Did anyone suffer from severe insomnia when starting Vyvanse?

[junior]

I was prescribed Vyvanse by my psychiatrist yesterday, and I have to say it's made more of positive difference than any other medicine I've taken before. My dosage is 50mg, once a day. My psych said that's an average starting dosage for most adults. I've experienced most of the symptoms associated with stimulants so far (decreased appetite, dry mouth, jitteriness), but I'm really worried about the insomnia it seems to be causing. I woke up at around 10:30 yesterday, took the Vyvanse at around 1, and I'm here I am at 10 o'clock the next day still awake. Is this something that usually occurs when starting a stimulant? How long does it usually take to go away? There are times when I lay down because I feel like sleeping, but my mind just won't shut off. I know I should have taken it earlier in the morning, but it doesn't change the fact that it's having an adverse effect on my sleep.

I had a great first day on Vyvanse, but any positive effects are totally negated if I can't sleep at night.

[sarahsweets]

Most stimulants especially long acting ones are best taken in the morning to avoid sleep problems.

[junior]

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

Most stimulants especially long acting ones are best taken in the morning to avoid sleep problems.

I'm planning on waking up at around 4 or 5 a.m tomorrow and taking it then. Is this common in the first days of taking stimulants? Does my body just need time to adjust to the medication? I've read similar complaints where other Vyvanse user's say they only get a few hours of sleep a night. They're eventually able to get some sleep though. I've been awake for about 27 hours now and I still don't feel tired.

[sarahsweets]

It can be an adjustment period although stimulants generally do not need to build up in your body to be affective. It could he that your starting dose is to high as well.

[TheDiesel28]

I was the same way with dexedrine when i first started, that was a week and a half ago, after 4-5 days i was sleeping better than before, just try and take it early and you will be fine... if all else fails melatonin worked great for me

[ana futura]

You should probably titrate up to a dose that high, did your doctor mention anything about titration?

[junior]

Originally Posted by TheDiesel28

I was the same way with dexedrine when i first started, that was a week and a half ago, after 4-5 days i was sleeping better than before, just try and take it early and you will be fine... if all else fails melatonin worked great for me

Thanks man. Honestly, just knowing that the majority of people who take these types of medications experience this type of insomia at fist makes me feel better. I'll look into the Melatonin, but I'd like to try some natural alternatives before anything other medications. I've also heard that certain types of tea have calming effects. I'm going to try some Chamomile tea before going to bed tonight.

Originally Posted by ana futura

You should probably titrate up to a dose that high, did your doctor mention anything about titration?

No, 50 mg was my starting dose. I'm a decent sized guy (5'11, 160) so he thought I could handle the dose. Every symptom has been manageable. I've dealt with similar symptoms before from taking other medications, so I have a grasp on how to cope with them. I'm going to stay calm and let my body get used to the dosage. I realize now that I took it too late and the inability too sleep caused anxiety about the medication. Plus I'm not unemployed, so my mind isn't as tired as it could be when I finally try falling asleep. I'm going start exercising and pursuing my hobbies again to ameliorate that. I do feel a little drowsy today from the lack of sleep, but I still have faith in this medication. The first day on Vyvanse showed me thay t I COULD feel different, that how I felt all of those of years isn't how I had to feel. I have hope for my future now. That's all I ever wanted

Sorry I went off on kind of a rant there. It's the Vyvanse talking. I'm usually unable to write more than a sentence without hitting a wall

Do you take Vyvanse. If so, what is your dosage?

[Joker_Girl]

That happened to me too, and is why i went back to Ritalin for a while, because i was having trouble falling and staying asleep.

I did love Vyvanse though, and would like to go back on it or another extended release Dexedrine.

The first day i took it (stupidly) as soon as it came in because i wanted to "see if i liked it better than Ritalin". I went up to the pharmacy at 4 pm, picked it up, and immediately popped one. At 4 pm. On a Thursday. The stupidity of that didnt occur to me at all. I often take my last Ritalin at 4, 5 even 7 pm. It didnt even occur to me the error of my ways. I was up all night, all day Friday, worked a 12 hour shift Friday night, and STILL had trouble falling asleep Saturday AM. I didnt FEEL stimulated, if anything i was calm and completely chilled out. I just couldnt go to sleep.

It DID get better, though.

[TheChemicals]

Im not trying to be the odd man out here but i sleep better when im on vyvanse.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by junior

Do you take Vyvanse. If so, what is your dosage?

It was my first med. I started by taking half of the 50, with the intention of titrating up to the full 50. Even half was way too much for me. It really messed with my sleep and my appetite. I would never take vyvance any later than 8:30 or 9:00 am.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by TheChemicals

Im not trying to be the odd man out here but i sleep better when im on vyvanse.

I would fall asleep very easily, but then wake up in the middle of the night with crazy rebound symptoms.

I think it has to do with my digestion. I also wouldn't eat anything all day until dinner, which probably kicked it up again, leading to the late night rebound.

[junior]

I've actually been able to sleep ok these past few nights. I'm dealing with different problems now. I know the 1st day on some medications are going to feel like you've found the miracle cure. I truly felt like I could do anything on that first day. Things I never thought I could do before. I'm aware of the euphoria effects these medications have, but I don't feel anywhere near as energetic and motivated as I did on the 1st day. I feel tired, depressed, spacey, and anti social. It's just a world of difference from the 1st day. Surely I couldn't have built up tolerance this quickly? Is it true that a dosage that is too high can cause one to feel the opposite of the desired effects? I almost feel worse than I do without the medication.

I'm going to schedule an appointment with my psych to see if he can prescribe me lower doses to be taken throughout the day rather than all at once. I took my 50 mg dose at 8 am yesterday, and completely crashed at around 6 pm. I felt sleepy, irritable, anti social, extremely depressed, and I couldn't form a coherent though. It was like a switch turned off in my head and I suddenly hated everything. I'm going to be starting a new job soon, and I need to able to stay alert past the time I crash to work the overtime that is required.

[ana futura]

A too high dose can actually worsen ADHD symptoms. You could also just be exhausted from sleep deprevation / dehydration / not eating enough.

I would stop the med and give yourself a few days to recover. This is not what it's supposed to be doing. It's probably from side effects caused by not titrating to your current dose.

[junior]

Originally Posted by ana futura

A too high dose can actually worsen ADHD symptoms. You could also just be exhausted from sleep deprevation / dehydration / not eating enough.

I would stop the med and give yourself a few days to recover. This is not what it's supposed to be doing. It's probably from side effects caused by not titrating to your current dose.

I've been forcing myself to eat, drinking plenty of water, but sleep deprivation is still a possibility. I only slept for about 6 hours last night and as with most mornings and felt groggy and tired. I took the medicine (with food) at around 8:30 this morning, but I don't even remember feeling it kick in and having any positive effects. I've felt miserable the entire day, and I crashed at around 2:30 which is 3 hours earlier than yesterday. I feel like I want to fall asleep, but I know I wouldn't be able to if I tried.

I'm considering trying that titrating technique you messaged me tomorrow morning. I've been trying to get a hold of my psych's nurse to see what she thinks first, but I haven't been able to get a hold of her.

[junior]

The feeling of depression on Vyvanse seems to be more significant than any other drug I've taken. When I would start feeling depressed on other meds, I would be able to convince myself I was the just medications, but this feels different somehow. This feels like actual depression, not just a symptom of the medication. Plus I'm having irrational thoughts. I'm extremely upset that the nurse hasn't called me back and I almost considered leaving an angry message on her voicemail or just going to the office and confronting her. Like I said very irrational...