Does anyone have a kid on Vyvanse?

Kim - posted 3 hours ago

I am no doctor Amy, but my personal opinion is YES - this is a great medication for you to start your daughter on. We started J. off on Concerta (did absolutely nothing for him since he was what I would deem a severe ADHD case when he was 4-5-6 age range). We then switched to Adderall and the Adderall XR and that worked wonders for him up until he was about 11/12 age. That is when we switched him to the Vyvanse. The Adderall was causing him to "pick" at his lip and/or his fingernails when he was anxious or upset or nervous about something. He has test anxiety in a major way, and more often than not he would come home with his cuticles all torn to hell from picking at them during the testing. Once we switched him to the Vyvanse - all of that stopped. That was the only side effect from the Adderall that he had (other than the not sleeping part but I don't think that is all medication related). So I think your daughter will do fine on it ... but every medication does NOT react the same way in every child. So just keep that in mind and do your research on the different medications available and talk about them with your daughter's doctor. Our family's pediatrician was treating our son ... but now that's he is a teenager and at the maximum dosage of Vyvanse for his weight/age - she referred us to a child psychologist who SPECIALIZES in teens and the treatment of ADHD/ADD in teens and young adults. He has an entire arsenol of medications at his disposal that our pediatrician did not know enough about - and he understands that treating ADHD is NOT just about getting the "right" medication dosage either. There are tons of other factors included that need to be addressed with ADHD children (my son has anxiety and ODD issues) and ALL of that needs to be treated in CONJUNCTION with the medication. So if your doctor is the type to just give you a prescription and send you on your way and isn't asking about other issues or factors going on - I would check into a child psychologist in your area that specializes in ADHD.

Ebony - posted 11 hours ago

My daughter is 5 her doctor prescribed her vyvanse kinda scared she never take any medication is this a good med for ADHD for her age

Kim - posted 2 days ago

My 13yo son has been on Vyvanse for almost 2 years now. Works a charm for him after having been on Concerta, Adderall and Adderall XR. He just outgrew the other meds. He's never been a big sleeper ... like his dad ... he can sleep 5 to 6 hours a night and be good to go the next day, and then there are other days when he pulls all nighters and doesn't sleep at all, or goes to sleep at midnight and gets up at noon. Just depends on what he has been doing.
As far as the medication goes though - it has done wonders for him. I highly recommend it if you need an alternative to Adderall because of the constant b.s. with the Food & Drug Administration not releasing enough to keep up with the demand for it so we can treat our kids. But THAT discussion is for another topic LOL!

Linda - posted on 04/16/2013

You know, i feel very much the same way. We have tried adderal and it was fine till it made him sad and he did not know why, it broke my heart. Then we tried Fochalin, it did not do anything, except give him really bad tics, shrugging of shoulders, and jerking of head. The Dr. even said that made him nervous. Now he gives me a prescription for the vyvanse. I am so scared after reading so many blogs about what the side effects are.
I just wish i knew the right thing for him to take. He is fine for me without meds, but the teacher really says he cant focus or concentrate. He likes to argue with the teacher and get involved with everyones issues in the class. Any advice would be so appreciated.

Jill - posted on 03/03/2013

My daughter is on it. She has never slept good thru the night. She is now 12 years old. We finally saw a psychiatrist and she prescribed hydroxyzine...you start on 10 mg and go up til 60 - see what works - we found 40 mg works best. We give it to her around 7:30pm (she goes to bed around 9) and for the first time in FOREVER she sleeps thru the night! It improved her mood and everything else. Poor thing was probably so over tired. She used to wake up 2-3 times a night and was a very light sleeper. Which meant she was waking me up 2-3 times a night.....

MOM - posted on 02/27/2013

My son is on Vyvanse-and is he's on Clonidine (1mg) to help him sleep at night.

Brooke - posted on 02/25/2013

My son is also on Vyvance and has been for a couple years now (after trying other medications that didn't work as well). He also has a very difficult time at night falling asleep. The doctor had suggested melatonin for him, which we tried with little success so we stopped using it (other have sworn it has worked for their child so it may be worth a try?). We try to have him up and in bed at a reasonable hour and have a set time when lights are out. Even if he isn't sleeping he is at least at rest! Good luck!

