I am a 42 yr. old female who has tried every ADD medication! Some seem to work for a little while but then stop working. I am always tired - have no energy, can't concentrate, have a bad short term memory, feel agitated a lot - not to mention very disorganized! I haven't tried Vyvanese yet, does any adults have positive results with this med?

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I am a 27yr old, newly ADHD dosed female, and I am currently trying Concerta after trying Vyvanse. In my opinion, Vyvanse works better hands down. I was much more active, productive and motivated with Vyvanse. This concerta makes me very mundane and dull...which is not my personality. I love the Vyvanse, and will be going back to it. I have heard that I should try Focali before I make my final decision on my ADHD drug of choice??? FYI, please note, that you will have tremendous headaches (and some shaking) on the Vyvanse for the 1st couple of days. You have to give your botdy a couple of days to get used to the stimulants. Over the first month you should also aim to pinpoint your correct dosage, so that it's benefits do not wear off too early in the day. I did 1 week at 30mg, then 1 week at 50mg and then 1 wk at 70mg. I found that the 50mg and 70mg lasted until bedtime where the 30mg only took me until about 5pm. I believe that 60mg will end up being ideal for me, so that I get the benefits morning to night, and can go to sleep before midnight if I want to (not possible on the 70mg). I hope this helps. Kristin

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janet03 said: I am a 42 yr. old female who has tried every ADD medication! Some seem to work for a little while but then stop working. I am always tired - have no energy, can't concentrate, have a bad short term memory, feel agitated a lot - not to mention very disorganized! I haven't tried Vyvanese yet, does any adults have positive results with this med?

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As a child I took Ritalin and had no positive effects but was out of control emotionally and highly agitated. My day went from sad to mad to sad to mad and round again. This caused my parents to decide I must not have ADD and take me off meds altogether (now that i'm 25 they are almost starting to accept that yes, their highly gifted child can also be challenged). When I decided to be reevaluated and try meds again as an adult, my doc prescribed concerta. I was mad for the 2 weeks I took it. Not mad about anything - just always felt angry. He switched me to aderall XR and it was like I became a different person. I could finally form a clear thought and even express it in a way that most people could understand! I take vyvanse now and it's great but the only major difference for me is that I have fewer side effects than with the adderall, which caused me to "crash" and basically become extremely sensitive to any stimulus when it wore off. They also make adderall in a short release tablet that is available as a generic and I hear the XR is going generic soon. This might be of interest to the mom whose daughter responded well to vyvanse but was denied insurance coverage. As far as the basic question what's the diff between concerta and vyvanse - completely different chemicals. Concerta falls in the methylphenidate category, Vyvanse is lisdexamphetamine (closely related to adderall which is dextroamphetamine). The way they work is different and so they are experienced differently depending on the individual's neurochemistry. My cousin does well with concerta and I don't just to give one example. Also, I know someone earlier said that she had horrible side effects adjusting to vyvanse - this never happened to me, it was a totally smooth transition. It's really just trial and error with a few clues and a doctor to guide you when it comes down to it. I just hope everyone finds something that works well for them!

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Shortly after I posted back in April about my son and daughter, I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. I am taking Vyvanse also and I love it. I didn't have any problems with the medication and I felt great the first day on it. The only side effects I've noticed were the appetite suppression and a dry mouth at times, neither of which were bothersome to me.

Each individual is different in how they respond to medication. Something else that many people don't realize is that some medications for ADHD can aggravate untreated anxiety. Once the anxiety is properly treated, the ADHD medication may then work just fine. Women with ADHD, especially inattentive ADHD, are more likely to have anxiety and/or depression along with the ADHD. This is one of the reasons why it is good to have a doctor or psychiatrist who understands ADHD and other common disorders that may accompany it as well. It can affect the response to medication if other disorders are present and not being treated.

Elaine

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KB,

You mentioned Focalin. It is similar to methylphenidate, in fact, I think it might be referred to as dexmethylphenidate but I'm not certain if that is the exact term. It comes in a short acting version that works 5-6 hours and an XR version that lasts longer. My son used to take the short-acting Focalin for late afternoon or early evening coverage, particularly when he had a baseball game. He was a pitcher and it improved his focus, since the Concerta had mostly worn off by the end of the day. The Focalin would usually start to work in half an hour, whereas the Concerta took almost an hour to start working.

Elaine

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