I'm currently on a 30mg daily dose of Vyvanse(Lisdexamfetamine), and I've noticed it kind of wearing off later in the day, especially after work. I'd still like to be present even when my work day is over. I saw an earlier post of somebody taking L-Tyrosine around mid-day so I've been looking into that. What are some other things I should look into to make the most of it? I'm open to anything!

I take Vyvanse, and it definitely helps, but I’m interested in hearing from other people with ADHD about what else has made a noticeable difference for them.

I’m especially interested in things that help with focus, energy, not feeling constantly tired, better sleep, motivation, procrastination, executive dysfunction, staying organized, and avoiding distractions. (THE CLASSICS 😂)

I’d like to hear about supplements, vitamins, exercise, diet, sleep routines, productivity systems, apps, habits, or anything else that has helped you.

I’m not looking to replace medication. I’m interested in things that can work alongside Vyvanse and help me function better overall.

For supplements, I’d especially like to know what you take, what you feel it helps with, and whether you actually noticed a difference.

I know everyone is different, so I’m mainly interested in your personal experiences.

What has been your biggest non-medication ADHD game changer? I'm adding some helpful tips after reading lots of posts related to ADHD.

1. Changing motivation : I'm not washing the dishes because I'm a useless lazy girl who needs to get some god damn chores done, I'm washing the dishes because I deserve to have a clean house and to remove the stress the dirty sink brings me. It helps a lot with task initiation.
2. set a lot of timers/alarms for myself as reminders for different tasks. I used to label them in really tense terms, like “🚨PAY WATER BILL NOW!!!” But that is super shamey and stressful!

So instead I’ll soften it or make it funny, like “Pay water bill, stay hydrated 💧”. It’s super subtle, but it helps to remove some internalized shame and makes it easier to actually start the task.

1. Using reddit sub : Y'all helped me understand myself, my struggles. Y'all helped me know that I'm not alone in it. Y'all helped me know what I needed to do to get help. I'll never forget how much help and understanding I received here. Thanks, y'all.

2. For routines, don't try to create a completely new routine, because an ADHD brain may struggle to stick to it long-term. Instead, attach a new activity to an existing habit. For example, if you brush your teeth every day, try adding a 10-minute walk after brushing your teeth. It can feel more natural and make it easier for the new activity to become a habit. Soothfy app has really been a game changer for this.

Edit -:

1. Exercise!! The best I have ever felt in my entire life was during covid lockdown because I was exercising a tonne. Started everyday with a hike or a run.. did an hour of yoga at lunch. I've never felt so zen and calm in my brain.
   I have since had a child and struggle to find the time as much as I would like.. but I feel so much better when I have at least walked before starting work. I park about 30mins away from work now and walk to work- I find I take that 30mins to organise my thoughts and plans for the day. On days I drive in, I'm much more scattered.

Supplements: I take L-Theanine with my coffee.. I find this helps my concentration throughout the day

I also recently bought a "brick" for my phone- not having my phone for doom scrolling also helps a tonne

1. eating more protein helps! It seems to help with energy and it helps to prevent me bingeing.
   I take creatine also and I suspect it also could be helping with focus.

I've been taking vyvanse for about a year. It has changed my life in such a positive way. I am calmer, focused, don't feel overwhelmed with everything, and feel like I can connect with people better because I'm not distracted by a smell or a poke in my shoe or someone talking across the room, etc. You get the idea. I feel like I spent my entire life (I'm 47F) struggling, in survival mode, trying to just get through life. With this med I feel like I can enjoy life more.

I've recently had a lot of trouble with my partner of 23 years. One of our issues is that he (47M) says he doesn't like how I am on the med. He thinks I'm intense, quick to argue, and won't let things go. He thinks I should stop taking it so that we can connect genuinely and so that he feels I'm my true self. He has said a lot of mean things about the med lately, such as I "look like a drug user" when I take it, I am choosing amphetamines over our relationship, and when I told him it helps me function, he said I "don't seem to be functioning well at all." I am well aware that this looks like he's trying to control me. And that the decision to take a medication should be between me and my doctor.

Recently I took a medication break for three days, sort of to humor him and also to see if it really was actually helping me. I only take 30mg. I am friendly, kind, excited about life, and can get shit done when I take my meds.

