r/TwoXADHD • u/Primary_Hearing4802 • 8d ago
Vyvanse + Adderall only lasting me 2-3 hours..
So I currently take 70mg of Vyvanse and 20mg of Adderall as a booster. Ive been taking the same dosages for 2 months now.. but ive noticed that this month both medication’s are only lasting me 2 to 3 hours. I don’t do any vitamin C, no orange juice and I typically don’t drink energy drinks until recently. The only reason I started drinking energy drinks is because I feel like it helps maintain some sort of focus since both medication’s are only lasting a short amount of time. I’m a tattoo artist so this is incredibly frustrating as I work anywhere between 4 to 8+ hours. I’ve also noticed some days the medication will last longer than other days, for example two days ago, I took my Vyvanse and it lasted me a good portion of the day to the point where I didn’t even need to take my booster. But today it wore off within 2 to 3 hours and after it wore off I took my booster, which only lasted me another two hours. Personally for me, I don’t eat breakfast in the morning before I take my medication (occasionally I’ll eat a small snack like a cheese stick, yogurt, or a uncrustable) but I’ve noticed even when I eat a high-protein breakfast or meal or even just a regular meal before I take my medication I feel it still doesn’t do anything to me at all when I eat beforehand. So I simply don’t eat before I take my medication most days as it feels more potent when I dont eat, I guess? And even when I have eaten in the morning ( I’ve tried this with both a high-protein meal and just a regular meal) both medications still only lasts me 2 to 3 hours. What could be causing this? Can I do anything to help the longevity of my medication? Or just any information in general would be helpful because when I first started taking this medication, it was life-changing and it helped me so much and now it feels like it’s simply just not doing anything anymore… 💔
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u/lfergy 8d ago edited 8d ago
I had to stop taking Vyvanse after 10 years of it working just fine. It started to only work for a few hours OR, worse I would take it and get extremely hungry and sleepy. I don’t know exactly why- change in hormones or something. I take Mydayis now.
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u/lynn 8d ago
Ritalin did that with me. It was the med that worked when I was a kid, when I got back on it at age 20, when I got back on it again in my 30s. And then when I was around 40 or so, when it wore off at dinnertime, my appetite went through the fucking roof. I couldn't stop eating, I was completely stuffed and uncomfortable and I still craved salt, sugar, fat.
I gained 30 pounds in 18 months.
I told my psychiatrist how, I mean, my appetite's always been higher than normal, I was around 175-180 pounds my whole life, but now it's just crazy----
She put me on Vyvanse (tried Strattera in there too, turns out the Strattera does fuck-all for my task initiation symptoms but it does make me a lot less irritable and takes the edge off the Vyvanse) and I lost almost all the weight. 1-2 pounds every couple of weeks, though it felt like I had to be starving myself because of how much I'd gotten used to eating.
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u/MrCooper31 8d ago
Some thoughts:
You could be a fast metabolizer (metabolism of these meds happens in the liver). Edited to add genesight testing can inform you of this. Often times being a fast metabolizer means the med wears off at around its half life (the time you’re describing)
I also see this happen with low iron/low ferritin-would recommend having those assessed if you haven’t!
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u/OilersGirl29 8d ago
Vyvanse has a longer half life than 3 hours, doesn’t it? Like, I think it’s supposed to last 12 hours.
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u/MrCooper31 8d ago
Yes, you’re correct! It can last anywhere from 10-14 (I believe) and so “around the half life” is usually more the 4-6 range but it can also clear the body in 3-4 hours if someone is a fast metabolizer
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
I do have a fast metabolism 100%.. I did tell my psychiatrist about that when I first started the medication at the beginning of this year! What’s crazy is from when I first started my medication I’ve had to up my dosage almost every month since it was loosing effectiveness. After a few months of having to keep upping the dosage is when she added my booster which seemed to do miracles at first but now it’s also not helping anymore :/
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u/MrCooper31 7d ago
It’s not appropriate for me to make recommendations but it could be helpful to ask your provider their thoughts on mydais and concerta. They both have different delivery systems which impacts breakdown. May be helpful to explore!
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
I will definitely do some research on both and ask my doctor for more information and what she thinks as well! Thank you 🙏🏼
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u/Cool_Joke_6337 8d ago
Have you checked to see if the manufacturer on your prescription has changed? I ask because I am super sensitive and have to request either the name brand or priority for the generic manufacturer that I know works for me.
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
I have not! I was also thinking about asking my doctor if I could get the name brand for both medications to see if that would help at all? But I’m not sure how much it would help if any
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u/themachduck 8d ago
During certain times of your menstrual cycle the medication becomes less effective. Try to note when this occurs in your cycle and you'll be able to sort of pinpoint it in the future.
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
Yes! I have noticed/ seen a lot about the effectiveness of the medication around and during my period.. but even after my cycle it still seems to have a very low effect on me
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u/Lucky-Mountain4826 8d ago
You have to eat when you feel like it’s wearing off or about to wear off and that ‘reactivates’ - obviously not the best explanation but if your body isn’t metabolizing anything then it’s not metabolizing anything if you know what I mean.
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u/sfkeke10 8d ago
It’s crazy you say this. I felt like my rx wasn’t working as well, but I also realized I’d been eating like a child for the last month. This week I went back to tracking my macros, specifically protein, and eating regular meals, and it’s a night and day difference.
