Withdrawal From Vyvanse (Page 4)
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My son had a terrible experience on wyvance. He has phyciatic systems to include halluciations. The doctor took him off the drup cold turkey and Ihe seems to be having withdrawal systems? Is that normal?

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ADD medication can cause a B vitamin deficiency, especially vitamin B12. You can get B12 shots or take the vitamins prescribed by your doctor in capsule form. I wouldn't get it over the counter as the capsule shell is made with other additives. B12 will help restore your energy levels, neurotransmitter activity, and memory loss! I was taking ADD medication for 6 years including vyvanse and I started using B12 with the medication as I slowly weaned off of it. Its safe to use in both and will help with withdrawal. Oh yeah, drink lots of water too. Good luck! :)

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Jane - I'm going to have to respectively disagree with your assumption that Vyvanse is nearly impossible to abuse. The entire 'prodrug' argument is baseless; unfortunately that's how the big pharma companies have marketed it in order to get it into the mass market as a 'non-addictive' substitute for Adderall. As someone who is diagnosed with ADHD and struggled with a Vyvanse addiction for over a year and just 3 months ago made the decision to seek help, quit cold turkey, endure the painful withdrawals, and ultimately recover, I can vouch that it is in fact one of the most deceivingly addictive drugs you can ingest. You build a tolerance almost immediately, get hooked on the 6+ hour 'high' you experience, and then take more in order to satiate that very high. And it also is completely plausible (and common) that someone abusing a stimulant - Vyvanse included - would direct the stimulation it provides towards something more engaging such as video games. And everything else you're describing - the weight loss, hollowed face, and sleeping for a full day after staying up all night, are the same exact symptoms I experienced when I was addicted.

Anyways - needless to say this is a very scary drug. My psychiatrist pitched it to me as this wonder drug that - as Jane is alluding to - is incapable of being abused. But unfortunately that theory has been dispelled - not just by me but by a whole litany of medical professionals. There's also a reason that there are almost 365 replies on one posting around Vyvanse withdrawal. This is real.

But there's an end in sight. I was taking up to 4 to 5x the prescribed maximum dose, while still holding an investment banking job in new york (my first year out of college, I'm just a few years older than your son) and the experience was torturous. It can have such a mental, physical and emotional impact. Yet getting off of it - while certainly difficult - is possible. And the withdrawal is not comparable to opiates, coke, etc. For me - someone abusing it at the highest level imaginable - after stopping cold turkey, I had 3 days of sleep and emotional fatigue (spontaneous crying, just deep depression) followed by a week of recovery where I laid in bed, took the medication my addiction psychiatrist had prescribed me (Neurontin, which helps ease the emotional distress), and took a short medical leave off work (I didn't have to tell them why, it's actually pretty simple) with the support of my addiction specialist/psychiatrist. After about a week and a half I was starting to feel more normal, and then after 3 weeks I really was probably 80%+ back. Finally after a month I was 100%. This was 4 weeks - only one of which was really hard - that I had to endure to save my life. And 3 months later, I'm in a new job which I absolutely love, am off all medications, and feel incredibly clear.I sympathize with you and realize that this is not easy and I'm sure you feel helpless. But the first thing I'd ask - does your son's semester end soon? Does he have a summer break at all? Will he have access this summer to his frat brothers - aka Vyvanse? If not, you should look on the bottle for his psychiatrist and reach out to him/her directly and explain the situation, have them call the pharmacies and mark his name so that no one fills a prescription for him. You should do this while simultaneously sitting down with him - bring other close family members - for a real intervention, and you can honestly relay my story word by word and let him know that after a week he's going to be a lot better and it's really not as scary to stop as he thinks it is (that is the biggest inhibitor of seeking help, the idea that you can't live without it and there's no way out of the hole you've dug). Let's talk more but I wanted to clarify some things and make sure that you better understand the dynamics of the drug and how to get off of it.

