anyone's child on vyvanse?

Juliet - posted on 06/07/2013

Well today I started my son on vyvanse and he did not stop talking the entire day he also was very emotional and his mood drastically changed when the meds wore off. He became very irritable. My son is only four, and befor you tell me that he is too young you have to understand that my son was a tortured soul. He can not focus on anything for more then a couple seconds. He is very smart and is not reaching his potential because of this. I was confronted about this issue by his school last September and I chose to give him some time to adjust to a classroom environment. Now after several functions where my son was the only child out of 30+children who was up running back and forth in front of an audience of parents who are all looking at me as if to say that I don't know how to discipline my child. I tried several behavior modification techniques befor resorting to medication. And when we decided that it was time to take that step I consulted three doctors. Our family doctor, at neurologist, and a psychiatrist. So is there anyone who could help me to not freak out about this? Is this normal? Does anyone out there have a child this young on a medication like this?

Jennifer - posted on 02/22/2013

I just started my daughter on Vyvanse this week. So far so good. But did any of your kids get a little upset finding out they had ADD/ADHD? my child is upset and says she feels left out? I told her she's still the same person she was before we found out. I think once she gets used to it, things will be back to normal.

Lanieca - posted on 02/19/2013

My son is also on vyvanse. In the beginning I did notice the same, but it was more so an irritability...His doc prescribed intuniv to take at night and it helped a lot! He is now back to normal and it took maybe 2 full months for his body to adjust to it all...you really just have to give it some time. GOOD LUCK

Nancy - posted on 01/16/2013

My 9 year old started 20 mg of Vyvanse last summer and it works miracles for her. She was chubby when she started and we immediately saw a decrease in appetite and loss of weight. However, she shot up height wise and her body is more similar to her tall, thin older sisters now. Her dosage is very low but works long enough to help her stay calm at school. I'm not convinced that she is hyper, I really think she has tourettes which is contraindicated with Vyvanse so I'm not sure why her tics are stopped by the meds. She is completely herself again by the end of the school day. I started her (and her sisters) on a gluten free diet about 2 weeks ago but have not seen any improvement yet. I've been gluten free for several months because of stomach issues. She does not have mood changes.

Cbob - posted on 10/01/2012

Have any of you tried a Vyvanse? I'm 30yrs old and have taken them for a while now (prescribed) and all i have to say is, i would never let my 5 yr old take it. You may as well let them do rails off your bathroom counter. Of course your child is grumpy as he/she comes off their meds, or can't sleep at night.... just like any other crackhead. I find it amazing that anyone would allow their child to take a med like that without taking one them-selves first to see what it does. I'd bet that most dr's have no idea what the drug actually does to you. Next time your child is about 3 hours deep into the meds, reach down and feel his/her heart beat, and try to convince your-self that the drug won't have long term damaging affects to their body. And if you are sitting back thinking "what a drug addict" well than so is your five yr old....

Jacqueline - posted on 09/26/2012

To Deb - regarding Omega 3's - I have recently starting giving my son something called coromega. It is orange flavored, and comes in little packets. They're actually sort of tasty! I haven't seen results yet, but we've only been using them for a couple of weeks now. My son has been on Vyvanse for 6 years; he is now 11. It took about 5 years, but he's regained all of his starting weight (he lost about 15 lbs.) and is now even getting a tad chubby. All that said, I'm trying to have him come off the medication because I worry about his overall growth; he's quite short for his age. So far being off the meds has been a nightmare, but I'm hoping that will change within a couple of weeks.

LeeAnn - posted on 06/15/2012

my son ayden (5 1/2years old) was recently diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type, and immediately started vyvanse 20mg once a day, and was on it for 35 days and started having anger issues as well as super sensitive emotions, from about the 2nd week into it. we did see much improvement with his attentiveness and a few other issues though, We actually had a follow up this afternoon with his peditrician and all came to the conclusion that vyvanse was not the right medication for him. we ellected to take a step out of the stimulant/narcotic medications and are about to start INTUNIV tomorrow which is a nonstimulant. i wish you the best of luck and remember every child can react differently to a medication!! good luck!

