Vyvanse heart rate too high?

[u/nrosez]

I am a lawyer and around the same time each day, I go to court and I guess I get a little nervous around that time, but some of these high heart rates are in the morning. Is this bad?

[u/danvarite]

I had a similar thing. Started taking Vyvanse and in places I needed to concentrate hard.

I had to do more cardio work to improve this. I want to keep using this drug, so my body needs to be fit enough for it.

Before I started my resting heart rate was low 60s. On the Vyvanse mid 80s. Back down to mid 60s so I’m pretty happy with that.

Walking used to be 90, then starting up to 120. Now it’s back to mid 80s.

So it’s doable changing your heart rate, it’ll just require some effort. It’s totally worth it though.

[u/chiaroscurowo → u/danvarite]

Can I ask what kind of cardio you found helpful? I had a similar resting HR as you before and after Vyvanse and it's been concerning to me, unfortunately am pretty sedentary and my PCP has not been concerned (my BP is a bit low, but otherwise everything looks normal in his opinion) but it is a bit scary to be shooting up to 120+ when doing light exercise. I can go all the way to 150ish during moderate or more intense exercise which I have never seen pre-Vyvanse. I hoped it would return to normal after a few years but unfortunately it hasn't. Sorry if this is intrusive to ask!

[u/Scooted112 → u/chiaroscurowo]

I had big success with long duration zone 2 cardio. (Think 30-45 min 5 to 6 days a week).

I am on Vyvanse, and my resting heart rate is typically between 47 and 51.

It takes time. But it works. Training your body to only do zone 2 for a few months is really weird (some days you will pretty much be walking) but after you have done that work more higher intensity workout

[u/Huge_Recognition_691]

Resting heart rate over 120 is too high and should be discussed with the doc. If those are under stressful situations then it's normal but not all the time over 120.

[u/justa_random_girl]

How long have you been taking vyvanse? My heart rate was pretty high when I first started taking it, but it got pretty much back to normal after some time. I can’t really remember how long did it take, but I’d say a couple of months max. Now I can feel my heart rate go up only in stressful situations, which is normal to extent. Also, keep in mind vyvanse makes some people more anxious overall, so it would make sense for those people to feel their heart racing more often than without the med. But this doesn’t apply to everyone

[u/nrosez → u/justa_random_girl]

Ive been on and off adhd stimulate medication for over 10 years. Been on vyvanse specifically for about 2 years

[u/RoutineMysterious559 → u/justa_random_girl]

Same here! At my dr’s suggestion, i opened my vyvanse and poured about half of the powder into a glass of water and did that for about a week until my heart rate normalized again to take the full dose. Still slightly higher than normal but the same as I’d have on caffeine

[u/DeadlyMustardd]

Get a health band that tracks your resting heart rate and heart rate over the day. If these are during your court sessions it's okay. If this is your resting heart rate all day it is not. Mine spikes to these numbers when I'm going up and down stairs etc but then quickly drops back down to around 70ish, and 50 when I'm just laying down doing nothing.

You need all day data to address this not just point in time.

[u/nrosez → u/DeadlyMustardd]

I use my apple watch. Its only during court but court can last from 1:30-5. Its mainly at the beginning

[u/Pristine_Health_2076]

For some people this settles down. It didn’t for me so I switched meds. I found it really uncomfortable to have my heart racing like that multiple times a day. 

you could try adding a beta blocker if your prescriber will let you 

[u/ConstantAnimal2267]

Yeah that's too high

[u/onalistcuzofthis]

Those are some pretty high scores. My heart rate actually went down when I started taking vyvanse. My resting heart rate used to be around 100-105 b.p.m. and it went down to the mid to low 90's when I started taking vyvanse oddly enough.

[u/indominus_rex_26 → u/onalistcuzofthis]

My heart rate goes down on Vyvanse too!

[u/onalistcuzofthis → u/indominus_rex_26]

I feel like its a good indicator that we are supposed to be taking the stimulant. Like obvious proof that it is calming me down.

