I took 30mg of Vyvanse about 4 hours ago for the first time. I am undiagnosed and this medication was not prescribed to me, but I hope it’s ok to post here.
I’m curious what the effects are supposed to feel like for ADHD symptoms? Right now I mostly just feel kinda zen, and I’m honestly a little underwhelmed at my ability to focus on tasks; it seems nearly completely the same as any other day, but I’m more relaxed and maybe zoning out a bit more than usual.
I really was hoping to be able to sit down at my desk this morning and start hammering away at my work more effectively. That has not been the case so far.
You must log in or # to comment.
The fact it’s having no effect on you probably means that you’d need a higher dose, since for a non-adhd person they would definitely be feeling that, BUT for the love of god go get an actual diagnosis and a prescription
The first time I took prescribed Vyvanse on the lowest starting dose, it changed my whole life 180° for the better. Best 2 years of my life. Only 2 years because toward the end it wasn’t working anymore, just headaches. Withdrawing from it was heinous suicidal depression and SO MUCH OVER-EATING. Got through it though. Still alive.
How long did the withdrawal last if you don’t mind me asking?
Oh man that’s a good question. The longest lasting thing I felt was dragging myself through life for months and years and the depression. One person even called the police to come to my house for welfare check apparently something I said gave him concern that I was going to kms 😳 and back to the overeating and then I had to over-exercise to burn off the overeating and it was torture.
But then I think if that lasted for months and years that’s just the way I always am. Was back to my normal self. And I urgently want Vyvanse to feel healthy & functional again.
I’m on GLP-1’S now to stop the overeating/over-exercising torture, but I have to pay for it out of pocket because my doctor refuses to prescribe it to me because she says I’m not overweight and I’m not diabetic but she doesn’t understand the madness and how good this medication is for me. But I would rather have Vyvanse for all the other benefits too.
Jesus, that sounds horrendous. I’m really sorry to hear that and wishing you the best for the future.
Do you think you perceived it as feeling worse after coming of it because you had just experienced feeling better while on it then?
All I know is for me at age 35 Vyvanse made me feel like a whole functioning human for the first time since childhood. Depression & overeating are documented withdrawal symptoms from Vyvanse (for nearly everyone) but maybe even worse for anyone like me because depression & overeating are already part of the fabric of my life. But such a relief those 2 years Vyvanse even took away the depression & overeating. Before Vyvanse I was 130lbs. On Vyvanse I went down to 98lbs, became a yoga teacher, earned two vocational certificates, got out of a bad marriage, ran marathons, sweet relief & freedom!
These medications also take time to settle in. You should use a correct dose for at least a few weeks to see how well a certain molecule affects you.
Get that diagnosis, talk to a doctor. The hard way is often the better way.
Effect can vary a lot. I did a tolerance test with 5 mg, and even that was mind blowing. Effect was short, but my executive dysfunction was completely fixed. I cleaned, worked out, did calls and wrote letters I had been putting off for weeks. It felt like a fantastic dopamine shower.
Then, for a long time, I went with 10 - 15 mg. Slowly working up to 50 over 6 months.
The “mind blowing” effect is really fading hard one year later, though. I’m pretty sure that it’s not really what the doctors want. They want regulation of dopamine and noradrenaline in the prefrontal cortex, which is a benefit that does not diminish over time. What gives the amazing feeling is excess dopamine in other regions of the brain, like a recreational drug, and that fades.
I personally found that Vyvanse did two things: raise my heart rate to unsafe levels, and allow me to focus easier without the ability to choose what I focused on.
Just switched to vyvanse myself after years on concerta. I’m liking it, tbh.
But it’s not a switch. The effects are subtle, and often subjective - what works well for one person won’t work as well for others.
Also, are you “undiagnosed, but suspicious-to-confident that you have it”, or are you just taking this for a spin? If you intend on exploring ongoing pharmacological support for ADHD, I cannot in good conscience encourage you to do anything but get a diagnosis and work with a licensed professional.
