Vyvanse

[Deaniec]

I'm new here and just wanted to ask for some guidance. Anyone has experience with their child taking Vyvanse for ADHD and ODD. Any strange side effects I should be worried about? This is our 3rd medication trial as Ritalin and Adderall worked for a while but then stop working.

[klarashephard]

dont put your son of doughter on that its addicting and bad

[phillycodehound in reply to klarashephard]

You are misinformed and not a doctor.

[KarenADHDWeekly Partner in reply to klarashephard]

Hello Klara,

I realize you may have some personal concerns about Vyvanse or any other medications, and that is fine. Choosing to add medication to a child's treatment plan is a very big decision and parents are looking for information they can discuss with their child's doctor. It may be that Vyvanse was not the right medication for you or your child and my hope is that you are working closely with your doctor for the best treatment plan for you or your child.

Stimulant medication when taken as prescribed is not addicting. It does not excite the pleasure centers of the brain. The medication is not "bad" but it does need to be carefully monitored to make sure the person gets the most benefit with the lowest risk of side effects.

I think you and our other readers would be interested in the National Resource Center on ADHD's information on medication management. You can find that information at bit.ly/nrcmanagingmeds.

If we can help you or any of our other friends online, please contact the NRC at [e-mail], and put in your subject line "For NRC" and we will be happy to answer your questions.

Best regards,

Karen

National resource Center on ADHD:

A Program of CHADD

[klarashephard in reply to KarenADHDWeekly]

its hard im working with chadd and brain balance but im so mixed with all this information

[KarenADHDWeekly Partner in reply to klarashephard]

Hi Klara,

I know it can be hard and there is a lot of information. You can find good information on our webpages at chadd.org/Understanding-ADH.... You can also call our health information specialists and we'd be happy to talk with you. Call us at 800-233-4050 between 1-5 pm ET, M-F.

Best regards,

Karen

The National Resource Center on ADHD: CHADD

[phillycodehound]

I take Vyvanse every day and it works great for me. My son who is also ADHD tried it and it wasn't good for him at all. He was constantly talking even to himself. Mileage will vary.

[Elijah1]

When it works, it can be very helpful. I agree with phillycodehound that you should not pay attention to the comment about it being addictive. That is not true when it is used as prescribed. A question you should ask the doctor is why the other 2 medications stopped working. That is not a common event and raises questions - outgrow the dose, not really taking the medication, there is another condition, such as anxiety or learning problems, that is present, is the ADHD diagnosis correct or the only one?

[4her]

My daughter is 11 and in 6th grade. She has been on the correct dosage of Vyvanse, 10mg, for 6 months. She's now on the honor roll. But 12 months ago was a different story. She was on Vyvanse, 20mg, failing miserably in school, wasn't eating, sleeping, and had headaches, which led to an eye twitching issue. The prescribing Dr and her ped didn't think it was the Vyvanse. I started getting suspicious so, in a moment of desperation, I called the Dr and told him I was stopping the Vyvanse 20mg and wanted to see him asap. Right away I saw a huge difference. When I saw the Dr, he realized the dosage was too high so he cut it down by 50% & put her on the 10mg pill. That was the miracle number, as I call it. Her grades in school are excellent. However, her home life is still chaotic: messy room, messy play area, very artsy and creative, and great at soccer. Just no common sense. Doesnt think twice about doing things, dirty clothes and trash everywhere. Vyvanse couldn't help in that area. She takes the pill right after breakfast. Her first meds were Adderall and Focalin. Those obviously didn't work. We medicate on school days only.

[Deaniec in reply to 4her]

Thank you. I hope to get some better results with this medication. Like you I only do school days. Keeping my fingers cross.

[jamie_in_sc]

Vyvanse has helped our 7 year old daughter a lot. She had a DNA cheek swab to determine which medicines would work well /metabolize well with her brain/body, and this was one of them.