I'm new here. I'm 46 and was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD recently. I was prescribed Elvanse (Vyvanse) 30 mg which is helping ever so slightly but not enough so I am going up to 50mg. The psychiatrist advised me not to drink alcohol but has said it would be OK from time to time. Obviously with Christmas coming up I have a few nights out planned and may like to drink. Is anyone else on Elvanse and drinks while they are on it? If so how does it make you feel at the time/afterwards compared to when you drank alcohol before being on it? Also if you do drink do you skip your meds and if so do you skip it the day you are drinking or the day afterwards or both? I am trying to weigh up whether or it's worth it or not. I'm also trying to gauge whether it will be a case of only being able to have a few drinks or quite a lot. I don't generally drink that much day to day bit when I go out with friends (which isn't actually that often) I do sometimes drink quite a lot
I hope I am making sense. Thanks for reading my waffly message.
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Chick1976
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49. I am on 30mg of vyvanse and take it every other day. I just spent the last year drinking alot. Pretty much everyday. I can't say it bothered me at all. If the drug is taken in the morning it wears off by the evening. I found no difference in the effects of drinking before I started taking vyvanse 3 years ago. You should be fine.
Hi. I think having more than a couple of drinks while on Vyvanse isn't a great idea. Effects of alcohol will be magnified. I recommend testing how you feel after a drink or 2 at home 1st, so you'll know what to expect. I'm very sensitive and only on 20 mgs Vyvanse + 150 mgs Wellbutrin XL, and just 1 drink felt like more. I was dizzy and tipsy and glad that I didn't have to drive home.
I haven’t had much problem drinking on stimulants before but usually I will skip the day of if I know I’m going to be drinking more than 2 drinks, mostly because the adhd medication will make you more sober than you think (learned that the hard way) so it takes away from the feeling. I take my meds as needed so skipping isn’t an issue for me, but it’s something to talk about with your doctor!
If anything, just make sure you stay EXTRA hydrated because stimulants dehydrate you so mix that with alcohol = bad hangovers. For that reason I usually skip the day after just because I know the medication won’t be as effective anyways and I’d rather focus on hydrating my body after a night out. As always, talk to your doctor about any concerns, but coming from someone who was sooo anxious my first time after reading all these warnings- you will be okay. Staying hydrated is no joke though!
Thanks for your reply. I'm guessing that you mean the ADHD medication will make you more drunk than you think??!!
So just to clarify do do you skip the day you are drinking and the day afterwards? Sorry to ask. I find that if things aren't clear in my mind/I don't quite understand something I have to ask until they are. I don't know if this is a trait of ADHD, either way it is very annoying and I think it must drive other people mad!! When you do skip it does it make your ADHD symptoms wore?
Stimulants will counter act the alcohol (since it’s a depressant), so you will *feel* more sober, but physically get more drunk yes. This is why it can be dangerous to mix since you might drink more than you normally would to chase that drunk feeling. Also that is totally okay! Clarification is always good Yes I would personally skip the day of drinking and the day after to take care of your body for hydration purposes. Because stimulants also make your muscles tense it’s important to stay hydrated regardless. My jaw will get really sore from the tightness so I’ll take magnesium to help with that too.
Adhd medication can be a hit or miss with socializing too, sometimes it makes me a zombie that doesn’t want to talk to anyone and sometimes I’ll have the best discussion with someone and feel like I actually can concentrate and understand someone, in which I find I don’t have to rely on alcohol to ”loosen up” so to speak.
As for ADHD symptoms, it depends really on what you need it for. For me, I skip weekends because I need it to concentrate on work during the weekdays. Of course I’ll still be fidgety and talk a lot etc. but it comes out the worst at work. I’m not doing anything super productive over the weekends so I don’t need it then. I’ve been using medication for about two years now and found I don’t rely on it as much anymore. This also helps keep my tolerance low enough that I don’t have to keep increasing the doses. It was definitely a savior at the beginning, but I don’t want to have to rely on it for the rest of my life. And of course everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.
I hope that helps!! I’m excited for you to start this journey!
I’m on methylphenidate and drink sometimes a little sometimes a lot. The first time on meds I knew I was going g to be drinking a lot I skipped my meds as was really nervous about how I’d be (Mia my as u was going out and travelling back quite a distance alone). But since then I take my meds and whe I have had a bit too much to drink all has been fine (although the usual risk of too much booze remain of course but I don’t find my meds make any difference positive or negative)
I'm on 50mg of Vyvanse. I feel a bit weird on it if I have more than a couple beers. A little extra drowsy, cranky, anxious, is what I mean by weird. Honestly though, I think the more important question is do you take any other meds too. I'm ADHD inattentive type as well but have anxiety and depression also, so if you take other meds, just don't drink more than one or two in a night and you'll be fine. If you only take Vyvanse though, just skip it that day and don't take in the morning after until you're feeling back to normal.
