Vyvanse and Depression: What Users Say (Page 2)

• ADD...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 10, 2024

For ADHD "I really want to like Vyvanse because it definitely does help me focus, skim read without losing comprehension, multitask, listen, and it lasts for a good 11 hours. But, unfortunately, more often than not, it also seems to make me moody/irritable, anxious, paranoid, a little socially awkward, sometimes suicidal thoughts (so, depressed), and I absolutely HATE the heart palpitations I experience on it. I've also experienced mania on it a few times, like I felt high. It was strange. Oh, and I'm way too talkative on it! It feels like a really strong medication, like I'm on meth or something (I only take 20mg - 30mg. Tried 40mg once. It was fine - not much of a muchness between 30 and 40mg). Strangely, I don't experience nearly as many bad side effects when I take dextroamphetamine. So I suppose, be aware of these more worrisome side effects when taking Vyvanse for ADHD. And remember to take days off from taking it to ameliorate tolerance!"

• Lil...
• January 15, 2016

For ADHD "My 7-year-old son has ADHD. After years of struggling with ADHD as a parent, I decided to finally try medication for my son, he was prescribed Vyvanse. During the first month, it was great, he was finally able to focus in school and follow directions. I received so much positive feedback. Starting in the second month, I noticed he was sad all the time. At first, I dismissed it as maybe he was having a rough day, then it became two weeks, and it really affected his mood. My son started to not care in school, he would cry over any minor thing, he lost a lot of weight, and overall, I thought he was depressed. I brought it up to his therapists, who recommended we immediately remove him off of it."

• Anonymous
• September 26, 2009

For ADHD "I am a 20-year-old college student who was working full-time when I started taking this medicine, Vyvanse. At the time when I was first given this medicine, I was about 140 lbs and I'm 5'7''. And after about 4 months of taking the Vyvanse, I weighed anywhere between 115-120 lbs. Not good! The medicine made me totally not eat and run around like I was on drugs and couldn't sit still. I became so skinny I could see all of my ribs. I also felt like I had lost all emotions, and the relationship with my parents was harmed because of this. I think part of the problem was the doctor just upping my dose whenever he felt like it and not being very responsible. But I just want to warn anyone who is thinking about taking Vyvanse to be careful and have a doctor who cares."

• Aug...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2020

For Binge Eating Disorder "I started Vyvanse 5 months ago 30 mg for BED (binge eating disorder). The first 2 days went absolutely amazing. It curbed my appetite, made me more hands-on and focused with my daughter. I was able to get motivated to do things. Then on day 3, it was different, the motivation stopped. I was focused so much on my phone and nothing else that playing with my daughter became difficult. I lost all my energy, I became very antisocial and withdrawn, very angry, agitated, no one could speak to me without me having an attitude. I started yelling a lot and having random fits of rage. I would feel extremely depressed and unhappy, tired and aggravated. When the medication started to wear off, I eventually went up to 40 mg in hopes that the side effects would go away, but they didn't. 5 months later, I finally told my psych I couldn't handle it anymore. My psych decided to try me on Adderall. I wouldn't recommend Vyvanse to anyone, and for those who are adamant about taking it, tread lightly. This stuff mucked around with my head and made me incredibly on edge. I'll never go back on it again."

• Aug...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2020

For Binge Eating Disorder "I started Vyvanse 5 months ago 30 mg for BED (binge eating disorder). The first 2 days went absolutely amazing. It curbed my appetite, made me more hands-on and focused with my daughter. I was able to get motivated to do things. Then on day 3, it was different, the motivation stopped. I was focused so much on my phone and nothing else that playing with my daughter became difficult. I lost all my energy, I became very antisocial and withdrawn, very angry, agitated, no one could speak to me without me having an attitude. I started yelling a lot and having random fits of rage. I would feel extremely depressed and unhappy, tired and aggravated. When the medication started to wear off, I eventually went up to 40 mg in hopes that the side effects would go away, but they didn't. 5 months later, I finally told my psych I couldn't handle it anymore. My psych decided to try me on Adderall. I wouldn't recommend Vyvanse to anyone, and for those who are adamant about taking it, tread lightly. This stuff mucked around with my head and made me incredibly on edge. I'll never go back on it again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 3, 2015

For ADHD "There are many positives such as motivation and a brief period of content, but there are also many negatives: rapid heartbeat, chest pains, weight loss, dizziness, dry mouth. When the medicine kicks in, I feel this amazing sense of being content, no matter what I'm doing at the time, I just feel happy, but soon feel an extreme sadness and despair when it wears off because I wonder why I can't be happy anymore. I also become extremely irritable, anxious, and restless. I continue to take this medication because it helps me get things done and focus, but the negative impact is extremely hard on me and affects my mental and physical health greatly. Most common side effects for me are chest pains, sadness, rapid mood change, headache, and loss."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 3, 2015

For ADHD "There are many positives such as motivation and a brief period of content, but there are also many negatives: rapid heartbeat, chest pains, weight loss, dizziness, dry mouth. When the medicine kicks in, I feel this amazing sense of being content, no matter what I'm doing at the time, I just feel happy, but soon feel an extreme sadness and despair when it wears off because I wonder why I can't be happy anymore. I also become extremely irritable, anxious, and restless. I continue to take this medication because it helps me get things done and focus, but the negative impact is extremely hard on me and affects my mental and physical health greatly. Most common side effects for me are chest pains, sadness, rapid mood change, headache, and loss."