Candy Leeann - posted on 02/21/2013

Melatonin was prescribed by my sons doctor, and it works well. It is an all natural sleep aid, and by morning he is well rested and ready to go.

Missy - posted on 02/18/2013

Our foster son is on this medication and the dr has him taking melatonin 3mg at night to help him with the sleep disturbance. You can get it over the counter though his is covered by his Medicaid plan. I'd call and see if your doc agrees with his and give it a try. It is helping him so far without making him overly drowsy in the morning. Good luck!

Trudi - posted on 02/17/2013

Read a few other comments on here, and yes clonidine helps as well. In addition, her age may also be a factor. We had to take my now 14 year old off of it because puberty and vyvanse don't necessarily mix well.

Trudi - posted on 02/17/2013

I have three who have all been on it. As long as they took it before 8 am, bedtime worked. If u still have trouble, try melatonin. My dr suggested it for my middle daughter, as she suffers from anxiety as well. Given an hour or so before bed, it helps.

Leeann - posted on 02/17/2013

Kelli- vyvanse made my son very irritable and intense. He was very argumentative on it. He can be a bit of a pill normally but NOTHING like the intensity and bulldoggedness (for lack of a better word) when he was on Vyvanse. We took him off at the beginning of September and he has been much, much better.

Jennifer - posted on 02/17/2013

My son is on vyvanse and hes fine.he also takes prozac for anxiety and intuniv at night.the best thing to give a child to help sleep is melatonine its safe and the doctors recomend it if they cant sleep.they have 1m ,5m and 10m depending on age. A 5 to 10 year old can have 5 mg.

Brenda - posted on 02/17/2013

Like others have said Vyvanse is an amphetamine and revs the body up. This is also an appetite suppressant and this med needs to be taken no later than 0700 otherwise most kids will need something to counteractthe med to sleep at night. If the kid is on a high dose they more than enough likely would be on something for sleep.

Heather - posted on 02/14/2013

My son takes 3 mg of Melatonin and one benadryl pill as recommended by his doctor. I'd start out with the Melatonin first and see if that helps. He usually takes it an hour before bed time!

Kelli - posted on 02/10/2013

First day of 7 yr boy vyvanse 30mg. Irritable, emotional, mean.. Previous attempt with lowest dose daytrana patch he was amped up, rapid talking no sleep. Previous attempt lowest dose of adderal no theraputic value but, wanted to see what the emotional liabilital again, crabby, irritable difficult. I feel like the cure is worse than the disease. Anyone have medication suggestions or experience with Neurofeedback.?

Kay - posted on 02/09/2013

Hi Amy,
My daughter has been on Vyvanse for nearly two years. Her original dose was for 20mg, and it worked like a dream. We did have the difficulty with sleeping, so here's how we resolved it. First, she started school at 8am, so I set my alarm every morning for 5:15, gave her the Vyvanse and let her sleep until 7. When she woke up, I was amazed at how easy the morning routine was, and how quickly she engaged her school work. Vyvanse lasts in her system for about 9-11 hours, so if you do the math, by 5:30-6:00 it started to wear off. She was easily in bed by 8:30 every night. If I overslept, or if for some reason I couldn't give it to her that early, I would simply plan an activity that was literally exhausting for both of us immediately after school. Good thing that didn't happen often!

The other big issue was the weight loss. She started to look like a victim of a concentration camp, and it scared me half to death. I gave instructions to the school that she was to eat anything she wanted during the day. I gave her teacher a box of snacks to keep in her desk just in case she said anything about being hungry. Kids often will do things for others, but refuse from parents, right? That worked too. I also bought protein powder and started sneaking it into food she would eat. That helped as well.

There was a period of time when her dosage was increased to 30 mg, and while it worked for awhile, we noticed that it was too much. For lack of a better term, she seemed "jacked up." Doing a little more digging, we learned that the routine had changed during the time that she was struggling, and when the teacher realized the possibility that it was affecting her adversely, she was horrified, and changed it back......now back to 20mg.

