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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