• kin...
• May 4, 2017

For ADHD "I have been taking ADHD medications for about 10 years, and Vyvanse is by far my favorite. I take 50 mg of Vyvanse as needed. I always feel very productive when taking it, and it really helps me focus and get things done without the procrastination. Although it does what it is supposed to do, I do have a few side effects that prevent me from taking it every day. I have a history with anxiety/depression, and this medicine brings back some of those symptoms. Also, I tend to be a perfectionist when I take the medicine. I catch myself taking longer to take exams and redoing my makeup or hair or brushing my teeth more than once simply because I feel like it isn't just right. Also, I am more isolated and less social when I take the pill."

• Anonymous
• January 22, 2010

For ADHD "I've been taking Vyvanse a little over 2 years. This is the only medicine I have taken for ADHD. As of this posting, I have been off it for 3 days. The first 18 months, I thought Vyvanse was the best thing since sliced bread. The last 6 months have been an emotional roller coaster of side effects. I have spent hours on the floor crying, my social life is none, I didn't talk to anyone but the people at work that I couldn't avoid, my husband wants a divorce, and nothing made me happy, I was sad and depressed all the time. Please be careful taking this medicine. I don't think it was meant for long-term use, or maybe it just affects different people in different ways. After 3 days in bed, I'm finally getting back to normal."

• Anonymous
• January 22, 2010

For ADHD "I've been taking Vyvanse a little over 2 years. This is the only medicine I have taken for ADHD. As of this posting, I have been off it for 3 days. The first 18 months, I thought Vyvanse was the best thing since sliced bread. The last 6 months have been an emotional roller coaster of side effects. I have spent hours on the floor crying, my social life is none, I didn't talk to anyone but the people at work that I couldn't avoid, my husband wants a divorce, and nothing made me happy, I was sad and depressed all the time. Please be careful taking this medicine. I don't think it was meant for long-term use, or maybe it just affects different people in different ways. After 3 days in bed, I'm finally getting back to normal."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2019

For ADHD "Vyvanse will make you concentrate, BUT it will make you feel emotionally terrible. The 1st day I started taking Vyvanse, it was incredible. I went out and mowed my lawn, which I haven’t done in months, and I got all of my work done. But at Day 2, I was deeply depressed. I’ve never felt so low in my whole life. It’s not worth being deeply depressed just so you can be more productive. I will never take this drug again in my entire life."

• Fra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2018

For ADHD "Has kept me balanced, focused, and energized with no noticeable decrease in efficacy at 40 mg every day for over four years. I have skipped a day occasionally and took a week off to test myself for lethargy or depressed feelings and felt very little change in mood."

• Mik...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 6, 2016

For ADHD "I feel that I have had ADHD all my life, but I was only officially diagnosed when I was 17. I have been on Vyvanse for close to 6 years now, and I can say that in the beginning, it worked just how I hoped it would. It gave me energy and the ability to focus and get things done that I needed to. I started off on one 30 mg pill a day, but I feel that I quickly built up a tolerance to it. I am now on two 50 mg pills (100 mg) a day, and it still doesn't have the effect that it used to on me. That is just one of a few things that I don't like about it. I feel like it worked for a short amount of time, but now it's just a pill that I can't get out of bed in the morning without taking. My depression has also worsened because of it, I feel."

• Anonymous
• December 19, 2015

For ADHD "Just upped the dose to 50 mg, this medicine works well as far as getting things done and having energy. The first time I took it, I was really concerned about my schoolwork, and it helps me stay on task. The only bad thing about it is that for a few minutes at different times of the day, this medicine makes me feel like it's wearing off, and I feel down or kind of worried, then it goes away. So my 'happy' feeling goes up and down throughout the day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2018

For ADHD "Focus was good, but felt like a zombie or spaced out. I started binge eating like crazy! Gained 12 lbs in 2 weeks!! Severe anxiety and panic attacks. Horrible chest pain, wheezing, and coughing. Sweating, hot, skin felt like it was crawling, cold chills, and severe depression!"

• LBe...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 10, 2023

For ADHD "I'm currently on my second round of Vyvanse. My first attempt was back in 2021, and it caused a full mental breakdown. At that time, I didn't realize how much of it was from the medication. I lost a bunch of weight and looked very sick. I don't have SI in terms of wanting to unalive myself, but I hope for things like not waking up or 'what if the train came right now and hit my car' type of thoughts. It was BAD. I had titrated up to a pretty hefty dose, and it caused me to pick at my nails and skin really badly. I felt horrible, and it wasn't doing anything for my ADHD, so I asked my doctor to take me off of it. Not realizing how much of my previous breakdown was from the Vyvanse, I agreed to try it again. Instantly had the same feelings and connected the meds to my previous breakdown. I cried uncontrollably for three days straight. Finally, that subsided, but I still wasn't feeling any benefits, so we increased the dose. I couldn't function for a week and had to call out of work."