Hang in there, and try not to think like a doctor, but rather a resourceful mom. Remember that while your daughter is taking vyvanse, it is not, and should not be your intention to change her or make her fit in to a school system. It's to bring about the best in her, and have her operate at her fullest. ADHD is a gift that will serve your daughter well as an adult. I know that because I have been blessed with it! Hang in there!!

Sheri - posted on 02/07/2013

My 5yr old daughter has been on vyvanse for almost a year now... her behavior at home and in school has improved emensly. She has had problems sleeping since before she was put on any kind of drug. is was diagnosed with insomnia and adhd at just before her 5th birthday. At that time she was very violent and couldnt sit still at all in school.. so i seeked medical advise. They have tried a few different kinds of medication and i feel vyvanse has been the best so far. She has experienced the weight loss and a loss of appetite but she didnt eat much before the meds either. She has been taking trazadone at night and it seems to basically put her to sleep within 30 minutes, but she wakes up after 3 hours and she is ready to start her day.... so i now have to give her melatonin and benadryl on top of everything else and for the weight loss try to give your children boost or something along those lines. i have given my daughter boost now for the past 6 months and her weight has pretty much stayed the same.... but all in all, the other side effects that others are seeing may not be from the medication itself, most of what i have read or have experienced with my own child started before she was even put on anything. all in all vyvanse does work for my daughter i just wish she would sleep longer at night.

Rose - posted on 02/06/2013

my sons doctor is getting him to take Melatonin...it is a natural hormone we already have...i give him half a pill half hour before bed and he is falling asleep way faster...another side affect is loss of appitite....my son eats about 6 times a day...small meals. ask the doc about melatonin..it is natural and works for my son.
good luck

Jenein - posted on 01/31/2013

My son is 6 yrs old and just started Vyvanse on Sunday. Today is day 5 and he's already experiencing loss of appetite, constipation and is having a hard time sleeping. Before Vyvanse, he was on non stimulant meds (Intuniv, Kapvay & Straterra). My son is already very slim, when the neuro saw him on Friday he even made mention to how slim my son is so, this not wanting to eat issue from someone who was a picky eater to begin with has got to stop. My husband and I decided to spoon feed him if that's what we have to do to make sure he eats. It's working at the moment, but I'm not sure how long we can go on doing that. I thought maybe a multivitamin would help so I went out and purchased Flinstone gummy vitamins. I'll start giving them to him tomorrow morning, I hope it helps his appetite. For the constipation, I purchased some chewable tablets called Pedia-Lax. I gave him 3 of them when he came home from school this afternoon so hopefully we'll have some luck with those too. As far as the sleep, I keep hearing that melatonin works, but I really dred having to give him yet another pill. I know it's an all natural supplement, but my poor baby, who also has epilepsy, already takes 4 pills twice a day for his seizures, vyvanse, and now the multi-vitamin. I thought increasing is fiber intake would help w/his constipation but I had no such luck. I wish everyone the best, and I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on what worked and what didnt. I hope you all do the same.

COMMALETA - posted on 01/17/2013

Take her off my son is six and he's been on it for a year it's not good, now since she's just starting it u won't c much but once she continue to take it u will c this.anxiety
behaviour changes (agitation, aggression)
difficulty breathing
fever
hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there)
increased blood pressure
mania (racing thoughts, rapid talking, impulsiveness, extremely elevated mood, extremely high energy)
mood swings
pounding or fast heartbeat
restlessness.

Please please I'm promise u it's not god it's going to fuck ur child ability up
signs of depression (e.g., poor concentration; changes in weight; changes in sleep; decreased interest in activities; intense feeling of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or thoughts of suicide)
slowed growth
tics (involuntary movements or vocalizations)
tremor
vision changes
Your child should stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:

D'Andra - posted on 01/16/2013

I felt the same way, no one to talk to about this situation but this site has help me a lot reading that there are ppl in our same situation living my say story. Getting alternative help is always a plus for my son and I.

D'Andra - posted on 01/16/2013

For those that feel Vyvanse doesn't work my son has taken it for about a year now with one dose increase but I find now he if i give orange juice with the dose in the am
It works a little more effectively.

