Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate) is a psychostimulant drug that is used to treat ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). It has gained popularity due to the fact that it is very effective at treating symptoms and also is considered slightly less addictive than Adderall. For this reason, many doctors prefer to prescribe Vyvanse as opposed to Adderall – even though they are relatively similar.
In some cases, taking this drug is a matter of personal preference – some individuals respond better and feel better functioning on this drug compared to others. This drug is also sometimes used to treat conditions such as: major depression, excessive daytime sleepiness, binge eating, and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. It is also sometimes used illicitly as a party drug by college kids.
For this reason, many people in the United States have taken this medication. Most people find that it works extremely well when taken for its intended purpose – to treat ADHD. However not everyone likes being medicated for an extended period of time on a psychostimulant. Additionally, some people take the drug for awhile and its effectiveness seems to wear off over time.
In any case, most people that take a psychostimulant will eventually want to withdraw from it. If you plan on withdrawing from Vyvanse, it is important to recognize the potential withdrawal symptoms that you may experience.
Factors that influence Vyvanse withdrawal
When you take any drug, there are factors that are going to influence the severity of withdrawal. Someone that takes a higher dose for an extended period of time is going to have a tougher time quitting than someone who took Vyvanse on an “as needed” basis.
1. Time Span
How long did you take Vyvanse and how frequently? Most people that have a prescription take it daily to help curb symptoms of ADHD. However the longer the period of time you take it on a consistent basis, the more your brain and body will rely on it for functioning – making it more difficult to withdraw from.
2. Dosage (30 mg to 70 mg)
Most people take between 30 mg and 70 mg of Vyvanse per day. The 30 mg is a recommended starting dose, while 70 mg is at the higher end of the spectrum. Some people exceed 70 mg for a therapeutic effect, while most people fall somewhere in the range. The higher the dose of this drug that you take on a daily basis will influence your tolerance. The greater the tolerance you build up, the more difficulty you are likely going to have when withdrawing.
3. Individual Physiology
It is always important to consider individual physiology when withdrawing from a drug like Vyvanse. Some people exhibit absolutely zero withdrawal symptoms, while others have a pretty difficult time quitting. Your nervous system is not the same as anyone else’s – therefore your withdrawal experience will likely be unique to you. You may notice a few withdrawal symptoms for a few days or you may notice nothing at all. Since withdrawal is unique, there’s no need to obsess over what another person experienced.
4. Cold Turkey vs. Tapering
If you are at a high dose of Vyvanse, you may want to conduct a gradual taper. For example if you are taking 70 mg per day, you may want to wean yourself down to the lowest possible dose before quitting. You can gradually taper over a period of weeks and then just stop from the 30 mg to reduce withdrawal symptoms. A common taper would be to drop 10 mg per week or per every 2 weeks until you are down to nothing.
If you quit cold turkey from the highest dose, you may experience more severe withdrawal symptoms compared to someone who quit from a low dose. Tapering is advised if you have been on Vyvanse for a long term. There are many people that have quit cold turkey without any problem other than fatigue and mood swings for a week or two. Do what you think will work best for you.
Vyvanse Withdrawal Symptoms: List Of Possibilities
Below is a list of possible symptoms that you may experience when you stop taking Vyvanse. These symptoms may be different for you than someone else. Keep in mind that this is a collective list of symptoms – you may not experience everything listed below. Since Vyvanse stays in your system for around 3 days after you’ve stopped taking it, symptoms may become most noticeable within 1 week of stopping.
- Anxiety: Many people feel anxious when they quit taking Vyvanse. This has to do with the fact that neurotransmitters are trying to restore their homeostatic levels. It is thought that low dopamine can cause some individuals to feel anxious.
- Concentration problems: You may notice that your ADHD comes back 10-fold in the initial few days of withdrawal. You may have difficulties with concentration, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity. It may seem as though your thinking is foggy and the world is a haze – some people refer to this as “brain fog.”
- Depression: Most people report a mild depression when they first quit taking their Vyvanse. This is due to the fact that dopamine levels are lower and you are no longer receiving the stimulating effect of the drug. This depression will likely last a week or two, but will subside.
- Fatigue: Some people report extreme fatigue and lethargy during the first week of their withdrawal. It may be difficult to get out of bed and you may feel as though you are sleeping or resting your life away. Take the time to rest and recognize that this is just part of withdrawal.
- Headaches: Many people experience headaches when they stop taking Vyvanse. Most people find that they can find relief by taking an over-the-counter medicine and/or simply staying hydrated.
- Irritability: It is common to feel extremely irritable when you first quit taking Vyvanse.
- Lack of Motivation: Most people experience significantly low levels of motivation. This is in part due to the fact that they feel tired, but also linked to lower levels of dopamine. As the dopamine is restored and the tiredness subsides, motivation will return.
- Mood swings: Most people report mood swings when they stop using Vyvanse. You may feel snappy, agitated, and irritable. Your mood may go from feeling alright, to feeling very angry or depressed. Your moods will likely fluctuate for awhile until your neurotransmitters stabilize.
- Sleepiness: Most people report feeling especially tired and sleepy for the first week that they withdraw. You may sleep excessively (i.e. hypersomnia) until your body and brain regain energy.
Vyvanse Withdrawal Timeline: How long does it take?
Most people will get over the bulk of withdrawal symptoms within 2 weeks of withdrawing from the drug. The first week you will likely feel pretty depressed with low energy, low motivation, and an overall sense of fatigue. After a couple weeks though, you will likely notice that your energy level returns to normal. For most people, they bounce back to being 100% after a month or two following their last Vyvanse dosage.
The long term effects of Vyvanse are currently unknown, but based on what research shows, this is a pretty safe medication. It is less potent than an amphetamine like Adderall – making it easier to withdraw from for a majority of people. There is no set timeline for withdrawal, but the symptoms a person experiences when they stop this drug may be severe in the first week or two, but they will gradually improve.
The best thing a person can do for themselves during withdrawal is to recognize the symptoms and do their best to cope with them. Many people get caught up in the initial few days after withdrawal and think that they are going to feel low energy and crappy forever, when in reality, these symptoms are going to subside in the next couple weeks. If you have an experience quitting Vyvanse or are currently in the process of quitting, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Hmm, reading the comments here has really surprised me. I’ve never had any noticeable withdrawal symptoms when I’ve stopped, usually on the weekends or when I have some vacation time so that I can lose my tolerance when it’s time to get busy again. Now, I do have a sort of craving for it, but it’s more of a logical thought train of “Ya know, if I had some right now, I’d be doing all this a lot better” but my ADD actually comes to the rescue and I often manage to even forget, heh.
I think the worst withdrawals I ever have are maybe I sleep a lot a couple days and a bit more tired than usual, but my whole life, even long before I started taking vyvanse, I was always tired and lethargic. No deficiencies of anything, just who I am. This drug really surprised me and atleast for me has been a perfect benefit. I’ve been through bad opiate withdrawal before and am going through a minor one right now (Just came off painkillers for wisdom tooth removal) and taking vyvanse for school and to get me through it.
I seem to be particularly sensitive to opiates because every time I’ve taken them, EXCEPT hydrocodone which oddly enough has never given me any trouble (despite being on it for almost 2 months straight after head surgery, for more than maybe 3 or 4 days at the recommended and sometimes a little over when the pain is bad), I’ll start to withdraw about 2ish days afterwards and I want to kill myself. Never had that on vyvanse. I personally think I’ll be sticking with this, though I hope the rest of you who it’s not the best for get off it and are alright!
I have had all of these symptoms besides the sleepiness part… I can not sleep whatsoever. I took 70mg for 3 years and lowered it too 30mg it’s killing me mentally and physically. Idk what to do lol.
My grandson will be 6 this month. He has been on vyvanse for about six months at 20mg @ day. At first this seemed to work quite well. He went from being almost uncontrollable in a store to calmly holding my hand and following along. Before the vyvanse he had one or two incidents in which he was fighting with and hit another student, he also was not doing his work in school.
After taking the meds the aggression stop immediately and though he still struggle with his school work, he was trying more. Just as school was coming to a close this year, (a couple weeks ago) he began complaining of stomach aches. Doc said it was a normal side effect, then he started vomiting every morning. Nothing crazy, just a bit of bile mostly because he wasn’t eating very much because his stomach was hurting.
