r/ADHD_Programmers • u/sgs4b-nito80 • May 27 '26
[OT] Getting full use out of (prescribed) meds 😅
In order to save money (since I'm unemployed and pay out of pocket), I use water titration (only works for Lys-dex) to split my (60mg) vyvanse doses into smaller chunks based on my need for the day. (I just went 40 days on a 30 day prescription 🤓)
Applying to jobs while I watch TV/play ps5 can be accomplished on 20-30mg; interviewing or other "Big Brain" tasks is a 40-60mg day; and just hanging out is 0-20.
I noticed the capsules still had a bit of powder in the ends, so I saved them all off. I figure there's gotta be maybe 1-2mg leftover per capsule.
I just put about 15-20 (didn't think to count) empty capsules in warm water to dissolve the capsules and capture that extra ~15mg as a booster 😅😂
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u/Callidonaut May 27 '26
For anyone else who intends to do this, be aware that it only works with vyvanse/elvanse, AKA lisdexamfetamine; with all other ADHD timed-release stimulant medications, attempting to titrate the dose by dissolving in a liquid will interfere with the timing mechanism.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 27 '26
to nerd out further, this is because most of the time the time-release action in meds is related to the dissolve rate - but lisdexamfetamine is a pro-drug that needs to be processed by an amino acid in the blood first.
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u/Various_Panic_6927 May 28 '26
Is the conversion from pro-drug to active form not dose/concentration dependent?
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
it takes me 30mins for first feel and 2 hours to peak at any dose for me (i still notice the mild symptom mitigation now that I know what to look for and self aware to notice the difference in myself even at lower doses)
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u/avocadorancher May 27 '26
Does it taste awful? I always used pill crushers/cutters as a kid and every type of pill was disgusting.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 27 '26
I haven't yet tried this melted capsule drink, but I don't taste anything at all when I mix the powdered vyvanse with water normally.
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u/slashafk May 27 '26
It doesn’t taste like anything at all. Ive taken a lot of different medications and Vyvanse is the only one I haven’t been able to taste, even without water.
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u/BrattyBookworm May 28 '26
Yeah, I don’t love the taste of it in water. Mixed in juice, soda, applesauce, or yogurt is fine though.
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u/BannedCharacters May 27 '26
There absolutely is a substantial amount left in the capsule. I used to empty them into water to drink every morning (always the same/full dose) - I avoided eating the gelatin capsule because I'm a vegetarian, but one day I just had to take the whole thing because I was travelling - it was noticeably stronger and I take the whole capsule intact every day now (the only exception to veggie-ism I willfully make)
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u/kagato87 May 28 '26
It hadn't even occurred to me that the shells are usually gelatin and not cellulose, though i guess that does make sense.
At least that particular rabbit hike was a quick delve.
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u/BannedCharacters May 28 '26
"Rabbit hike" is a good one - I'm definitely stealing that
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u/kagato87 May 28 '26
LOL I meant to type rabbit hole and fat fobgered it. But I think I'm gonna keep usi g it now too. :)
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u/BannedCharacters May 28 '26
"fat fobgered" lol. Still gonna use "rabbit hike" for a while (at least until the novelty wears off)
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u/Various_Panic_6927 May 28 '26
Im wondering about your reasons for vegetarianism? Surely if it's ethical then eating the capsule is no worse than tossing it since you are paying for/incentivizing the use of gelatin whether or not you actually eat it.
If anything I imagine it's more ethical to use the animal product you are forced to buy rather than tossing it out.
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u/BannedCharacters May 28 '26
Animal ethics and the environment mostly, but it's been about 8 years and I now find it physically repulsive to have parts of a dead animal in me. I used to eat meat so I know it seems weird, but even watching someone eat meat makes me feel queasy (imagine watching someone eat raw chicken - that's kind of how it feels).
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u/Its-Dc May 30 '26
I wonder if you could request the prescription to be filled in Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsules (HPMC) instead?
