I am so glad to read your post and to know someone else is irritable at the end of the day, or when Vyvanse wears off. Of course, I thought I was just having bad days --- long days of 3 dogs running around eating furniture and 2 toddlers screaming. But then I realized it was the Vyvanse talking.

So, I now split my capsule and take half when I wake up and the other half around 11:30 am. If I take it any later than that I have trouble sleeping. This works for me in that by the time the 11:30 dose wears off, I am ready for bed anyway.

Why do I split the capsule instead of having a proper prescription? I told the doctor what I was doing and he said that is fine. He did not want to write one for 30mgs 2x a day for what ever reason. It doesn't bother me that I have to do and quite honestly, there are days when I need the whole pill to begin with.

Please note, I also take 20mg Prozac as well and I plan to experiment with the time of day I take this pill and how if affects the Vyvanse. I suspect if I took the Prozac at night and the Vyavanse in the AM that as it wears off the effect of irritability would be less. This is just a gut feeling....

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I am so glad to read your post and to know someone else is irritable at the end of the day, or when Vyvanse wears off. Of course, I thought I was just having bad days --- long days of 3 dogs running around eating furniture and 2 toddlers screaming. But then I realized it was the Vyvanse talking.

So, I now split my capsule and take half when I wake up and the other half around 11:30 am. If I take it any later than that I have trouble sleeping. This works for me in that by the time the 11:30 dose wears off, I am ready for bed anyway.

Why do I split the capsule instead of having a proper prescription? I told the doctor what I was doing and he said that is fine. He did not want to write one for 30mgs 2x a day for what ever reason. It doesn't bother me that I have to do and quite honestly, there are days when I need the whole pill to begin with.

Please note, I also take 20mg Prozac as well and I plan to experiment with the time of day I take this pill and how if affects the Vyvanse. I suspect if I took the Prozac at night and the Vyvanse in the AM that as it wears off the effect of irritability would be less. This is just a gut feeling....

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Hi,

I'm a 16-year old male, and I take Adderall XR (mixed amphetamine salts, half levoamphetamine half dextroamphetamine) 1x daily at 25mg. Although you are taking Vyvanse, Vyvanse is only a pro-drug to dextroamphetamine - so I can relate in the daily comedown.

Everyday, near the end of the dose I can feel the irritability coming on and I warn whoever I'm around that I might be irrational then I go and run on the treadmill and lift a few sets of weights. I find that the irritability wears off in about a half hour, which is perfect time to give your body a bit of exercise. :-)

Best, Brad

"Life is not about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself" - Unknown

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how do you take 1/2 a capsule? Do you just pull it apart ?

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Yes, pull the capsule apart carefully and measure half. I keep an empty pill case so I can measure.

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Thank you all for the helpful input. Exercise during that time when it's wearing off- I tried some yoga around the exact time I know I'll be feeling crappy and it helps. My doc. also gave me low dose Lorazepam 0.5 mg to calm the agitation. BTW, I'm also taking Lamictal 200 mg for bipolar.

You can break the capsule in half. The pharmacist won't recommend it but my doc said don't listen to them. You simply take the capsule apart SLOWLY with a pulling up motion not a twisting one. I split what's in the middle and put a "cork stopper" with a piece of saran wrap or foil in the other half that I won't be using for the next day. I've done this when I only had the 50 mg free samples and all I usually need is the 20 mg.

BTW folks, how long does your wearing off induced irritability last for? one person said 30 minutes. Mine seems to be longer and I'm really really down and depressed during that time. :)

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Hi folks,

Two points to consider that might be helpful:

1. the AMP meds (Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexedrine are amphetamines) work a little differently than the MPH meds (Ritalin, Focalin, Concerta, and Daytrana are methylphenidate formulas). They create additional reactions, which could possibly lead to irritability in some people. But, in general, enhancing dopamine can backsuppress serotonin in parts of the brain; hence a possible contributor to the irritability. That's why some people take a 24/7, often low-dose serotonin-targeting med in addition to the stimulant.

2. AMP can increase utilization of B vitamins, according to one of the most competent treating psychiatrists I know. He prescribes B vitamins for patients who take AMP meds. And of course with all the stress everyone is under now, we would probably all do well to think about our Vitamin B intake.

Good luck with the tweaking!

Gina Pera, author Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? http://www.ADHDRollerCoaster.org

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Thank goodness someone else is noticing this too! I usually take my Vyvanse 70 mg around 8 am and I've noticed a definite change in my mood anywhere between 4 and 6 pm. I wasn't sure if it was related to the medication, since I thought it was supposed to last for 12-13 hours. I was thinking about asking my doctor if I could take a "booster" dose sometime in the afternoon. I still have some 30 mg pills from his attempts to find the right dose. Has anyone else tried this? Not splitting your morning dose, but taking a second, smaller dose some time in the afternoon.

Thanks!

P.S. I'm 28 y/o and just diagnosed with ADHD 3 months ago.

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I was on vyvanse for just a short time (2 months) when I noticed the irratability. It was too much of an issue for me to be irritable, there was more tha n just that, I was angry and moody,so at my next dr. visit when I was in tears from it all, he prescribed focalin and lexapro. This has been a god-send, I have been more productive (and happy) with the focalin than with any other prescription. Talk to your doctor and see if a change of med's would help!