We went to see his primary and they said he was dehydrated… off to the hospital for an IV and some fluids upon which the hospital personnel said he was not dehydrated. Four days off of vyvanse and his stomach is feeling better, but he has been running a fever on and off. Today, no fever, no stomach aches, but he still isn’t feeling well, though he can not articulate what doesn’t feel well. I have come to the reasonable conclusion that he is having withdrawal.
I was hesitant to put him on it in the first place and am now sorry we did. It is a battle trying to get him to a psychologist as opposed to a psychiatrist. But this is the direction I want to go. Any info on how to easy the withdrawal symptoms would be appreciated. Thanks y’all for listening.
This article is extremely helpful for since I have been taking the medication for about 4 years now around the 30-40 mg level, primarily 30 mg. But, yesterday I attempted to go cold turkey and had a massive anxiety attack in the evening. I have had anxiety for a while and have been receiving help and was getting better until this happened. Any recommendations as to how to move forward from this? It was more violent than I typically have had in the past.
I was prescribed 30mg, second month started doubling my dose. Was on it for 2 months, quit cold turkey 2 days ago and I feel like myself again. I am funny, I have my personality back, I missed my quirks that made me ME. I have the same amount of energy and my relationships with friends and family have gotten so much better. I still get stuff I need to done, I just started making lists and making sure I hit A, B, and C.
The only withdraw symptoms I notice is that my body is wanting to catch up on my food intake and heal itself. I am welcoming that, I hardly ate on the medication. Please don’t put stock in vyvanse withdraw horror stories. I made that mistake, reading comments like “I can’t even get out of bed,” and “I’m so depressed and anxious/suicidal.” Um, I understand everyone is different but to me that sounds like the vyvanse was masking anxiety and depression issues that were exacerbated by a misdiagnosis of ADHD.
I don’t even believe ADHD exists. Before you take a pill do the hard work of changing your diet, exercising, reading, meditating, or doing puzzles to exercise your mind. I wish doctors would ask their patients what their diet is like when they complain they can’t concentrate. If you eat fast food everyday and spend half the day on the couch playing xbox, gee, it’s no wonder you can’t concentrate and have no energy because your fueling your mind and body with garbage. America, please stop this nonsense.
I have been taking 70mg Vyvanse (5 days a week) for about 3 years now. Before that, I was on whatever my mom and doctor told me to take throughout high school (Focalin and other ADHD meds). I am 21 and I suffered from a seizure the day before my first final of the spring semester, almost 4 weeks ago. I informed my doctor about my seizure but he insists that it was due to sleep deprivation and stress- rather then it being associated with Vyvanse.
I told him I wanted to stop cold turkey instead of tapering off. Needless to say, I have been a manic wreck since May 11. I am terrified of the long term effects of these harmful medications. My goal is to be completely prescription free for the REST of my life. However, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel right now… I have no idea how long I should expect the withdraw to last. I have to remind myself almost every hour that ‘this will be over eventually’.
I am tired, my appetite is all over the place, I am depressed, anxious, and constantly on edge. I am experiencing countless other symptoms as well- some I might not even be able to recognize in the moment. Today, I have revised to start my day with yoga and sunshine. This will be over soon, right?
I’ve been on Vyvanse for 6 years now. I started at 30 and been on 60 a day for 3 years now. My doctor refuses to up the dose. I have suffered from adhd my whole life. It wasn’t until I started Vyvanse that I realized how bad my adhd symptoms are. I like Vyvanse only for the fact that it helps me with the typical symptoms that only an adult who has them understands.
Forget the stigma of being forgetful or empty-headed. It’s the other symptoms that make it hard to keep a job, be a good mother and wife. Vyvanse has helped me. However, I have decided to withdraw for the summer. I’ve gone 3 days without it for the first time. I’m tired. I’ve taken about 3-4 naps each day. My head hurts. I’m irritable and even annoyed with myself right now.
I want to throw this phone against the wall. I want to read all the your comments. But, I don’t have the patience (could be the adhd). I’ll continue the withdrawal but I’m seriously thinking about Vyvanse in the future. I don’t want to go through this ever again. However, my extreme adhd is a huge disabilify for me. Thanks for listening.
I am recently off my medication. I had been on Vyvanse for probably around 7 years and it has helped tremendously with my ADHD. I was young at the time I started taking it, however, so I wanted to see how I function without it as I head off to college. The first time I quit taking it I quit cold turkey from 50mg. I do not suggest doing this. I only lasted two days, I had extreme anxiety and fatigue.
I realized tapering would work better and over the course of a few months I am finally off my medication. It’s only the third day off it but I feel slightly foggy and very lethargic and odly hungry. I realize that it will take a few weeks to feel normal again but I highly suggest the tapering method. Cold turkey didn’t work and seeing how my body reacted on lower doses made me realize that I probably was on too high of a dose to begin with.
I was prescribed 30mg for over a year, I would miss about 4 days per month. I haven’t taken any for 3 weeks now, the first week I felt like a complete zombie much like I did any day I didn’t take it. After the fist week I began to feel like an outgoing zombie. And in my third week I’ve been feeling very anxious, the need to talk about absolutely nothing, entirely overwhelmed. I don’t know how people tolerate being around me right now, I feel very annoying and frankly useless.
I am now on day 11 without vyvanse. I just finished senior year of college and started taking vyvanse 50 mg freshman year. I would take it about 6 days a week and my grades improved dramatically. I also struggled with weight my whole life and it helped me drop 30 pounds. I have never felt so motivated and energized, something I always had struggled with before. By junior year I noticed my tolerance building but my doctor never upped my dosage. I would just use caffeine to boost the effects when needed.
Now I am quitting due to financial reasons and worries about the health effects. There is no way this drug is good for you. It’s sad that I even need a drug to get me to feel confident and get me throughout the day but I want to be able to live my life just me. I know there will be research finding long term heart problems from the drugs and am worried my brain will no longer be able to produce and release dopamine on its own now. I hope I will be able to recover and get back to a normal lifestyle.
Like everyone else I cannot seem to find the motivation or energy to get out of bed and get through a productive day. I was wondering if anyone has been experiencing the hunger problems I have been. From what I’ve read I seem to be alone on this. My biggest worry about stopping vyvanse is the weight gain. When I’m on it I can greatly control my appetite and have the motivation to work out. Now that I have stopped not only do I not have the motivation to workout but I also have an extremely high appetite.
Not sure why this is since my metabolism has slowed but even when I am full I just want to eat. Was hoping someone else on here has experienced this as well or has any advice on how to deal with this. Gaining a few pounds makes me want to take it again but I really want to achieve a normal life without vyvanse. Let me know if anyone has any advice and good luck to everyone else trying to quit as well!
Today marks 8 days since I quit the vyvanse, after 3 years of it for ADD. I must say it helped greatly with school, but gradually turned me in to a self-conscious zombie robot. The side effects began to really outweigh the “energy”, especially since I’m done with school now. I’m sure I can function like an adult, like many others do, without the need for medications like these. My heads much clearer after a week, my energy is slowly coming back and work has been tolerable. People out there if you want get off the stuff do it! It will be worth it to remember who you really are again!
I have been taking 6omg of Vyvanse for 3 years. I’ve always worked out and challenged myself. I decided to run a marathon while on the Vyavanse (obviously not giving it any thought). I have now run 3 marathons. I get dehydrated so easily and feel like I could collapse at the end. Yes- it’s a long distance but I don’t think that is the reason. I truly feel that the Vyvanse is awful for your body! I can’t stay hydrated and my heart rate gets way to high!
I have reduced my dose from 60mg to 40mg. Today is day 4. After 2 weeks I will reduce it to 20mg for another 2 weeks and then stop completely. I’m exhausted and have serious brain fog. I know that this will pay off in the end! No addiction! No fear of heart issues from physical activity! I can’t wait to run a marathon free of this crap! Yes- I think my marathon time will be the same or better! Thank you for all of your posts. It stinks to feel alone in this!!!
I’m 17 years old and just last year when I turned 16 I found a 70mg pill of vyvanse and took it. I absolutely loved the effects at first but after the day went on, I got sick of it and wanted it to stop. A few weeks then passed and I was randomly presented with an opportunity to get fpur 60mg vyvanses. And it might seem like I was taking them to get high but I honestly believed that they made it easier for me to be productive and find enjoyment in doing things that I normally wouldn’t. But after those were gone, a friend of mine had gotten them prescribed at a 30mg dose.
I started buying them from him and was taking them for the soul reason of being able to get things done for myself, not because I had to. Well about 3 months passed where I would take an average of 4-5 a week, following the same guidelines that my friends doctor told him, and I had completely turned my life around. I got a job, I had grades in school that were way above my previous grades, and I could keep up with so many things. Then I was forced to move and only had a limited supply of them left.