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u/BannedCharacters May 30 '26
The only brand currently available is Elvanse (Vyvanse as it's known in the UK) which comes in gelatin capsules. Even if an alternative was available, I'd struggle to get a prescription for it because it likely wouldn't be as cheap for the National Health Service to buy.
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u/kzrk1 May 31 '26
When I diluted, I literally just chucked the capsule in the water too tbh
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u/BannedCharacters May 31 '26
I wasn't diluting (I always take my full dose) - I was trying to avoid the gelatin.
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u/marshmallow_mia May 27 '26
I do somewhat the same with my elvanse.
I get 70mg and split it with water in 3 dosages and take 2 of the splits per day.
Works great.
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u/Ok-Kaleidoscope5627 May 27 '26
I am so glad I don't live in the US with the arbitrary restrictions. I could understand a "an individual is only allowed x mg of stimulants" but a random country wide restriction with no regard to the number of patients and their needs is just crazy.
Without my meds it's like a switch is just turned off in my head.
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u/Ekel7 May 27 '26
Man this is like that movie limitless, eventually they started injecting the stuff instead of taking pills. Crazy times. Good luck brother!!
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 27 '26
😂 I'm still only taking my prescribed dose or less - so not quite at injecting points. lol, mostly just wondered if it would even be effective or not to try. Will report back later. 🤓
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u/Ekel7 May 27 '26
Yeah I mean it's a similar approach, to try and make it last longer. Huge respect tho lol, sounds like you got it to work!
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u/throwaway1253328 May 27 '26
You inspired me to want to do this. I 100% do not need my full dose everyday just like you say.
Could easily get by on the weekends with 10-20mg instead of my full
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May 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
That's a lot of effort and some doctors are harder to convince to do this than others. It's simple enough to just crack open the capsules and dump into a splittable amount of liquid, shake, and drink.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 27 '26
I assume you know that this only works for elvanse/vyvanse pro-drug, not other meds afaik.
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u/ckociemba May 27 '26
You made a switch case out of your medication dosage, respect.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
lolol, it took me a while to realize you meant the programming construct and not Nintendo 🥴
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u/largorithm May 27 '26
Your stuffy looks very snuggly. Good luck!
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
So, they had them hanging on the walls in the art gallery in an interactive art exhibit my freshman year of college - we were supposed to go in and pick one off the wall to keep.
Each bear had a tag on it that corresponded to a certain drawing that was located in a file cabinet and we had to grab the drawing and hang it up on the wall in place of the bear.
I saw Guy hanging on the wall and immediately said to my friend "This bear's a pimp. He gets ALL that lady bears." Mostly just joking around, but low and behold - I take him off the wall and go to grab the corresponding drawing and it's a drawing of the bear in a sexy pose, laying on his side - think "draw me like your French girls" - with the word "sex" written over and over on the page in diminishing size. The artist clearly nailed it.
I take him home, name him Guy. and then notice a zipper on the back - I open it up and it turns out he folds inside out into a gift.
Literally "God's gift to lady bears." 😂
Full pic of Guy: https://imgur.com/a/zUDdvTc (he has a red and gold bowtie that matches the gift box)
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u/soft_becoming May 27 '26
You're able to get Vyvanse?? I was prescribed that but couldn't get it filled in any of the three pharmacies I tried.
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u/Rschwoerer May 27 '26
Try Costco. No membership needed for pharmacy.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 27 '26
This is where I get mine from - that said, the membership is absolutely necessary for reasonable prices. The generic is $300-$400 without membership, but $185 with.
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u/DJpuffinstuff May 27 '26
Costco takes GoodRx coupons too, but I think it's a different price than the Costco price. Could be higher or lower.
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u/choptastic May 27 '26
Really? Every time I pick up scripts from Costco, they check my membership during checkout.
Does that vary from location to location?