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Callie, I'm so sorry to hear that. :(

I mentioned depression as a possibility because poor personal hygiene, social withdrawal, and falling grades are all signs of depression. And tbh I was a little skeptical about the addiction at first. No offense, but we get accused of being addicts a lot. There is so much bad info on ADHD meds and most people don't understand them.

If he was taking it for two years without any problem and then suddenly in the third year started abusing it, then something must have changed. Peer pressure maybe? Or academic pressure? Something in his personal life causing stress? It's really hard to say, but there is definitely something wrong and you are right to be concerned. Abusing amphetamines that way is very dangerous.

I can't really help you because this is too far beyond my experience. I am not a mother and I have never been an addict, or had to deal directly with someone who is.

My advice would be to check with your local addiction and mental health services and ask them about what you can do. Or, if you have the same doctor as your son, try making an appointment to see him and talk about it. Let him know what is going on. You could also talk to the pharmacist who fills his prescription.

For online resources, try Dr. Charles Parker's website, corepsych.com. for more info about Vyvanse in general. (I don't know if he has anything on there about addiction, I've never looked for it.)

That's all I can think of at the moment. Gotta go do that boring housework that I am trying to avoid now. Good Luck. :)

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I withdrawled from Vyvanse exactly a month ago. I have been prescribed to it since it became available on the market, 8 years ago or something. I have ADD and it helped me to focus but the side effects were horrible. On the weekends when I didnt have work or school, I would not take Vyvanse because I felt my body needed a break. When I didnt take it, I would sleep the entire weekend away. I hated my sleep patterns and all the negatives that were associated with Vyvanse. I asked my doc if I could withdrawl from Vyvanse on my upcoming vacation and he said since I was on such a low dose I could try it. I brought a few pills with me on the cruise just in case I had bad withdrawl symtoms or wanted to excessively sleep but I did not need one. When I got back from the cruise, for 3 weeks I was the happiest and healthiest I had been in years. It has been a month now, and my energy is a little down and I am having a hard time focusing. My parents were really concerned because I have a year and a half left of school before earning my degree and they think I should have waited. I am turning to natural substances such as magnesium or whatever else can help with concentration and focus and I will see how I do. If I cant find anything, I will have no choice but to get back on the meds a few times a week until I graduate college. I cant afford not to finish, I have come so far!! If anyone has suggestions on natural ADD remedies, please let me know!!! And if you have anymore questions regarding withdrawls, I would be willing to offer more advise. Thanks =)

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Jack, how do I intervene? He's at school four hours from me. Where do I start?

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He started taking Vyvanse for ADHD. His been on it for three years, with the problem beginning last year. He takes it and stays up all night, then sleeps the entire next day. Typically he runs out of his prescription half way through the month and then buys from his fraternity brothers. It is turning him into a zombie. Other times he takes it and stays up for two days straight. Instead of vyvanse helping him focus on school, he's focusing on his Xbox and NetFlix. He looks horrible. Pale, brown circles under his eyes, unkept, withdrawn and sullen. He's lost 30+ pounds in three years. He once casually remarked to me that he loves the way it makes him feel. Why do you think depression could be at the root of all this?

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Callie, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. You believe your son is addicted to Vyvanse? Did he start taking the Vyvanse because it was prescribed for ADHD, or some other medical condition? Or did he get it from someone else and start taking it on his own?

Addiction to Vyvanse, when prescribed for medical reasons and used properly, is very rare, if it happens at all. Vyvanse is a prodrug, meaning it is inactive until ingested, where digestive enzymes slowly break it up so that it can be absorbed. It has a very low abuse potential for this reason. It is possible to take more than the prescribed amount but, as it is a controlled substance, it is impossible to get any more than a one month supply at a time from the pharmacy, making it very difficult.

I also don't understand how it could be making his grades/social skills/hygiene worse, as stimulants should typically help anyone to improve their performance. Again, it depends a lot on whether or not he has ADHD, and which kind of ADHD it is. If he has ADHD then overdosing on a stimulant could possibly have the opposite effect on him than it would for most people. So instead of becoming more energetic, he would become more lethargic. If that is happening, his doctor should be able see it. But that depends on the doctor.

