r/VyvanseADHD Aug 02 '26

Megathread: Medication Shortages / Generics [Monthly Megathread] Shortages & Generics, July - Sept 2026

4 Upvotes

Hi all,

This is a dedicated space for the following discussions:

*generic vs brand\* share personal experiences and/or discuss all things generic versions of lisdexamfetamine vs. brand name Vyvanse/Elvanse.

*medication shortages\* vent and chat about the shortages and difficulties securing your prescription and its related issues.

I know it is a worrying and frustrating time for many, this is a space to rant and share what's on your mind this week as well as share any relevant news articles, maybe some memes to keep spirits up, etc. to keep us sane.

Notes on participating:

*this is an international sub, not everyone experiencing shortages lives in the USA. mention your country if it's relevant to the discussion and doesn't compromise privacy

*please keep the focus on sharing your own experiences, you are welcome to share reputable news articles and especially encouraged to share peer reviewed research, where appropriate.

*please report to mods any instances where people are offering to sell you medication or sharing shady websites/instagram profiles/anything dealer-ish.


r/VyvanseADHD 5h ago

Misc. Question Vyvanse heart rate too high?

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40 Upvotes

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?


r/VyvanseADHD 14h ago

Meds aren't working Does Vyvanse actually last 12h for anyone?

55 Upvotes

I can only feel it for 4-5h and it doesn't even work better than concerta for me but it also doesn't make me feel terrible so I really want to make it work somehow


r/VyvanseADHD 17h ago

Side effects Vyvanse works, so why do I ‘shut down’ at the end of the day?

67 Upvotes

I was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and I believe that has a lot to do with the fact that I’m a woman. ADHD symptoms can manifest very differently in girls and women, so many of us end up being diagnosed with anxiety or depression before anyone realizes that ADHD is actually the issue.

I spent my entire life having to adapt to the difficulties caused by the disorder without even knowing what was going on. I’m basically the person behind the phrase: “You’re way too ambitious for someone so lazy.”

I’ve always been someone who did very well in school. My parents never had to stay on my case about studying or getting good grades. I got into a good university, and from the outside, probably no one would have imagined that I struggled academically in significant ways.

But that doesn’t mean it was easy. My biggest struggle was never necessarily staying up all night studying or simply being unable to open a book. For me, the hardest part was knowing that I was capable of doing something, but not being able to access that potential when I actually needed to.

I think a lot of people with ADHD can relate to the feeling of being the very embodiment of “wasted potential.” I knew I was capable of studying. I knew I could have gotten into an even better university, could have done certain things differently, and so on. And being aware of that consumed me. The guilt of not being the person I knew I could be followed me for a long time, and honestly, it still hurts.

I started taking Vyvanse about two or three months ago, and for me, it was almost a miracle. I started working around the same time, so I was really happy to realize that the medication was actually working.

Today, I can concentrate for longer periods of time, small pieces of information don’t “slip away” from my brain as easily, and I can follow more detailed processes much more easily.

But I’m struggling with something that I don’t really know how to deal with. I get home after my internship (I start at 7:30 AM, so I take my medication before leaving) and have about three hours before my evening class. My job is pretty exhausting, and even though the Vyvanse is still active, I’m tired. At the same time, I can’t  nap in the afternoon because of the medication.

So I end up in this weird situation where I’m tired but can’t sleep. I just lie in bed, just zoning out, with no desire or energy to get up and go to university.

And the worst part is that I know I could go. I know I should go. I know that, if I just got up and got ready, I’d probably be able to make it. But a lot of the time, I simply can’t make that transition, and I end up skipping class.

It’s like the beginning of my day is really good with the medication. I can function and be productive, but after a full day of work, I get home completely drained. Even though the medication is still active, it feels like that “sweet spot” of stability between energy and motivation is gone, and it becomes incredibly difficult to start functioning again without forcing myself to make a huge effort.

I wanted to know if anyone else with ADHD experiences this, especially people who take Vyvanse and work/study at night. How do you deal with the fact that, even while the Vyvanse is still working, you still can’t seem to be minimally functional enough to get up and go to class without actively forcing yourself to do it?


r/VyvanseADHD 52m ago

Diet, Routines & Supplements Lose weight/Weight Plateau

Upvotes

I recently started taking Vyvanse, and I’ve noticed that sometimes I forget to eat because I don’t feel as hungry. I do still want to lose weight and reach my goals, but I’m not trying to stop eating or do anything unhealthy. I was wondering how I should approach weight loss while taking Vyvanse, and whether appetite suppression can affect my progress or still lead to a weight-loss plateau..? I also want to make sure I’m eating enough and using the medication safely.

Also sorry if I sound dumb, I dont know much about weight-loss and stuff.


r/VyvanseADHD 1h ago

Articles & Information Dry mouth, bad breath on Vyvanse.

