Ferocious Vyvanse-Induced Anger

[Mag9000]

Hello. I have come to this sight as a step in what will hopefully be the right direction. After yet another shouting match, which I can NOT seem to back down from these days, I have decided to come to this forum and seek advice, or at the very least, some commiseration.

I started taking vyvanse about a year ago, and it has worked wonders in the ways of focus, motivation, and information-retention, but it has wreaked havoc in other parts of my life. I have never been a hothead, but in recent months I have caused more public spectacles than I care to admit after someone sets me off, and I have had more occasion to feel regret over something that I have said than ever before. It can be as simple as a serial interrupter- annoying whether on stimulants or not- who won't let me finish my sentence so I become defensive, and the anger becomes irrational. I have always had my pet-peeves, but the fury that I have felt since I started taking this drug is uncontrollable at times.

I want to point out that it isn't all bad, and some aspects of my life truly have improved. The thing that scares me, however, is how I used to be able to hide my feelings when it was inappropriate to share them, but on a "bad vyvanse day" as I have come to call them, I could cuss out Mother Theresa and feel justified (until later when I'm wallowing in regret over what I had said, as I often do...I'm not a complete monster!)

I feel so guilty, and I feel that these drugs may have altered my personality somewhat. I have to say that my sense of humor used to be my best quality, but within the past year, I have lost interest in trying to make people laugh. I'm too exhausted, disinterested, or just plain angry. I don't want to lose my friends through being insufferable and difficult to be around. A couple of them recently called me out on my anger and it was humiliating.

How can I stop this? I am a full-time college student and I am on 50 mg every day. I feel awful on days that I don't take it, which scares me in itself, but with 15 hrs this semester, I have things to do every day and do not want to give up the good benefits of this medication.

In attempting to fix a problem, I have created another one. Only this new problem affects those around me instead of just me. I really need help here. The first 3 or 4 months were great, but after that the anger problems in the afternoon/evening really started to become regular. Again, this is not every day, and I have benefited tremendously in some ways thanks to vyvanse, but the explosions are bad enough that it has become a cause for concern. I will talk to my doctor about all of this, but I want some advice from fellow users who may have experienced exactly what I am experiencing. Thank you in advance.

[Mag9000]

Why is everyone on this site getting responses but me? I hate this website and intend to tell people in the future not to bother. Thanks for leaving me alone in my misery, everyone.

[sarahsweets]

I think you're taking this personally.

[Tisha]

I think you need to decrease the dosage. When my son started taking Vyvanse, we upped it from 60 to 90. He became very irritable, angry and physically aggressive. We backed down to 60 immediately and it stopped. If you are on 50, I would try 40.

Tisha

[of_two_minds]

Have you tried other meds?

[Mag9000]

I appreciate the help, and I'm sorry for the abrasiveness, but when I went back to my doctor and explained my newly-acquired personality flaw which began around the time that my dose was increased, she basically blew me off even though I told her that it was abnormal for me to feel this way. I finally got her to give me a prescription for 40mg, but she suggested that life is just "making me grumpy." (College, lack of money etc...) There is some truth to that; life is stressful, but my reactions- or OVERreactions- are not typical. Oh well. I got my dose lowered, but when my doctor essentially suggests that it's just me after meeting me for ten minutes every 3 months or so, I don't know what to believe. I've never tried any other medications for ADHD, but I am on Lexapro (which just got increased) and a beta blocker. I am also frequently told by friends how meds are unnecessary and that, basically, I'm just weak, so the fact that I need them is a bit of a source of insecurity now. But then again, none of them are MDs.

[425runner]

I too have experienced anger on Vyvanse and the culprit was too high of a dose all at once! I was on 70mg when that started...let me tell ya...family wasn't happy and I got into a fight, I was mean....and angry if that doesn't help then maybe a low dose of Klonopin, like 0.5 mg to take the edge off.

[trishcan]

I've experienced similar effects from Vyvanse, and I can say from experience that it's not necessarily a matter of medication being necessary or unnecessary. Those sorts of reactions happen for some people on some meds and not on others. And I also had feared that my personality had been irreversibly altered. The first day I took a different medication, I was myself again. I hope you're able to speak with your doctor soon.

[KaitoPot]

Oh thank you so much, it's nice to know I'm not the only one to suffer from this! As far as advice I can't offer much but talk to your doctor. I also take a medication that is actually a blood pressure lowering medication called Guanfacine and has proven to also work for ADD and it normally puts me in a better mood. But I only take it later in the day because I already have low blood pressure and it can make me dizzy easily. But, again, thank you so much! I was hoping I wasnt the only one with this problem

[willinabox]

Hey your not the only one...

