Hi,

My son just turned 10 and had been on Adderall for several years. We switched him over to Vyvanse about 6 months ago. They basically do the same thing as far as the weight loss goes. These drugs are speed in a monitored environment. Speed is an appetite supressant. I'm on Adderall as well. We found out when he was diagnosed that I'm the one he gets it from. The Adderall does the same thing to me. That's the only part of your message I could answer. Good Luck, Take Care. Deidre

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One of the common side effects of ADHD medication is weight loss. When the medication kills your child's appetite, there are a few strategies you can employ to help him gain weight, like feed your child protein and nutrient rich foods, make sure he eats a solid breakfast, try smoothies and shakes when he really doesn't fee like eating, and use supplements to make sure your child gets the nutrient he needs. These are just some of the strategies listed in this article about ADHD and appetite.

You will also find some helpful information about ADHD medication and nutrition in this article: A Healthy Appetite for ADHD Children.

I hope this helps. Dena

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Weight loss (or not gaining) is a side effect of most of these medications. My son tried Vyvanse a couple of years ago and it caused major depression in him. A 7 year old should not be contemplating about whether it would be better if he were not around so we dropped that one fast! He was on Focalin first for about a year when he was first diagnosed but it caused him major stomach upset. He barely ate anything when taking that one b/c he said his stomach hurt all the time. Adderall has been the best by far for him. It really depends on the child. I will say that his doctor told us she only prescribe Vyvanse for kids who are really big and beefy or who have been resistant to other medications. Not sure about the hair loss. Definitely need to ask the doctor about that. Good luck.

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Weight loss (or not gaining) is a side effect of most of these medications. My son tried Vyvanse a couple of years ago and it caused major depression in him. A 7 year old should not be contemplating about whether it would be better if he were not around so we dropped that one fast! He was on Focalin first for about a year when he was first diagnosed but it caused him major stomach upset. He barely ate anything when taking that one b/c he said his stomach hurt all the time. Adderall has been the best by far for him. It really depends on the child. I will say that his doctor told us she only prescribe Vyvanse for kids who are really big and beefy or who have been resistant to other medications. Not sure about the hair loss. Definitely need to ask the doctor about that. Good luck.

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I think each child reacts differently to these meds. My son has been on Vyvanse for a while now - no hair loss issues and his appetite was spoiled years ago when we started these meds. He is now 15. But his body has adjusted and even though he is not the best eater - we have decided to let him eat when he is hungry. His best time to eat - before meds (breakfast) after meds wear off - all evening. So it he wants food at 10pm - we let him eat! We also tried Focalin. and it was okay, I didn't see that great of any improvement and I felt he was getting tics from it - move of a head movement and a stretching of the neck all the time! But I don't see that posted anywhere else. This is a crap shoot! And we have to hope our kids are flexible enough to go along for the ride in order to find success. Is my son "cured" from any of these meds - Nope! But we get him through the school day and that's what counts. He recently skipped taking the meds for a few days over Spring break and what a joy he was! The real person came out again and he ate non stop but even he knew this would be trouble for him in school and we are now looking at stopping on certain weekends and maybe over the summer. So have patience - as they get older - they help you a bit more in figuring this out. Your doctor should offer the most help now - if you are not comfortable with the doctor -then you have to find one you are comfortable with! I am sorry - I ran on a bit - I do hope you found this useful.

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I just wanted to say thank you all for helping me and giving me information on the Vyvanse.

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