After I ran out of these 40 mg ones that my friend had given me, I couldn’t help but keep trying to get more; some might call this an addiction but I felt that I was looking to get them for help instead of a “high,” like some people. But when I finally found somewhere to get them, they we’re 60 mg. This made me unsure about taking them but they were all I could get. I continued to take them about once every couple of weeks because my friend that I was getting them from now, was actually taking them for the same reason. And in-between taking them, I felt like I wasn’t really myself. I felt as if there were two people inside of me and would make decisions that the other was unsure of.
In a way I felt like I wasn’t in control of my thoughts and actions but at the same time I was. Its hard to understand but I can’t talk to my parents about this kind of stuff and I can’t help but think that something is seriously wrong with me. But after reading some of this, it made me feel a little better about the situation. But I can’t help but keep thinking that the “withdrawal” I’m feeling, isn’t the same that everyone else is.
And I keep having random twitches where my eyes will lock onto a specific location, and I can’t help but stare for a couple seconds, but after I realize what I was staring at, (it could be anything around me at the time) I felt like I was somewhat a different person. If anybody on here that believes they have a little bit of information on this, please get a hold of me on my KIK and explain that you got my KIK from this website. It would really help a lot. My KIK is cj.resse.
I’ve been off Vyvanse going on six months and it’s still hard. I’m sleepy twice during the day and I have it timed. In the morning around 9:30 and the afternoon around 2:30. It has gotten easier but its slow going and there are the head games. I had a hard time before I ever starting taking ADD medicine and now it seem that I’m starting all over again. The first thing I tackled was being tired and that does get better after a few weeks but I haven’t fully come back, and I’ve gained 30 pounds.
It seems like eating helps to keep me awake. Wrong! The other is the foggy brain. Sometimes it’s just too hard to think. I’ve been looking into this and for me it feels like my metabolism is gone. So, 1st… remembering how to think when I was focused, and not giving in to that lowness that I feel. 2nd… is walking to bring back my energy and to help with my weight. I’m trying to diet with foods that help with my metabolism (I found online)
Before I started with Vyvanse I always had to work harder and now I must do it again. I’m in my late 50’s and everything is already hard enough. I’ve talked to my doctor, the advice was sleep therapy, which involves another drug that’s more expense to help me stay awake during the day. I’ve decided not to go down that path. I think back now and what I really wanted from my Doctor was to start up the Vyvanse again but my doctor wouldn’t do it. (Now, I’m glad, wasn’t at first).
With a lot of hard work a good diet and exercise I know that I can through this, and its starts with telling my foggy brain to Wake Up! And to the many that are going though this… you to just have to dig deep and find that strength. Get your brain moving and your body will follow, and remember to just take it one day at a time. I feel for all of you, but now it’s time to fight this and it’s our quality of life that we’re fighting for.
What I found that helps me is to write down and track how I feel each day, and as I understand what’s happening I’m not so focused on the need for more or the fear of being without. The further I get from the time when I was dependent, the less I remember on how dependent I was. Don’t give up!
Thank you for sharing. I am only on day 11 without vyvanse after being on 50 mg 6 days a week for 4 years. I already feel like I am packing on the pounds. I as well have always had to work hard to maintain my weight. Vyvanse helped me finally feel like I had some control over my appetite and metabolism. I had motivation to work out and even if I didn’t, I didn’t feel as though I was gaining any weight and could maintain my weight.
Now, I am constantly hungry and have no energy to work out. I am getting better at consuming less food and controlling my meals but even now I feel like I have absolutely NO metabolism!! Have you found anything natural that works to help boost your metabolism? Thanks!
I currently take 90mg of Vyvanse. I take a 70mg and a 20mg capsule. If I miss just a days dose. I will have a severe throbbing headache just hours later, and it lasts until I take my next dose.
I’ve been prescribed to stimulants since I was 13 years old. I’ll be 29 in May. Ritalin. Concerta. Adderall (xr’s and generic salts). For the past 5 years I’ve been taking Vyvanse 70mg. Loved it more than any others because I still had an appetite and wasn’t a total psycho coming down from it like with Adderall. Anyways I ran out four days ago. At first, I just didn’t have time to schedule an appointment with the doc.
Then, two days later, I just decided that I was tired of needing it. So almost a week later and I feel fine…kinda foggy, and tired but I just drink a energy drink or coffee in the morning. Which isn’t the same but has prevented me from any headaches thus far. You just can’t let it bother you or keep you from doing your normal routine. Good luck to anyone trying. Cool article BTW.
Our sweet granddaughter was prescribed this horrible drug for her ADHD. She turned into a diabolical hateful child while in this for a short 6 days (her grandfather thought he was watching the 70’s exorcist). After not taking the med (has her Dr stopped the dosing and took her off if it) three days being off is still horrific!!! Easter weekend has not been fun!!!
Vyvanse is truly an evil drug. It has the power to make you think you can focus and perform better on it but it’s not true. All it does is help you ignore what you don’t want to face. Then when you try quitting it sends you into a horrendously wicked withdrawal. It’s funny the only people who comment on here are those with only a few days or so without taking them. The reason is the worst withdrawal doesn’t begin for a week or more. When your only experiencing the depression, Explosive diarrhea, insomnia and the migraines it’s not too bad.
But after those subside the real hell begins. The worst muscle cramps known to mankind leave you with torn muscles, ligaments and the worst pain you can imagine. Most must be sedated kept in induced comas. Most are left at least mildly permanently crippled from the cramping. I am unable to walk and probably never will again. The uncontrollable strange behaviors develop slowly and you don’t really know it’s happening.
I was totally unaware I was marching around tweaking my nipples in plain view of coworkers. When they asked me about it I thought they were teasing me or joking around. Even when they show me video I though they edited it. Then the sleepwalking began. Since I sleep nude I got in trouble for it constantly. I’d wake up locked up in Tinley Park mental institution naked and freezing my balls off.
After six months of that the erections from hell occurred. You can take cold showers all you want but it won’t go down. I had to duck tape it to my stomach because it kept embarrassing me. The damn thing would pop up any time or place and guaranteed to happen at very worst times.
I don’t have diarrhea but I can’t stop blowing farts, my stomach feels like someone hooked up an air pump to it. I’m sick of blowing these damn farts. How long does it last?
I hate stimulant drugs & everything that comes with it. You see the problem is I was put on everything from Dexadrine & Ritalin when I was 6 years old and I learned at a young age how “to do life” on this drug.. then I changed to Adderall & became very dependent on it in college at 18-24 then I was full blown addicted and went to rehab for alcohol and adderall – combo. After rehab I was put on strattera which is nothing compared to the stimulant meds because strattera is non-narcotic and no stimulant.
My “addiction socialist” idiotic doc put me on Vyvanse and I became excited because he said it’ll be similar to adderall but none of the addicting side effects – WRONG! I loved it and at first was taking it as prescribed then what’ll you know I was taking it all the time. I am stopping cold turkey after trying to taper off and trying to quit a different way like take one every other day but to no avail. Therefore today is day one and it is exactly why I have been avoiding quitting, I am eating everything in sight, I can’t seem to get out of bed, I am exhausted, moody, depressed, feel gross and fat but yet keep eating!!
UGH! My advice to anyone who is thinking of taking Vyvanse, dexadrine, ritalin, or adderall – RUN. It’s like crystal meth or something. Your tolerance will build up over time, you will need to take more, you will find yourself running out of you prescription, you will probably not sleep, not eat (which I have to admit I loved) you’ll talk faster than everyone, you’ll be irritated because people are acting on a normal level but you are like a speed demon and slow people will bug you. This is just my experience. Maybe you will have a different one. Good luck! Day 1 is today and I am about to go to bed without taking a pill today, I fear Day 2 will be harder.
Day 3 of not taking it. I have been overwhelmed at work and felt like (feel) like I am heading for a breakdown. Called in sick Friday for a mental health day and slept non stop. Without it I sleep so much and do not care much about anything. At first it was great. Nothing mattered to me, I had such a warm, loving glow towards everyone. Now due to my workload I do not care to talk to anyone and have zero joy in my life.
I broke up with my boyfriend and my family has not even reached out to me (fine time to quit cold turkey!). I feel in the past few years on it, on weekends if I sleep late (I won’t take it after a certain time), I am sleeping my life away :( I do not want a pill (speed), to wake me up or give me energy to clean, etc. Also, I use to have no issues running on the treadmill at the gym prior to Vyvanse. When I was on it and started to run, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack!