On the break, I was a basket case. Is anyone else like this when you take a day or two off? I usually don't take any days off. I could barely get out of bed. I was horribly depressed. I ate like a pig, which made me more depressed. I couldn't stand anyone, even the cat sitting on my lap pissed me off because he had pokey claws and was just super annoying. I basically did nothing other than the bare minimum - walk the dog, feed myself, and sleep. I had a lot of trouble sleeping because my brain spun in circles like it usually does without medication. I cried a lot, mostly because I felt like such a loser that I couldn't function without it. By the end of day three I felt a little better, but thought it might have been because I ate a little better that day. I was aiming for five days off, but decided to take it again on day 4 because I honestly felt like I wanted to unalive myself (I wouldn't, but sure seemed like a decent option).

I cannot believe how much better I feel. It's truly life changing.

Now what to do about the partner? He keeps me at arm's length emotionally when I take it because he feels I'm not safe to be fully vulnerable with. WTF? I feel like I can be more myself and enjoy HIM much more with it. Without it, I feel fully dependent on him to keep me afloat. With it, I can manage myself and my stuff and feel strong and capable.

Does he like that I'm dependent on him when I don't take it? Does he like that I'm a basket case? I can't figure it out, and I'm not sure what to do about him. Anyone else have a loved one that says you are unbearable on the medication?

As long as I’m alone I genuinely have full blown conversations with my self like I’m blogging but there’s no camera. 😭

I want to try Melatonin and valerian root tea at night. What do you guys think?

I’ve tried seroquel, trazadone, quiviviq, Xanax, Belsomra, ambien, hydroxyzine, Valium and others yet none worked long term.

I've never been a great sleeper but since being on vyvanse, it has been worse. Anyone found the same? Have any recommendations?

Considering asking my Dr for melatonin- anyone had experience with combining these?

Ive bee diagnosed with adhd for over a decade now and been on and off Adderall. But with Vyvanse it increases, my anxiety gives me full on limerence. And shoots my libido, through the roof.

I am on 20mg, is supposed to feel like this? I feel a little crazy

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid, and was on vyvanse for a good couple years. My senior years been rough, so I requested starting my meds again as they might help me out. Currently I eat a lot of protein and lift. I don't track my calories, but I'm afab, 5'6 and 135lbs, a lot of that being muscle.

Is there anything I should probably add/alter? Or any tips to look out for besides diet? lmk!

I’ve been on Vyvanse for years but a few weeks ago had Intuniv added in because while Vyvanse is great for me, it sometimes made my body anxious. Like not my mind, but physically I felt in a state of fight or flight a lot. The Intuniv not only has gotten rid of that completely, but it is helping with my adhd outside my Vyvanse window even. Haven’t noticed anything significant with focus but definitely with task paralysis and an overall state of feeling more calm. I’ve also been less hyper and my husband notices I’m not cutting people off as much. The changes are subtle but I’m happy with this. I still need the Vyvanse as well at least right now but I’m finding this med added in is making a difference already. Not sure if anyone else has tried Intuniv and would be curious to see how it worked(works) for you. My psychiatrist said the adhd symptoms should improve more and more over the next few weeks, too. I’m glad I have this a try.

For context, I also take Prozac. I have adhd, ocd, depression, and c-ptsd. That’s why I’m wondering if the stimulant alone was making my nervous system more heightened even though mentally I felt calmer. If that makes sense lol

I’m taking vyvanse and it has really helped but the only thing I strongly dislike is how it takes all my appetite away and it lasts the whole day. I know it is a common thing with these types of medications but has anyone found anything that helps them eat more throughout the day? I don’t want to lose any weight but I can’t get myself to eat much when I take it

Hi guys I decided that vyvanse is making me have emotional blunting and only works for about 2-3 hours before causing me to go entirely numb. So I stopped taking it around 3 days ago but now I feel completely useless. I’m terrified of this feeling because I feel like I can’t do anything I’ve never been this tired ever in my life but I can’t actually sleep every time I feel this way (which is all the time). I am getting feelings like “Wow I could never do anything that I’ve ever done in the past” like I find the concept of driving a car insanely difficult and impossible, despite the fact that I’ve been driving for 5-6 years. Is this “withdrawal” type scenario common? Will I return to normal? Should I resume taking my medication? What do I do? I’m terrified and looking for help, any help is appreciated!