Kellie - posted on 06/13/2012

I have also tried omega 3 (fish oils) but cannot get my son to commit to it for any period of time. Very frustrating.

Kellie - posted on 06/13/2012

I have this same problem with my 9 year old son. The problem is that he does not function at school without it. I am now trying lesser doses to see if this helps.

Deb - posted on 02/01/2009

I know a lot of people have had luck with Omega 3's but what do you do if you can't get you child to swallow pills? I tried the gummy drops they make for kids in the health food store and I can't even chew one they are so bad! any suggestions?

Deb - posted on 02/01/2009

My 8 year old did aweful on this drug. He was sooo angry we stopped it right away. We just tried Focalin. It has the benefits of Ridalin without all of the side effects. He seems to be doing much better. Good Luck!

Sue - posted on 01/31/2009

My son has tried the Omega 3 along with his ADHD meds, and they seem to have to effect on him. One of the MD's I work with did have good results, she has taken her son off meds because he did so well on Omega's. Worth a try, they have little packets like yogert almost, as well as a few flavors. Good Luck

Katina - posted on 01/31/2009

Quoting Christina:

When jacob was first put on the vyvance it was not a problem,but by the time we went back for the 2 week review jacob had a problem not being able to sleep.He was actually up till 2 or 3 in the morning.At the review he was then put on the low dose straterra,i have tried to go with-out it over x-mas vacation and he had the same problem. I do not like using two different drugs,but it is the only thing that is working for us at the moment.I am going to ask the doc. about using natural means like omega 3.My friend has switched her daughter to the use of NONI JUICE.She has wonderful results to it.I thought about that to.I think i will try it over the summer when school is out.

We give my son a low does of Melatonin.  It's a natural thing in your body anyway so it's not really a "drug".  If I give it to him about an hour before bedtime, he's able to wind down and go to sleep.  He's been on the Vyvanse for about a year now. 

Sue - posted on 01/31/2009

My son has been on vyvanse for a while, he does not have any issues on this medication. We have tried Addreall, Ritilin, Focalin, Daytrana and I think one more. Daytrana did well for us for about a year. My only issue with my son is that he never wants to eat. He will be 8 in March and has weighted 50 lbs for years. We are up to 55 but it is hard for him to gain weight. Any suggestions on weight gain?

Rene - posted on 01/31/2009

My daughtere is 9 and weighs 58 lbs. We struggle to get her past 60. But the Vyvanse works and we have tried many other meds. She takes 70mg at around 730am. She Does not eat alot but she will drink Carnation Breakfast. We make a shake out of it and that helps during the day with the lack of appetite. We do weight checks every month to make sure that she does not loose any more. The ped also said to load her up on Carbs, and that has seem to help.

Misty - posted on 01/31/2009

YES and it's WONDERFUL! My little girl dose really well on it

Stacee - posted on 01/25/2009

My son was on Focalin for a year and a half- it worked great but has a pretty low dosage limit and we found my son couldn't get over 62 pounds in weight at age 11. He is very athletic and wants to do track so we had to find something that would increase his appetite. It's such a catch 23 with all of the meds- some cause weight loss, some cause weight gain. some cause depression, some cause loss of personality- it boils down to what is the lesser of the evils you're willing to accept. Never give up- you childs perfect med is around he corner you just have to find it.

Deb - posted on 01/25/2009

My son did not do well at all of this med, it made him extreemly aggressive and defiant. As if that wastn't one of the issues! Our new pediatrician wouldn't have chosen that drug, he told us he hasn't had much luck with it. We just started Focalin. So far so good.....

Stacee - posted on 01/24/2009

Been there- with all of you. My son has been on countless meds. It takes alot of time and care from both parent and practitioner. After 3 years we have found a med we could live with. We tried Vyvanese but the weight issues were too much for my son, so I let go of my distaste for Straterra and the results have been great. Every child is different and only a parent knows what is right. Just be patient- with a little trial and error you will find the right one, but as a nurse- i would say you must give a med a month to really tell the effects. I'm glad I didn't listen to all those who said my son's problem was his mother's inability to discipline!!

