What I'm wondering is if 150mg Of Vyvanse is too high or even a dangerous dose for someone who has been prescribed Adderall XR (Varying doses) for five years and seems to have built a concerning high tolerance to amphetamines. Thanks!
Is 150mg of Vyvanse too high of a dosage?
Question posted by EBlitzer1970 on 8 Nov 2017
Last updated on 13 December 2021 by your majesty
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9 Answers
Official Answer by Drugs.com
5 Feb 2018
The maximum recommended dose of Vyvanse is 70mg/day.
https://www.drugs.com/dosage/vyvanse.html
Adderall and Vyvanse both contain amphetamines and work in a similar way to treat attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) in adults and children.
Adderall is a mixture of four different kinds of amphetamine salts (one of which is dextroamphetamine) while Vyvanse only contains one salt, called lisdexamfetamine, which only gets converted into dexamphetamine once it is in the body.
Studies have shown that Vyvanse is just as effective as Adderall, and side effects are similar. One advantage of Vyvanse is that it may be less likely to be abused; however, there is no generic form available so it is more costly than generic forms of Adderall. Risk of dependence (coming to rely on the drug) appears similar for both.
The recommended starting dose of Vyvanse 30 mg once daily in the morning in patients ages 6 and above. Dosage may be adjusted in increments of 10 mg or 20 mg at approximately weekly intervals up to maximum dose of 70 mg/day.
your majesty
13 Dec 2021
That would be mutually discerned between your psychiatrist and yourself. But to answer your question as it relates to ethics. Taking any drug is dangerous, period. Because LDX is classified as a CII product, regulating officials must publish the adverse facts as they relate to the class. Although LDX is in the same class it is scientifically patented as a ProDrug which are a new type of consumer product that are designed not to be abused. Because there is no active form of the stimulant, the only way to discover its effect is by properly titrating doses until you may arrive at the proper one. It is important to underline that the Designated daily dose DDD is a technical unit (fixed unit of measurement) and does not necessarily correspond to the recommended or prescribed daily dose (PDD). The prescribed daily dose (PDD) is defined as the average dose prescribed according to a representative sample of prescriptions.
The PDD can be determined from studies of prescriptions, medical or pharmacy records.For drugs where the recommended dosage differs for different indications (e.g. antipsychotics) it is important that diagnosis is linked to the prescribed daily dose given. Pharmacoepidemiological information (e.g. sex, age and mono/combined therapy) is also important in order to interpret a PDD. The PDD can vary according to both the illness treated and national policies and practices. For example, the PDDs of anti-infectives may vary according to the severity of the infection. There are also international differences between PDDs, which can be up to four or five fold higher/lower.
Prescribers are prohibited by law to "suggest" much less comment on dosing above the recommended amount as to stray away from over prescribing. But that doesn't mean that it's wrong. So it's not surprising that there would be controversy in dosing in regards to your question. I noticed this post is from 2017 and just in the past couple years new implications of this ProDrug are now the new standard.
Benpharmdphd
24 July 2021
It’s completely subjective and other countries actually have higher limits on stimulant dose. So much goes into dose including individual neurobiological variance from patient to patient, comorbidities, cardiovascular health, etc. As a rule of thumb, the lowest dose that controls the symptoms should be used, as all of these medications are taxing on the cardiovascular system. That said, there is no magic number and occasionally higher doses work better. This is do to genes and pharmacokinetics (PK) which in short means what the body does to the drug and pharmacodynamics (PD) or what the drug does to the body. In the case of(PK) for Vyvanse for instance , which is an inactive drug made active through CYPD6 metabolism; 7% of Caucasian people will be poor metabolizers and while they may need a smaller dose of an active medicine like adderall they would POSSIBLY need a larger dose of an inactive one like Vyvanse because they would convert it too slowly.
Conversely, a rapid metabolizer may be the opposite. While this is a good rule, as mentioned above, it’s not the only consideration. PD (what the drug does to the body) also plays a major role in the individual dose because every individual will have different issues with how the drug impacts their heart, lungs, brain, and as mentioned above, different comorbidities with these organs that could limit dose or medication selection.
Langloisbrandon77
17 June 2020
Most of these responses are half answers or make no sense, the reason the recommended dose is 70mg is because this medication is meant to be used for ADHD and BED. IT IS ONLY EFFECTIVE on lower doses of the drug. If taken too high the person will experience intoxication, or a HIGH from the drug. These medications are controlled substances for a reason so that a medical professional can only administer or prescribe these drugs. So that they can watch the patient and weigh the risks and needs, it is also setup this way so that if Doctors are over prescribing or abusing the system someway with these narcotics they can be held accountable. Vyvanse is made specially so when in the body it will only work once it is orally taken and processed via. Blood cells and the liver.