Hi Chick, thought I would throw my experience of Elvanse and alcohol out there. Probably around the time I was on 30mg I hadn't drank alcohol for 8months and wasn't interested in drinking. By the time I had titrated to 70mg, family celebration were taking place and I predicted there would be an expectation of joining in. I tried a beer at home and did not enjoy the experience, I felt really hot, I was just agitated by alcohol so didn't touch it for months. I have been able to have a couple of drinks since then with work colleagues, in the evening after a full on day if work. I would consider trialing alcohol at home first to see if the impact for you. My 19year old nephew is first year at uni and drinks just like many students with no issues and he is on 70mg too. Buy I'm guessing your the same age as me so maybe age is something to factor in when considering the effects of alcohol and drug use 🤔
Why are you taking ADHD meds? Help with brain function? What does alcohol do to your brain? Does it help with brain function? Of course not! So why do you have to drink? You must not really care about your brain! YOur problem is you just care about now! You will probably living for many more years. Do you think drinking will help your brain function better in the next 10-30 years? It will probably increase your probability of Dementia and Alzheimers. That is scary but you probably did not think of the real effects of your choices. But, when you have Alzheimers you won't even remember drinking.
Get Real! If you care about your brain health, Chicky
I imagine your comment comes from a place of concern, but it's expression is not one of kindness. Members of this forum are asked to speak kindly to one another, especially in disagreement.
The original question refers to a very common concern and we can see several of our other forum members are offering answers based on their experiences. The OP has said she has talked with her doctor and I am sure there ae other conversation that we are not and should not be privy to.
Alcohol use is a common cultural experiences, and yes, there have been numerous studies on its affect on the brain. But to accuse someone of "not caring" about their brain, their health, and their well-being is unkind and outside the bounds of the discussions we encourage here. Please refrain from such comments now and in the future.
To all who are reading this: Members who repeatedly engage in unkind and hassling behavior after a warning are Restricted and unable to post again. Those who have been on this forum for a long time know I don't hesitate to Restrict anyone who violates the TOS or is unkind/hostile to fellow forum members.
I apologize to all, I did not mean to be unkind. I have a hard time understanding why when someone has a bad reaction to drinking alcohol, why they want to still drink.
Hi. While I can't speak to Vyvanse, I'm currently on 25 mg of Adderall XR and hope to up my dosage soon too, so it seems like I'm in a similar spot, where it helps but leaves some to be desired. I don't tend to drink much during the week, but when I do, since I take my meds early, around 7 before work, they're more or less worn off by the time I'll be doing any drinking, so I haven't had any issues. My fiancee and I recently hosted a pretty large party we'd been planning for some time, and I took it first thing in the morning so I'd be sharp when setting up, and again, it was mostly out of my system by the time the party really got going. If there's a weekend day where I know I'll be drinking early on and going for most of the day, i.e., the football tailgate I attended this past weekend, I just won't take it that day, and one day off doesn't seem to impact me much in the long term. hope that helps.
Medications help but do not CURE. I have inattentive type also and cannot take any stimulant s due to a cardiac issue. And the NON stimulants do not help at all. I self medicate with High CBD Cannabis which for me is much much better than non stimulant medication . Consulted with a pharmacist before starting th e Cannabis tincture two to three times a day
I was on Elvanse for 6 months and found that alcohol made the symptoms of being over-the-top even more so. The exaggerated self, of which I can sometimes suffer socially, became impossible to control so, more hyper, more impulsive, more intense, more regret! Moderate if possible and it also seems fine to miss the meds on the days you know you would like to indulge a little. As the medication is not physiologically accumulative it is only in the system when take it and out when you don't so, brief abstinence can help to avoid the all-too-much dangers when mixed with alcohol in my experience. Good luck : )
If I’m going to drink alcohol to excess…ie party/celebration I won’t take Elvanse the day after. If I have it makes me feel really jittery. Elvanse does something to alcohol that is dangerous and puts pressure added pressure on the liver….you’ll have to look this up.
Interestingly since taking Elvanse I don’t crave alcohol like I used to. This to me is further evidence that I have adhd and I was self medicating because I wanted to drink all the time! I used to drink a lot. Now I drink once a week/10 days and only want a couple rather than a whole bottle of wine or several pints of beer!
It is not only medications that can impact how alcohol affects a person. How much food a person has eaten, if if they are tired or well rested. How alcohol affects a person can change from one time to another. Alcohol is a drug. It is always best to find out how you will probably be affected at a time when others are not around. I do not mean you need to be alone. I mean it would be best to see how you react when you are not at a celebration or event with a lot of other people. In other words, do a trial run. It can be helpful to have a spouse or close friend with you during this time. Sometimes we are not fully aware how drugs can affect our behavior..
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Yes I would personally skip the day of drinking and the day after to take care of your body for hydration purposes. Because stimulants also make your muscles tense it’s important to stay hydrated regardless. My jaw will get really sore from the tightness so I’ll take magnesium to help with that too.
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