Francine - posted on 01/24/2009

Hi Beth. You are your child's mother and you know her better than anyone. If your maternal instinct tells you that something isn't right then you need to listen to that inner voice. We (my son and I) struggled severely when he first went on meds (6 years ago) and I knew in my heart of hearts something wasn't "right." I finally took my child to a neurologist who was able to find what the pediatrician and psychiatrist were unable to detect...depression/mood disorder. I'm certainly not suggesting that your daughter suffers from depression but I am suggesting that I hope you challenge her doctor and ask to try something else. My doctors tried to tell me that my struggle with my son was a discipline issue. I'm glad I listened to my inner voice!!!

Christina - posted on 01/24/2009

When jacob was first put on the vyvance it was not a problem,but by the time we went back for the 2 week review jacob had a problem not being able to sleep.He was actually up till 2 or 3 in the morning.At the review he was then put on the low dose straterra,i have tried to go with-out it over x-mas vacation and he had the same problem. I do not like using two different drugs,but it is the only thing that is working for us at the moment.I am going to ask the doc. about using natural means like omega 3.My friend has switched her daughter to the use of NONI JUICE.She has wonderful results to it.I thought about that to.I think i will try it over the summer when school is out.

Chelle - posted on 01/24/2009

Quoting Tracey:

My son has been on every ADHD drug there is out there and he was switched to Vyvanse about a year ago and this is the BEST one out there.  My son is on 70mg he is 15 and weighs 107 lbs.  Any drug you put you child on that is on ADHD meds will have weight problems.  This is the side effect of the drug that makes them not want to eat.  As far as the mood swings in the morning and at night (nothing is going to cure it)  This is who your child is and you learn to cope with it.

I agree w/everything you said Tracey.  My son who is 11 has been on alot of different ADHD meds as well, when we started Vyvanse, it was a most noticable overnight change.  Since I help his teacher, she asked me, what did i do different.  So much more focused, able to complete tasks etc.  Teacher can also tell when he did not take his meds a 'rubber bouncy ball' all over class.

Jennie - posted on 01/23/2009

i find that bedtime is a struggle for us too.. he has daily melt downs and some major mood swings at the end of the days but the med is working great otherwise.. we are starting to have some issues with sleep and the mornings are bad but i hate to give him anymore meds.. we are going to indianapolis in march to see a psychologist.. hopefully we can get some help from them.. he's not been on any other meds but Vyvanse..

Rana - posted on 01/23/2009

My son is 8 yr old he has a strange case of ADD. We tried tons of different meds this is the only that even worked with him. I have 2 other boys with adhd. So they feed off each other. Vyvanse has been good from the start. The am and pm is hard to deal with. Bed time is a nightmare.

Jen - posted on 01/22/2009

Fortunately, there was one medicine (it was the first one), that caused her to not sleep. The medicine caused her to be mad, and angry . I can't remember the name off the top of my head. I know it was a stimulant. We only stayed on that for 4 days. We have not come across this again. He prescribes non stimulants now. The Focalin seems to be our solution for now.... KNOCK ON WOOD!

Krissy - posted on 01/22/2009

have you been giving him the strattera all this time? Have you tried not giving it to him to see if he can sleep on his own. Jeremy's sleeplessness went away on it's own after a week

Christina - posted on 01/22/2009

My son has been on that medicine since this past summer.I was having problems at home trying to get him to focus and study homework,but everything else was wearing off by the time he was getting home from school(not good!) The vyvance stays with him 12 hours,so i give it to him at 6:30 and he is good for me when he needs to do homework.Jacob did have a problem with not being able to sleep so he also takes a low dose of strattera.It is a non-stimulant and it helps him sleep at night. I try to give it to him by 6:00. Bedtime is at 8:30 and he sleeps well and gets up with-out a fight. I have no complaints about  the med. good luck with it

Jen - posted on 01/22/2009

Every medicine does work different for each child. That's why it's hard to judge the medicine. My daughter went from a size 14 girls to a size 8 (really a 7, but the pants were too short). As parents, we just have to monitor the side effects and do what we think is best.

