Vyvanse for adult ADHD

[Jolie]

I have just started taking Vyvanse 30 mg once a day to start me up and keep me going through the day. I have read about ADHD and feel my diagnosis may be wrong. I have attention issues for things I am not interested in, but I am not hyperactive at all nor do I have anger or relationship issues. The main problem is that I sleep and am tired all the time. My therapist did basic testing on me and stated that I ranked highly likely for ADHD. How accurate are these tests? There was no physical done nor any other internal exam such as a ct scan? I understand these cognitive tests are well tuned but could they be wrong?

I am now on Vyvanse to help me get up and stay awake. I also take cipralex to help with my depression. From the little I have said does ADHD sound right? Thank you..

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Welcome to Psychlinks, Jolie.

There are no "medical tests" for ADHD per se, or even really psychological tests although sometimes testing is conducted for confirmation or additional information. The diagnosis is made primarily from symptoms.

The term, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is actually a bit misleading because in fact it refers to a group of disorders with some common symptoms. To begin with, not everyone diagnosed with ADHD has the hyperactivity component:

A. Either (1) or (2):
(1) inattention: six (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:
(a) often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
(b) often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
(c) often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
(d) often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish school work, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
(e) often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
(f) often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
(g) often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)
(h) is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
(i) is often forgetful in daily activities
(2) hyperactivity-impulsivity: six (or more) of the following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:

Additionally, there are different types of ADHD een when hyperactivity is not present:

Code based on type:

314.01 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type: if both Criteria A1 and A2 are met for the past 6 months
314.00 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type: if Criterion A1 is met but Criterion A2 is not met for the past 6 months
314.01 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: if Criterion A2 is met but Criterion A1 is not met for the past 6 months

And finally, as you have observed, having difficulty sustaining attention in certain types of tasks does not necessarily mean that there cannot be excellent focus on other types of tasks. Indeed, many individuals with ADHD have well-developed abilities for hyperfocusing on certain tasks that are inherently interesting for the individual, e.g., television, music, movies, or video games.

As for Vyvanse, it is a stimulant medication approved for the treatment of ADHD. For patients with ADHD, stimulants tend to have a quieting effect, enabling them to focus better on tasks where they are usually distractible. Note that for individuals without ADHD, this sort of medication would have the opposite effect, a feature of ADHD that is among the most fascinating. This may occur because it increases the availability of the neurotransmitter dopamine to the brain, although that is not conclusively established at this time.

Since stimulants have a place in the treatment of depression, it should not interact adversely with the Cipralex and indeed may help to boost the effectiveness of Cipralex in treating your depression.

 

[Jolie]

Day one on the medication and I felt the effects almost immediately. I truly had a great day which are hard to come by. I almost felt alive again. Day two today and looking forward to it. Haven't felt like this in so long. Hoping I have finally found my road to recovery!

 

[Daffodil]

Hi Jolie

Just this month, my therapist ( who I am no longer seeing) put me on Vyvanse and I had a terrible reaction to it. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and my thoughts were scattered. I could not function the entire day. I talked to another therapist and was told that is not for me - I am not sure why these therapists are so hyped up about Vyvanse (yours and mine it seems).

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Just this month, my therapist ( who I am no longer seeing) put me on Vyvanse and I had a terrible reaction to it. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and my thoughts were scattered. I could not function the entire day. I talked to another therapist and was told that is not for me - I am not sure why these therapists are so hyped up about Vyvanse (yours and mine it seems).

Because if you truly have ADHD, stimulant medications have a paradoxical calming effect. They don't make your heart race or youjr thoughts scattered - they calm you and slow down your racing thoughts so you can concentrate better.

 

[Jolie]

I was taking Vyvanse for a few days and really was enjoying the feeling of being awake. But i did notice that it felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. i checked my blood pressure and heart rate and everything was fine. I also felt like i couldn't catch my breath? it was odd. So to see if it was the pills i didn't take it yesterday morning and i felt fine. I took it again today and feel fine. So i don't know if i just was not feeling well or if it really were the pills. i see my therapist tomorrow so i will see what she says. I don't want to stop the pill, it has given me hope. maybe there is another type that would be similar to vyvanse that i could try.. who knows!! i know i had tried biphentin (sp) and i didn't do well on it. I had extreme anxiety and panic. So my story continues.. Thank you Daffodil for your personal experience.