Vyvanse for ADHD helping with Binge Eating

[Sdelzoppo]

Has anyone with ADHD got a major Binge eating problem? For the last 3 years i've suffered with sever binge eating where i eat so much I'm in excruciating pain and keep going. Almost like i have a death wish. I could eat myself to death. When i manage to finally stop and almost lose my breath and can barely walk myself to my bed I break down and cry from the uncontrollable episode that just took place. Since I was diagnosed with ADHD and take Vyvanse I could never binge (over eat yes) but binge no, while on the drug. In fact it has been so helpful that I now split the dose to cover me for the second half of day because when I no longer feel the drug active I go back to my normal self, agitated, stressed, want to eat my feelings and resist sleep and feel empty and horrible.

Has anyone got the same or similar issues? On vyvanse and reaping the benefits?

[TheChemicals]

I dont overeat but vyvanse helped me lose 25lbs that i didnt need. I became underweight though and started taking it less. Adderral same effect

[ryanolivas]

Thanks for posting about this. I was also having the same question and hoping someone could give us a tip.

[sarahsweets]

Vyvanse is approved for binge eating disorder.

[CharlesH]

I was relatively underweight, and I actually wanted to gain weight. Vyvanse was the worst stimulant (and I've tried many) for my appetite, for some reason.

[QueensU_girl]

There is a doctor here in Toronto who specializes in ADHD and Eating issues -- Dr. Lance Levy.

[ADHD_Trekkie]

Originally Posted by Sdelzoppo

Has anyone with ADHD got a major Binge eating problem? For the last 3 years i've suffered with sever binge eating where i eat so much I'm in excruciating pain and keep going. Almost like i have a death wish. I could eat myself to death. When i manage to finally stop and almost lose my breath and can barely walk myself to my bed I break down and cry from the uncontrollable episode that just took place. Since I was diagnosed with ADHD and take Vyvanse I could never binge (over eat yes) but binge no, while on the drug. In fact it has been so helpful that I now split the dose to cover me for the second half of day because when I no longer feel the drug active I go back to my normal self, agitated, stressed, want to eat my feelings and resist sleep and feel empty and horrible.

Has anyone got the same or similar issues? On vyvanse and reaping the benefits?

Thank you for starting this discussion and for sharing your story!

This post was hard for me to read because your description of binge eating episodes is so accurate. I was basically trying to eat myself to death at night, then "make up for it" by starving during the day. It was awful. I was very sick.

It took me years of therapy, medications, and research; topped off with several months in an Intensive Outpatient Program (only because my insurance wouldn't pay for the Partial Hospitalization Program) to realize and accept that...

1. I was suffering from a severe eating disorder.
2. It developed due to a combination of genetic predisposition and a desperate attempt to manage ADHD symptoms that I was under the impression I had "grown out of" by then.
3. I could recover from BED, then use some of the same strategies to manage my ADHD symptoms. (I'm still working on that last part, but already feeling the benefits of the work!)

Vyvanse was a big part of recovery and is still a big part of symptom management for me. Since it is FDA approved for treatment of both ADHD and BED, it is the only stimulant my provider has considered prescribing.

There is no doubt that it is effective at suppressing appetite, but it does wear off by the end of the day. I haven't thought about adjusting the timing to help with that. I am wary of doing that without talking with my provider or pharmacist first. My provider has definitely helped me adjust my dose safely when my tolerance changes and I begin to notice more cravings and urges popping up.

Still, I can't be on a stimulant 24/7, so I end up tapping into the tools and skills I learned in treatment for BED to stop myself from slipping. Even then, I had a short relapse when my life circumstances were particularly turbulent, Vyvanse and all. Fortunately, I still had the support of my therapist and dietician, so I managed to get back into recovery within weeks.

Also, sometimes, Vyvanse can suppress my appetite too much. If I end up overstimulated, it can be really hard to eat during the day, especially a well-balanced meal at lunch. Skipping meals or otherwise restricting food intake during the day makes it a lot more difficult to manage cravings in the evening since my body is desperate for fuel. I'm a lot more likely to overeat or binge when that happens.

Overall, it has been really important for me to communicate with my provider and make sure she knows when I am feeling overstimulated or I am having trouble ignoring cravings and urges to binge. In the process of working with her, I have realized that my medication needs change and will continue to change as I recover.

I offer this story largely to make the point that meds weren't the whole solution for me.

I'm so happy to hear that you found relief with Vyvanse! I know how much of a life-changing experience being properly medicated can be.

I want to celebrate that with you, but also let you know that it is totally ok to reach out for professional help with BED if you feel like you are losing control again. Knowing that I have strategies to rely on if, for some reason, Vyvanse is not working or I can not take it, is just as much of a relief as the medication is.

Congratulations on finding relief!! I hope you continue to recover and reclaim your body and your life!

[Lizzie80]

Originally Posted by Sdelzoppo

Has anyone with ADHD got a major Binge eating problem? For the last 3 years i've suffered with sever binge eating where i eat so much I'm in excruciating pain and keep going. Almost like i have a death wish. I could eat myself to death. When i manage to finally stop and almost lose my breath and can barely walk myself to my bed I break down and cry from the uncontrollable episode that just took place. Since I was diagnosed with ADHD and take Vyvanse I could never binge (over eat yes) but binge no, while on the drug. In fact it has been so helpful that I now split the dose to cover me for the second half of day because when I no longer feel the drug active I go back to my normal self, agitated, stressed, want to eat my feelings and resist sleep and feel empty and horrible.

Has anyone got the same or similar issues? On vyvanse and reaping the benefits?

Yes, I always had issues with overeating. I would binge eat all the time when I was a teenager due to skipping breakfast and lunch every day. As an adult that horrible cycle stopped, but I craved (and ate) sweets all the time.

When I was put on Vyvanse I was 33 years old and was at my all-time high of 440 lbs. I could barely walk and couldn't climb stairs. Within a year and a half, I lost 155 lbs through cutting out desserts and soda, reducing my portion sizes and intake of starchy carbs. After I'd lost 80 of the 155 lbs, and began working out 6 days a week, 3 on cardio, 3 on weight-training. Vyvanse made all of this possible. It didn't do the work for me and it didn't make it all easy. But it helped me to have the discipline and energy to enact goals I'd had for 15 years but could never stick with achieving before. Vyvanse only works like this if you direct the clarity and focus it can give to those it works for into definite, well-researched, well-defined goals.