Renee - posted on 01/22/2009

Quoting Jen:

We were on Vyvanse from middle of March 2008 to August 2008.... My daughter continued to lose weight the entire time. We tried everything to get her eat. NOTHING...... We finally just had to change her meds.

Sorry to hear that, perhaps it's different with each child, ours worked to our advantage...

Jen - posted on 01/22/2009

We were on Vyvanse from middle of March 2008 to August 2008.... My daughter continued to lose weight the entire time. We tried everything to get her eat. NOTHING...... We finally just had to change her meds.

Renee - posted on 01/22/2009

Not sure if it will pertain to your son, but my son't weight loss slowed down after about three months, hope the same happens with your little guy...best wishes!

Krissy - posted on 01/22/2009

my son is 10 and the results have been pretty good. Unfortunately we are now faced with the possibility of having to change his meds due to weight loss. The doctor is giving us another 2 months to see if we can get his weight loss under control, if he loses anymore weight we need to change. I'm pushing the fat now. He has only lost about 5lbs since starting the meds, but he just doesn't have it to lose. he now weighs 56 1/2 lbs at 10 years old at 52". He's always been small, but he just can't afford to lose anymore weight. I'm keeping my eye on it. Like I said pushing the fat. I just found a website that has some high fat recipes and will find more I'm sure. I'm weighing him on a regular basis. here's the site incase anyone is interested http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/normap/cfrecipes...

Melissa - posted on 01/22/2009

my son is starting this on Saturday, so I am glad you started this conversation. How old is your son? Mine is 6 1/2.

Renee - posted on 01/21/2009

My son is 9 and was diagnosed last year with ADHD. He's taking 3omg and I can't believe the turnaround. He is on it strictly for focusing issues he was having at school. He went from c's and d's to straight a's. It's unbelievable! No anger issues, he does get a bit testy with his 13 year old brother in the late afternoons when it has worn off, but that could also be normal brotherly behavior...ha ha ha. We actually took him down to the 20 mg a few months ago, but the grades were slipping and his concentration was dwindling. He's back on the 30 now and doing great.

Jen - posted on 01/17/2009

Heather I think you are right. My daughter is on Focalin and she has anger and mood swings. I think it is part them coming down off the medicine, and also the frustration of trying to cocentrate and do what they are suppose to. We have dealt with this since she was 4 years old.

Heather - posted on 01/16/2009

I dont think the Anger issues and mood swings are linked solely to this med, my son is on Concerta....and though this med works well for him, we still battle the same issues during the evening.

Jen - posted on 01/16/2009

We did try the chiropractor, and did not see much results. She wanted us to start her on this fish oil (Omega 3) supplement. It came in pill form, and it smelled and tasted awful. My daughter would not touch it. We tried several different things, but did not see many results.

Amy - posted on 01/16/2009

I have heard about the Chiropractor helping with the ADHD. I have wanted to try my son on it but haven't heard alot of feedback on it. Maybe it will work.

Amy - posted on 01/16/2009

Yes my son has been on Vyvanse for a year. You may have to increase his meds. My son has had anger issues but once the meds increased, I have seen a huge improvement.

Jen - posted on 01/16/2009

My daughter lost 25lbs on Vyvanse. Not all medicines cause your child to lose weight. Each medicine effects each child different. It is really hard to "recommend" a medicine like to anyone, considering each child is so different. It really is a trial and error. I do agree that you have to weight the negative with the positive. We have more mood swings with the Focalin, but she is stable on her weight and healthy again. She is doing better in school. So we can deal with the other stuff.

Jennie - posted on 01/16/2009

us too teri.. he's loosing like crazy.. i love the affects but he is so thin

Teri - posted on 01/16/2009

We noticed the weight loss with my daughter on this med, DR is getting concerned, are going to encourage her to eat more even when not hungry. Before she was worried about the prior meds weight GAIN now it is loss. uggh. Well We probably will take her off it within in the next appt or 2. If she doesnt get some weight back on. WHY cant I get a med like this. No for me I gain the weight with my meds.