The physician who put me on it is a quack with a horrible reputation for feeding and upping his patients mess and I want out. I also experience dry mouth and a feeling of my lips curling in as well as many nights not being able to sleep. Today I got up early and drove to McDonald’s to get a coffee. Did take a long nap but also made dinner, did laundry and cooked dinner. I plan on eating better and doing more “active” things. Wishing everyone the best!
I quit cold turkey after taking a 70 mg dose of Vyvanse every day for seven years because my insurance changed. The first week was tough, but by week two I felt like I had returned to normal, enjoying consistent energy levels and a stable mood. I’m nearing the one month milestone, and all of the sudden I feel lethargic, depressed and crazy. I get so angry I’ll do something really stupid, like throw my phone across the room in an honest attempt to break it, or just collapse on the bed in tears without any rational explanation.
I’m going to stay the course, because I can’t imagine going through this a second time, but has anyone experienced a similar resurgence of withdrawal symptoms after two seemingly “normal” weeks? I’m not a naturally angry or depressed person, and it’s getting increasingly difficult to deal with these mood swings. I feel betrayed by my doctor, and would recommend that fellow ADHD suffers put the work in to like, cognitive therapy or whatever instead of taking these crazy pills.
Cat, how are things now?
Having a rough time getting off this medication. Work is awful and long. I feel anxious, depressed, tired, and hopeless. Just want to be left alone and sleep. Of course that cannot be done since I need to work to make money. I have tried so many times, but never been successful. I have been taking this medication plus others since I was 8 years old. Now I am 20 and still having such a difficult time with it. Please need some support.
I’ve been taking vyvanse for almost 2 years now, I’m currently at 60mg and I take it everyday. Sometimes when I run out I’ll sleep for about 16 hours and I’ll be foggy, when I run out I won’t even go to school the withdrawal is so bad.
I’ve been double dosing because I’ve needed a higher dose and my psychiatrist wanted to play mind games with me the first time I asked for a double dosage per day and now I’ve run out. I started taking it because I was experiencing anhedonia-like symptoms and now that I am off of it, I feel the exact same way, I can’t do anything that I want to do. This scares me, that I have to depend on a medication to do something, and it’s not the fault of vyvanse, the problem started before vyvanse and vyvanse became the cure. But now I have to rely on it because these symptoms won’t go away on their own.
I have been taking Vyvanse 70mg for so long, I honestly cannot hone in on a specific number of years. I believe I can safely say 10+ years. I was reading this article to learn how to safely taper off Vyvanse safely due to upcoming changes in my prescription drug coverage. I will no longer have insurance to cover the drug. So, as I was reading the list of possible withdrawal side effect a person may experience, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I still take this 70 mg dose daily.
First on the list, anxiety. I’m already so anxious now. I’m prescribed medication for anxiety. Secondly, concentration problems and/or inattentiveness. If this means trying to concentrate and/or attend to say 5 things at the same time, all in different locations, spinning around like a top going from one task to another because I get distracted when I leave one location to get something I need from another room to complete the task I started in there. I also get distracted by a task I started earlier that same day in the other room, and I go on this merry-go-round ride and so forth, all day long. Please keep in mind, I don’t start 5 things around the same time by choice or on purpose.
Rather, all of a sudden, I stop and realize, I’m trying to do all these different task at the same time. If that’s what you call concentration problems and/or inattentiveness, then I think I’ve pretty much got that one covered. Depression was the third. Did I mention I stay depressed and take an additional anti-depressant for it too? The fourth was fatigue. If I get any more fatigued, how will I ever get out of bed or get anything done? Number five was headaches. Check! At least 2-3 weekly, most often which escalate to migraine status.
I’m prescribed Imitrex to deal with those. Sixth was irritability. I think I could safely say I’m very irritable and my four children and husband would testify to and concur with that one. I”ll leave it as that and not bore you with details. Lack of motivation comes in as the seventh possibility. That one, I can say is no problem now. I have lots of motivation to start projects. But, I lose the ability to focus or attend to just one. I’m too fatigued to finish the many I begin. Or, I get so irritable trying to stay motivated that not only do I get anxious, but anyone within close proximity seems to become anxious too.
Eight being mood swings. Examples of snappy, agitated, irritable, and even angry follow to clarify what a mood swing my look or be like. If I told you I could go from snappy to irritable to angry to so depressed, such that I’m crying, and back up through the list in about 30 seconds flat, would you consider that a mood swing? And last, but not least on the list, sleepiness joins the ranks. Sleep is my favorite hobby. I wake up sleepy. The only thing that gets me through my day is counting down the hours till I can go to sleep again, And I can never sleep long enough. Eight hours, ten hours, twelve hours, there’s never enough hours to wake refreshed.
There is no lack of motivation when it comes to the task of sleeping. After reading this article, I am wondering how I could survive more of these “possible” withdrawal symptoms when I experience all of them daily and I’m taking 70mg daily? For anyone reading this that thinks I am joking, I am very sad to say I’m not, but I sure wish I was. This honestly scares me. If anyone out there has ever had these same withdrawal side effects while taking Vyvanse daily, I would really appreciate any help or feedback you could provide me. Thank you.
Hi LaDonna, sounds like you’re in a rough situation. Firstly, you may want to contact Shire (the makers of Vyvanse) and see if you qualify for their patient-assistance program. You may also want to see if your doctor could switch you to a similar medication that IS covered under your insurance to help mitigate the attentional/motivational problems you experience. Switching to a similar drug should minimize withdrawal symptoms from Vyvanse.
I know you are highly concerned about withdrawals, but it is important to avoid psyching yourself out before it actually happens. You have no way of knowing with certainty whether you’ll experience every symptom you’re afraid of until you actually go through with the withdrawal. Try to avoid speculating and simply note the symptoms as they occur rather than trying to predict how bad it’s going to be.
Realize that there are alternative options, and even natural protocols: https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2014/03/22/10-best-adderall-alternatives-natural-remedies-for-adhd/ to help you cope. Good luck with whatever decision you make.
LaDonna- I relate to you 100%…seriously every word. I desperately want to stop taking Vyvanse now after reading your words because I’ve felt this way for a while now but have always either been too manic or too dead to the world to ever put these feelings into words before the thoughts have already passed and I’m onto the next thing. Reading your posting has hit me pretty hard. Can you reply and let me know if you ever did quit?
Stopped cold turkey 3 weeks ago. Feel even better off than I did on. I started taking it in 2009 and I was taking a 50 mg dose daily. I got to the point that I had no energy in the evenings and I couldn’t be effective without the drug. I was extremely tired and lethargic for 2 weeks, minor headaches for 3 weeks (not everyday), and a little scattered. Ultimately, I’m glad I’m off. I have more energy when I get home to play with my kids and get work done at night. I stopped over a vacation, which I highly recommend. You need to have time to relax and sleep a lot. I don’t think I could have quit during a normal work cycle.
I am currently 4 days cold turkey (not by choice but I lost my script for my refill and it’s the holidays and I can’t get ahold of my MD and new insurance as of the 1st and they need the preauthorization from her and all that crap). I was taking 70mg and have been for nearly a year now. Horrible headaches, can’t focus, irritable, itchy all over, tired, groggy, can barely finish sentences, and my ADHD is at an all time worst.
I can’t even remember to call the pharmacy at appropriate hours to see if I can just pay cash for the script the ER wrote me to get through until I can get ahold of my regular doctor. I was hoping to hear a week tops of withdrawals and to see 2-4 weeks was crushing. Not to mention a good indication that I am NOT ready to go unmedicated at this time.
I have been taking Vyvanse for so damn long. It has been over 4 years of me taking this medicine. When I either forget to take it, or if I run out of it, my fatigue levels get extremely low, I get very uncontrollable anger, I get extremely sleepy, and I’m still in school. That means I have to tell my teachers what is wrong, but they don’t believe me. That’s when the anger kicks in. I scream at the teacher, then get a referral for something I don’t mean to do.
Once when I ran out of pills, I cursed out a teacher, and then made her cry. It made me want to run away and let the world do what it wants to me… just let the world take me out of my misery. I’m hurting too many people because of this stupid f*cking medicine. This is probably going to be the last time I’m even going to have to look at another one of those stupid pills, because I have tried all the stupid methods of escaping from this horrifying pill.