D'Andra - posted on 01/16/2013

My son has this same problem, I've just start letting play his iPod with the lights out until he fall asleep which takes about 20-30 mins tops.

Michale - posted on 11/27/2012

make sure she eats with it cause it will make you sick

Catherine - posted on 10/26/2012

Take the smallest dose you can. I always pushed too hard for better and better results and now my child can't take it due to a horrible reaction. That said, it was the most effective drug she has ever taken for ADHD. Proceed with caution and you can have really great results.

Robyn - posted on 10/25/2012

Just had my daughter in today for a meds check. She has been on Vyvanse for 6mos and is doing wonderfully. At this point we need something to cover her for the homework time at home in the evenings so we are increasing it so it will work longer. However I voiced my concern to her doctor about her inability to go to bed and sleep before 10 pm or later each night. She is up at 6:30 am and still going strong come 10pm. The doctor said that there is no way this drug is effecting her ability to sleep. The inability to transition from awake to asleep is a direct result of the ADD/ADHD that she has. She is 9 years old and has been medicated since she was 6. She is now starting a 50mg tablet, up from 40mgs. The side affects to watch for that are most concerning would be loss of appetite, thus causing weight loss, not sleeplessness or the inability to calm down and go to bed. This is coming from my ped. Dr. who has been in practice for over 25 years.

Heather - posted on 10/24/2012

Ingrid ~ Why does your daughter's teacher want her on Vyvanse? Is she on another med right now? If she is not having a problem with grades why does she need to be on Vyvanse?

Ingrid - posted on 10/24/2012

my daughters teacher keeps wanting me to put her on Vyvanse and im really worried about the side effects tho. and ive read some of the comments above mentioning about grades being a little bit of a problem is that one of the signs also? cause my daughters grades are great she comes home with 100s and doesnt even need my help with homework..( oh shes 6 by the way). anyways just wanted to know if anyone else had some good input on my problem.

Celia Anne - posted on 10/21/2012

My daughter has been raised to 50mg from 40 and my daughter said her jaw hurts more and she has joint pains in her elbow and has stomach aches and headaches too. I personally feel meds are no good long term. My daughter has been on meds for 6 months with abilify and zoloft. My true feelings about these prescribed drugs is the fact that children may be more manageable at school and at home perhaps but at what cost? Vyvanse makes you focus more and concentrate on task. Eventually all children grow up and manage their "focus" deficits. I am very concerned about this and will be contacting the psychiatrist about my feelings tomorrow.

Selina - posted on 08/21/2012

My stepson Isaiah is on Vyvanse 40 mg and I wonder if the dose is too high for him because he is underweight for his age. I also notice when he is on the medication that he dont want to play outside like he would if he wasnt on the medication but sit in the house and hooked to video games. He also has a bigger appetite when not on the meds. I dont really like this medication and I wonder if he needs a lower dose or what and he hasnt grown in height much either

Char - posted on 08/16/2012

Best of luck i meant

Char - posted on 08/16/2012

@ jenifer My 16 yr old also went thru a defiant time from about 12 1/2 to about 15. He seemed to be more assertive and defiant and was not eating well. The Dr said it was because of puberty and the hormone change. There is light at the end of the tunnel just a bit of a rough patch to find who they are.
@ everyone I wish i would of came here sooner to see all the ideas for sleeping naturally. We have combatted this for about 2 years now. My son wants to sleep and get up at a normal time but just cant. I am gonna get some melatonin and try it. As far as appetite it also has been a struggle but as he was going thru puberty he started a work out( weight lifting) it helped his appetite and moodiness.
Beat of luck to everyone :)

Stacey - posted on 05/17/2012

My 6 1/2 yo son just started Vyvanse a few days ago (20mg). We see a dramatic difference in his focus, attention and school behavior. Teacher loves him for the last few days! He's so happy and focused. We were thinking this was the miracle drug until...He started complaining of full body itching at night (no rash or redness or swelling or trouble breathing)....just itching. Doc said to give him benadryl to fall asleep, which works. But does anyone have experience with nightly itching?

