Submitted by Solitarycyclist on 08/26/2011.
I am a 58 year old male and was diagnosed with ADHD about 14 months ago. Before being diagnosed with ADHD I regularly exercised, took fish oil, and I have been on an anti-depressant for several years that really allowed me to sleep well for the first time in my life. I have tried: Vyvanse, Concerta, and Stratera. I tried each one for several weeks. All 3 made me feel awful physically. I felt tired all the time and just felt "yucky." I also did not notice any help with my distracted mind. With my marriage of 33 years on the brink of failure--yes, my non-ADHD wife has put up with me for 33 years--she is great but about out of patience--I plan to try meds again. Do you have any suggestions?
My husband felt bad
Submitted by SherriW13 on
My husband felt bad physically on the Concerta because he said it didn't feel like it's release was steady and he would get spurts throughout the day that made him feel bad. He slept a lot more on it too. The vyvanse doesn't seem to make him feel bad physically, but makes him hostile and aggressive. (not physically..just mean with his words)
Maybe adjust the dosage? Lower? Maybe try briskly walking in the mornings...so many ADHDers swear by this as absolutely necessary.
Are you addressing the specific issues that are pushing your wife away with the help of a professional? Medications do not 'fix' ADHD.
Meds
Submitted by ADHDMomof2 on
I also have been on Vyvanse, Strattera, and Concerta, as well as Wellbutrin, Ritalin, and Adderall. Adderall is my current medication, and for me, is the clear winner. I went on Web MD's medication user review section and went through all the meds under the ADHD heading. Adderall had the highest rating by users. I will tell you that Adderall is the only such med to make me tired *BUT* this side effect disappeared in a few weeks time. Plus, I think I had gotten used to feeling wired from Concerta, but I rebounded horribly (late afternoon snap attacks cued me in to my meds wearing off). I highly recommend reading the reviews of each drug you are considering, but just remember that everyone is different in their response.
Good luck!
Since Vyvanse is just an XR
Submitted by SherriW13 on
Since Vyvanse is just an XR version of Adderall, I wonder why it didn't work as well as just the plain old adderall? What specifically about Vyvanse didn't work for you as opposed to the Adderall? (didn't help with focus/concentration, side effects were too much, made you too sleepy, irritable?)
Re: Reply to Comment
Submitted by ADHDMomof2 on
I'm not sure, Sherri. My doctor has told me there shouldn't much of a difference for patients, but that, for example, some of his patients swear by the generic version of Adderall, and others are equally passionate about the brand name. I know that Vyvanse is basically the same thing. I understand that the coatings in Adderall XR vs. the generic are slightly different and break down differently. I don't know if these manufacturing differences could explain it, and whether there are also some differences between the manufacturing of Adderall XR and Vyvanse. Who knows? I was so used to being wired on Concerta, that maybe that's what I expected for my medication norm. I might have concluded prematurely that it didn't work, because I didn't "feel anything." Sorry for the non-answer!
@ Sherri - Vyvanse
Submitted by YYZ on
I tried it too, but it was so slow to start up and did not make it through the day for me. I never really felt like it was doing much for me. The plain-Jane generic Adderall let's me tailor it for the day ahead of me. I base the dosage on the hours of productivity required. Basically an Adderall per hour ratio. My weekdays start at 4:45am and I don't get home until 6:30, if everything goes perfect. So 20mg first thing in the am, 20mg at 10:30am and usually 10mg around 3pm, sometimes I take the full 20mg at 3pm if I need to push through a project.
Adderall makes people sleepy??? I have never had that affect, I can get a little irratable sometimes, but I think it is a normal irritable for people as opposed to just being "Laid-Back" like the old days. Usually if I'm really working of something and I feel some outside force or person is wasting my "Invaluable Time" will get me irritated in a hurry. I never had time awareness before and now I am Hyper-Aware of how little time I do have. I'm still adjusting, because I used to be SO bad at it and I don't want this old perception to continue about me. Perception is a Bit@% to change ;)
YYZ
thanks guys! This gives me a
Submitted by SherriW13 on
thanks guys! This gives me a little more hope that we still have a lot of 'wiggle room' with the meds. I figured if the Vyvanse didn't work then adderall wouldn't either. Vyvanse is specially formulated to avoid abuse by not becoming 'active' until in the digestive tract. Also, with my husband's history of addiction/abuse of everything from booze to Advil and beyond sometimes, I think an XR is best for him as opposed to trying to manage to take 3-4, or more, pills a day. I hope the Vyvanse is working for him...and doesn't make him a jerk. His yelling "SHUT UP" and hanging up on me the other night pretty much indicates otherwise.