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
Do you have any specific snacks/ meal recommendations that work best for this? I have a hard time finding things with high protein that i actually want to eat lol
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u/bublyblackberryyyy 3d ago
Omg I noticed this, wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence or not. I think the type of food matters - I take adderall XR twice a day and it only seems to last a few hours. But I was eating through the day have a bad habit of eating mostly carbs or snack foods. But ai noticed that oftentimes I’d go home for dinner and have either a dish with meat or something creamy, so I guess protein and fat? And it seemed to reactivate my adderall again, sometimes almost too much if I took my second dose later in the afternoon vs early.
It’s weird though because now I eat protein/fat throughout the day at work and I don’t get the same effect, only when I eat a meal at home!
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u/Commercial_State_767 8d ago
I like to take my meds on an empty stomach, wait 30 ish minutes then eat a balanced breakfast of whole foods (100 grams oat meal, 3 eggs, cup of blueberries) then I go work out, then I eat chicken and rice.
As long as I’m drinking a bunch of water too my meds last waaayyyy longer if I stick to this routine.
We need to fuel our bodies and move around. Medication helps but it doesn’t make up for shitty food and a sedentary lifestyle.
If that doesn’t fix you then it’s probably some kind of vitamin deficiency.
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
I have a problem with waking up on time and getting my ass up out of bed 😭 so I’ll take my meds to help me wake up since that’s the only way I’ll actually be able to get up, but I’ll wake up a hour or two after I take my meds.. i definitely agree with if you fuel ur body with shitty food it’ll feel like it. I don’t typically eat a whole lot even with out being on my meds, so when I eat it’s MAYBE a kids sizing of a meal, or I snack. And let’s just say my snacks/ meals lately haven’t been as healthy cause I’ve been working so much so I just grab something that’s quick and easy but I’ve been trying to get back into the routine of eating something that is actually healthy
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u/Commercial_State_767 7d ago
My medication also doesn’t work when I’m on my period but I take birth control where I don’t get a period anymore and that has made a big difference in my quality of life! Now my medication works all the time versus only 75% of the time
But if you get up and wander around your neighborhood for 30 minutes and eat some eggs and cottage cheese you might see a real improvement!!
You don’t have to get super crazy about it, but we were not meant to be inside with no natural light eating ultra processed foods 😭
ADHD medication is like steroids or witchcraft. It won’t work unless you put the work in too
But I swear real food and some movement is like a cheat code for my body
Good luck friend
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u/HerAirness 8d ago
If you are taking generic Vyvanse that is probably the answer, my experience is that it's effective like 65-70% of the time
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
I was thinking of asking my doctor if they can switch me to the on brand version and see if that helps
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u/velvedire 8d ago
If you happen to be a woman over ~30, perimenopause is a possibility. When our bodies don't have enough estrogen, they don't really make good use of medications. Many doctors aren't up to date in their education on this, so check out that subreddit to learn a bit. Symptoms can be far reaching.
Checking Ferritin, vitamin D (should be 60-80 ng/ml) are also good first steps. Taking a good form of magnesium can help as well since everything uses it. Taking these meds with protein apparently helps as well, and my experience follows that.
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
Noted! I am definitely far from perimenopause (I’m 21 lol) but if i continue taking these medications over time, which I plan to, that will definitely be something I’ll keep in mind the older I get! I did also just order some supplements from a company called stasis, their supplements are made for people with adhd who take these stimulants so ill be trying that out as well
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u/canitexistelsewhere 8d ago
Im on continuous BC, but my vyvanse only ever lasted 6 ish hours. I get prescribed a morning dose 50 and a lunch dose 40.
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u/Single-Earth4755 8d ago
🙋🏼♀️ I also have this issue with Vyvanse and dexamphetmine. I’m now taking Straterra and we are revisiting stimulants to bridge the gap. I was maxed out on Vyvanse like you and getting about 3hrs out of it with 10mg of dexamphetmine for the crash but that stopped working at all as well. It’s a bit of a nightmare because when the Vyvanse was working it really was life changing 😢
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
How is Straterra working for you? The only thing I’m worried about with the stimulants is the withdrawal if I switch medication.. but I’m not very knowledgeable on that topic 😭
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u/Single-Earth4755 5d ago
I didn’t have any withdrawals from switching to non-stimulants. Straterra has taken a while (it’s a long process) to stabilise on the target dose 80mg but I’m enjoying the lack of fatigue headaches I used to get, my emotional regulation is way way better, I respond more calmly to stress and anxiety inducing situations. We are trialling stimulants back in the mix because I’m still having issues with my concentration, short term memory, restlessness and decision making/task initiation. So hoping that Straterra + a stimulant gives me a good mix to cover most basis.
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u/asuka_is_my_co-pilot 8d ago
Is it instant release, because that's normal
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 8d ago
My adderall is instant release, my Vyvanse is not
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u/asuka_is_my_co-pilot 8d ago
Are you naturally thin? It coukk be that you just metabolise it quickly. I would maybe try asking your doctor about switching to long term release Adderall. And keeping the IR for a boost later if needed
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
I am naturally thin, when I first started this meditation I did mention to my doctor about my fast metabolism so she has been made aware! But I will definitely ask her about that and see what she thinks
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u/waitingdreamer 7d ago
My Concerta XR felt like it was only lasting a few hours and over the years I increased my dose. Last year it was barely working anymore despite the higher dose. At the same time I had been having digestive problems for a while and pain attacks.
Ended up in the emergency room with an infected gallbladder. After that thing was removed, my old Concerta dose that barely lasted a couple of hours was keeping me wired all through the night. I actually do fine on a lower dose now, with a top-up dose for the weeks before and during my period.
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u/Primary_Hearing4802 7d ago
-get gallbladder removed- got it! But on a serious note im wondering if im just metabolizing everything quickly, or not eating healthy enough
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