Just Started Vyvanse - Your Experiences?

LBob Svargis on 13/10/2023 - 12:53
Last edited 13/10/2023 - 12:54

Having dealt with focus, distraction and poor strategic execution in my career for basically my whole life, and school before that, I've had several months of psychological help to provide strategies for dealing with brain fog, followed by an ADD diagnosis by a psychiatrist. I've been trying various strategies for dealing with procrastination, inability to finish things, poor attention span and so on since I was a child. I used to get away with it at school because it wasn't really a thing back then, and I don't have the hyperactivity side, so I was just nerdy at school and flew under the radar.

Even though I knew I had the symptoms, I didn't really want to look to a psychiatrist for help until recently where both of my teenage sons were diagnosed by separate psychs and have seen great improvements in their mental clarity, focus and school/university work.

I just started today on 20mg per day and I am aware that the first week will see a bit of a peak, after which it's supposed to settle down. My brother, who is also on Vyvanse and has been for a long time (must run in the family) basically told me the same.

Right now it's 4 hours since I took it and I'm feeling really good. A bit of tingling but I've been way more productive than normal. OK I've had a few distractions (such as OzB) but nowhere near as many as usual. I've even dived in to take a look at some strategic matters I need to deal with at work - normally I'd just get anxious about those matters and put them off, then go down an online rabbit-hole. But I'm actually attempting to deal with them today.

I can't explain how my mind feels more focused than I can ever remember. I'm wondering if this is how "normal" people feel.

Would be interested in hearing about others experience with Vyvanse. I don't plan on taking them on the weekend - reason being, I demo coffee machines on weekends in stores and the psych has warned me off caffeine for the first month. Plus, I wanted to give my brain a bit of a rest on the weekends too.

Tips, hints, experiences welcome.

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Comments

  • monky on 13/10/2023 - 12:57
    +1

    I would recommend sativa

  • owli on 13/10/2023 - 13:31
    -6

    Society cannot keep the lid on the bubbling cauldron that is filled with it's desire for stimulants.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 13/10/2023 - 14:06
      +3

      Right……thanks Flanders.

      • TheRealCher on 13/10/2023 - 22:11

        Okely smokely

      • owli on 14/10/2023 - 10:15
        +1

        I am like OP. Flew under the radar at school, trouble focusing, driven by distraction.

        When I told a psych my issues and got my med's I was like a supercomputer robot. I quit my current job and my income quadrupled within 3 years.
        These are useful drugs. But let's not kid ourselves, they are performance enhancing stims.
        If you are in a highly competitive career and you want to rise to the top you would have to be mentally challenged to not get your hands on some.

  • bdl on 13/10/2023 - 14:18
    +1

    I don't plan on taking them on the weekend - reason being, I demo coffee machines on weekends in stores and the psych has warned me off caffeine for the first month. Plus, I wanted to give my brain a bit of a rest on the weekends too.

    Wouldn't it be better to stay on the Vyvanse over the weekend and skip the coffee demos for a month? So your brain can get used to the Vyvanse?

    • AustriaBargain on 13/10/2023 - 14:38

      Or just use decaf beans.

    • deme on 13/10/2023 - 15:08
      +3

      It's meth, best to take a break when you can.

      • Bob Svargis on 13/10/2023 - 15:36

        Good advice and yes I'm very mindful of not pushing it, doc was very up front about the dangers and controls around this medication.

    • Bob Svargis on 13/10/2023 - 15:33
      +1

      Good idea, but doc suggested giving the brain/body a break on the weekend anyway, so that works.

      • bdl on 13/10/2023 - 16:16
        +1

        All good, hope it goes well for you

  • jjjaar on 13/10/2023 - 16:42
    +1

    Plus, I wanted to give my brain a bit of a rest on the weekends too.

    That’s how I initially thought about it. Then someone reminded me that my life’s purpose is not to just be efficient at work, for someone else.

    I struggle more with organising the house and getting personal tasks done so now I take a day or two break during the work week to do and take my meds on weekends to help sort myself out. Or, when I work from home, I work a longer day and take breaks from my job to get personal tasks done throughout the day. That way the meds work for both.

    I get that for you it’s to avoid the mix with caffeine, and it’s probably the right approach at the start, but many people do take their meds and have caffeine and are fine, so if you’re willing to test that once you’re more settled into your dose.

    normally I'd just get anxious about those matters and put them off, then go down an online rabbit-hole. But I'm actually attempting to deal with them today.