Margo - posted on 10/16/2011

Yes. My son is on Vyvanse 30 mg. We exp the same challenge and now give him 3mg Melatonin (can purchase at drug store) at night otherwise he was up all night. In the first few days he also had tics...licking lips constantly...but that went away after about day 3. We also found not to increase too quickly or the side effects appear. Decreased appetite is a challenge too...he's lost a clothes size. Otherwise he is doing really well and is loving school with no problems.

Dominique - posted on 10/11/2011

my 5 year old is currently taking vyvanse. but i am at a pull to take him off it. he has been on it since oct of 2010. everything was going great but last week for two days straight at the end of school he would get very aggressive and cry. i spoke to the doctor and he said it is a side affect. so we upped his dose and tried again and the same thing happened. i have a app with him thursday to speak to him. we kept him off his medicine for about 3 days and i recently gave it to him again cause without it he is terrible in school. so far he is doing great after that little break. but im stil nervous.cant wait to go to the doctor but have anyone else child excperience this? and what did you do?

Heather - posted on 06/22/2011

My son has been on Vyvanse for 2 years and he also has an issue with sometimes going to sleep. My pediatrician advised me to give him a Melatonin at night if I needed. It is herbal and there is a low dose of 3mg. I would ask your childs dr what they think of that. Hope this helps.

Alice - posted on 06/21/2011

My kids are not on Vyvanse, my son is on Adderall, however, I have started giving them the liquid vitamins that has had several positive side affects. We have noticed increased appetite and and the ability to sleep better. I give them to the kids about 3 in the afternoon and they both go to bed easier than they normally do. Also considering the weight loss issues with ADD medication it was nice to see an increase in appetite as well. At first my kiddos did not want to take the vitamins but now they ask for them. You can find them at TYHC www.ToYourHealthComplete.com, the vitamin and mineral supplement. Use "Ally" to get a 15% discount every time you order. This is my FB page, http://www.facebook.com/ToYourHealthVita... just to prove I really do take them and promote them as a good alternative. I love what they do for my family. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am happy to share all I know about them.

CHERYL - posted on 06/20/2011

My son is on 20mg of Vyvanse and he too had trouble sleeping at night. I asked the doctor about melatonin and he said go ahead. 3mg allows him to fall asleep within a half hour of lying down. Give it a try if the doctor says its okay. It's all natural and can be picked up in stores.

CHERYL - posted on 06/20/2011

My son is on 20mg of Vyvanse and he too had trouble sleeping at night. I asked the doctor about melatonin and he said go ahead. 3mg allows him to fall asleep within a half hour of lying down. Give it a try if the doctor says its okay. It's all natural and can be picked up in stores.

Jennifer - posted on 06/01/2011

My 6 year old was on Vyvanse at one time but was not gaining weigh, I think all of these meds dont help with them to gain . He is now on Focalin appetite is better but still needs to gain weight . Also on the nights he can not sleep Meletonine is a vitamin wonder pill just half of 3mg does the trick and they sleep great!

Alice - posted on 04/13/2011

Your Dr. can prescribe a med called Rozerem, it has a very short life span in the body about 15 min and then it is metabolized. No bad side affects the next morning. They take it when they get into bed and in about 5 min should be asleep if they need a second one it is ok because it is out of the system so quickly.

Watch for major weight loss with Vyvanse.

Mella - posted on 04/13/2011

Just looing into this medicine...does EVERYONE either have aproblem with sleep or appetite? So far my son has been on nothing and now with most of the meds for anxiety it seems we will have to put him on sleeping meds as well. Is there not an anti-anxiety med that does not keep them from sleeping or eating?

Mella - posted on 04/13/2011

Just looing into this medicine...does EVERYONE either have aproblem with sleep or appetite? So far my son has been on nothing and now with most of the meds for anxiety it seems we will have to put him on sleeping meds as well. Is there not an anti-anxiety med that does not keep them from sleeping or eating?

Kirsten - posted on 04/07/2011

just a note there is a comp called hylands that makes all natural aids...they have one called calms forte and it works wonders as well :)

Kirsten - posted on 04/07/2011

Amy my daughter is eight and has been on vyvance for about 2 years. She also takes the lowest dose of Clonidine they have at night and that helps her wind down however shes always had sleeping problems. I wish you luck with the Vyvance!