That is why I didn’t put my name on this site, because I didn’t want anyone looking for me. I’m running away from home, no one will ever find me. I’ve become very afraid, so I guess that this is the only way of avoiding myself from hurting innocent people…. and never having to let that f*cking vyvanse have full control over my life. Goodbye.
Do not take this drug I took 50mgs for 2 years and I quit taking it two months ago due to brain fog. I still can not think clearly due to this drug. IT’S NO GOOD FOR YOU.
I have been taking vyvanse 50mg for about a year. I was sick of needing it to have any energy or to get anything done. It was making me depressed in the evenings and I if I skipped a day I was a wreck. I stopped taking it four days ago and I feel great. The first two days I was very tired, hungry, and couldn’t concentrate on anything. Today though, I feel good. My energy is still a little low but my brain is finally coming back around. I can’t wait to be myself again.
Withdrawl sucks but a great thing that can help is meditation, search “meditation to treat ADD and ADHD” this is much more natrual and has long lasting effects (the good kind) .. the program i used to treat my ADD ADHD and Dyslexia is called HEADSPACE you can find it on the App Store in apple and android. hope this helps :)
I’m back! Just an update for everyone. Unfortunately my 1st attempt didn’t go according to plan. My doc talked me into another prescription. HOWEVER, after a pattern of dosing just to enhance mitigated effects due to tolerance I again became resolute in gutting the things. I’m on day 4 which is further than I’ve ever been. I’m a college kid and I’ve been away from home for 5 years. This s*it cost me an important relationship and it made me angry so I reaffirmed that I was done.
I knew I needed the extra help and supervision so I decided to move home for a bit. Being terrified of the ramifications I haven’t even told my parents yet. I don’t plan on doing so until I liberate myself from it. Honestly, I plan on starting a campaign against this crap when I’m altogether again. It really does ruin lives, hand to God. The first year is great, afterward one tends to regret it. Even with a doctor more cautious than most that never agreed to increase my dose more than 40 mg I’m having a hell of a time ending this, but I’m not giving up.
It costed me too much taking it. For everyone out there, please keep fighting. It has a more detrimental effect on myself as well. I started off with moderate depression and anxiety, couple with a genetic predisposition for addictive behavior. I should have seen it all coming before I ever consented to it. The fatigue and low dopamine levels are the worst. But when I’m finally done, I can take care of a few things that should have been done a long time ago. We’ll all make it. Keep up the thoughts and prayers.
Vyvanse and Adderall are both horrible drugs. I have been on them way to long and a simple objective view of my life – shows the incredible devastation. At the end of the day – you can’t go through life being something your not – and your definitely not yourself when your on these. Getting off – good luck… its not east but very worth it…
I completely agree, it’s a huge mind game and reading other peoples horror stories on this drug just makes it worse. Some of these struggles are real and undeniably hard but some are also made worse just from hearing what other people are going through. Its the whole “mind over matter” thing. I never had any worries/withdraw issues before I started researching/obsessing over the topic.
Also, its totally a cycle that is continuous (for those of us that binge on the drug). You begin the drug, loose your appetite, get that “high” and instead of letting the drug wear off… we just take more (to continue productivity or what have you) -> thus suppressing the appetite and loosing sleep. Then to compensate for the malnourishment and our tired/over worked/dehydrated/vitamin deficient brain and bodies we (you guessed it) TAKE MORE OF THE DRUG! … you get where I’m going with this??
Any who, as far as my personal plan of attack:
1. Decide I want to completely stop the drug. (make a firm decision, I have yet to do this myself. Its going to take time for me to gain the courage for this step. This is HUGE.)
2. Completely commit to a psychological and physical nutrition plan to help my body and mind repair itself faster. ( eating well, and mild workouts to increase natural dopamine levels, etc. Whatever/as little as I need to do to get my a** out of the bed for some portion of the day)
3. Not stress out about my next steps because I will just focus on the first two and cross this bridge when I get to it…
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, PLEASE READ THIS:
-Believe in yourself! Mentally and Physically
– Mind over matter! What you believe you can do, you will probably do.
-Things take time, don’t be so hard on yourself!
-If you lay in bed for three weeks straight at every chance you get because of withdrawals, when you first quit, then respect/appreciate that, and cut yourself some slack!
-Dont give your anxiety/depression/addiction so much credit, your body and mind is a powerful machine that can repair itself from cancers, surgeries, and broken bones, YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS!!!
-take one day at a time, enjoy your peace of mind that your taking one small step in the right direction.
-the key is POSITIVITY- you are not hopeless, none of you are hopeless.
– Good luck :)
* need some more encouragement? Email me here: anto4177[AT]aol.com
I have been taking Vyvanse 30mg for about a year. I was forced to stop taking it due to financial reasons. I have experienced several of these withdraw symptoms, but they have lasted more than a couple weeks it’s been closer to a couple months now. I’m not the same person with out Vyvanse. My advice: if you can function with out it, don’t start taking it.
Vyvanse has been a nightmare for me. I took 60mg daily for 3 years, the first two in highschool and then a year after graduating before quitting cold turkey. The first two years I was pretty naive to being “high” I didn’t do drugs in highschool except for being prescribed vyvanse. It helped the first few weeks then I started having terrible comedowns. Crying, extreme mood swings, I also lost weight. I was 17 when I first got prescribed and am male. So the crying bit and mood swings were completely not a norm for me.
I eventually learned to cope with the comedowns and took it for school. I was oblivious that I felt “great” the first few hours of dosing and then later coming down. I never even knew what a “comedown” was before I looked up vyvanse on forums. After highschool and quitting cold turkey about 5 months ago, I feel like my ADD has hit me harder than ever. The first 3 months I had cravings for vyvanse and the past two months I have just felt helpless with coping with head fog. Depression. I don’t have the ability to care about things around me, it’s far beyond my mental capability to care about things.
I’m planning on seeing a doc soon to get anti-depressants. But vyvanse has definitely hurt me I feel like it stumped my growth and caused severe memory loss. I can’t hardly remember any of the past 3 years except for major events. I wouldn’t recommend this drug to anyone under 20. My doc was careless in prescribing me it. He was a pill pusher getting bonuses from Shire because they patented this drug. Anyways. I’ve had a pretty bad experience coming of vyvanse cold turkey, but hoping for a better future for my mental and emotional health.
Vyvanse isn’t the sole cause of my problems, but the dependency I naively developed to it has proven to hurt me in the first year of my adult life without this drug and has trumped my growth and memory. Thanks for the post, if anyone has a similar experience with vyvanse (especially the withdrawal of it) please feel free to reach out to me at my email servatis17(AT)yahoo.com.
So glad I found this article! I have been on vyvanse for 3 years now..prescribed 140 mg daily. I started at the recommended 30 mg dosage but found it working less and less as time went on so my doctor upped my dosage until I was taking 2 70 mg pills each day. Long story short I recently forgot to fill my script and ended up going cold turkey off the vyvanse. The first 5 days I literally slept nonstop… couldn’t find the energy to even get out of bed to shower until day 3 and literally barely made it through a shower.
I only ate when my husband brought food to me in bed. By day 6 I was able to get out for a couple hours to attend a birthday party but I felt and looked like a zombie. I also developed a horrific skin infection on my forehead and had to be put on antibiotics. Anyways I’m on day 9 of no vyvanse and I’m here to offer hope to anyone feeling like it won’t get better… it does! I’m far from feeling like my old self and am still sleeping around 16 hours each day but I am seeing small improvements each day… hang in there!
I am not sure when this was written but I have been on vyvanse for 10 years 70 mg a day. I have been having heart problems and was advised to stop the drug. I have 4 kids work full time and really can’t see living without the vyvanse. My psychiatrist is the dr that prescribes it and a medical dr has highly advised me to discontinue the drug. I just don’t see a light at the end. I have stopped taking it and can’t concentrate at work which is a big part of my job. I can’t even seem to get out of bed, and when I do, I can’t catch my breath long enough to do anything productive. Is this normal?
As a nurse, your comment about not being able to catch your breath long enough to do anything productive jumped out at me. Do you mean you get short of breath/breathless? If so, that may be due to the heart issue you’ve developed. It’s well known that Vyvanse or any stimulant can cause heart problems which is why I want off.
Also, I crash… I am so so so so so tired unless it’s an hr after I’ve taken it, and even then I had to up my dose to 50mg to get control of my eating disorder since it hits me at night. So, I have to take my Vyvanse at like noon or 1 to have the lasting effects. I’ve been tapering, and am on 30mg now. I’m so scared to come off it, that my symptoms will return, but I’m more afraid of not getting my life back.