I can definitely get angry, irritable, frustrated on vyvanse or any other kinds of stims. Vyvanse was bad for me as it gave me too much of a dose all at once after I took it, therefore I was very "wound". My doctor also shrugged me off and said anger/anxiety had nothing to do with taking stimulants...and hes definitely wrong...no question.

Here are some non-medication options:
-exercise will help, especially after taking it, thats night and day for me...
-Try a different stimulant
-make sure your eating
-proper breathing

Other options include taking less, trying a different med/stimulant, or taking another med in conjunction (SSRI would help, but I personally do not like taking them)

[Ish1978]

I just woke up with angry thoughts I had the day before. It's 9.00am. I went to bed at 5 am. This is my 4 th day with Vyvanse. I felt very good at first but started feeling angry later in the day and evening. Last night I came home so angry. I was so convince that my was rational even though my wife thought it might be the vyvanse. I woke up with same angry thoughts this morning. Decided to write it down the angry thoughts so I can show it to the doc. Writing down calmed me down. I took my wife's word and did a search to see if vyvanse was the reason and here I am.

I kinda feel sorry that it makes me angry later in the day because I really feel the benefits of it when I first take it. I can focus on the moment, and not much having the racing thoughts I get normaly. So now knowing that i can add anger in to the list of side effects beside having hard time sleeping and headache, I do think i gotta find another way.

[JohnPent]

I recently ran out of Vyvanse, and just could not get in to my doctor to get a refill for about three weeks. Previously my doctor had also given me 30mg Adderalls (generic) to split in half when the 70mg Vyvanse seemed to wear off. I filled it, but rarely used it. I started half in the morning and half at midday.

Within days my wife said it took and anger and edge off of me that I had had since I started on Vyvanse. I could tell I was a better dad to my sons, aged 7 and 9.

I am not going back. I really think Vyvanse kind of puts me in a mood that does not go away for days on end. It keeps me intent on business, as I own my business. It does not let me sleep and interact with people as well. I find talking to my clients is more enjoyable with out it. I was hating talking to them all of the time, yet they ultimately pay the bills.

So I am kicking Vyvanse to the curb. I may look at one of the timed release Adderalls (XR or IR) and see if one of those might be suitable.

Good luck to all.

[kimical]

No offense, but your friends just don't get it. Some people need meds, I literally can't focus on my homework without them. My grades went from D average to straight A's and I had no idea I could do so well just by taking a pill every day.

[TruthTalker]

Originally Posted by Mag9000

Why is everyone on this site getting responses but me? I hate this website and intend to tell people in the future not to bother. Thanks for leaving me alone in my misery, everyone.

This is my first time to post here and the message is old but i'd love to know how you're doing. I almost laughed when I read your post and tge responses--not because I was amused or making fun Mag9000, but because I recognized my own feelings and experiences. I am 57 years old and diagnosed with ADD just last summer. Currently on 70 mg of Vyvanse, increased gradually since last summer to get the coverage I need to get through my typical day.

I own my own business, have various responsibilities with older adults and keep grandchildren part time. If I had a dollar for every time someone has called me out for being angry, or chided me for taking things personally in the past few months --well I'd have enough dollars to tell me the people in my life have a point. Now, having said that, I was becoming an angrier person prior to the Vyvanse, so I think the Vyvanse is exasurbating something that's already there.

I do feel as though I'm living under the tyranny of stress right now for a number of reasons, and the Vyvanse has helped my feeling of well being, helped me focus, and at this dose I can get through a workday instead of having just three or four good hours to concentrate. I will admit that I am starting to loathe the phrase "taking it personally" as I do take all that is going on with me quite personally as I'm sure do others participating in this forum. It is not easy moving from the person in the family who takes care of everything to the one everyone wants to "fix". Last week in a fit of anger and frustration I actually told my adult daughter to kiss my backside, only I didn't say backside.

I am embarrassed and ashamed and at the same time don't know how I could have stopped myself. I can never take those words back. To family members and friends who want to fix us, please don't challenge us when we are exhausted, already frustrated and the drugs have worn off. This seems like it would be a no-brainer but family members get frustrated too and don't think about the fact that in these situations their ADD relatives have no emotional reserves to draw from and just end up feeling cornered. We're just doing the best we can and doing it in the full knowledge that it's falling short of what others need from us. Sometimes we're just trying to make it through the day. .

If I had written this note two hours ago, it would have a much different tone. To someone with ADD I'm learning that timing is everything.

[stephenb]

Lack of sleep can also cause a short fuse, and with taking stimulants in the morning it makes it easier to ignore being tired.