It may also mean that Vyvanse is just the wrong medication, or he is having a bad reaction to it. It may not be the Vyvanse at all. Something else could be causing the problems. It sounds a lot like depression, actually. I had my most severe episode of depression in my first year of college and had all the same issues.

It's not just a simple question of addiction. There are a lot of things to be considered.

As for what to do, if your son has an addiction, he has to admit to it. And there is nothing you can do until then. No matter what you do, it will not help as long as he will not admit there is a problem. But pushing the issue too much could make things worse. You might want to try a support group for family members of addicts. They should be able to give you some advice.

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Hi there - I just got over this addiction and am doing great, but you're going to need to intervene with your son. I'd love to help. {edited for privacy}

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My 21 year old son is addicted and will not admit it. I am at a loss as to how to help him. He's in college and his entire junior year has been a nightmare regarding his grades, hygiene and social skills. What do you suggest I do to get him to own up to his addiction and where do you go for help?

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Denise, your doctor should not have done that. It is never a good idea to quit "cold turkey". But he may have chosen to do it because the side effects were so severe, believing that it was better to get him off of it as fast as possible.

Whether or not withdrawal is an issue with Vyvanse, I don't know. It is for any other amphetamine, so it would make sense. But it shouldn't last too long and I don't think it will do any harm.*

*I am not a doctor or pharmacist. This is only my personal opinion.

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Debra, There is no way to know how your son will react. Each person is unique. So don't take what anyone else says to mean that it will be the same for your son.

Have you heard of Dr. Charles Parker? He wrote the book "New Medication Rules for ADHD: Brain Science and Common Sense." You should check out his website, Core Psych. I believe he also has some videos on YouTube.

Dr. Parker recommends a method called "water titration" for starting young children on Vyvanse in order to ease them into it more gradually and reduce possible side effects. You can find the instructions for it on his website (please read them carefully and consult your doctor). What you do is take the 20 mg capsule (the lowest available), break it open, and mix the contents with 4 ounces of water. It can then be stored in the fridge and given over 4 days, one ounce at a time, to provide a 5 mg dose. The dosage can then be increased in 5 mg increments up to the 20 mg.

Five years of age is very young to be starting on Vyvanse and I would be concerned too if it were my son. But the Vyvanse is probably a better choice than the Adderall, IMHO.

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Hey Gordy, you can beat this with the help of Jesus ! I was addicted to vyvanse for almost 3 years and today I am clean for almost 3 years! Turn your addiction over to God and have faith that he will deliver you and that is exactly what he will do... There is nothing that he can not do! You are still young and have a lot to look forward too in life, just know that vyvanse is only a temporary fix to happiness and Jesus is the real answer.. As soon as you start to believe that your life will only get better.. Put that stuff down at the cross and walk away from it for good today!!

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i am 18. i have been taking vyvanse since i was 15. i am horribly addicted to it and have several times tried to quit cold turkey. it starts with sweating, maybe a few motion twitches. then it becomes tremors througout the whole body. then vomitting and sickness. then hallucinations. it is impossible to quit at this point. i love the way it makes me feel. and i cant control it. get help as soon as possible if anyone you know is taking this drug.

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I'm a 24 y/o guy and was prescribed vyvanse a year and a half ago for ADHD; started out on 30mg and was slowly taken up to 70mg over 6 months. I then started to abuse the drug incrementally, going from a small amount (by breaking up the capsule and dissolving in water) to progressively a larger amount (140mg to 210mg, then up to 280mg and potentially 350mg / day). I work in investment banking in nyc and didn't know how I was ever going to stop without losing my job (and my girl). I finally accepted just how deep of a hole I was in and stopped cold turkey, went on medical leave, and took a month off to detox and recover. Fast forward two months to today and I've never been happier - I'm totally clean, haven't had an urge and am in a new job that I absolutely love. If you're in a tough situation with this nasty, addictive, drug - dont worry. You can get through this and get better. Reach out to me, seriously. I was in your situation 2 months ago. Just reply to this.