Cortney - posted on 01/16/2009

Vyvanse is the first stimulant we have tried.  My son has been on tenex for hyperactivity  and we added the Vyvanse once he started school.  I was a little concerned at first because he had facial and verbal tics ( as in tourettes's syndrome) for the first month but they went away.  I noticed it wears off in the early evening but we don't really have to worry about that since he does not have homework yet, he's in kindergarten.  One thing that i absolutely loved about his med is that it has allowed his creativity to emerge!  He never had an interest in coloring or drawing before the med but once he started on it there have been parts of his personality coming out that I never knew existed!!!

Terri - posted on 01/14/2009

My daughter is taking 70mg of Vyvanse and it doing very well, she did at first have some problems coming down , she was mad upset and very argumentive, but when we increased,( because we weren't getting past 3:00 in the afternoon ) alot of that went away, and thank god. We can now do homework and get through the evening without to much drama. She is the only child still at home, so she is just alittle spoiled on top of everything else.

Tina - posted on 01/13/2009

my son is now on 50mg of vyvanse.  we went down to 40 to try and get his weight up, but when he says he needs to go back to 50mg because he can't seem to concentrate on the 40, AND this little guy is getting obsessive about his weight, i know it's working well.  he went from D's to teachers honor roll.  yes we too deal with mood swings.  but sometimes we don't have any and he is the sweetest kid around.  we also have him on a jr strength omega 3 fish oil supplement and when i can get him to take it consistently it does seem to mellow him out in the afternoon a bit.

Krissy - posted on 01/10/2009

My son still has some appetite loss, but that mostly mid-day. He eats breakfast and dinner good. He's already a small kid. At 10 years old he had just hit 60 lbs. Our state law is that they have to be in a booster seat (car) until age 8 AND 60 lbs. This poor kid has just gotten out of the booster seat. When we last went to the MD he weighed 57.5lbs. We go back again on the 20th. My mom had him hop on her scale last week and she said he weighed 55lbs, but I had weighed him on her scale prior to the last MD appt and her scale does not match his. So I'll wait and see what the MD scale says.
My son doesn't seem to have an attitude issue. I'm amazed at how patient he can actually be with his little sister climbing all over him. He's very patient with her, and that's even later in the evening after the meds have worn off somewhat.

Rene - posted on 01/09/2009

My daughter has been on Vyvanse for about a year now. She is 9 and takes 50mg. There have been a few weight loss issues we just let her eat whatever. She has never lost more that 5lbs at a time. On occasions she has had mood swings in the morning more than at night. It is just something that we live with becasue it is the best that we have found.                                                              

Tracey - posted on 01/07/2009

My son has been on every ADHD drug there is out there and he was switched to Vyvanse about a year ago and this is the BEST one out there.  My son is on 70mg he is 15 and weighs 107 lbs.  Any drug you put you child on that is on ADHD meds will have weight problems.  This is the side effect of the drug that makes them not want to eat.  As far as the mood swings in the morning and at night (nothing is going to cure it)  This is who your child is and you learn to cope with it.

Chastity - posted on 01/07/2009

Vyvanse is the first med we've tried.  My son is on 20mg, and takes it at 8:30am.  Around 6pm he's moody, and the medicine is wearing off.  He also has Sensory and Language disorders and it helps with those too.  Sometimes his nasty little attitude can be draining, but he's got a lot on his plate for a kid his age.  I've heard that anger and mood swings can be a side effect.  I think you have to weight that against how it's helping.  Right now it's working for us.

Jen - posted on 12/31/2008

Vvyanse caused a huge weight loss in my daughter. She stopped eating when she was on the Vvyanse. Water was even a challenge to get down here. She lost 25 lbs. (give or take) She was 84 lbs before she started this med (she was a little overweight), her lowest weight (when we changed her to Focalin), was 58 lbs. Could not take anymore. The doctor was not listening, so we went back to our peditrician and he changed her meds for us. She is now stable at 61-65 lbs.