    Task initiation is one of my biggest barriers too, and I have the same experience. I can begin some things and see how I go, rather than just pushing them to future me to deal with. It’s great to hear you’re already having a positive experience!

    Oh, and the term ADD is no longer used, it’s now ADHD which encompasses all three diagnoses.

    • Bob Svargis on 13/10/2023 - 19:48
      +1

      Thanks for the feedback. I like how you've adjusted it to suit your needs. I could probably do the same once I'm settled in. I work from home 3 days a week.

      The intention is to get back into coffee once I settle in. My sons have different psychs and they weren't warned about caffeine, but I suspect the doc is just being cautious due to my age.

      Yep so far it's been positive but I'm only 1 day in. My job has a mix of strategic and operational aspects and I was struggling with the strategic aspects. Whilst there's no miracles taking place, I've at least had a go at the less "instant gratification" tasks today, so I hope I'm off to a good start.

      Thanks for the clarification re: the term. Could have been the psych's accent as his sessions have all been over Zoom so far and he's a little hard to understand at times. He did say that I don't have the hyperactivity traits so perhaps that why I heard it as "ADD" instead of "ADHD"… Thanks for the feedback/experiences.

      • TheRealCher on 14/10/2023 - 13:46
        +1

        So the way that's talked about as inattentiveness…even though it's not a great descriptor lol. It just means you have difficulties focusing on tasks because your brain works on different rewards. There are many things you can pay attention to, which I'm sure is why yr good at yr job and raising yr kids.
        Funny how language impacts our understanding of things too.

  • TheRealCher on 13/10/2023 - 22:13
    +1

    Am waiting for my diagnosis. Nobody told me it would impact my caffeine intake… raises fist at the sky this is why we can't have nice things
    Seriously though really glad you got diagnosed and have clarity and focus …I'm exhausted by my brain exhausting itself

    • Bob Svargis on 14/10/2023 - 08:50
      +1

      Perhaps my doc was being extra safety conscious due to me being middle-aged. Others I know who are on these types of meds weren't told to avoid caffeine, although caution is advised I would have thought, as you're basically adding another stimulant. Good luck!

      • TheRealCher on 14/10/2023 - 10:57
        +1

        Once did an experiment with one of my classes where I chugged a red bull for breakfast and asked them to observe. They said I was much more linear than normal and though my teaching made a little more sense, it was duller lol. It would be interesting to know how caffeine typically works with ADHD brains and then with medication.
        Good luck to you….kepp us updated

  • Lunarboogie on 16/10/2023 - 15:22
    +1

    ADD tends to be hereditary, so it is not a surprise that you and your family are affected.

    My 12-year old son has been on vyvanse since June. He is doing a lot better on it than he was when he took ritalin which really slammed him. It screwed with his mind and took away his appetite so he was bone thin in the 18-months he was on it. Vyvanse seems more mild and doesn't affect his eating - thankfully he has put all his weight back on and more.

    Good luck.

  • Bob Svargis on 30/10/2023 - 11:17
    +1

    OK so I'm now 2 weeks in and this is what I've noticed:
    - Get a bit of tingling in the face for about 15 minutes an hour after taking it (wasn't expecting that!)
    - Don't really need caffeine since Vyvanse is a stimulant after all
    - I'm finding that I'm able to work longer hours without massive fatigue. I have always preferred an early start and did the hard tasks in the morning before the mind-wandering phase which was mostly in the afternoon
    - Generally improved focus and better ability to finish the final 5% of tasks that I would always avoid in the past
    - Slight appetite suppression at lunchtime/during the day, which tails off in the late afternoon as the medication wears off.
    - I still have distraction issues but they aren't as prevalent as before - I'm able to focus longer before my mind wanders.
    - No sleep issues (I take 5mg Melatonin about a half hour before bed)
    - Definitely drinking much more water - I was warned it would give a dry mouth feel and it sure has. I probably wasn't drinking enough water previously so that's not bad.
    - As far as work days went, I had 1, maybe 2 days where they were just really off days and nothing helped, but I had 10 good ones. That's pretty good in my book. I've seen a few videos about adults and ADHD with Vyvanse and the general consensus I've formed from those videos is that it's a pretty normal thing - sometimes you just have "off days" and there's not much you can do about it.

    I still have decades of poor workflow and organising skills I need to undo, but I feel at this point that I am now better equipped to be able to handle that.
    I miss coffee on weekdays but not for the stimulation, just the taste and the habit. My espresso-machine Brand Ambassador side job on weekends means that I get my coffee fix on the weekend, sans-medication.

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