But also after time people can build up a tolerance or the depending on body weight age and lifestyle these factors can play into the dosing and changing overtime. However even with all that it wouldn't make much difference of the range of dosing size and effectiveness of the drug. The strength of this amphetamine and it effectiveness in the body, The cap on recommended dosage is 70mg after that you may be getting into intoxication. For a person who never takes the drug there is no body tolerance to it therefore just by taking 60mg for a normal person may lead to some intoxication (or high). Taking 150mg is pushing the limits, because its double it can be dangerous, the drug is very potent, so 150mg is more then likely too much for somebody who never takes the stuff and may abuse it. Also effectiveness for helping a patient goes out the window. Furthermore, this drug comes in different strengths, 10, 20, 30, 50, I think there is even a 60 so if a Dr. wants to give a patient an off dose they will prescribe 2 capsules this is common for many drugs. Allowing / or only giving the patient only 1 capsule sounds nonsensical and unrealistic. So essentially because of what the drug was made for, taking more then 70 is usually ineffective because amphetamines for treatment of ADHD and BED are used in smaller does, to help patients focus and so on. SHORT ANSWER - taking 150mg for real treatment way to high and ineffective, taking this drug to get high would be still a lot.
Ananse
21 Oct 2019
As already mentioned, amount of substance is not even 1/3.
I have 280 mg/day. That's four 70 capsules. Some 84 mg:s of amphetamine.
Psysically, everything has become better every time it's been raised. To have a chance of functioning cognitively - I'd need a whole lot more. I happen to have some ADHD. I happen to respond somewhat differently to CS compared to normal people.
Dsig2201
8 Oct 2019
I was prescribed Vyvanse and Adderall (generic) at the same time. I took a 70 mg Vyvanse in the morning, and if needed, had the option to take a 20 mg of immediate release in the early afternoon.
Worked well. Many times, I didn’t need the second dose.
ShleepingBooty
19 Aug 2019
I currently take 60mg vyvanse in the morning and 30mg In the afternoon so that’s above 70mg total.
If you by mistake take two pills just make sure you eat something high in protein and fat and it will relax the anxiety and side effects. Avoid caffeine, high carbs, and sugar when you accidentally take too much.
I take a total of 90 because my tolerance has built up since 5th grade but I seriously don’t recommend unless you understand it by taking it for a good amount of time.
patron105
18 Aug 2019
It is true that the recommended dosage is no more than 70mg a day. It is also true however, that each person processes drugs differently and also have varying tolerances to medication. I am on 70mg/twice a day, and was on 60mg IR adderall for almost two years. This dosage is becoming more common with people who are switching to Vyvanse after being on Adderall for 12 months or more. Also, whoever was citing the FDA as a valid source, are you aware that just this past month they are being sued for tampering with a study on Marijuana's effects on PTSD? The study showed how promising THC is for Veterans with PTSD, and the FDA was not happy. Google "Arizona Cannabis study." This is but one example of why the FDA should be taken as a "guide" and not scripture of the medical world.
Lynaq518
13 Oct 2018
No, because Vyvanse is only 1/3 dextroamphetamine, it’s equivalent moreso to 50mg of Dexedrine IR at 150mg. Maximum Dexedrine dose is 60mg, so would not be surprised to see such a conversion depending on dose of Dexedrine or Adderall. Some only get 6 hours active life, some get 12, so 70mg as a recommendation is just a recommendation likely because they don’t produce a larger capsule.
Writemindedlefty
24 Feb 2019
This is dead wrong and could also leave you dead. Read the official answer above from drugs.com for the correct and safe manner which one should adhere to.
I can’t believe what you wrote and is so very dangerous and inappropriate.
Please be careful and research a bit before you leave your own personal scientific theories.
Lynaq518
24 Feb 2019
This would be according to the pharmaceutical company that produces it. And the Drs who prescribe it. As well as the pharmacological profile of Vyvanse.
There are people prescribed 2 capsules due to the equivalent conversion. Why? Because Vyvanse is simply 1/3 active with the rest being the l-lysine bond. Someone on 60-90mg Adderall or 50-60mg of Dexedrine would likely be scripted 2 capsules.
I’d suggest with no background or experience in the area you not make such haphazard and overly dramatic remarks. Dead? Laughable.
Writemindedlefty
24 Feb 2019
Nope. Everything I’ve seen has been max 70.
Lynaq518
24 Feb 2019
That is the FDA recommendation. Not a law.
And you’ll find similar with Focalin where the recommendation for the IR is a bit lower than the XR.
In the case of sleep disorders or fatigue disorders, especially comorbid with ADHD, you’ll find people above FDA recommendation quite often. Or at an equivalence of 2 Vyvanse capsules of other amphetamines. I would not even want to discuss Desoxyn with you.
However a recommendation is not a cap, nor a law, again, if you don’t have any experience I’d suggest calming down the dramatics a bit. Vyvanse is preferable for those prone to addictive behavior by design. Some Drs prefer not to prescribe it due to the recommended max as is and stick to Dexedrine for patients needing higher doses since they can prescribe higher without concern of the FDA recommended max.
Lynaq518
24 Feb 2019
Also, do not listen to the internet regarding your meds, that is what MDs and PharmDs exist for.
Your own doctor may prescribe a combo of medications with a moderate to major interaction as listed on here and the pharmacist be fine with such also. So would not recommend using a website as your lifeline here...
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adderall, adderall xr, vyvanse, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), amphetamine, amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, binge eating disorder, dosage, prescription
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