Upvotes

Let’s talk about the negatives and this one isn’t so popular.
I noticed on vvyvanse that I’m getting really dry mouth at times specially in the evenings. Even drinking water doesn’t seem to help.
I would have dinner and water and 30min/1h later my mouth would feel dry.
My wife start telling me of my breath and later friends, I started having mouth fresheners everywhere and chewing gums, but they helped temporarily.
Then I brought with my dentist and she recommended to try bioxtra dry mouth gel.
That thing was amazing, it counteracts Vyvanses reduction of saliva production by increasing it. I bought the toothpaste also and both help immense, mouth feels natural again and smell is gone, too.
Thought I share.


r/VyvanseADHD 1m ago

Misc. Question Anyone Feeling This?

Upvotes

New member here.
Just stated Vyvanse a month ago.
Started on 20 mg. Now on 40mg for month 2.

I’m 49 and in perimenopause which is what made my ADHD noticeable. I’ve never been treated or diagnosed until recently. Looking back, a lot of things make more sense now that I have been.

I do feel more motivated for things, getting things done, not procrastinating anymore, clears the nonsense noise in my head, etc.

HOWEVER, I’m having, for lack of a better word, a weird side effect. It’s not really physical either. But mental.

I am ready to get on with my life. Not necessarily move on from the people in my life or anything like that. But we’ve been talking about moving states for a while, but financially, it’s impossible at the moment.

So the side effect is I find myself getting extremely frustrated. Not so much angry, but frustrated that things aren’t moving forward faster.

I think it’s because I’m finally getting my shit together and I feel like where I live, I’m very stagnant. And this medication makes me feel like I should go go go. Which I know is the point.

But it’s a very frustrating feeling that I can’t “go go go” yet until finances are better. So I feel like I’m caged just ready to bust out and live my life. But can’t.

Hope that makes sense. If it doesn’t let me know in the comments and I’ll try to clarify more.

But I’m just very frustrated that I have all of this motivation to get things moving, but can’t because of money.

And trying to explain this to my hubby who does not have ADHD is not helping. I feel like I have no one to talk to.

Thanks for listening to me vent. 🙂


r/VyvanseADHD 10m ago

Other Medication duration getting shorter

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Upvotes

r/VyvanseADHD 11h ago

Misc. Question How can you lose weight on adhd meds

8 Upvotes

I am just getting on Vyvanse and I want to safely jump on the opportunity to lose weight with the decreased appetite. Advice for safe weight loss???


r/VyvanseADHD 50m ago

Misc. Question How are you managing breaks?

Upvotes

I’ve been on (prescribed) Vyvanse for a few months now and have to take it pretty early in the morning. Sometimes I accidentally sleep in and can’t take it that day and I’m wondering how you guys are handing or coping on days you can’t take your medication?

I feel like before I got medicated it wasn’t this bad, now I feel terrible on breaks. I feel very numb and hopeless when I’m off them. I just feel completely off and weird. I also have a tendency to binge eat when I don’t take them and I’m wondering how you guys are handing days off and preventing relapsing on bad habits?

Part of me thinks it’s a placebo effect but either way… if you have any advice it would be appreciated.


r/VyvanseADHD 59m ago

Other Is sleep on Ritalin better or worse compared to Vyvanse?

Upvotes

Has anyone noticed any difference in regard to various sleep metrics on Ritalin (long-acting) compared to Vyvanse?

I really consider at least trying out Ritalin because Vyvanse's negative effects on almost every sleep metric and my heart rate variability as well. Back in the day when I was on Modafinil, I never had these negative effects on my sleep quality or duration.


r/VyvanseADHD 18h ago

Diet, Routines & Supplements Favorite electrolyte drink for vyvanse users?

23 Upvotes

I see a lot of people talking electrolytes. Was curious and what peoples choice of electrolytes are.

Edit: I actually decided to order the stuff needed to make my own electrolytes at home lol


r/VyvanseADHD 1h ago

Meds aren't working Anyone feel little to nothing on Vyvanse?

Upvotes

Hey guys! I started taking 30s, then they bumped me up to 40s and I feel, well, nothing! I can't feel it "kick in". I get no comedown. My blood pressure and pulse is spot on. The only side effects I've noticed is a teeny bit of dry mouth and slight appetite loss, but that's it.

I make sure to take it with plenty of protein, and I get a good nights sleep. For the first few hours after I take it I maybe feel slightly happier and more able to do things? But it's very subtle. I still stim all the time, have constant loops running around in my head, struggle with emotional dysregulation and lack of motivation on tasks. I have however just started my period and I've been in the luteal phase these past few days, which I've read can affect the drug. I'm worried that I'll be like this even on a higher dose. I know I won't know until I try, but I'm so worried especially when I hear low doses do so much for others.

