Vyvanse: Signs, Side Effects, and Treatment

Vyvanse is a prescription stimulant medicine that helps control hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms in children and adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Vyvanse is also prescribed to treat moderate to severe binge-eating disorder.

What Is Vyvanse?

Vyvanse is a stimulant that changes how neurotransmitters function in the central nervous system. It increases the levels of norepinephrine, which is a natural stimulant. It also increases dopamine, a natural chemical that makes you feel pleasure. An increase in both makes you feel more alert, focused and energetic.

Vyvanse is in the amphetamine class of stimulants due to its active ingredient, lisdexamfetamine, which is an inactive prodrug. This means the drug stays inactive until it enters your body and is chemically altered.

Once it enters your body, it gets changed into the ingredient dextroamphetamine. It comes in chewable tablets or capsules.

Doctors typically prescribe the drug to people with ADHD, but it is also the first drug approved to treat severe binge-eating disorder. It is similar to Adderall, which has been prescribed for ADHD for many years.

Vyvanse Side Effects

Every person can experience different side effects of Vyvanse. Someone taking Vyvanse for binge eating disorder may experience different effects than someone taking it for ADHD.

If you are misusing Vyvanse for recreational purposes, you may experience a completely different set of side effects, some of which can be life-threatening.

Common Vyvanse side effects include:

• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Digestive issues
• Dry mouth
• Sleep disturbances
• Abdominal pain
• Irritability
• Nervousness or jitters

Many people experience a “Vyvanse crash,” which refers to the effects you feel when the drug is wearing off. This crash is also known as a withdrawal effect.

Vyvanse side effects may worsen for several reasons like drug interactions, allergic reactions or misusing the drug for recreational purposes.

Serious side effects of Vyvanse may include the following:

• Increased blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Lack of blood circulation to fingers or toes
• Serotonin Syndrome
• New or worsening mental health symptoms
• Slower growth in children
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Addiction

Vyvanse misuse (taking it in any way other than what is prescribed) can lead to further problems like Vyvanse overdose and death.

It is crucial to seek medical care if you experience any of these symptoms so your doctor can adjust your prescription for safety. If you are misusing Vyvanse and experience these effects it is crucial to reach out for help to prevent further complications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Difference Between Concerta and Vyvanse?

Concerta vs. Vyvanse: These are both stimulants prescribed to treat ADHD effectively. While Concerta contains the ingredient methylphenidate and Vyvanse contains lisdexamfetamine, they both act as central nervous system stimulants.

However Vyvanse is an amphetamine. Concerta is also used to treat narcolepsy, but Vyvanse is not. Instead Vyvanse and the generic Vyvanse are used to treat binge eating disorders in addition to ADHD.

Concerta has a high potential for misuse because methylphenidate is an active ingredient as soon as it is taken. Lisdexamfetamine takes longer to convert in the body to its active form of dextroamphetamine.

Is Adderall or Vyvanse better?

Vyvanse vs. Adderall: These are both amphetamines that effectively treat symptoms of ADHD. They have advantages and disadvantages, and the effects each person experiences will vary.

Adderall contains two active ingredients, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, or a mix of amphetamine salts. Adderall and Vyvanse can come in original and extended release forms.

Vyvanse tends to last two or three hours longer than Adderall. For example, extended release Adderall may last 8 to 12 hours while Vyvanse may last 12 to 14 hours. This slower absorption rate of Vyvanse makes it harder to misuse.

Additionally, Vyvanse can’t be inhaled or injected, unlike Adderall.

Determining which drug is better requires comprehensively examining your physical, biological, psychological and lifestyle factors. Clinicians can complete assessments of these factors to determine which medication is best for each individual.

Is Vyvanse a Controlled Substance?

Because it has the potential for misuse that can lead to addiction and dependency, Vyvanse is classified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substance Act.

It is illegal to take someone else’s Vyvanse ADHD prescription, buy it off the streets or trade it for other drugs. Vyvanse prescriptions come with a boxed warning, the most serious warning from the FDA.