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Someone earlier mentioned B vitamins. I've been taking them actually for my bipolar depression along with a high dose of fish oil (read about this one in a book for those who suffer from depression). Would like to know dosage for B vitamins or special foods to eat during the time of wear off.. anyone taken this approach?

Yes, the irritability and depressed mood is very uncomfortable for me too. Thank you all for sharing your stories- I don't feel like a complete freak any more. :)

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Wow! I am excited to hear I am not the only one having this problem. I'm really not convinced it is Vyvanse that is the problem, as I have experienced this with other drugs. Concerta seemed to cause anger most of the day. I think that the end of the work or school day is just a stressful time of day for EVERYONE, and having A.D.D. just amplifies the effect stress has on a person. I know that when my son was very young (0-5 years old) we called 5:00 p.m. "the witching hour" because he was just super cranky at that time of day. Between the hours of 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. most of us are leaving a job where we may not have finished all our work, driving in traffic, and rushing to pick up kids. Then we come home to a whole new set of stressors like family obligations, helping with homework, making dinner, getting kids to bed, and finding time for our spouse. That's a lot to take on! As far as splitting Vyvanse dose, why not just take Adderall XR twice a day? Cheaper and don't have to mess with splitting capsules. The whole reason I am on Vyvanse is I can't remember to take pills twice a day!

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Hi folks,

I'm just curious about your physicians' response to this common complaint about the stimulants (particularly AMP, it seems) wearing off. Do you tell them? What do they advise/change? Do you feel they have a comprehension of this common problem -- or do they sort of indicate you're an oddball? :-)

One more point that might be helpful: If your stimulant is wearing off at the end of the day, that's probably not a great idea. As one poster pointed out, that's one of the more stressful times, especially for people with ADHD who don't handle transitions well (from work to commute to multi-tasking chores, kids, dinner, etc. at home). So, just as it's often advised for children to have a booster dose in the afternoon to get through "family time" and homework, the same is true for adults.

In fact, I'd say a case could be made for 24/7 stimulant coverage. Some people with ADHD actually sleep much better on a stimulant (usually, it seems, though, a lower dose than daytime dose). And remember, that when you take any of these medications, it creates a host of reactions in the brain and body. So, by the time these reactions have stabilized into a routine, as it were, a whole other set of reactions take place when the medication clears the system! Talk about a daily roller coaster.

Example: A middle-age woman I know tried Daytrana (the patch) and said she accidentally got the best sleep of her adult life when she fell asleep watching TV and neglected to remove the patch.

Some people think that the stimulants interfere with their sleep when actually what's interfering is the rebound of the stimulants wearing off at night. But of course, some people will not sleep well on a stimulant at all.

The point is to be a detective in your own life and be willing to experiment -- with a doc's approval, of course. But, in my experience with hundreds of people with ADHD undergoing medication treatment, it's simply not wise to leave it all up to the doc. It has to be a team effort.

Good luck, Gina Pera, author Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? http://www.ADHDRollerCoaster.org

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Hi folks,

Here's an update. I noticed that my vyvanse made my depression symptoms worse- as if I was over focusing on certain feelings (if there ever is such a thing). End of day slump became really unbearable. My doc and most docs don't fully understand this like one poster suggested. I'm on Lamictal, a mood stabilizer and when I'm on just that, I don't have the dip in mood, depressive symptoms or anger/rage at the end of the day.

An earlier poster noted a booster dose in the p.m. I had been doing that when I was in school. I didn't like doing it- felt like I was some drug addict. :) My doc even said it does help for sleep because your brain can focus on the task of sleep and not fight the body that is trying to still.

Lorazepam 0.5 mg seems to do the trick for me- gives me sleep in 30 min. I only take it when I'm pre menstrual. During that time I'm an insomniac.

AMP meds aren't like other mental meds on which you can gradually taper off and you're back to normal. It's like you have to take them for life to see effects.

I feel as if I have a harder time just relaxin on them. It's like I can't be present. I'm always thinking of what needs to be done. If someone is in my way, I'm more irritable than usual. I avoid people more to get more stuff done. I don't feel normal.

Thanks for all your stories. PLS update me if things change.

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I'm currently taking Vyvanse 30 mg and it's been almost a month now. I am 32, very athletic and very natural. I have never taken medication in my entire life. This is my very first time ever. I know that I've always had really bad problems dealing with A.D.D. as a child, but never really got on anything. At first, taking this medication felt great. Now that a month has past, I am starting to notice the "crashing" later in the evening. The insomnia sucks, but I have always had insomnia. The irritability is especially worse during my menstrual cycle. I began to feel over-the-top emotional, upset, irritated, angry, crying for no reason, and even suicidal thoughts! I'm not kidding! I am seriously going to talk to my Dr. and see if I can get off of it. I just finished taking a high dose of Vitamin B 12, Omega 3 Fatty Acid, A multi-vitamin, and L-Tyrosine. I feel better already. But, being new to medication and all- these side affects are serious! No children at ALL should be on this stuff! I also don't want to take any more medication to counter the effects!

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