Adderall vs Vyvanse

[AimeeM]

Anyone have experience with both?

 

Autumn is ADD (not hyperactive at all). She was taking 25 mg daily of Adderall (15 mg in the morning, 10 mg if needed in the afternoon) - not XR.

However, this medication has become unavailable. Completely.

Our ped switched over to Vyvanse at my request. I question the dosing though. From what I have read, at the dosage of Adderall Autumn was taking daily, she should have been started on AT LEAST 30 mg of Vyvanse. The doctor only prescribed 20 mg daily... for an entire month.

Today was our first day on it and Autumn was literally begging for me to "find an adderall" or "give me more of the new medicine" (which I didn't do, of course). She couldn't concentrate AT ALL and spent most of the school day in tears over her work.

Would I be out of line to call the doctor (or pharmacist) and question why she was given so little dosage of Vyvanse compared to her Adderall? Noting, of course, that the Adderall really did work BEAUTIFULLY for Autumn with minimal side effects. We never would have switched if we could have avoided it. We simply cannot find it any longer.

 

(ETA: I'm not looking for advice on alternative ADD treatments; we are happily medicating)

[Disney Dreaming]

Not of much help since dd is fairly new diagnosed ADHD, but she has tried Adderall XR and Vyvanse-Vyvanse worked much better for her. She had to change meds because of a reaction to the Vyvanse and the Adderall XR was terrible for her AD(it worked great for her HD though). We have gone back to Concerta(what we started with) and it works much better for the AD(not as well for HD). I would love to find that perfect drug! I would call the doctor and find out why the the doasge is so different. I talked to dd pedi when he changed hers-he said they like to start low and go higher if needed(we were changing every week or two for a while). Good luck.

Edited October 28, 2011 by ugamom11

[AimeeM]

I wondered why they didn't just write a prescription for a week or two. The only reason I can think of is that we live in a HIGHLY regulated state. Doctors cannot call in or fax prescriptions for controlled substances - which would mean that the doctor would have to write a new script, I'd have to pick up the hard copy, and take it to the pharmacy every time we needed to switch doses... however, this should have been an option to me. The office is well aware (been an ongoing problem) that our insurance will only pay for 30 pills a month.

Wish our Adderall were back :( That medication was a wonderful for us.

Not of much help since dd is fairly new diagnosed ADHD, but she has tried Adderall XR and Vyvanse-Vyvanse worked much better for her. She had to change meds because of a reaction to the Vyvanse and the Adderall XR was terrible for her AD(they worked great for her HD though). We have gone back to Concerta(what we started with) and it works much better for the AD(not as well for HD). I would love to find that perfect drug! I would call the doctor and find out why he the doasge is so different. I talked to dd pedi when he changed hers-he said they like to start low and go higher if needed(we were changing every week or two for a while). Good luck.

[Renee in NC]

I would call the doc and get him to up the dose. As for the weepiness and other issues - keep an eye on it. Some children can't handle Vyvanse and that weepiness can turn to aggression and rage at higher doses.:001_huh: I think this is why they always start low and go up. Will your insurance not pay for a second prescription of a different dose? Ours won't pay for more than 30 pills, but it will pay for a different strength. If not, see about a booster of methylphenidate to get her through until the dosage can go up (it is a generic.)

 

Vyvanse was a miracle drug here, but it took time to get him to the right dose. It was our first go at a med, though, so each dose got better and better. He isn't on it anymore (weight loss issues), but Strattera seems to be working well for him now. It has the same norepinephrine effects as Vyvanse without the stimulant.

 

Vyvanse Website They currently have a coupon for 50% off your copay. When we used them in the past, it would pay half of the cost if your insurance paid nothing. I don't know if it still will, but it is worth a try.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Renee in FL

[AimeeM]

Great catch! I believe our insurance WILL pay for a different dose!

It is just really difficult starting over with a new medication that must be adjusted... when are still mourning the loss of one that worked for us so beautifully. Lol.

I would call the doc and get him to up the dose. As for the weepiness and other issues - keep an eye on it. Some children can't handle Vyvanse and that weepiness can turn to aggression and rage at higher doses.:001_huh: I think this is why they always start low and go up. Will your insurance not pay for a second prescription of a different dose? Ours won't pay for more than 30 pills, but it will pay for a different strength. If not, see about a booster of methylphenidate to get her through until the dosage can go up (it is a generic.)

 

Vyvanse was a miracle drug here, but it took time to get him to the right dose. It was our first go at a med, though, so each dose got better and better. He isn't on it anymore (weight loss issues), but Strattera seems to be working well for him now. It has the same norepinephrine effects as Vyvanse without the stimulant.

 

Vyvanse Website They currently have a coupon for 50% off your copay. When we used them in the past, it would pay half of the cost if your insurance paid nothing. I don't know if it still will, but it is worth a try.