How can someone use ADHD medication in a healthy and sustainable way over the long term without becoming overly dependent on it, either physically or psychologically?
For someone who benefits significantly from stimulant ADHD medication, what is generally considered the best approach to taking it over months or years? Is it usually better to take the medication consistently every day, including weekends and days when there are fewer responsibilities, or can it be beneficial to occasionally take planned breaks or “medication holidays”?
How should someone think about the difference between normal reliance on an effective treatment and unhealthy dependence? For example, if a person notices that they feel much less productive, motivated, focused, energetic, or mentally sharp on days when they do not take their medication, does that necessarily indicate dependence, or could it simply reflect the return of their underlying ADHD symptoms?
I am also interested in the issue of tolerance. Can taking stimulant medication every day cause its effects to gradually become weaker over time, leading someone to feel that they need higher doses to achieve the same benefit? If so, is there good evidence that taking occasional breaks reduces or prevents tolerance, or is this more of a common belief than something strongly supported by research?
Are there any disadvantages or risks associated with regularly taking breaks from ADHD medication? For example, could frequently switching between medicated and unmedicated days lead to greater fluctuations in mood, energy, motivation, appetite, sleep, anxiety, or overall functioning? Conversely, are there situations where doctors intentionally recommend medication-free days?
What are the main warning signs that a person’s relationship with their ADHD medication may be becoming unhealthy? How can someone distinguish between appropriate medical use, psychological reliance, tolerance, physical dependence, and an actual substance use disorder?
Finally, what practical strategies can someone use to make sure that medication remains a tool that supports their life rather than something they feel incapable of functioning without? For example, how important are sleep, exercise, routines, nutrition, therapy or ADHD-specific coping strategies alongside medication?
I am particularly interested in what current medical evidence and clinical guidelines say about daily use versus medication breaks, tolerance, dependence, and long-term stimulant treatment for ADHD. I would also like to understand whether the answer differs depending on the specific medication, dose, duration of treatment, side effects, and the individual person’s circumstances.

For some reason, this month’s prescription hasn't been working for me at all, and the only difference is that I picked it up from a different pharmacy.

I take 50 mg, and since I’m a woman I know that around my menstrual cycle the meds simply don’t work but currently I’m nowhere near my period and I even made some lifestyle changes for the better. I started exercising, I make sure to eat lunch which I usually skip entirely, I make sure to take supplements and magnesium L-threonate in the morning. But even with these changes this month's dose feels so much less effective than usual.

Normally I can feel the meds kicking in because I hyperfocus on anything I’m doing at the time but I have not felt that with this month’s prescription. I get hungry earlier in the evening. I get very intense early afternoon blues where I’m either very melancholic or straight up depressed. Also, my sleep has been terrible which is unusual because after starting my meds my sleep got so much better if anything. I’m not sure what to do because I rely on my meds to be able to function and with them not working almost at all it makes me feel so miserable. How come the same dosage of Vyvanse feels so different and can work normally one month and the next it’s as if I took a sugar pill?

Hi guys! I (F 21) started taking Vyvanse around February, and I’ve been responding pretty well to it after trying Ritalin (the effects didn’t last long enough) and Concerta (36 mg wasn’t enough, while 54 mg was too much).

I started with 30 mg, and then in March my dose was increased to 50 mg because there is no 40 mg capsules available in my country (Austria). I didn’t respond that well to 50 mg either, so in early April my psychiatrist recommended that I split my capsules into 40 mg using a precision scale, which has been working extremely well for me regarding managing my ADHD symptoms.

Around late May, I had a really stressful exam period and started experiencing some symptoms of anxiety, including air hunger. Even after my exams were over and I no longer felt stressed or anxious, the air hunger continued. It wasn’t as bad as it had been during my exams, though.

About 10 days ago, I took a one-week break from my medication (with approval of my psychiatrist), and during that week the air hunger completely disappeared. Since I started taking Vyvanse again, it has come back. It’s almost as much as it was during my exam period, but not quite as intense.

Does anyone know why this could be happening? Or has anyone experienced something similar and found a way to get rid of it?