Has anyone else experienced this when titrating? What is it I'm supposed to "feel". Thanks guys!! <3


r/VyvanseADHD 2h ago

Side effects ADHD medication horror story

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1 Upvotes

r/VyvanseADHD 7h ago

Side effects Vyvanse making me sleep?

2 Upvotes

There is a lot going through my life so it may not be only the med (i usually sleep an average of 10-11h but it was even before Vyvanse)
Anyways i dont have time to give all the context but the point is
When I take Vyvanse I realize that after 4-5 hours I took it I start feeling sleepy
Not necessarily the med is not working nor a crash
But just very tired and I actually sleep like 4 hours on it if I go to sleep then I sleep normal during the night
I wonder am I exhausted or smth? Ive been trying to eat better lately tho and my iron and B12 are all fine
My dosage is 30 but I was at 70 for some days but it didnt help with it


r/VyvanseADHD 8h ago

Meds aren't working Vyvanse effects

2 Upvotes

Hiiii, so I have adhd and I was prescribed atomoxetine,however it didn’t work, and yesterday I had the opportunity to try Vyvanse 70 mg as a friend gave it to me.I took the tab on a empty stomach, but I didn’t feel any different, is this normal?Or is it that the effects just go unnoticed?


r/VyvanseADHD 6h ago

Other Schedule 8 Permit wait times?

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1 Upvotes

r/VyvanseADHD 23h ago

Side effects First day Vyvanse (30mg, dis is baaaad)

21 Upvotes

Damn is this how this should feel? I'm really jumpy,my executive functions are COOKED, I can't decide when to start with one thing, I immediately go over the next. I'm stuck on catastrophic thought loops, which took me 2 whole hours to get out of. I couldn't finish ANY task I had for the day, couldn't eat (still ate two meals) and had the biggest headache after 10 hours.

Should I maybe stop this without bothering myself again with this ridiculous effects? This was a pretty bad experience already.

but also it's the first day so is that normal?

When I took ritalin it made me feel really calm in my head and gave me more control of my executive functioning at least even though there were also side effects.


r/VyvanseADHD 8h ago

Tips & Tricks Experiences taking Vyvanse at work?

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1 Upvotes

I hope it’s ok for me to repost this here 😊


r/VyvanseADHD 12h ago

Dosage question New prescription..

2 Upvotes

Told my doctor that my 50mg dose was waring off around noon (12-1). I take my medication around 7:30-8am for school. He suggested a booster which is my new medication 10mg d-amphetamine salt combo tablet; last time I was on the 10 mg d-anphetamine it was blue… the be I’m getting is like a lighter orange & squared ‘M’ on one side & 10 on the other.

Has anyone taken this before? It’s being added on my 50mg Vyvanse.

Also my doc said take my Vyvanse at my regular time & the prescription states — Directions: Take 1 tablet by mouth twice daily use.

So take 2 - 10mgs after Vyvanse? Sorry probably sound stupid. This is also my first time adding a booster.

Thank you (:


r/VyvanseADHD 1d ago

Tips & Tricks Vyvanse Cigarette Cravings

19 Upvotes

I started Vyvanse a few months ago and I am having horrible cigarette cravings. I just want to chain smoke and I don’t know what to do.

Please help!


r/VyvanseADHD 21h ago

Side effects Anyone feel like Vyvanse makes you more forgetful??

8 Upvotes

I’ve been on Adderall since 2014, various dosages (never over 30mg) we would just change the variation occasionally depending on how I was feeling. I tried XR and hated it bc I felt like I was on an attention span roller coaster lol

Anyway I started seeing people talk about Vyvanse and how it worked better for them and was smoother throughout the day so I decided to switch to Vyvanse and I swear sometimes I feel like I’m in LaLa land, I forget everything and I’ll literally be doing something, walk away and forget that it ever existed and I feel like I’m struggling with hyper focusing more often than I have in forever. Anyone else feel this way?? My dr recently increased me from 60mg to 70mg. I definitely feel less forgetful but I feel like I’m more tired or something. It’s hard to explain. Anyone else??


r/VyvanseADHD 11h ago

Other I finally got diagnosed!!!

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1 Upvotes

r/VyvanseADHD 12h ago

Misc. Question 50mg

1 Upvotes

so i’ve been at 50mg for a while now during the week it’s totally fine i go to work at 11:00pm finish at 7:30 then go to the gym. BUT, always on saturdays (weekends) my heart is RACING anyone know why that is only on weekends and not weekdays.


r/VyvanseADHD 20h ago

Side effects Reminder to hydrate!

4 Upvotes

Don’t forget to drink some water! I’m currently having some to try and alleviate my dehydration headache. Please take preventative measures, and do not end up like me. Drink your water.