Naomi - posted on 04/07/2011

My 16 year old is on Vyvanse and has the exact same problem. I have spoken to the doctor and he suggested giving him some benadryl right before bedtime. It does seem to help!

Naomi - posted on 04/07/2011

My 16 year old is on Vyvanse and has the exact same problem. I have spoken to the doctor and he suggested giving him some benadryl right before bedtime. It does seem to help!

Heather - posted on 03/18/2011

Jennifer,
Have you talked with your son's doctor about his new issues? It may be that his Vyvanse isn't working as well anymore, and he may need to try a different med. My son used the Daytrana patch for about two years with much success. When it seemed like it wasn't working as well(in several ways, including behavior) we tried to increase to the next dose, but that was too much. We determined that the patch just wasn't as effective for him anymore, and switched meds. He is doing really well on regular Ritalin. Just a thought...

Jennifer - posted on 03/17/2011

Hi Amy & Everyone on this posting :-)

My son was diagnosed ADHD in kindergarten at age 6. He has been on nearly every medication on the market since. He is currently 14 1/2. He has been on Vyvanse for the last several years now (70mg). The side effects over the years has been loss of appetite & difficulty falling asleep. We were told by his psychologist to try melatonin as a sleep aid. I went to my Walgreens and picked up a bottle of 5mg time release melatonin tabs. It comes in smaller (3mg) & larger (10mg) doses as well and in liquid form. I first did some research on melatonin and basically it is a chemical in the brain that is released when we are tired, laying in bed with the lights out that tells our body it's time to sleep.



**(from Wikipedia on Melatonin in humans: "In humans, melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, a gland about the size of a pea, located in the center of the brain but outside the blood-brain barrier. The melatonin signal forms part of the system that regulates the sleep-wake cycle by chemically causing drowsiness and lowering the body temperature, but it is the central nervous system (to be more specific, the SCN) that controls the daily cycle in most components of the paracrine and endocrine systems[31][32] rather than the melatonin signal (as was once postulated).

Infants' melatonin levels become regular in about the third month after birth, with the highest levels measured between midnight and 08:00 (8 AM).[33]

In humans, 90% of melatonin is cleared in a single passage through the liver, a small amount is excreted in urine,[34] and a small amount is found in saliva.

Human melatonin production decreases as a person ages.[35")



With some ADHD kids and especially those on meds their melatonin could be off so the melatonin at the drug store that you can buy is a supplement to help just like a vitamin. It really helped him. You can't take it if they are still up and not ready to lay down. I would have my son take it immediately before bed time. As soon as he took it he was tucked in bed and within 15-20 mins. he was out cold and stayed sleeping thru the night. He has taken it for about 2 or so years and now that he's 14 he don't take it anymore. We do keep a bottle on hand in the house for nights that he does tend to struggle with, but those days are very few now.



What we have noticed lately is something of a side effect that I think is going to push me to my emotional limits. Over the last couple weeks he has gotten very defiant. Now, my son has always pushed the envelope with following rules, but lately it's gotten dramatically worse. He is in 8th grade and this school year, up until recently he has received a total of maybe 3 detentions. However, this past week alone, he has received 4, and we haven't even gotten thru Friday yet. UGH! On Monday morning I woke him up nicely and all I said was "good morning honey, time to start the day, get dressed buddy"... this triggered an over the top blow out. He verbally just went nuts and then when the two of us were in the hallway he wanted to get past me so instead of saying "excuse me" he took his arms up in the air and physically started to shove past me.

Everyone that meets my son tells me how well mannered he is and well behaved. However at school lately, with a few of the teachers or staff he don't like, he has been starting to behave with them as he does at home with me. I have had him to counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists. No one seems to be able to help me. I don't have money to bring him to a facility that would take him and counsel him daily. I want my son back. The sweet, loving awesome kid that I know he is and can be. Help!! Any suggestions would be appreciated. Spending my nights researching and crying isn't helping.