I can’t wake up in the morning. I was an avid exerciser, now… I struggle to get out of bed, I feel like my face looks different… like puffy or just not me . I’ve also been sick since like November… resp inf’s, recurrent colds. I’m just not myself. It has done wonders for binge eating, but it’s time to come off.
How long does someone like me wean for? I’ve only been on it for about 5 months. I love how I feel when it’s “active” but the come down is a bitch!
I’ve been off 20mg Vyvanse and 7.5mg Abilify for a little over 2 weeks. I cut the dose of vyvanse down to 10mg/day before going off. I’ve been on it for about 3 years. I feel angry. I’m not sleeping well if I sleep at all. It seems I’m getting more anxious by the day. My mouth is real dry and I move my tongue around my mouth every waking moment, very irritating. I hope I get through this soon. Thanks for this article and the comments, and a place to make a comment.
As thankful as I am for this medication to allow me to pass any classes, I can not even believe they can sell the drug. I was 14 when I got prescribed vyvanse 30 mg. I was on the medication for about two months before I couldn’t focus again and i upped my dosage. I did this continuously through my 4 years of high-school. I took them everyday or I couldn’t get out of bed. the side effects from the medication Made me have no appetite, I never felt thirsty, I would get extremely depressed every night when I would come off of it.
(Depression runs in my family but I never experienced it until vyvanse) I was extremely irritable, I could only stand to talk to a few people and not for long periods of time. I turned into a zombie and there is no other way to describe it. I feel like I lost 4 years of my life. I’m now in college and not doing well. I cannot focus without vyvanse but I never want to take them because they make me feel so sh#tty. Then I get depressed because I come off of them and it makes me unmotivated and stressed out.
I don’t take my medicine everyday. I take them when I feel strong enough to make the come down. I’m now prescribed 50 mg vyvanse and 20 mg Adderall instant release (to act as boosters) I usually take the Adderall unless if I have tests to study for or a long day ahead of me. I withdrawal every time I come off of it but I turn into a zombie if I take it constantly. My depression is present all the time now.
I am 20 pounds underweight but I’ll fail school without them. if anyone knows how to make this easier on me please help. I’ve tried tapering off and I can’t do it because I still need the medication to pass college. I chain smoke cigs to take some of the edge off, I also smoke every night and I have been trying taking k’pins after I’m finished with my day but my medicine is too strong to feel them.
Jewel, Hopefully you see my reply since its been almost a month or so when you posted your concern. But anyways you’re not alone! AND there IS hope. Coming from experience with Adderall dependency I can relate to what you’re saying. I’ve been off Adderall for almost 3 years and am now on vyvanse 20mg a day but sometimes take 40mg a day. What I would suggest you do (I am NOT a doctor) is that when you have a break from school try to stop taking them all together.
That way you can just focus on getting off of them. You are going to experience depression like you said and your going to feel helpless, rage, and anger. Frustration will set in because You cant do a damn thing without those meds and you feel left out in the world. You have to resist the urge and realize that you are going through withdrawal and it is OK experiencing those symptoms even though they are terrible. Just think of all the other withdrawals people go through like pain killers or heroin. They go through some pretty intense physical sh#t nonetheless mind games.
So think to yourself that you could be well worse off. If you really feel you need them for school after stopping them for awhile get back on a lower dose then you were before. This time stay in a routine the best you can. Do not take more pills then you should and stay strong. What I mess up on is when I can’t sleep, I can’t think clearly. When I can’t think clearly I end up taking more pills to give me a get up and focus more. This is where the problems start, when you slip up. I would suggest taking your pill the same time everyday and get in a routine.
At night try to ask your doctor to put you on a Benzo like Ativan and take it 1 hour before you go to bed. This works wonders. Its all a mind game Jewel but it is easier said then done. Sleep is one of the best remedy for the mind and wants you get into a good sleep routine you will find that you can urge your cravings more. Hang in there. Email please and let me know how you are doing: yanksfan0519[AT]yahoo.com.
Not to be cruel but you technically aren’t in a position to give advice about going off a stimulant if you are still taking another stimulant. You are now taking Vyanse and posting encouragement about quitting Adderall but you are still on a stimulant and exchanged one for another. You just quit Adderall which is a little less addicting. You are now on Vyvanse. Try going off it before you post about your great success. You are still on a stimulant.
I was thinking the same thing…. quitting cigarettes and developing a chewing tobacco addiction doesn’t mean you quit nicotine. I have been prescribed to 60 mg of Vyv for around 8 months now (30 mg x 2 doses daily) and I am not on day 3 of cold turkey. I was also prescribed to taking a benzo at night (klon 2mg) … also cold turkey done. I feel very lethargic and eating tons of food but I know my energy will come back.
Cody, I am sure people appreciate your positivity but it is tough to take someone seriously if they are not traveling the same path. Also, recommending a benzo at night to someone with a psycho stim addiction is not only irresponsible, it is downright ignorant. I am not a Dr. but I am smart enough to know that going from an upper to a downer (daily) will have adverse effects to your long term cardiac health.
Cody are you still responding to threads? Could use some help.
Wow, that sucks. See if your doctor will put you on methylpheniade; it’s much better over time. Good luck!
I have been on 70mg per day for 3 years. Lost my script and decided that I would go ahead and quit since I will be off of it for a month anyway. Currently on day 3 and I have no energy, no motivation and I just want to sleep. I especially ring true to the “feel like you will never be motivated or energetic again” crowd. Hoping that sooner than later I will start to bounce back. Work is a nightmare without it, and I usually love my job.
The addiction I have allowed Vyvanse to develop my life has truly been a roller coaster. Like many of the users on here, I was elated when initially prescribed the drug. I was able to focus better in my studies, and suddenly had the motivation needed for seemingly any endeavor. However, over the span of two years, I began to lose interest in other people, in most kinds of physical activity, and slowly withdrew into the confides of my home. Over the past six months, I began abusing the drug, oftentimes taking 3-4 times my daily prescribed amount of 70mg.
To justify this pattern of abuse, I began working long hours to grow my business, and trying desperately to improve my life in many ways. However, in the back of my mind, I knew that the drug addiction I have allowed myself to develop, would impede any true progress I might have otherwise enjoyed. You see, any time I make any sort of achievement under the influence of Vyvanse, there is no feeling of satisfaction. The achievement does not come from my own will or persistence, but from the effects of an outside source.
It leaves me with a feeling of emptiness, and an increasing feeling of self loathing and lack of self confidence. Two days ago, my pattern of abusing this drug sucked my prescription dry, leaving over two months until it can be renewed. The problem is, I don’t want it to be renewed. It’s my own will and my own self confidence that really needs renewing. Without motivation, or a plan of attack that I believe in, I’m not sure that can happen. They say the past is done and the future never comes, but the present seems hopeless in the depths of withdrawal.
Hey pritch I know you commented on this thread over a month ago but would like to here from ya and how you are doing. I know exactly what you are going through and there is hope man. It’s a big mind game and your not alone. Trust me, I was on Adderall for years with an addiction and one day I said enough was enough. You can do it. Vyvanse is a tricky drug but its easier to come off then you think because all your dealing with is the mind games thinking you need it. I’m not a professional or anything but I can relate to a lot of this and can master my mind better as I get older it seems. Email me back and give me some feedback on how you’re doing: yanksfan0519(AT)yahoo.com
Pritch me as well. Your explanation explains me too.
This is exactly how I feel, but I’m so scared to come off of it. I don’t know how to function without vyvanse. I take 3-4 times my dosages too (60 mg). I feel like I take more than I should, just so one day soon I will say ‘I have to quit now- I don’t have anymore meds”. But I always seem to find a way to get more vyvnase from my doctor. Nobody knows I even take vyvnase- not my parents, or my finace. I truly want to get off but I’ve never been more terrified in my life of what will happen to me- I am getting married soon and the thought of going through withdrawals at my wedding or honeymoon makes me extremely sad.
Pritchard, wow is all that I can say after reading this post that you put together. I can relate to a lot of things you were going through, and I really thought that everything that I was doing well over the past few years was to be only credited to Vyvanse. I am currently trying to no longer take the medication due mostly to being upset that I allowed myself to become dependent on something that is in the shape of a pill. It seemed to help me focus at first, but somehow made me distant from my family in the process. I am going into week 2 without Vyvanse, and I really hope that I start feeling better soon.