Misuse of Vyvanse occurs in several ways, including the following:

• Taking more of the prescription than the doctor ordered
• Taking another person’s prescription
• Trading your prescription for your drug of choice
• Injecting, inhaling or snorting the drug

Mixing Vyvanse with other prescriptions or illicit substances can lead to dire consequences. Because it affects judgment and decision-making, you may engage in risky activities, like intoxicated driving. If you are caught misusing a controlled substance, you can face legal issues.

How Long Does Vyvanse Last?

Vyvanse is a long-acting stimulant that can last 14 hours. The length of effects in your system may vary from someone else’s.

Factors that affect how long Vyvanse lasts include:

• Gender
• Weight
• Amount of food you’ve eaten
• Dose amount
• Metabolism
• Physical conditions
• Other drugs you are taking

If you are facing a drug test for work or another reason that requires you to avoid amphetamines, it is essential to know that Vyvanse, generic and original, can stay in a person’s system for an average of two days. But again, how quickly you metabolize the drug depends on many variables. One person may metabolize it within a day, while others may need three days.

Are there Different Vyvanse Side Effects in Females?

There aren’t typically significant differences in Vyvanse side effects between males and females. Two areas where you can expect differences are pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Vyvanse can increase risks to an unborn child during pregnancy. Most medications the mother consumes during pregnancy and when breastfeeding are delivered to the baby, including amphetamines, which can lead to premature birth or withdrawal symptoms upon birth.

The Vyvanse side effects in females, like higher blood pressure and heart-related problems, can happen to the infant as well as the mother. The baby may experience delayed symptoms, such as learning deficiencies or slower growth rates than their peers.

Treatment Options for Addiction to Vyvanse

Treatment options for Vyvanse use disorder consist of the same options that are effective for other substance use disorders. There are multiple levels of care, ranging from high-intensity to the least restrictive, individual counseling. Licensed therapists or psychologists typically assess and recommend the best treatment for you.

Inpatient Detoxification

Inpatient detox is recommended for someone experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms or who needs 24/7 medical care until stabilized. This highly intensive program requires a medical setting, such as a hospital or residential clinical setting, with access to clinicians, medications and life-saving equipment.

For stimulant use disorders, stabilization may occur within a few days. Doctors, nurses and technicians are on staff to treat uncomfortable symptoms.

Inpatient and Residential Rehab

Inpatient treatment services may occur in one of two places: inpatient rehab or residential rehab. Inpatient rehab typically takes place in a treatment center with immediate access to medical staff, while residential rehab may occur in a home shared with others in recovery, with limited access to clinicians.

Inpatient rehab requires staying at the treatment center full-time and participating in medication management, individual and group therapies, family therapy, alternative therapies, and 12 Step facilitation groups. In contrast, someone in sober living residence engages in the same activities but lives in a home within the community.

Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs

A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is like an inpatient program except participants return home at night. They attend at least five hours of individual and group therapy Monday through Friday, learn recovery skills and complete other activities listed in their treatment plan.

An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is less intense than a PHP. Participants attend nine or more hours of individual, group, family and peer support therapies per week. Clients return home at night, and many choose to work when not in treatment.

Individual Counseling and Support Groups

Individual counseling and support groups are the least restrictive treatment services, typically meeting once a week. In individual counseling, you meet one-on-one with a therapist. In support groups, you attend with peers who are also recovering.

Both types of services are essential for giving and receiving feedback from professionals and peers. This helps participants avoid relapse and maintain recovery.

Aftercare

Aftercare is a treatment service that occurs before you are discharged from treatment.

You and a therapist or case manager create a plan to help you avoid relapsing on Vyvanse when you return home. The goal is to connect you with community resources to help you reach positive, healthy goals and avoid relapse triggers.

One example of aftercare is helping you arrange transportation to and from appointments with doctors, therapists and support groups. Other examples include helping you arrange childcare, housing and employment.

Getting Started with Treatment

Licensed mental health and substance abuse professionals are available and ready to help you take the first step toward ending your Vyvanse misuse.

You can speak with a professional team member any time, day or night. They will connect you with the best clinician who can help determine the right level of care you need to be successful in recovery.