Vyvanse Question

[Tomlehmann]

Hi everyone. I have been on Vyvanse for about a month a half now. Started at 40 mg and now am on 60. The vyvanse was good but I started feeling anxious. Really anxious, and when I would come down I would hyperfocus.

My doc and therapist think I have ADD, because of the hyperfocus mainly. It's not OCD, and I did have a lot of the symptoms as a child. My sister also has it. I can focus on something good or bad for days or hours. However the symptoms are so subjective it's hard to know for sure. My doc put me on Lexapro two weeks ago and I feel great. I feel like I felt 4 years ago before I got depressed and anxious. My therapist thinks the anxiety came from ADD. While I do feel good, (I have had no desire to see my therapist since then) there is still this underlying unsettling feeling. It's really hard to put it into words. I'm not sure if I am just emotionally adapting to feeling normal again. I am starting to make people laugh again and am laughing myself. I also worry about 75 percent less than I used to. I am having some short term memory troubles though, nothing major but I notice it.

My question is, I have my doubts about having ADD. My doc and therapist have reassured me, but I am not sure. I am used to the vyvanse now and feel pretty normal on it. My therapist waited 3 months to diagnose me. It did speed me up for the first two weeks though. This is why I'm not sure I have it, I know people with ADD calm down on vyvanse. I am concerned about addiction (I have only taken my prescribed dose once a day) but I feel awful if I am awake for a while without taking it. I feel like I need to take it. I have a feeling I could wean off of it if I needed to. I am also concerned about brain damage. I don't know if it will damage my brain if I actually don't have ADD. If I can be reassured I will keep taking it because I feel like it helps and I feel good. I'm not sure if that is the tricky voice of addiction speaking. Can someone who doesn't have ADD take vyvanse, not abuse it, and be ok? I mean I have a diagnoses but I just have a hard time accepting I guess. The Lexapro has made a huge difference and maybe I just need to be on that.

[Driver]

You've got ADD.

A NT person taking 60mg of Vyvanse a day would be flying to the moon and back by flapping their arms.

You're just feeling a little spun out by the sudden feelings of normality brought about by being on the right meds.

Once the euphoria of being normal wanes, you'll start to see your ADD symptoms in different manifestations. I know when I started Lexapro, my symptoms of ADD changed.

[Tomlehmann]

hmmm, that does make me feel better. Even after a month and half a NT person would still be speeding like crazy? I am defiantly not speeding but I did at first. I started at 50 and it was too much so I started taking half pills and worked my way up. To be fair I hardly ever notice it now, besides the dry mouth. I don't feel sped up, just want to smoke more. I sit still and fidget way less, but my mind feels more alert I guess. All I notice is I can have convos way easier, slightly more alert, a slightly improved mood, and I am interested in things like books and movies again. My mom literally said, "Tom, where have you been the past 5 years?" When I was younger I was interested in things like that, but I had a lot more external ADD symptoms. When I became older they became much more internal.

Then I became bored all the time and all I wanted to do was drink and party. It was a slow progression over 2-3 years. Now, since I've been on medication, I don't want to drink, but when I do it's very weird. I have urge to drink more and more. I get really drunk after like 5 beers though so I haven't been binging or anything. I used to drink 9-10 a night now I'll drink 5 at the most. I think I want to drink more when I do (like once or twice a week) because I am actually having fun and enjoying myself. I'm no longer self-medicating and just drinking to feel normal, be able to have convos, and get away from my anxiety. I don't have any cravings or anything the day after, and I don't feel bad. I know you shouldn't drink on these meds but I'm 23, all my friends still drink, and it happens. My doc told me if I take the vyvanse in the morning and watch my drinking I'll be ok.

It has been very unsettling to start to feel normal again. I recognize these feelings, but it has been years since I felt them. I thought this is just what happens when you become an adult. I assumed all adults were bored all the time, and stuck in their head. It has been 4 years since I have felt anything besides numbness or anxiety. I took St. Johns Wort for 6 months, but the Lexapro is way more noticable. Especially with anxiety. This has been really weird.

So this was a long post I know, but it just feels good to get it all out. A non-adder would still be speeding like crazy a month and a half after taking it? They wouldn't build up a tolerance or get used to it? I think it's a good sign that I haven't thought about seeing my therapist. The scary thoughts that used to consume me are also going away, but I think that's the Lexapro.