I know the feeling. When I start abusing my Vyvanse and tell myself “oh you can make up for it towards the end of the month and split it in water” which is total nonsense. The funny thing is I have done this roller coaster medicine thing, and every time I get my RX filled I am just relieved. Not so much relief from any specific thing but I have to function, I have people who are relying on me to be the best possible version of myself, I’ve realized more and more that the best possible version of myself is not the “me” that would lie and manipulate to get more medicine.
The best possible version of me is within myself, and I am still looking for him. I am quite blessed to be working with a psychopharmacologist who has prescribed me Bupropion (generic for Wellbutrin) to help stave off the withdrawals. He also put me on 4 days of bed rest, and that means saying NO to everything except for sleep, food, water and vitamins and fish oils. SO yes, I’ll be kinda low on extra cash, but I found myself becoming more compulsive on Vyvanse, often shopping in excess of $300 dollars on pet supplies (water fountains, poles, filters for said water fountains, a water purifier for the water that goes into the already purified and oxygenated fountains).
MY POINT IS, I’ve been on Vyvanse since 2008, that’s 7 years with a 12 month reprieve (due to my wacky antics at a local CVS) and it sucks and it gets better and then it sucks some more, i feel very lackluster and moody broody. But I do recognize that each day is a little bit better. It is possible. Adderall was the worst to quit for me, it was physically painful (joints hurt, body ached) but vyvanse just seems like someone took the wind out of my sails. Hope this helps.
I totally understand what you are saying about Vyvanse taking joy out of accomplishment. I’m starting the tapering process. I can tell it will be difficult, but in the end I am prolonging the inevitable. I need to get of this stuff.
I have been on 90 mg of Vyvanse per day for about two years. I am sick and tired of taking it to feel normal so I am trying to get off of it. But even reducing by 30 mg per day (or 2 capsules from 3) makes me feel like my skin is crawling, like I swallowed a brick, and makes me short of breath. I think I can make it through a few days, but is it going to be like this for a month or two?
I don’t know how I’ll make it through and I am angry I was ever put on it. I think it’s far more dangerous than people know…. Is it easier to go cold turkey and go through more severe withdrawal for a shorter period of time? Are there any serious risks to going from 90 mg to nothing? I’m scared. :-(
Liz- I’ve been taking 70 mg per day for a few years, and sometimes even taking 15 mg adderall towards the end of the day. I have become tolerant to it, and I have to take it daily to feel normal. I’ve noticed how much I’ve changed over the years while taking it, which is why I met with a psychiatrist to start tapering down. I’m just going down 10 mg at a time, because when I don’t take anything for a few days, I’m absolutely awful (can’t get out of bed, extremely angry and irritable).
My doctor wrote me a prescription to take two 30 mgs a day (60 mg/day) for 15 days. Depending how this goes, we’ll continue tapering down. I would recommend trying this with your doctor. Going completely cold turkey after being used to 90 mg daily for so long would put your brain and body in shock- at least that’s what happened to me when I tried that. I hope this helps!!
I was on 70s for years and I wanted to get off them for a very long time, I tried multiple times but I’d spend a few weeks in bed, gain 20 lbs and would go back on them. My biggest fear was just that… I won’t be able to get out of bed and that’s not acceptable for anyone that needs to show up to work daily. Ultimately the reality of having to pay a $250/hr shrink for a $320/month medication seemed like a damn good incentive to bite the bullet and get off this crap.
I went from the 70s to the 60s by first switching from every day to only taking it on weekdays. If you take a much higher dose… Maybe try taking a lower dose on weekends. You will be miserable but if it’s only for 1-2 days a week, it’s not that bad mentally… You don’t freak out, just enjoy the day in bed watching tv. I did this for few months and eventually the weekends were not miserable. I could tolerate them, I was awake.
I then switched to 60s… It was not a horrible experience it felt like something in between my weekdays and my lower-energy weekends. It was still an experience to get used to. I did the same going from 60s to 50s. First switched to 5 days on 60s then 7 days on 50s. I thing by changing the amount of the drug in your system gradually it helps alleviate many of the symptoms.
Or maybe it’s psychological. I went from the 50s to 30s and from 30s to 20s in literally 3 months and maybe a week into the 20s decided to start turning them into 10s by dumping half the contents out of the caps… At this point I realized how ridiculous all of this was and stopped taking them entirely. The first 10 days were surprisingly easy. I woke up by sleepwalking into my kitchen at 4:00 am downing 2 cups of coffee and the turning on every light in the house to ensure I’d remain awake.
I even managed to go for my morning run completely unmedicated! At work I was a space-cadet but this would get easier in another week when my brain seemed to start waking up. There was s single day when I took Vyvanse after I “quit”, it was only 10mg and it was one of the worst experiences ever… My body seemed to have forgotten all about how yummy Vyvanse was and I instead I was an anxious mess…
I spent half the day feeling like I was on drugs and hoping the once-desired feeling would go away. At this point I realized there was no going back… Which was somewhat terrifying. In the next week or so I got hit with what I presume is the delayed lack of motivation/debilitating depression. The brain fog isn’t really an issue and I can make it through the work day. I can also go to sleep in the evening and wake up in the morning…
But I can’t get out of bed and go run half the time (which I think is more a symptom of depression than and ADD as I’m perfectly happy being in bed for 2 hrs in the morning reading the news). I am finishing my 3rd week without Vyvanse (and gave not gained a pound) and the biggest advice I have to give to anyone trying to get off it is this: you need to prepare yourself psychologically for the unpleasantness of the experience.
You will be (may be) miserable but functioning for months and it you need to accept this before you decide to get off it. Otherwise you will freak out on day 2 or 3 and will go back to it and the feeling of being completely helpless and powerless to stop will make it 10x worse. I stopped taking it on my terms because it made me feel like I had some control of the process… And it worked for me.
I felt like a $570 lease on my brain was simply unacceptable. It’s my brain… I shouldn’t have to pay to use it. Anyway… Sometimes knowing you can function without this crap is half the battle. Oh and if you have a child and you are reading this… Don’t get their young brain hooked on this stuff.
Ive been on Vyvanse for 9 years. I started at 30mg and because my tolerance built up steadily over that time my doctors continued to up the dosage gradually and I’m now on 140mg a day.
Im 100% dependent on it to get out of bed in the morning. I would like to tapper off, but having run out of my script and my doctor not calling me back after a few days, Im out of medication as of today. Since my doctor wont return to work for 4 days, I know that these next few days are going to be miserable.
When I was first prescribed Vyvanese, I told the psych I was seeing at the time I was a recovering alcoholic and concerned about anything considered addictive. Of course, he told me not to worry about it. Now im 100% addicted. I feel as the The pharma and psych industries are BS. I’m convinced id be better off if I had never taken Vyvanse. Given the fatigue I will experience over next few days, I’m concerned about losing my job.
I’m on 120mg and my psych wanted to up it more at times. I’m glad someone else is on a high dose like me. It sucks how you can’t get out of bed without it.
I’m on 200 mg a day. I can’t get out of bed without it.
I’ve been on 70 for 7 years. My doctor says 70 is the max dose. How on earth do you get your doc to write for more? I take up to 140 some days when I know I need my full brain and have a lot to get done, but then I’m a week short for the month until I can get the new script.
I’m on 140mg. They only make the pills up to 70mg, but your doc should be able to prescribe a higher dose as long as it can be made from two lower dose pills.
I was prescribed generic adderall IR initially for ADHD by my psy doc. Later was able to take Vyvanse with the notion that it was a more steady state delivery without wearing off harshly as generic adderall did.
The pdoc claimed it is not addictive nor would there be wd symptoms. Idiot. Of course there were: extreme fear, panic and anxiety with depression.
Oddly – when on it at first, it worked fine. The generic adderall was too much of a punch with rapid wear off. The pdoc claimed Vyvanse would last all day. BS again. It wore off in 4 hours. Then I noticed after two wks on it, I became agitated, isolated and hostile. The crash was awful resulting in severe crying jags late day and horrible paranoia. I also lost far too much weight on it and could not see what everyone else did: bones.
I felt much better off the stuff but admittedly angry at the psy doc for lying about wd potential and sustained release of the medication. He is an idiot and I will never trust a pdoc again.
My personal advice is if you are able to taper off, do so with medical supervision. I haven’t had time to consult with my doctor, so in turn (do to unreasonable controlled substance laws for written prescriptions) I am completely devoid of medication I need for my ADHD. However, I feel that because I am a week shy of an appointment, I may as well just gut the things.