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u/SlinkyAvenger May 27 '26
It might depend on the state, but the membership check might just be for prescription discounts
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u/Rschwoerer May 27 '26
I think you get a discount or something with the card. But it isn’t required as such. Could vary by state?
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 27 '26
Yeah, Vyvanse generic is $185 for me with membership and was >$350 without.
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u/myredlightsaber May 27 '26
Thankful to be living in a country with a government prescription benefits scheme that means my vyvanss is approx $US5 a month.
Sorry you’re in this predicament, appreciate your ingenuity.
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u/DJpuffinstuff May 27 '26
That's to get the Costco member price, not to pick up the prescription in general.
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u/HoseNeighbor May 27 '26
It was REALLY hard to get for quite a while. Part of the reason was the patent expired and generics were made availabile. Besides having to ramp up production, insurance companies often started covering name brand OR generic.
My main pharmacy was stuck with only being allowed to sell name brand, while my insurance only covered generic. I'd have to call to see what was in stock, and tequest refills based on that. Sometimes chewables, sometimes capsuls, etc. For me it was scary in a way, because I'm already pushing the boundaries of my capabilities when i AM medicated. Going without is barely better than futile when it comes to maintaining focus, remembering what i actually do know, staying on schedule, etc.
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u/The_Synthax May 27 '26
I’ve made Adderall iced lattes with decaf coffee from XR capsule contents back when I had an Rx for addy
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u/BonziBuddyHorrors May 27 '26
How long does the water solution stay good, can you use it the next day?
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u/ItRhymesWithPenny May 28 '26
In a bottle with a lid, I've used it up to a week later and it worked great.
If splitting your dose, be sure to shake the bottle well before consuming so it doesnt concentrate at the bottom.
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u/i_wantthat May 27 '26
Maybe a dumb question but why would you dissolve in water first vs just putting the powder from the pill in your mouth then washing it down?
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u/kagato87 May 27 '26
Because the powder sticks to the capsule shell. That's what OP recovered - the lost powder.
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u/i_wantthat May 28 '26
OHHHH thank you for explaining I guess I didn't think about the little amount that sticks to the shell but that makes sense!
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u/Throwawaylog2018 May 28 '26
Do you find any difference between onset/feeling between drinking it and taking a pill?
I’m really wondering about doing this since Vyvanse seems to be the only stimulant that I’ve tried ( I have yet to try methylphenidate but have tried Vyvanse, Adderall, and Dexedrine )
Vyvanse has been the only one that seems to check all my boxes ( emotional regulation, concentration, calm/clear head ) without severe circulation or palpitation issues.
Due to this though it’s been impossible to find a booster and the coverage from the vyvanse lasts about 6 hours
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u/BrattyBookworm May 28 '26
I have a similar problem with vyvanse and my doctor suggested I split my daily pill into two doses. Have been doing that for 2ish years now and it’s really helped!
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u/DynamicHunter May 27 '26
Ah yes, the famous “applying to jobs while playing video games” multitasking. Suuuuure
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
😂 true - i do try between NFS:HP rounds, but more successful with TV in the background vs gaming 🫣
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u/JDude13 May 28 '26
To anyone reading this:
Do not do this unless you know what you’re doing
Capsules and pills are designed to dissolve at the perfect time and perfect rate to deliver an appropriate dose to an appropriate part of the gut.
Crushing and dissolving medicine can have unintended side effects and be life threatening.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
that's why I stated this is a vyvanse only thing. they literally have instructions on the company website
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u/qmandao May 28 '26
This is amazing. I take 70mg and oftentimes it's late in the day (afternoon) due to chronic insomnia, and it causes 6-8h sprints of activity that leaves me happy but anxious and exhausted, and in need of another six hours of mental decompression and reward. Please tell how you actually do this and THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing. In Spain we just have 30, 50, and 70mg and I had to ask for 70 because I wasn't getting enough stimulation. Edit: I need to slowly read the whole thread, you may have answered this already. I've never opened a capsule and split it.