[Driver]

After 6 weeks, and NTer would have tachycardia, anxiety, and high blood pressure through the roof.

[Tomlehmann]

Hmmm I don't have a high heart rate. The vyvanse made me really anxious though. I had an axienty disorder to begin with though, the vyvanse just made it worse. When I went to the doc my bp was high, but since being on the Lexapro my anxiety has really gone down. She thought my bp was high because I was an anxious wreck for a month. My bp has gone down now. Could the lexapro just be hiding the anxiety I would be feeling because of the vyvanse? Would their be any other symptoms a NT person would have 6 weeks into treatment at 50-60 mg daily?

[The Absent Mind]

You said you were anxious before taking anything right? That just goes to show that soemthing's weird. I was very anxious for many years. I never knew anything about ADHD and was eventually diagnosed with GAD and prescribed Lexapro.

This did help a whole lot, but left me unable to concentrate and I was still somewhat anxious. That's when I learned about ADHD. I have since been prescribed stimulants on top of the Lexapro. Now the anxiety is gone, totally. The only problem I have is the Vyvanse only lasts about 4 hours no matter what the dose. I honestly think it did pretty much the exact same thing at 50mg as it does at 80mg:last until about 10 AM after taking it at 6 AM... But no anxiety though! At least there's that I guess.

The Vyvanse does seem to still be there in the background, but I have no concentration ability... It's like I am a vehicle stuck in the sand and spinning my wheels, unable to get traction. That first 4 hours I can concentrate nearly perfectly though... I have to hurry up and get everything I can done in that time frame if I want to have any chance of doing anything well, lol, like homework.

[Tomlehmann]

hmm I have the same problem with Vyvanse. I only notice it working for about 6 hours. I don't really notice the comedown now, but it does not last 12. That's why they bumped me to 60 mg to make it last longer. It doesn't last any longer, I don't even notice the increase. I haven't felt anxiety in about a week, but since I posted this I am worrying again. Now I am doubting whether or not I really have ADD and am hyperfocusing hardcore. I'm afraid I'm going to do brain damage or have a heart attack or something. My heart rate has also gone up. I took the meds about 10 hours ago. I doubt it's really strong in my system anymore. Ugh this is beyond frustrating. I did notice that my anxiety was always worse when I was coming down, or about 12 hours later after the vyvanse.

[Driver]

Lexapro won't mask the anxiety caused from stimulants. Stimulants cause anxiety by pumping the body full of noradrenaline, whereas Lexapro regulates serotonin in the body.

[Tomlehmann]

Absent Mind, do you feel medicated on your current doses. I don't feel sped up, but I can tell I'm on medication. It's not intoxicating or anything, but I can just tell. I don't feel normal, I feel better, but it's in the background. I have been on the Lexapro 2 weeks on Wednesday. Does this feeling pass, this kind of unsettling feeling? It's not extreme and in the background. It's so hard to put into words, I wish I could describe it better. I took 60 mg of vyvanse two and a half hours ago and I don't feel speedy at all, it's hardly noticeable. Is that a good sign I do have ADD?

Also, the anxiety doesn't appear till about 8-9 hours after I take the Vyvanse. It probably is the rebound effect for me, since I'm anxious to begin with. I feel foggy in the morning to but then when I take the medicine I feel good again, would a NTer have more anxiety when the Vyvanse is at it's peak? I actually feel calmer during the day when the medication is working. It just worries me for some reason, messing with all 3 of the brain chemicals. I feel better but I am concerned about addiction and brain damage.

[Driver]

No studies have shown that stimulants taken at therapeutic doses causes brain damage. The medicines are just as safe as aspirin and paracetamol.

And there's no risk of addiction if you do not abuse your medication. Act responsibly and you'll be fine.

[Greenjuice]

Originally Posted by Driver

No studies have shown that stimulants taken at therapeutic doses causes brain damage. The medicines are just as safe as aspirin and paracetamol.

And there's no risk of addiction if you do not abuse your medication. Act responsibly and you'll be fine.

Driver, I really like how you keep things short and to the point. Just thought I'd commend you on that. Vyvanse makes me like that, and I enjoy it. May I ask you what dosage you're on? Only b/c I feel mines not strong enough at 50mg and still have trouble concentrating on conversation (maybe due to the fact I appreciate the short and to the point form of communication)

[Driver]

Originally Posted by Greenjuice

Driver, I really like how you keep things short and to the point. Just thought I'd commend you on that. Vyvanse makes me like that, and I enjoy it. May I ask you what dosage you're on? Only b/c I feel mines not strong enough at 50mg and still have trouble concentrating on conversation (maybe due to the fact I appreciate the short and to the point form of communication)

I'm not on any medication for my ADD due to food allergies and a dearth of ADD meds available in Australia.

