Head itching on Vyvanse or other AD/HD meds?

[Sit-n-Spin]

Has anyone had excessive head itching (not dandruff) while taking Vyvanse, which I'm on, or any other AD/HD meds? My head is itching so much I can't stand it! I just washed it yesterday morning, so it's not dirty. It is, however, coated with aloe vera, which I did in the middle of the night. (My husband had no idea what had happened to my hair when he saw it this morning!) And it still itches. I think I'll take a Bendaryl to help to stop scratching because right now I think it might even hurt to wash it. I did have my hair done (same as usual) about a week into starting the Vyvanse. She used a "root lifter" when she styled it, which I left in for two days because it held so well. I even went back and bought some. Now I'm wondering if I had a reaction to it which increased over the course of last week or if the Vyvanse is causing it. Anyone?

[Sit-n-Spin]

No one!

I called my doctor who said to not take the Vyvanse until the symptoms cleared up then try again and see if it returns. He also prescribed the antihistamine Vistaril/Atarax. I've taken it before and know I'll be really knocked out.

I did find that the root lifter I mentioned about has Citronellol, and some people are allergic. I know I can't use bug repellent with Citronella in it, so maybe that's it. I hope!

Now I just need a really soothing shampoo?

[Sit-n-Spin]

Well, I guess no one currently reading has had this problem, but I'll still post in case someone does in the future and finds the thread in a search.

I took the Atarax last night and feel much better. I've decided I'll probably now wait until after this weekend (Easter) to resume the Vyvanse just in case that is the problem. I want to enjoy the holiday. I will post again after I resume the Vyanse.

I will add that whether it was an allergy to the Vyvanse or the hair product I did have a lot of caffeine that day. I usually have one cup of coffee in the morning, and if I am out might have one or two more drinks with caffeine at the most. Maybe an afternoon coffee if at home. But that was the day we went to the headache specialist and we spent about nine hours round trip, so I had more caffeine before I even got there than I usually have in at least half a week. There is probably a term for this, but when I drink caffeine my skin can look a little sunburned. I know some meds (of any kind) can make a person photosensitive, so maybe whatever happens with caffeine for me along with either or both of the hair product and the Vyvanse caused the excessive itching. And it might not have been a good idea to put the aloe vera with lidocaine on it. Maybe that just irritated it further, but that's all I had. Should have found the calamine lotion!

Now I'm itching to hear:

Poison Ivy

[CalmTheChaos]

I have had some scalp itching on both Adderall and Vyvanse, but for me it ended up being more related to dry scalp or drying/irritating hair products rather than the meds themselves.

We all know stims can dehydrate you. Our skin experiences this too, and the scalp is usually one of the first places you'll notice. Some hair products are either drying or irritating and can exacerbate this and lead to itching.

The last time I had persistent scalp itching problems, it was related to the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Oil shampoo I was using. Once I switched to something more moisturizing, everything got better. A good therapeutic shampoo is Neutrogena T-Gel (I prefer the Extra Strength version). It smells like awful dog shampoo, but works wonders to help an itchy scalp.

Besides that, I was diagnosed years ago with dermographism. It's a harmless but rather annoying condition that is not something which usually goes away, but rather something people just have to manage. For me, the initial treatment was Atarax, which helped. But, it was far too incapacitating for me to take regularly, so I gave up on it and just deal with the dermographism symptoms.

Anyway, stims can cause us to sweat, and this initial breaking of a sweat really aggravates the itchiness of dermographism, which is always felt in my scalp first. I'm not suggesting you have dermographism, but you may look into it to see if you exhibit any of the usual symptoms.

Hope that helps!

[Sit-n-Spin]

My product is a Paul Mitchell product, too! It's the root lifter, so it was obviously on my scalp.

Yes, I could not take the Atarax all the time. It wipes me out.

Thanks for the link to dermographism. That seems like it's along the lines of what happens with me and caffeine, although not to the extent I see on that page.

Thanks!

[CalmTheChaos]

Yeah, the examples and descriptions on that page are on the extreme side. Mine used to be that bad, but it's subsided a bit.

More subtle dermographism symptoms are:

• Itching when warming up or just breaking a sweat (scalp and armpits are first)
• Itching that gets more intense when you scratch it
• Itching that gets puffy or spreads to nearby areas when you scratch it
• Skin writing is noticeable, gets warm, and itches

Anyway, my guess is that the root lifter is/was your problem.

For the record, I use a Paul Mitchell shampoo daily now (Lavender & Mint Moisturizing). So, they do have good products. There are just some that are problematic.

[Sit-n-Spin]

Now I think so, too. I hope so. We'll see!