Food Issues?

[Skulky]

Hello, I'm Skulky, and I was diagnosed with ADD less than two years ago.


My doctor started me on Vyvanse, which worked wonderfully. I, too, experienced a lack of hunger and subsequent weight loss (which I didn't mind, to be honest). As the Vyvanse lost its overall effectiveness, I also noticed the return of my appetite.

I've been on several other medications sense then (Adderall XR, Adderall, Daytrana, and something else.) None of them have really worked. Like, at all. And I've noticed that my appetite hasn't decreased with any of them, either. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but . . .

The other day, I felt really sick to my stomach-- I felt as though I'd just stuffed myself for about four or five straight days, even though I wasn't eating much at all. And then I noticed that, although I felt yucky overall, I actually had some energy to focus and get stuff done, which I hadn't experienced in a while.

Since then, I've noticed that I seem to have more energy before I eat anything. One morning, I woke up around 5 am feeling FABULOUS for no reason-- I had the trash out before 6, and I was out the door for my 9:10 class by 7. I waited outside and read (with a decent amount of focus). Then at the beginning of class, I ate the Nutragrain bar I packed, and within the next half-hour, I completely crashed, thus returning to my normal, tired, indifferent self.

I've kinda picked up on the pattern lately and have stopped eating before class, and I really do feel as though I have more energy then. But I do eventually get hungry (and I do reach a certain point where hunger makes me sleepy) . . . so I do have to eat eventually, and I always feel myself crashing afterward, no matter how much I eat or what I eat.

So, I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this, but do you think there could have been some correlation between me having energy early on and the appetite suppression itself? Or does anyone else experience tiredness after eating anything?


I've mentioned it to a friend, and she said something along the lines of "duh, you get tired after you eat, because you get full."
Well, I'm not necessarily full. =/
I dunno what to think.
Anyone else have any challenges with food thrown into the mix?

[Schroeder]

Could be -

* Bad reaction to food on the drug
* What you're eating
* Food allergies

What's your typical (honest) day like as far as what you eat goes? From when you wake up to when you go to bed, including all snacks, drinks, etc.

WHAT you eat can also be affecting you. I google the ingredients for a Nutri-grain bar, for example:

Filling (strawberry preserves [high fructose corn syrup, sugar, strawberries], corn syrup, fructose, glycerin, water, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, modified corn starch, citric acid, sodium alginate, natural and artificial strawberry flavor, caramel color, calcium phosphate, xantham gum, malic acid, sodium citrate, modified cellulose, red #40), enriched wheat flour, whole oats, sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, honey, calcium carbonate, dextrose, nonfat dry milk, wheat bran, salt, cellulose gum, leavening (potassium bicarbonate), natural and artificial vanilla flavor, soy lecithin, wheat gluten, corn starch, niacinamide, carrageenan, guar gum, zinc oxide, reduced iron, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin A palitate, thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), and folic acid. Contains wheat and milk products.

That's pretty much sugar & chemicals. Maybe sugar and/or the preservatives are having a bad reaction to your medicine in your body. Cleaning up my diet helped me a *bunch* - if you're not already on a so-called "healthy" diet, give it a try for 3 days (to clean out your system) - just your basic meats, veggies, fruits, grains type of thing.

[Skulky]

I honestly think I eat decently -- the only reason I grabbed a Nutrigrain bar that day was because I didn't have anything else in my dorm, and because I felt too sick to eat a whole lot, didn't feel like wasting a meal plan on the buffet. I've also noticed the food --> tired pattern with more than just that, though.

I don't really have set eating times . . . I just eat when I'm hungry, but I don't stuff myself. In fact, I typically divide my meals. For example, if something comes with a side, I'll eat the side and save the rest for later, or vice versa.

I'm pretty confident as far as my vegetable intake goes-- I used to be a vegetarian, and I learned to love my veggies. I eat a lot of salads and wraps, and enjoy variety. I've also been making sure that I get enough protein in my diet.

I know I don't get enough fruit. I used to get fruit cups at the beginning of the year before they made them into "grape cups". Ugh. I'm also pretty picky, because I can't stand canned fruit or anything that's too "syrup-y". In fact, nutrigrain bars (and other "fruit-filled" things kinda burn going down a bit. Same goes for Pop-Tarts and fruit pies. Ick.


I excluded caffeine from my diet for a while, but switched back, because I needed some kind of energy. Still, I try to limit myself to a can of soda a day, and I typically drink that throughout the day. I don't drink coffee, but very occasionally drink tea.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Skulky

I honestly think I eat decently -- the only reason I grabbed a Nutrigrain bar that day was because I didn't have anything else in my dorm, and because I felt too sick to eat a whole lot, didn't feel like wasting a meal plan on the buffet. I've also noticed the food --> tired pattern with more than just that, though.

I don't really have set eating times . . . I just eat when I'm hungry, but I don't stuff myself. In fact, I typically divide my meals. For example, if something comes with a side, I'll eat the side and save the rest for later, or vice versa.

I'm pretty confident as far as my vegetable intake goes-- I used to be a vegetarian, and I learned to love my veggies. I eat a lot of salads and wraps, and enjoy variety. I've also been making sure that I get enough protein in my diet.

I know I don't get enough fruit. I used to get fruit cups at the beginning of the year before they made them into "grape cups". Ugh. I'm also pretty picky, because I can't stand canned fruit or anything that's too "syrup-y". In fact, nutrigrain bars (and other "fruit-filled" things kinda burn going down a bit. Same goes for Pop-Tarts and fruit pies. Ick.


I excluded caffeine from my diet for a while, but switched back, because I needed some kind of energy. Still, I try to limit myself to a can of soda a day, and I typically drink that throughout the day. I don't drink coffee, but very occasionally drink tea.

That's good, a lot of my problems were caused by poor food choices, and also by food allergies (up to 8 so far! haha). So really it sounds like your medicine is having a negative reaction when you eat. Easiest solution is to simply stop eating, then the problem goes away