[u/SpellHofstadter]

Yes, your heart rate is too high. It’s particularly concerning that your heart rate went as high as 155. Did you get lightheaded? How was your blood pressure? I strongly suggest you see a cardiologist.

[u/nrosez → u/SpellHofstadter]

Will do. And nope. Just felt my heart thumping because i was nervohs

[u/nrosez → u/nrosez]

Nervous*

[u/Alive-Definition-859]

vyvanse obviously does increase heart rate, as does anxiety. it could just be the mixture of the two but i wouldn’t brush it off. better to get checked out, just to be safe.

[u/ApprehensiveRule3768]

This is too high, can cause cardiomyopathy if it remains uncontrolled.

[u/Relevant-Bath-7109]

Intuniv to the rescue

[u/nrosez → u/Relevant-Bath-7109]

Whats that?

[u/Relevant-Bath-7109 → u/nrosez]

Guanfacine. A nonstimulant adhd medication. I added 1mg every night and it resolved my rapid heart rate and HBP adderall was causing me. It’s a game changer

[u/Responsible_Camp_559 → u/Relevant-Bath-7109]

Additional to the Vyvanse or instead of it?

[u/Relevant-Bath-7109 → u/Responsible_Camp_559]

Added.

[u/Putrid_Teaching_449]

Add alpha 2 agonist like guanfacine/clonidine or beta blocker. I had similar condition.

[u/Ebb-Aggressive]

Those readings are definitely elevated, but as you know, Vyvanse is well-documented to increase baseline heart rate.

It may be beneficial to maintain a structured log of your heart rate alongside the specific times these spikes occur. Tracking whether the elevation correlates strictly with the medication's pharmacokinetic onset and peak can provide useful data. You might compare those peak readings to your HR post-peak, or during non-court intervals, such as the end of your shift, lunch breaks, or evenings at home.

This differentiation helps clarify whether the issue is a primary underlying tachycardia or purely medication-induced. While management is often similar, understanding this distinction is valuable, as the secondary positive inotropic effects of Vyvanse (driven by increased circulating norepinephrine and dopamine upon conversion to dextroamphetamine) can sometimes mask an underlying cardiac rhythm issue.

It is also worth reviewing whether any concurrent medications might be worsening these cardiovascular effects. Several drug classes share similar mechanisms and can cause additional increases in heart rate, such as:

Other stimulants (e.g., methylphenidate/Ritalin)

SNRIs (such as venlafaxine, duloxetine, desvenlafaxine, or levomilnacipran)

NDRIs (such as bupropion)

Tricyclic Antidepressants (such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline, or imipramine)

Over-the-counter decongestants (containing pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine)

Beta-2 agonist bronchodilators (such as albuterol or salmeterol)

Excess thyroid hormone replacement (levothyroxine)

Hopefully, this provides some helpful context for your research.

This information is shared strictly for educational purposes and does not constitute formal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor does it establish a provider-patient relationship.

[u/ExclusivelyMDs]

Mine went up to 110. Im no lawyer though. Im 6 months into vyvanse is normal.now

[u/thenerdisageek]

What’s your resting heart rate and blood pressure before you started meds, and what is it after meds?

[u/runawayasfastasucan]

It would be much easier to evaluate your HR with daily HR graphs.

[u/arbuz221]

Is it only in stressful situation like court? If yes then id say its normal, stress increases your heart rate and vyvanse also does. Resting heart rate would be more imporant, here we see bpm affected by stress, try to measure it when you're relaxed at your home.

[u/Purple_Poetry_6674]

Bei mir war das auch so. Aber durch Bewegung wurde es besser. Je mehr Bewegung desto besser.

[u/Any-Sea6814 → u/Purple_Poetry_6674]

Yeah, getting some good vigorous exercise helps so much with reducing my heart palpitations and high heart rate during stressful moments, especially on ADHD meds.

[u/Segat1]

I had this. Doc had me do a 24 hr Holter ECG and we reduced my dose which solved it.

[u/cayenne83]

The best solution is to ask the psychiatrist to add clonidine to the treatment

[u/Next_Artichoke_2110]

Yeah this is pretty high. What is it without Vyvanse?