Vyvanse user with questions

[wawa12]

I'm 23 years old. I've been on Vyvanse for 2 years now. Taking 50 mg daily.
I have an inner conflict though regarding my dependency on using a medicine daily.

What are the implications if I stay on this drug, say, another 10 years?
What health risks have I already exposed myself to and what risks are on the forefront if I continue to use it daily?

I like taking it and I get stuff done, but a part of me feels like I'm an addict.
Theoretically, what makes this stuff different than speed?
(Obviously I'm not literal when I say this, but this is what is on my mind currently)

Any input is appreciated

[Flory]

i too am curius about this, at this moment in time for me side effects far outweigh costs...i.e being able to focus and be less implsive means im less likely to get into accidents/rune out in front of a car, i am however curious about long term use...if i die at 65 but i've had a good life..i suppose it doesnt matter much, better thann living to 90 and being uttelry f**ked up and miserable, or i guess, getting into some impulsive action which leaves you injured dead or imprisoned :P

[fracturedstory]

Someone much more knowledgeable than me can tell you how much it differs from speed. I'll take a wager and say it's not made for the same effects as speed and is prescribed in much smaller doses. As long as you don't take 5-10 times you're recommended you won't get the same effects of speed.

It's hard to say what the health affects are because everyone responds to the medication differently.
Personally, my memory is better, I notice more, I have developed better social skills and coping strategies. One downside is I'm unable to relax because I fear I'll just become that unorganised person I used to be. But I've known others who don't have that problem.

Anti-epileptics come with probably the worse side effects next to anti-psychotics and maybe chemo therapy, but taking it for the person is a matter of life or death. Literally.

If you are worried about becoming dependent on it take a break. Try handling your ADHD issues without it for a while. I took two months off my medication once. Now I only really take it for specific things and it wears off or I have a couple days where I don't need it, and I have to deal with my ADHD symptoms without it.

Addicts constantly need the drug. They need to take higher amounts. That can happen but not when you take recommended doses. Fact is addicts want that rush and we just want to get stuff done. Once someone was getting hyper, distracted and generally annoying on Ritalin and I thought it was such a waste.

People are more likely to get addicted to pain medication than stimulants. People that don't need stimulants to function may abuse them but people who actually want to get stuff done won't abuse them. I don't mean to make such a blanket statement but we have moral reasons and not wanting to risk our doctor's trust. Once it's found out we've abused them we can lose the prescription. Or at least my paranoid mind thinks.

There are always side effects when it comes to taking medication. Worrying about it might make you think it's actually happening to you. Psychosomatic effects.
I don't take Vyvanse so I can't really comment on it. I always thought it was a weaker version of Adderal but can't be sure.

Hopefully someone will answer your question the way you wanted.

One thing I will recommend is every now and then take a long break. I think I may do that when I finish my first book.

[Zevispaz]

Addiction is continuing to take or do something despite the negative effects it has on your daily life. Dependency is not addiction. People with diabetes are dependent on insulin, but they are not addicted to it.

Stimulants are low doses of speed, but it's such a low dose that it will have a helpful effect instead of a harmful. You are not taking street speed.

Lots of medicines have drugs that are helpful in low doses, but would be dangerous if you abused them. Too much of anything can be harmful to you. Too much water will thin your blood and eventually kill you, but a few glasses a day is healthy for you.

[Plognark]

Amphetamine type drugs are some of the safest drugs available for... well, anything, actually.

The long term side effects appear to be pretty mild from what I've read. In my case hypertension runs in my family, and amphetamines can increase your blood pressure and heart rate a little bit, so I have to keep an eye on that.

These drugs have been around for quite a long time, and there's not a whole lot of evidence of long term effects from them. It would be more of a concern in children, but with adults who start taking it, any possible mild developmental issues are already long past.

The apetite suppression is probably the biggest long term effect, but in a lot of cases that's not a bad thing. I tend to eat when anxious and twitchy, so the meds have made it much easier for me to get to my ideal weight.

For perspective, I skip a day here and there just to get a gauge on how the meds affect me, and it's profound. At the same time, I don't ever crave the meds or anything, and taking too much makes me feel awful, so I'm highly confident that I'm not addicted in any way.

[sarahsweets]

I look at it as way to be a functional contributing member of society. I would be a menace without my medication

[ana futura]

I found that when I was experiencing the internal conflict you describe, I was on the wrong med and dose.

If you think it feels like "speed", maybe you should lower your dose or try something else, like concerta or adderall (In my experience adderall is actually weaker than vyvanse). I actually "like" taking my meds now, and I'm not constantly trying to stop taking them. Taking my current med (ritalin) feels as harmless as taking a vitamin, I don't feel speedy or drugged at all.

[wawa12]

Well I just checked this thread again and an update:

I decided to wean off the vyvanse.
Although I love it, I love the idea of being au naturale better.

I was on 50 mg, this week I am on 40, next week 20, then a week of 10 and then I'm off.

With this type of taper down, should I expect any horrendous withdrawal from this drug?

[mikeyboy22]

I'm in my 40's and I have recently started taking medication for ADD.

How did I get by before then, I smoked and drank a boatload of caffeine.

I quit smoking about 7 years ago and over the years I became more immune to caffeine so that a can take a nap after 4 cups of coffee and 3 cans of Mountain Dew. That is when I noticed my ADD symptoms get worse.

Don't feel like an addict because you are taking Vyvanse, and if you come off the medication the effects are minimal. My daughter has been on vyvanse for 3 years now, and ever summer she takes a break and comes off he meds and has no ill effect. A lot of ADD/ADHD kids go off meds during the summer with minimal problems.

Heath wise, what is worse, going on a doctor prescribed stimulant, or coping by drinking a pot a coffee a day, popping over the counter weight loss stimulants, or chugging XL cans of redbull at every meal.

[Plognark]

Originally Posted by wawa12

Well I just checked this thread again and an update:

I decided to wean off the vyvanse.
Although I love it, I love the idea of being au naturale better.

I was on 50 mg, this week I am on 40, next week 20, then a week of 10 and then I'm off.

With this type of taper down, should I expect any horrendous withdrawal from this drug?

You should be able to quit cold turkey with no noticeable issues. It's not like an SSRI that needs to build up and cause physiological changes; it just sits there and blocks some reuptake channels in the brain.

The human body metabolizes this stuff incredibly fast too; that's why it can be so difficult to time dosages, and why XR and vyvanse were created. People used to have to take the equivalent of instant release pills three to four times a day to maintain the effectiveness.

This is why ADHDers are able to skip a day or two here and there on these meds without any problems; you don't build up any sort of dependency on this stuff unless you really abuse the s*** out of it. Personally, I can't even imagine how a person could get to that point, but that's just me.

[gatorADDe]

Originally Posted by Plognark

You should be able to quit cold turkey with no noticeable issues. It's not like an SSRI that needs to build up and cause physiological changes; it just sits there and blocks some reuptake channels in the brain.

I disagree with this. Could you provide us with a source?

[425runner]

Tapering down the dose and then quitting is smart. I've done it before when I lost my health insurance. No ill effects, just feeling more tired and dizzy for 3 days then it was back to normal.

I was off for 7 months, drank lots of coffee, ate lots of chocolate, got speeding tickets, and couldn't get much done.