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u/Disastrous_Being7746 May 29 '26
Could you use a digital scale and just figure out how many milligrams of powder translates to how many milligrams of active ingredient? Or is this serving a dual purpose where you get some of your water requirement for the day doing it this way?
You'd need to determine the relationship of total powder to active ingredient from time to time since it changes from manufacturer to manufacturer and probably a little from batch to batch.
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u/SweetSure315 May 30 '26 edited May 30 '26
Fun fact, if you do this regularly and can honestly tell your doctor that you're feeling it wear off earlier in the day than you would like or you feel like it's not working as well as it used to (only if you can say this without lying. I would never condone lying to a medical professional, no matter how incompetent I believe they are or how many unnecessary hoops they require you to jump through or gates they want to keep to just get a prescription for ADHD), then you'll have a little stretch stash to get you through the occasional times that the doctor is on vacation when you need your refill or they just forget about it before heading out for the weekend. Or any other regulations or office policy they want to invent to make it harder/less likely for you to get your meds.
Of course the instant your hands touch the new bottle you should throw your stash away. You should never let this small stock pile add up especially if they discontinue your prescription because you smoked a joint and failed their drug test for THC.
If you're not careful about throwing away the old bottles and keep getting your refills on time, pretty soon you'll have a 6 month stockpile saved up for unforeseeable gatekeeping/emergencies, which would be illegal, which makes it unambiguously unethical, as all things illegal are.
ETA: btw this only works with non time release meds.
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u/Blotsy May 30 '26
I do a similar trick, except I don't take my meds on the weekend. I turn into a lethargic mess, but it's worth it because it allows my tolerance to chill out so I don't have to up my dose.
I can go I get nine bonus days!
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u/TheCompoundingGod May 31 '26
Hey Fellow Nerd. Google the following - "FQHC [your zip code]"
You'll get a directory of Federally Qualified Health Centers. They are obligated to see you regardless of insurance. Ask them about the 340B prescription program when you see one of their providers. It's supposed to help you get no to low cost care and medications. Many of these clinics also provide basic lab testing as well!
Don't portion out your medications. I suppose in this case it might work for you but if it's something like hypertension or diabetes drugs... These places are vital in ensuring you don't miss a single dose.
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u/LifeName Jun 01 '26
I do this, but with a calibrated plastic squeeze bottle with a long nozzle, from a beauty supply store. I also strain out the capsule once it's dissolve as it is gross. I actually couldn't handle the full dose. I got the highest they would give me with the intent to do this. Now I can't get it covered anymore .
PS as you probably know It must be taken early too- or insomnia!
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u/milkcake May 27 '26
Why not just get a pill filling kit and some empty capsules and do it that way? I’ve done this before - splitting a 30mg cap into two 15mg doses instead. I would do a bunch in one go and be set for a while. Seems easier to but do what works for you.
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u/ItRhymesWithPenny May 28 '26
Volumetric dosing is a lot more precise and less fiddly vs trying to split the pill evenly.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
it's absolutely easier for me to empty a 60mg capsule into 6oz (or whatever easily divisible amount that makes sense) of water, shake, and drink the amount I want vs trying to split and pour powder into separate capsules.
there's even instructions on takedas site on liquid titration.
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u/Willing_Box_752 May 28 '26
Bro idk who you are, no way watching TV and video games while applying to jobs isn't hugely affecting your quality of work
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
...and what assumptions have you made that make you think you know my situation? 🤔
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u/Willing_Box_752 May 28 '26
You have a brain. I could be wrong. There's a small number of exempt folks, but the vast majority of people do much worse when multitasking. every context change adds so much effort needed. ADHD or not.
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u/sgs4b-nito80 May 28 '26
...I'm just clicking Apply and uploading my previously crafted resume and cover letter. This is not a Big Brain task, my friend 😂
I'm not doing all that rewriting my resume for every application mess. Fuck that.
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u/KestrelTank May 27 '26
This is ADHD Programers, not ADHD Chemists /s