This author I am much more fond of than others, as she written the first honest evaluation I’ve ever read. Three hours after my wake I found myself ungodly tired, and horribly irate, then came the most wonderful, the worst headache I’ve ever had in my life. I’m irate because I can’t do anything, because I can’t concentrate from the headache and the brain fog (also very prominent). I can’t read my Game of Thrones book, as can’t watch the new (as everything sounds so loud), I can’t even do my yoga.
Doubtless if I weren’t so fatigued I would be pitching random expensive items out of my window and screaming angrily. My simple hope is that in a few days at the very least the brain fog will subside, and then the other equally unseemly symptoms. It’s even worse than when I quit smoking. When I make it through the withdrawals I will passionately pray for every man, woman, and child that must carry the torch after myself. Good luck everyone! We’ll pull through!!!
I am 67 yrs old, had troubles concentrating all my life – but after an OD in 2011, I could no longer concentrate or get anything done – my Dr put me on Vyvanse 30 mg a day, and it seemed like a miracle. I had great energy and focus – however after a couple years on it, Medicare suddenly pulled it out from under me. So now I am suffering the torments of hell because there was no warning. I have been so miserable, depressed, lethargic, and unfocused for the last week and a half that I have considered suicide. I don’t want to ever go through this again, so I’m going to just quit the stuff — I can’t live like this, never knowing if I can get this stuff or not. Thank you so much for just sharing your stories – It gives me hope that I will get better soon – I haven’t even been able to shower for several days now. It is really discouraging.
Same exact thing happened to me! I thought Medicare was supposed to help.
I’m currently in the process of trying to get off of vyvanse. I’m sick of having to take medicine to wake up every morning. Today’s the first day that I haven’t taken it. I feel uneasy, sad, and lazy.. Hopefully this works.
I was for a year taking vyvanse at 30mg….my body developed a tolerance…when I decided to cut cold turkey, I went through 30 days of severe depression where I was suicidal even. I tried again….this time tapering off and I feel much more stable…will never take a phsychostimulant again.
The exact same thing happened to me Scott, except I had been on 70mg for about 3 years. It was a very rough month.
I feel even better off it!! The first 3 days off it I was very lethargic, but then after those 3 days I started feeling better and better, and now 2 weeks later I feel AMAZING it’s an even clean energy. Before I had a really hard time waking up (I would sleep heavy through my alarm clock) while on Vyvanse, and I would use it to “wake up”, but then when it wore off 12 hrs later I was extremely tired. now I feel like a consistent even energy all day.
Background of my usage:
-50 milligrams
-Took at 4 am (wore off at about 4 PM)
-Everyday for 5 years (started in 2009)
-Rarely went without it
Impressive to hear that you experienced a quick recovery Marie and especially that you’re doing BETTER without it – that’s great news.
Marie, question for you…did you quit cold turkey or did you dose down?
Awesome, good to hear. Have been feeling pretty lethargic after 5 days without. But am looking forward to the clean natural energy comeback… where I hope to stay forever. Have used Vyvanse for 5 years.
Same as you, 5 years or so taking V. I met with my doc. saying I want off. Tired of questioning whether it is me or a drug accomplishing things. I am on day 6 – more clear thinking, however, experiencing tiredness (subsiding significantly), binge eating for 2-3 days (eating normally now), and I don’t know whether to call it a form of depression or simply unmotivated (seeing improvement).
I seem to be tracking closely with this article. I am looking forward to feeling as though this episode is behind me. From my experience, I recommend trying to avoid V. or other similar if possible. It had a short term (6 month) gain, followed by 4.5 years of ups and downs that were very unpleasant. Good luck!
It’s nice to hear there’s hope after vyvanse! I’m at 40mg, and my script is almost out – with no opportunity to get it filled. I also take it 2 hours before I actually have to get up, to help me jump start my day. I never go without it, so I’m nervous about what the next few weeks have in store for me. Your comment has given me hope – thank you Marie!
All due respect to Marie but I’m not buying it. In fact it’s ridiculous. She took it everyday for 5 years and quit cold turkey and only experienced withdrawal symptoms for 3 days? Moreover, she stated that she took it at 4am and it wore off at 4pm… again anyone that’s been on this drug for even 6 months knows the drug doesn’t last that long. The story is a complete fairy tail.
I found this page while googling the effects of vyvanse withdrawal, and it’s absolutely possible. I’ve been on 70 mg of vyvanse along with 20 mg of adderall for two years. Three weeks ago, I stopped cold turkey. No symptoms, I told my family a week later and they were shocked they couldn’t tell.
Years ago, as a meth and heroin addict, my family saw what I’m like during withdrawals pretty frequently. I don’t know the answer as to why previous poster and I didn’t experience any detox side effects, but I know I woke up at 7am every morning feeling better than before. I can feel things again, my brain is clear, but I do lack motivation and feel exhausted by bedtime.
Everyone’s body reacts differently. I’ve been on 70mg for 7 years. whenever I take a break from it, which is a couple weeks every year, the first 3 days are almost impossible to even keep my eyes open, and horrendous mood swings. After that, I’m much more able to function. Still very foggy, but caffeine helps. Having your energy back 100% comes in a week or so for me.
But, if you’re someone that actually has add or ADHD, that will never be gone. Also, I went off for a year while I was pregnant. It was good. But NOTHING like it felt when I first started taking it. (I lost 100 lbs my first year). Also, it still lasts about 12 hours for me as well. So I’m with Marie!
Thank you for the hope! I have only been on it a few weeks and I feel like crap. I am depressed and just feel empty. I am going to stop so I am thinking I will be okay…
So good to hear, Marie… I was on 70 for three years & than down to 50 a few months ago & than 40 & 20 – I just stopped two days ago & all day today I have been so exhausted/tired… but I have been experiencing the worst case of sweats ever for over a year, we finally figured it was from the Vyvanse! Definitely, will not miss this stuff!
My son is 6 and he is experiencing withdrawals. He had to stop suddenly because of insurance reasons. I don’t know what to do.
I’d talk to your doctor and let him know about this. I do know that in some cases you may be able to get a coupon/voucher for a month’s free supply. Otherwise the doc may need to switch him to a different stimulant. Best of luck.
If your insurance will not pay for Vyvanse you can ask your doctor to write a letter of necessity to your insurance company explaining that your son needs Vyvanse specifically. If the insurance still refuses, then another option is to contact the drug company that makes Vyvanse for help. Most all drug companies have patient assistance programs to help patients get their medications either for free or at a discounted rate. Some companies have more than one program with different criteria for each program. The criteria for acceptance into these programs varies, but they may require you to have either limited financial resources, or no insurance, or insurance that denies paying for the prescribed medication.
I would contact the distributor. They might be able to help. There should be contact information on the website.
I feel you. I am 19, have been on Vyvanse 60mg for over two years…and am having to stop because I recently found out I am pregnant. I asked my Dr to wean me off because after about 2 days, I cant stay awake, I feel extremely depressed, my ADHD comes back 50x worse and I am angry and snap at everyone.
Sadly…she refused, so now I have to stop cold turkey and I am scared to death because the longest I was without was 2 weeks and it was HELL. I gained 20lbs, got kicked out of my apartment for a week because I couldn’t control my moods…oh god, it was hell. Best of luck to you. Beware of excessive hyperness and random irritability. It’s like PMSing…except worse.
Hey Hun – Just rest and take care of yourself. Be happy you can rest. Sleep it off, it will get better. Imagine this and you’ll feel better – I had to Cold Turkey off of Klonopin and Cymbalta when I found out I was pregnant. The I had to taper off of suboxone… it was Rough!
I also had to get off of Adderall cold turkey and I just slept it off since I was so tired… The others were pure hell… I didn’t sleep for 3 months, Literally. It was literal hell on earth… I feel you though. I hope it’s easier than you think it will be!
Hi Joy, Poor thing. I’m a mom too and I too went through a similar issue with my son. I too had a change in insurance and Vyvanse with insurance was $15 and now it’s $290!!!! AND it’s your child which makes it 1000000 times worse. I was able to switch to adderrall (which I didn’t like) until I found that major pharmacies (CVS, Walmart, etc.) took Good RX coupons.
Just go to their site and research prices and your doc should also be aware of the medication prices and be able to prescribe something just as good but extremely cheaper. Also, I signed my son up for state insurance which covers just about 100% of ALL his medical costs. Dr visits, medications, etc. I wish you all the best and God Bless!
Thank you for this article, i have been experiencing extreme anger.
Been on Vyvanse 80mg for 1 week for weight loss ( no script) and cut cold turkey.
This helped me unwind!