[Yolanda in Mass]

Is your dd doc a psychiatrist familiar with Vyvanse dosing or a GP used to Ritalin and Adderall? My ds has been on both Vyvanse (which he loves) and Adderall IR and his doc, a psychiatrist, told him the dosing of Vyvanse is roughly double that of the Adderall. He was on 10 or 15 mg of Adderall IR and was given 30mg of Vyvanse to start.

 

I would not hesitate to call your doctor. As for another script, I too live in a highly regulated state, but whenever my ds has had a new med or change in dose (which has happened a LOT in the last year) I've had no problems getting the prescription filled. Unfortunately, our insurance doesn't cover Vyvanse at all and the coupon is good for only 1 free month of meds in our state as opposed to 50% off for 6 months.

 

As a side note - although my ds loves the consistency of Vyvanse and lack of sharp drop off (as opposed to Adderall), it runs his body very ragged so that he is much more tired and his sleep requirements are much higher when on this med.

 

Yolanda

[TravelingChris]

Dd was on ADderall but switched to Vyvanse in 2008. She is on 70mg. and that is a good dose but she needs to add ritalin 10 mg in later afternoon. Dd does have ADHD (hyperactive) and is probably considered severe adhd.

[AimeeM]

Autumn sees a pediatrician. We haven't seen the need for a specialist as she only has ADD. This doctor is, however, considered the "ADD go-to" in this practice.

I did call the doctor and was informed that while my insurance will not cover more than 30 of a certain dose, they WILL cover a new script for a different dose, within that same 30 days - so we should be fine. The doctor wants us to stay at this dose for a couple of weeks before upping the dosage. Autumn is very low on the weight scale, so I understand the concern.

Is your dd doc a psychiatrist familiar with Vyvanse dosing or a GP used to Ritalin and Adderall? My ds has been on both Vyvanse (which he loves) and Adderall IR and his doc, a psychiatrist, told him the dosing of Vyvanse is roughly double that of the Adderall. He was on 10 or 15 mg of Adderall IR and was given 30mg of Vyvanse to start.

 

I would not hesitate to call your doctor. As for another script, I too live in a highly regulated state, but whenever my ds has had a new med or change in dose (which has happened a LOT in the last year) I've had no problems getting the prescription filled. Unfortunately, our insurance doesn't cover Vyvanse at all and the coupon is good for only 1 free month of meds in our state as opposed to 50% off for 6 months.

 

As a side note - although my ds loves the consistency of Vyvanse and lack of sharp drop off (as opposed to Adderall), it runs his body very ragged so that he is much more tired and his sleep requirements are much higher when on this med.

 

Yolanda

[Guest palsoma76]

Vyvanse is nothing more than time released Dexedrine. It was developed to take over Adderall's 'brand name' revenue as the generic is more prescribed.

 

What is the difference in the two, ie Vyvanse vs Adderall?

 

Vyvanse is strictly made up of D-amphetamine.

 

Adderall is several forms of D-amphetamine and L-amphetamine.

 

There are theories on D vs L amphetamines.. and you can look them up - but basically given that Adderall has both forms it has a broader range of action, and thus is commonly reported to be 'stronger'.

 

Also, due to the makeup of these two, yes, the Vyvanse is commonly reported to stop working for no apparent reason, and/or lose its effectiveness to a considerable degree.

 

The only downside I can see about you switching to a comparable dose of Adderall would be the possibility of increased anxiety. Though a trial period of Adderall would certainly be worthy. Consult with your doctor and describe the problems, and your request. There shouldn't be a problem in shifting.

[funnygirl]

It's been awhile, but I believe that we had to start on a lower dose of Vyvanse before increasing to a therapeutic level. Glad you called your doc, and even though it's hard on your sweet dd, I'm impressed that he's being conservative, especially since he's not a psychiatrist. Seems like he's taking the safest approach, and that's always something to be grateful for.

 

In the meantime, :grouphug:!!

[LittleIzumi]

Hubby was switched from Adderall to 30 (i believe) of Vyvanase, and hwe went back into the doc a few weeks later to request a higher dose, because it was NOT enough. 70 of Vyvanse allows him to function. We miss Adderall though....

[Rhonda in TX]

DS recently started on Focalin. They did give us a one month prescription for a low dose, but when it did nothing, I called and they upped the dosage. I had to do that one more time. I think it's perfectly fine (and maybe expected) to call the doctor and discuss dosage if it's not working.

[sweetsouthern]

i would for sure call the doc and ask or request it to be uped, especially since its a short acting mediciene and not the type that needs to build up in your system for a few weeks.

 

for what its worth, dd had taken adderal XR 25mg for close to a year and recently tried vyvanse. they started her dose at 50mg and the pschy said that was comperable to to the adderalls dose. (she swicthed to see if the adderall was making her more irritable, it wasnt) the vyvanse ended up working for her even better for focus and especially for writing, so we stayed with it :) she is actally getting it uped on our next visit to 70mg,,,,