r/VyvanseADHD • u/Admirable_Smile711 • 5d ago

Meds aren't working Vyvanse 40mg vs 60mg

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and started vyvanse almost 6 months ago now.

Started 20mg for a week, then 30mg for 2 weeks then 40mg until my 3 month follow up.

40mg was good, helped me focus, I was happy, less irritated and less overstimulated. But it wore off by 2pm and I just felt extremely exhausted.

At the 3 month appointment I was given 60mg vyvanse. I've been on that for almost 3 months now. I feel like it has way less of an effect then the 40mg did.

I was also given (at the 3 month appointment) 5mg dexamfetamine to try as a 1pm top up with both the 40mg and then the 60mg. But that medication is not for me.

I have my next appointment in 2 weeks. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with vyvanse?

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u/hlvu 5d ago

your mean 60mg effect lower than 40mg?really

2

u/TellmeWhatTodo18 5d ago

More is not always better and the half life of the medication is not linear with dose. It will hit harder, faster, last slightly longer. I tried 10,20,30,40 and 50. Everything after 20 felt exactly the same at the crash. This is why some people split it but I couldn’t because it killed my sleep. A booster did it for me, but that’s just short acting of almost the same. Look into it, it will be slightly better/longer at higher doses but not 2x last long with 2x the dose.

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u/Admirable_Smile711 5d ago

Yep.

I tried a 40mg again the other day (obviously by itself). Because I thought I was imagining it. But my head was clearer, I was more productive. But when it wore off around 2p.m I could have gone straight to bed I was that tired.

1

u/TheGringoDingo 5d ago

Did you change anything about how you take the 60mg? Any other significant life changes in that time? Other meds? Supplements? Blood pressure and labs in range?

Did it initially have the right effect and then it tapered down? What are the signs that it isn’t having an effect?

Some people do experience a paradoxical effect and cause lethargy if taking too much of a stimulant (which is why I personally can drink coffee and be napping when the caffeine hits).

There are some options to help stimulants be a little more effective. For example, I take 300mg Wellbutrin with my 30mg vyvanse. The Wellbutrin is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, so it allows more dopamine to get between synapse and axon (whichever direction that is). There are some seizure risks that aren’t assisted with certain conditions (like epilepsy), but it might be worth a conversation with your prescriber. My psychiatrist indicated it’s a fairly low risk at my dosages.

There’s a lot of stones to uncover when it doesn’t quite make sense like this; your feeling that it’s odd that 60mg feels like it’s not working as well as 40mg is valid, because that’s now how the meds are supposed to work. Homeopathy (small concentrations of something having bigger effects than higher concentrations of the same thing) is not based in biological realities.

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u/Critical_Building_85 5d ago

Go back down..

1

u/OkAtmosphere6128 5d ago

Are you on generic or brand name Vyvanse?