[Tomlehmann]

Thank you for all your responses. When I am convinced I actually have ADD I don't notice the meds. However I get stuck in my head sometimes and get caught on the same thought. I can't stop it and it's terrible. Damn hyperfocus. I just feel so crazy sometimes and just want to be normal. I talked to my mom today and I am pretty sure I do have ADD. It's hard for me to accept for some reason.

I am really concerned because since I have been on the meds my drinking habits have been different. When I get drunk it's a lot different kind of drunk. I start drinking and don't want to stop. I don't know what the deal is, I always drank to self-medicate but never had a problem with it. Maybe I just didn't realize until now. I got really drunk again tonight, as I did on Saturday night. I feel really weird and I don't like it. I was starting to feel so good and I have just collapsed, I don't know what is wrong. I just overanalyze things to death and can't help it.

[Driver]

Sounds like your anxiety/OCD is talking to us.

[The Absent Mind]

Originally Posted by Tomlehmann

Absent Mind, do you feel medicated on your current doses. I don't feel sped up, but I can tell I'm on medication. It's not intoxicating or anything, but I can just tell. I don't feel normal, I feel better, but it's in the background. I have been on the Lexapro 2 weeks on Wednesday. Does this feeling pass, this kind of unsettling feeling? It's not extreme and in the background. It's so hard to put into words, I wish I could describe it better. I took 60 mg of vyvanse two and a half hours ago and I don't feel speedy at all, it's hardly noticeable. Is that a good sign I do have ADD?

Also, the anxiety doesn't appear till about 8-9 hours after I take the Vyvanse. It probably is the rebound effect for me, since I'm anxious to begin with. I feel foggy in the morning to but then when I take the medicine I feel good again, would a NTer have more anxiety when the Vyvanse is at it's peak? I actually feel calmer during the day when the medication is working. It just worries me for some reason, messing with all 3 of the brain chemicals. I feel better but I am concerned about addiction and brain damage.

Hi Tomlehmann,

Do I feel medicated ay my current dose? Of the Vyvanse you mean? Currently I take 80mg of Vyvanse. The stuff really didn't work very well for me, duration-wise, until I hit around the 70mg+ dosages. At 80mg, it seems to last a good part of the day, but not everyday. That's the biggest problem I have with it.

Today for instance, I was sleepy in the morning and the dumb medicine didn't seem to work at all. This is particularly frustrating because for the past week or so the medicine seemed to work. I went from being positive I'd need a booster-- even two boosters, one at 10:00 AM, and one at 2:00 PM-- last week, to yesterday thinking I might not need any boosters after all.

Then today happened ><. This is while every other variable: food, stress, water, amount of sleep, other medicines, etc. stays exactly the same. It really irritates me, because I need to know what's up as my doc appointment is on Monday and I need to know what to tell him.

But to get back to your question, when the medicine works, then yes I can tell I have taken it. It really aids in concentration, but that's about it. There is no euphoria or mood change or anything.

Two weeks is not long enough to feel the full effects of the Lexapro either. Frankly, I'd get the Lex sorted before messing with the stims because it does help with the anxiety. The feeling you get nine hours after taking the Vyvanse is the crash. Yes, no matter what any docs tell you, it does have a crash. I don't know what to say about that one except talk to your doc ans see what he suggests.

Also, if you drink while taking this stuff, you are just asking for trouble in my opinion as you'll get confusing signals and will have a hard time distinguishing what's what. I don't recommended it.

Lexapro won't mask the anxiety caused from stimulants. Stimulants cause anxiety by pumping the body full of noradrenaline, whereas Lexapro regulates serotonin in the body.

I beg to differ here

I went from not even being able to drink half a cup of weak coffee before the Lexapro--because it would severely freak me out--to being able to chug 5 cups of strong coffee after the Lexapro. This was all before taking any ADHD stimulant. So I know that the Lex can indeed help with stimulant-related anxiety. Now even with the ADHD stim, I have no anxiety at all, even after taking 80mg Vyvanse and drinking many cups of strong coffee. And I used to be seriously anxious about everything.