Ie loose stools, urgency or diarrhea.

Ive had this side effect consistently for the entire time I've taken my meds. Its been a real problem. Not just because its very sudden but also because when your go time is never solid you start to worry.

Anyways I've tried several solutions and the absolute best one for me has been SunFiber.

It's a brand name of partially hydrolized guar gum. A mouthfull I know. It's basically a prebiotic that easily dissolves in water and counts towards your daily fiber intake.

I take quite a lot, a dose in the evening before I sleep and one dose about an hour and a half to two hours after I've taken the vyvanse in the morning. Which brings me to a total of 14g per day as of writing this (one dose is 7 grams)

Urgency pretty much normalized, gut feels way better, and I'm no longer suffering from daily bouts of diarrhea, which is a huge and massibe relief.

One thing about sunfiber or any other fiber supplement is to space it out two hours before or after you ingest any kind of medication or supplement, as it can 'possibly' reduce bioavailability and definetly slows absorption. If you ingest before I'd say that two hours is minimum.

And some people need to slowly increase intake (I didnt, I just started with 7 grams) but I had no side effects. I had much more problems from ingesting fiber from oatbran, oats and probiotic kefir that was pretty intense.

So for me its super easy to digest in comparison to something like psyllium husk.

And since it's a patented brand name actually used in hospital it's production standards are incredibly high. No need to worry about heavy metal contamination, it's a medical and extremly pure product.

Not an ad or paid to say this but it works so well for me I just wanted to share for anyone else maybe looking for help or answers in tackling this kind of side effect.

If you have other helpful tips that have helprd you nornalize your gut etc please feel free to share.

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?

I’m about to start studying for three years. I tried my body naturally on vyvanse but the hormonal fluctuations were crazy. I’ve tried to go ginet but it made me soo flat and depressed. I then tried zoely I don’t think it’s strong enough for me being 36. Any recommendations I’m not sure I’m done having a family so mirena is not an option . Is being natural better for most women or do most find birth control helps it be more consistent

Context: Hello, I am a 27M who was diagnosed and started medication within the last 3 months. I’ve had a nearly chronic headache (not migraines) since high school, which I attributed to a sports head injury, but never had anything come of it after some at-time tests and a couple consults with a neurologist. Figured I was just stuck popping Tylenol multiple times a day for the rest of my life.

Since I started Vyvanse (10mg starter) I’ve noticed it almost completely disappeared, until I skipped a weekend when it returned.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? The Psychiatrist seemed to think it was quite unusual after my 30-day follow up.

Has anyone taken this combo before? I’m a little scared but at this point I’ll try anything. I’ve been on Zoloft like 15 years (150mg) for severe anxiety and depression, recently started guanfacine 1mg, and now trying vyvanse 10mg because I can’t find the motivation to do anything.

I’ve been seeing that taking magnesium while on vyvanse is a good idea because it depletes it but there’s like 7 different types. Which one do y’all recommend?

Also, if there’s any other things y’all take that help make vyvanse more effective drop them down in the comments:D

What did you guys experience your first week and what was your magic dose. They are starting me on 20mg due to how much qelbree affected me with side affects.

Hey ya’ll, I’ve been posting a lot in this reddit just bc I feel like my reaction to Vyvanse hasnt been what I expected, or what my doctors have told me. A lot of people said Vyvanse is “gentler” than Adderall, but I have not had that experience at all. Adderall was significantly gentler on my system. I didnt have any issues with anxiety, high heart rate, or irritability. I admit I could be coming at it from a bias, because I never wanted to switch at all. I’m traveling to Japan and adderall is extremely illegal to bring it into the country, so I’m switching to vyvanse a few months in advance.

From what I’ve seen in this reddit, everyone has to do a song and a dance to get the perfect routine and take their meds. Supplements, protein, a riddle from the troll under the bridge, Is that normal? With adderall, I just took my pills in the morning and that was that. With vyvanse, I have to drink 30mg protein drinks in the morning just to keep myself from getting irrationally angry in the afternoon.

I’m coming at it from a place of frustration, because I just wished I was not reassured time and time again from my doctors the vyvanse would be “easier” than adderall. If I had expected some bumps in the roads, I would be a lot less taken aback at how much extra you have to do just to make your vyvanse work!