Headache with VyVanse

[yaga]

Hello, I browsed the posts for this topic rather than starting new one, but didn’t find it. The search tool isn’t doesn’t narrow it down much, either. So I go...

I’m a 42, newly diagnosed F with history of depression, migraines, headaches and MCS. Starting from the first day the moments the medication kicked in, so it came headache, everywhere in my head, which lasted way past my bed time. I am also currently at home and just trying to put my life in order with simple tasks at home, So I don’t get up very early and I never did. It was always very hard and eventually I have established a routine of getting up around eight or nine and going back to sleep by midnight, sometimes sooner. It doesn’t matter how much sleep I get, my brain will not wake up by about 10 or 11 in the morning anyways. It seems as my doctor ignored it and prescribed me a medication that lasts forever, which I am not able to handle. I am not able to get up at seven in the morning or six, eat something and keep going for 11 or 12 hrs... what I need is something I could take to help me when I need to do things, When I’m ready to start my day,and what lasts for a few hours, something that would wear out for my bed time. And of course something that wouldn’t give me this horrible headache whether I eat something before taking it or not. So I took this medication only for three days and I stopped because with the headache and the lack of sleep I was exhausted and it was simply just not worth it.

Have any of you had a similar experience and what else would you recommend?

Aside from the side effects my positive experience was better ability to focus, better decisiveness, which is the biggest problem for me and following through with the tasks, which I desperately need, and for the first time in my life I felt like I could do it almost effortlessly. But the price I was paying was too high. I didn’t take it yesterday and today and I am still tired from the headache and the lack of sleep, but again trying to do anything is taking such an amount of effort and time.

[GatsbyCat]

Hello, Yaga~

I do not take Vyvanse, but I did experience headaches and dizziness from the stimulant Focalin when my dosage increased from 10mg up to 20mg. I take it with breakfast to help keep any dizziness/ nausea at bay.

At nightime, to ensure I sleep well, I take melatonin at about 3 mg. You can actually take more if you need to, as it's natural.

Maybe you can contact your doctor right away, and let them know about the exhaustion, and lack of sleep?? What dosage are you on? Maybe that needs to be adjusted?? Or, maybe try a different medication??

On, webMD it also states:

Vyvanse is the brand name for lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. It comes in both capsules and chewable tablets. It also has the stimulant amphetamine, but adds a compound called lysine. Your body has to absorb the lysine to get to the stimulant, so your dose may last up to 14 hours.

So, maybe, you need to ask for a version that is not as long lasting...

Adderall on webMD has the following remarks:

Adderall is the brand name for a mix of two stimulants called amphetamine-dextroamphetamine. It comes in a capsule full of beads that hold these medicines. A dose of the original form lasts about 4 hours in your body. The longer-acting form, called Adderall XR, can last 8 to 12 hours. This is because half the beads are fast-acting, and the others are slow-acting.

It sounds like you did have some positive effects-

"my positive experience was better ability to focus, better decisiveness, which is the biggest problem for me and following through with the tasks, which I desperately need, and for the first time in my life I felt like I could do it almost effortlessly"

Here's a couple of links that might help out:

webmd.com/add-adhd/vyvanse-...

I hope this helps you out some. Best wishes on your journey!!

[ace195011 in reply to GatsbyCat]

Hey GatsbyCat,

I have been taking Vyvanse for some time, for several years, how much water are you drinking? I found out by reading the ADHD drugs, like Adderall and Vyvanse require you drink more H2O....

Scott

[GatsbyCat in reply to ace195011]

Hello ace195011

I did not know that more water helped with ADHD medication. Interesting..

I do drink more water actually, because every day I try to do pilates and eliptical probably both combined about 1 1/2 hours. Try to drink 8oz times 8 times a day.. so I guess it is a lot.

Thanks for info.

[sta3wa]

Yes I too actually got a terrible head ache with the onset of taking vyvanse - like a pressure headache at my temples that pretty much lasted the entire dose ( I started at 10 mg and have increased bow slowly to 30) I thought the headaches would increase with the dosage and they did last about a week or so before they slowly diminished and now I don’t have any headache symptoms at all. I read from my research into the topic that it could be the way your body processes the drug - some people who have history of headaches or a bad reaction to vyvanse and headache actually do better on methylphenidate ( Ritalin) from the case studies I read about. So could be the way you process it or the dosage maybe taking some time to adjust with your body.