I got diagnosed only in August, and the doc prescribed Adderall XR for me, I got up to 30mg of that when he switched me to the brand new Vyvanse. Started at 70, and month two have been at 100mg (2x50).

It definitely lasts longer. And although I felt a higher level of calmness and concentration with the Adderall, it was nice to have it be an even effect with a slow tapering off in the evening. With Adderall, I was crashing hard in the afternoon and experiencing some panic attacks and paranoia at night. That was only in the beginning, though, with Adderall.

I was initially very, very jittery on Vyvanse, however, in comparison to the equivalent dosage of Adderall XR I was taking. And it gave me crazy insomnia. It took about a month for that to settle down. Still dealing with the insomnia thing, but frankly, I was dealing with that WAY before I was taking meds...

The difference between Vyvanse and Adderall XR seems to me so far to be that I cannot sense the focus I had with the XR consciously, but I was still getting things done. With Adderall, I was very conscious of being on the medicine or off of it.

But over the last couple weeks--the end of my second month on Vyvanse--I don't feel like it's working anymore. I've had the same distractability at work I used to have pre-meds. I miss that sense of command I had over my work when it was working.

I told the doc and he said I'm topped out on the dosage and that he's waiting on new studies that will be out in December to decide whether to up my dose or not.

Has anyone else experienced this yet? Does it just wear off? I try and take weekends off and give my liver a break, but I'm concerned that i'm developing a tolerance to the Vyvanse, and that I'll fall back down the rabbit hole i am just beginning to crawl out of. Is there any hope? :confused:

Thanks,
F

Maybe Vyvanse and Adderall XR should be alternated. Sometimes when one starts to feel like it's wearing off, switch to the other one. Like now you would go back to Adderall XR, and when you feel that one not working anymore, go back to Vyvanse. That may help.

maybe you should see if your doctor will try the Dexedrine Spansules instead.

Is your Dr. opposed to Adderall XR for some reason?

Maybe Vyvanse and Adderall XR should be alternated. Sometimes when one starts to feel like it's wearing off, switch to the other one. Like now you would go back to Adderall XR, and when you feel that one not working anymore, go back to Vyvanse. That may help.
Hmm. I do have some Adderall XR left. I'll give that a shot tomorrow, since I just ran out of Vyvanse and haven't had a chance to run by the drug store and pick up my refill! lol. Thanks!

Is your Dr. opposed to Adderall XR for some reason?
No, not opposed at all. In fact, he prescribed it for me first, before Vyvanse was out. He just moved me over to Vyvanse it's supposed to be smoother, longer-acting, with less of a crash when it wears off.

I'm among the first of his patients to take it, so I'm definitely the guinea pig! lol. I do appreciate that he is slow and cautious, but it can be frustrating to wait sometimes...

He's waiting for some new research to come in in a few weeks before he ups my dosage on Vyvanse.

I think it's funny that I was so clueless reticent about neuro/psych drugs before, and now I'm begging the doc for more... lol. :p

Fernando - That is my big fear! I just started on Vyvance. I'm loving it and definitely feel as though I'm crawling out of the "rabbit hole". But I'm terrified of developing a tolerance to it and falling back down the hole. If that is going to happen it would almost be better to not know what life on therapy is like.

...I'm terrified of developing a tolerance to it and falling back down the hole. If that is going to happen it would almost be better to not know what life on therapy is like.I know what you mean. I have been a disorganized mess forever, but oblivious and ignorant of just how bad off I was. Earlier this year I was on Adderall for one month. It was like "oh, so THIS is what it's like to be normal and productive". I took nothing for the last 7 months and it's been so depressing to be totally aware of everything I DON'T do.

And since now I knew what a "quiet" mind was like, the static, chatter, fog in my brain drove me nuts (not sure how one can have static and fog at the same time, but I did).

My biggest fear too was getting on something that worked and then have it stop working. Wasn't Awakenings about bringing people out of a coma and then it stops working and they go back? That's what I feared. Except I would be conscious and know I was no longer well.

But I decided to try anyway. There are other things to do if tolerance develops. Switch drugs, take a holiday, take weekends off, different doses. I haven't read up on tolerance yet, but I am keeping it in mind as we determine my best dose of Vyvanse (or Adderall if we switch back).

If the optimal daily dose causes tolerance faster, perhaps a lower dose right now is worth the tradeoff in getting more months or years over getting the most daily improvement. I don't know for sure if higher doses might cause tolerance sooner, but I will ask my dr.

The main reason I decided to take it is that I don't see how I can hang on to my job unless I change. If I get fired, that will depress me a lot more than if the drug stops working and I have to live knowing what normal was like (of course I'll get fired then, LOL). But at least this gives me a chance of keeping my job.

Now that I'm experienced, they want me to look around and think up improvement projects, lead the younger employees, be innovative - and those things are virtually impossible for me since there is no direction or specific end.

On Adderall, I accomplished more in a month than I had in 6 months, no exaggeration. I'm hoping I can do the same on Vyvanse.

Your experiences and concerns are so similar to mine. I am pretty creative and intelligent, so I did really well at work because of those traits. The problem is that if you do well you get promoted to managing other people and organizing/supervising projects. If you have ADD, that's when the problems start. I don't manage any people now, and I have been doing ok.

I asked my doctor about tolerance when he first prescribed medication. He said that many people have been successfully on therapy for years without developing tolerance. I'm not convinced. I am super-productive now on Vyvance. I decided not to take it on the weekends because I am hoping that will slow the development of any tolerance.