed properly. :)

FatFreddy,

Were you taking 60mg Adderall XR:

30 morning. 30 afternoon
60 morning
60 morning, 60 afternoon
Are you saying that for you, 60mg Adderall XR = 140mg Vyvanse?

For me:
30 or 60 Vyvanse did nothing
90 was better (not perfect) but insurance denied since it was 3 capsules/day.

Pdoc switch me to Adderall XR 20 morning, 20 afternoon (3 days now). I'm seeing almost no effect.

If 60 AddXR = 140Vyv (for you)
you'd think:
40 AddXR would = 90Vyv (but for me the 90 Vyv was much better than 40 AddXR is).

The Vyv doses always worked from the first day - in fact too much. But the 30 and 60 went to "no effect" by the 3rd day.

The first day on 90 was ~crazy~, 2nd day was PERFECT, 3rd day - 21st day "ok".

That's why I'm surprised 40mg Adderall XR hasn't seemed to have any effect on me yet.

I'll status pdoc in a week, and maybe he'll move me to 25 or 30 Adderall XR twice a day. I hate that I seem to need what insurance considers the top dose, b/c that leaves no where to move if tolerance develops.

FatFreddy,
Were you taking 60mg Adderall XR:

30 morning. 30 afternoon
60 morning
60 morning, 60 afternoon
Are you saying that for you, 60mg Adderall XR = 140mg Vyvanse?

I was taking 60mg Adderall XR in the morning. For me, I think that 140mg of Vyvanse was a little stronger, so maybe 120mg of Vyvanse = 60mg Adderall XR. I am about 210lbs and both the AXR and the Vyvanse were effective in my case.

The AXR was working good for me, but my doc thought that maybe it was causing some irritability that I was having was having. He suggested that Vyvanse would be "smoother" and said that it didn't include the "bad" amphetamine that would tend to make me grouchy. Looking back, it seems like he was a little over-eager to switch me... I wonder what Shire (the manufacturer) is giving these guys to switch their patients?? :o

Looking back, it seems like he was a little over-eager to switch me... I wonder what Shire (the manufacturer) is giving these guys to switch their patients?? :o
My pdoc was very eager to go with Vyvanse, and very reluctant about AXR.

I assumed his reasons were that Vyvanse can't be abused on the black market, so dr's don't have to worry if patients are getting it for themselves to use properly, or if they will abuse it or sell it.

He also said AXR gives a "kick", which I guess means it's easier to get addicted to?

Since Aetna denied 90mg V/day, he did switch me to AXR. I haven't been getting any "kicks" for the 5 days so far.