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I was prescribed vyvanse about a year ago Due to the fact I had a tendency to be impulsive and couldn't seem to focus on school work or any long term task for that matter. I started on 40mg switched up to 50 about 6 months in keep on mind I'm a 21 year old female college student at like 130 lbs. During that increase I started preparation for a fitness competition and being on vyvanse helped me remain on track especially since it so happened to be an appetite suppressant. I have never had issue with dropping weight and about 3 months into my strenuous diet and workout regiment I noticed a change in me. I was angry all the time, couldn't sleep and when I did it was never relaxing I was depressed and felt like a zombie. I've never had this feeling before and I have dieted like this many times. On top of all of that I wasn't dropping any weight which I found to be really strange considering how clean I was eating and how I was training every day. Something in me told me the vyvanse had something to do with it so I began to taper off the medication slowly. It was hard and I was nervous but I began to be able to sleep again and the weight started dropping again. I'm currently still in the process of coming completely off vyvanse and I recently had my blood work done with a naturopath to see how my body was doing. I have never had issues hormonoly before taking vyvanse but when the lab came back it said my testosterone, AND estrogen were very low and my thyroid and adrenal glands weren't functioning. My doctor felt the vyvanse strong stimulant was the cause Nd since my body was always being force to run so high that it burned out my hormones. As I said before I'm still in the process of adjusting my hormones back to normal but I'm almost 100 percent sure the cause was the vyvanse for my issues. Don't get me wrong it has it's benefits and definetly helps but I suggest to not use it unless completely nessicary and if you do be careful about how much your taking and pay attention to your body and more important the health of your mind.

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I dont know how long ago this been posted but I was doing some research on them because ive been taking them every since Freshmen year n high school now im a senior in that was a 30mg @ 1st. i wanted it bumped up more so I asked for 50mg.IDK but it makes me want to read a book,(which really isnt me),Feel happy(speak to people i dont like),dry mouth(i wake up around 10am then take it.Before i know it..... i Feel weird, cant eat! Dry Mouth ! No appetite! tired ,etc.Now 2014 senior i take 30again idk cant really feel it. What do you think sorry for the long text just had to exact because you sounded like me with your experience. :) threw it all i only like the weight loss part;) just serious feelings lol but what do you think Mg would be better for me? (just wondering) 50mg to high 30mg to low but im on 30mg right now.How do i maintain this tho

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I dont know how long ago this been posted but I was doing some research on them because ive been taking them every since Freshmen year n high school now im a senior in that was a 30mg @ 1st. i wanted it bumped up more so I asked for 50mg.IDK but it makes me want to read a book,(which really isnt me),Feel happy(speak to people i dont like),dry mouth(i wake up around 10am then take it.Before i know it..... i Feel weird, cant eat! Dry Mouth ! No appetite! tired ,etc.Now 2014 senior i take 30again idk cant really feel it. What do you think sorry for the long text just had to exact because you sounded like me with your experience. :) threw it all i only like the weight loss part;) just serious feelings lol but what do you think Mg would be better for me? (just wondering) 50mg to high 30mg to low but im on 30mg right now.

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This is very helpful. I am 24 and work full time and go to college. I have been taking vyvanse ever since its been on the market. It is amazing and sometimes a blessing but it also is a crutch. I take it during the work week for energy and focus due to ADD and it helps but I find myself needing breaks from it, it makes my heart race and makes me nervous, anxious, and different than i normally am. I worry about being on meds forever and I dont want to take ANYTHING while pregnant so I am wondering if I should stop taking within the next few months or wait til i am finished with school? I am worried I wont be able to function without it. But I think after the withdraws are over, I may have a chance to not rely on it like I always have. Please give me some advice.

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Hey jack who's email are you wanting?
I've been posting about vyvanse for a couple years on here

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Hey jack not sure who your wanting to talk to.. I've been posting on here about vyvanse recovery for a couple years now and I'm sure you have read some of my posts. My email is {edited for privacy}. Email me any time

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