• Fru...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 24, 2017

For ADHD "I recently returned to ADD meds after many years off and was put on 20 mg of Vyvanse. It does help me focus very well and makes me kind of fearless professionally and socially. Unfortunately, it really doesn't motivate me, which stinks. It also doesn't help much with my creativity - I wouldn't be able to solve a complex problem any easier on Vyvanse. It does work for a LONG time - well over 14 hours - and seriously trashes my sleep quality. I don't take Vyvanse on the weekends to reset my brain. I can eat if I think about it, but I can also go much longer without eating. Vyvanse is very smooth - no big highs or crashes. Pretty decent ADD med."

• Llo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 25, 2019

For ADHD "I was on Vyvanse 60mg after taking 25mg Adderall XR with a 10mg booster. At first, I LOVED Vyvanse. I had no incredible highs or lows. Concentration was great, but I had to be reminded to eat and drink. Then I would get so focused on tasks that I couldn't do anything else unless I finished them. Extreme tunnel vision. My mood started shifting and got depressed; not in the 'I'm so down' feeling, but more of a lack of high in the day - almost zombie-like. It ripped all the love out of me and made everything a business decision. Increased apathy. I switched to Adzynes and hope to get back to me."

• don...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2019

For ADHD "I honestly can't tell the difference. I started on 20 mg, but only for about 10 days, and I've been doing 40 mg ever since. It wears off way too quickly, and I'm not even sure if it's working, although it does make it easier for me to start things and be more productive doing them occasionally. I've adjusted to the crash better, but I still feel effects of depression, irritation, and energy that comes and goes."

• Anonymous
• June 20, 2008

For ADHD "Vyvanse has been amazing for me. I used to take Adderall, which made me moody, self-conscious, unhappy with myself and life, and far from my true personality. I now take 70 mg of Vyvanse, and it has worked miracles. I feel I am my true self but with controlled ADHD symptoms. Now, when I need to concentrate, I am now able to, thanks to Vyvanse."

• 24...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2022

For ADHD "I switched to this medication from Adderall because, although Adderall helped with a lot of things, I still couldn’t focus on college studies. The higher doses of Adderall made me very, very angry, so I switched to Vyvanse, hoping to get better focus with fewer side effects. The first few days on 20 mg were productive. I noticed it didn’t really crash or have too many side effects. I was wrong. After a few days, I started feeling tired and irritable during the time it was effective and after. We decided to up the dosage to 40 mg to see if it would help. Same results as before, after a few days, I felt like crap. The 40 mg actually made me feel super depressed and have suicidal thoughts. I couldn’t feel emotions anymore besides the negative ones - like severe fatigue, hopelessness, and depression. It made me super irritable and almost like I was looking to argue with my girlfriend. It was horrible. After stopping it for a few days, I finally started feeling like myself again."

• Anonymous
• April 17, 2013

For ADHD "My 11-year-old daughter has taken Vyvanse for about 3 years now for her ADHD. She was taking Strattera for 2 years before that. We have had constant issues with anger, mood swings, and depression on both medications, but she seems to be able to focus better in school with Vyvanse. Here, for the past few months, it has gotten to where she says she feels out of control of her emotions and wants to die. All her doctors have done is increased her dosage, paired it up with Intuniv, and now have her on a mood stabilizer. We are waiting to see how this all goes. I do not know if Vyvanse is the problem, if ADHD meds are part of the problem, or if she has a different chemical imbalance that needs treatment along with her ADHD."

• Pat...
• June 15, 2017

For ADHD "My son has ADHD, he was on Concerta, which started out working well but started not working this year. His neurologist prescribed Vyvanse. He was only on the drug for one month, it was the worst experience ever. Not only didn't he sleep, my son developed a tic and depression. I do not recommend this drug for ADHD, it worsened my son's."

• Anonymous
• May 25, 2010

For ADHD "I am fifteen years old and started taking Vyvanse 30 mg dose in October. I moved to 50 mg and am now at 70 mg. At the lower dose, I noticed a definite improvement in my attention span and work ethic. On the 70 mg, I feel anxious, depressed, and I have headaches constantly. I feel like isolating myself socially from everyone else and am extremely moody. I do not recommend more than 50 mg of this medication to anyone."

• Jua...
• February 12, 2017

For ADHD "Things to be mindful of: can cause extreme anorexia - be careful if you are struggling with anorexia or bulimia nervosa; helps reduce binge eating greatly - good for binge eating disorder and bulimia when the person is trying to correct bingeing and not abusing the drug as a way of losing weight; can cause depression, suicidal ideations, and tiredness - usually is a result of taking a dose that is too high and the symptoms usually occur once the meds start to wear off; can cause severe anxiety - taking Vyvanse at a dose that is too high can cause severe anxiety, this can usually be resolved by lowering the dose. Some of these things can be resolved by adjusting the dosage, but sometimes a specific medication doesn't work well with your body."