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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by stargazer2 on May 7, 2010, at 13:53:07
I started on Vyvanse today. I will post my response to it, in the event others are interested in my trial.
Dx: Treatment Resistent Depression.
Dose: 30 mg.
Other meds:Wellbutrin 150 XR
Effects: Seem focused, accomplishing a few things around the house. Depression stable, no acute change, since stopping Nardil 2 weeks ago.
Sides: None evident yet.
Next step: Call to MD within a week to adjust dose if necessary.
Stargazer
Posted by Phillipa on May 7, 2010, at 13:55:06
In reply to Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#1/30mg/050710, posted by stargazer2 on May 7, 2010, at 13:53:07
Of course and I know someone who has done extremly well on vyvanase. Good Luck. Love Phillipa
Posted by stargazer2 on May 7, 2010, at 23:25:40
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#1/30mg/050710 » stargazer2, posted by Phillipa on May 7, 2010, at 13:55:06
Really? How long have they been on Vyvanse and what dose...what is their diagnosis?
So, I'm hanging in there for now with no relapse of depression, so that is good. Better with the increasing sunlight and warmer weather.
Seems as though my depression can recur in the fall/winter, if not well medicated to prevent recurrence.
SG
Posted by chujoe on May 8, 2010, at 8:47:02
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#1/30mg/050710, posted by stargazer2 on May 7, 2010, at 23:25:40
Good luck with this. As I mentioned in some other thread, I started Ritalin yesterday at 5mg. I also take 90mg of Cymbalta. I have felt mildly more focused and haven't had any side effects as yet. The Cymbalta had already worked on my anxiety / depression, but once that was cleared, my ADD becaue really obvious & that's what I'm working on now.
Posted by stargazer2 on May 8, 2010, at 15:48:50
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#1/30mg/050710, posted by chujoe on May 8, 2010, at 8:47:02
What are your obvious ADD symptoms? My symptoms wax and wan and today I'm not sure of any of my symptoms. One day it is clear, the next not so clear, but I even did this when I was diagnosed with depression. My sister said everyone today has symptoms of ADD, as we are trying to do too much.
Coincidentally we both started our trials on the same day, so here's to May 7th as hopefully a memorable day.
Little perceptible effects today.
Sides: dry mouth, loss of appetite.
Posted by chujoe on May 8, 2010, at 16:30:43
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#2/Chujoe, posted by stargazer2 on May 8, 2010, at 15:48:50
I'm on 5mg 2-3 times a day as needed. I took the first dose yesterday afternoon and felt mildly more focused after an hour or so. Today, pretty much the same: better focus, longer on individual tasks. Mostly, I think my motivation is stronger & I have less lethargy. After a long vigorous walk with one of my dogs early this afternoon, I came home and napped briefly & it didn't affect my sleep last night either. Doesn't seem to make my benign essential tremor worse, but that could develop after a few days. I can sit still and work longer than usual, but it's not as if I've knocked out the first chapter of The Great American Novel or anything. Side effects: Noted by their absence, maybe a bit of dry mouth, but not bad. I do think I'd like to go to an extended release stim -- partly because I don't like having to think about when to medicate myself over the course of the day & partly because I'm the sort of person who is likely to take the maximum daily dose whether I need it or not.
Let's keep comparing notes.
Posted by stargazer2 on May 9, 2010, at 22:02:17
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#2/Chujoe » stargazer2, posted by chujoe on May 8, 2010, at 16:30:43
Affects: unclear, nothing real obvious yet, not overly stimulated either. Not sure if it is doing much of anything. Was tired a few hours later, took a brief nap. Think when I took Adderall years ago, the effect was more focus and an ability to tune out extraneous noise. Will wait another few days to get a clearer idea of what it is doing before I call my doc.
Sides: dry mouth only.
Thought there would be a more obvious effect and for it to last for up to 12 hours as advertised!
Posted by chujoe on May 10, 2010, at 6:45:30
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#3, posted by stargazer2 on May 9, 2010, at 22:02:17
I should probably start my own thread, but since we started stims on the same day, it's sort of interesting to put our reactions side-by-side.
On my second day taking Ritalin, I took the maximum daily dose of 15mg spread out over the day, but yesterday (day 3) I waited until later in the morning and then took a second tab in the late afternoon.
On day 2 I wanted to see what the maximum felt like & I'd say that I definitely felt more focused and the world seemed more sharply defined. I did not feel jazzed up except once, out walking the dog. At home, I noticed I was sitting still longer.
On day 3, I felt my cognitive abilities sharpen and at the same time I felt calmer. I focused on some minor tasks and completed them. The Ritalin seems to augment the AD effects of the Cymbalta. In the late morning I did some creative work and felt more "into it" than I have in a long time.
Side effects: None, really, except that when I meditate, my meditation seems shallower than usual -- this is something to keep working on.
Today: my plan is to take 10 mg, 5 at mid-morning, 5 in mid-afternoon. I'm usually pretty clear and sharp in the early morning, it's later in the day that I have problems.
Posted by stargazer2 on May 13, 2010, at 16:06:28
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#3 » stargazer2, posted by chujoe on May 10, 2010, at 6:45:30
Really, lucky you for being more focused anytime of day.
Sounds like Ritalin is helping you so that is great!
Vyvanse hasn't really improved anything at this point and I just spoke to my doc and we will raise the dose tomorrow to 50 mg. I hope it doesn't really wire me, but it is all an experiment anyway, so what do I have to lose? except my sanity...or what's left of it...
Star
Posted by chujoe on May 14, 2010, at 8:07:05
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#6/Chujoe, posted by stargazer2 on May 13, 2010, at 16:06:28
Star, thanks, it does seem to be working, but it's early days. I hope that increasing your dose does the trick, or that you at least learn something useful from the experiment with Vyv.
Posted by stargazer2 on May 21, 2010, at 0:51:53
In reply to Re: Stimulant trial/Vyvanse/Day#6/Chujoe, posted by chujoe on May 14, 2010, at 8:07:05
Still on Vyvanse, just on 50 mg since early this week. I don't feel more focused yet and I thought I would have felt this way already...Does it make sense to continue for awhile longer?
I wish my doc didn't order 30 pills at $150 if this experiment ends early...
I think my doc said I will know right away if it were going to help but I figure I'll given it a few more days before I call him.
I'm wondering if being dizzy and spacey means the dose is too high or will this go away? I don't remember feeling like this when I was on Adderall.
I'm still thinking if this doesn't even out, perhaps a trial with Adderall will be the next experiment. Here we go again..where it stops nobody knows.
Star
Posted by stargazer2 on May 24, 2010, at 18:36:44
In reply to Vyvanse Trial/Day #13-14/50 mg, posted by stargazer2 on May 21, 2010, at 0:51:53
Stopped Vyvanse due to reaplse in depression. Should not have gone off Nardil, dumb *ss! Now I'm paying for it!
Posted by Phillipa on May 24, 2010, at 19:43:48
In reply to Vyvanse Trial Over/Depression back, posted by stargazer2 on May 24, 2010, at 18:36:44
Back on nardil? Thinking of you. Phillipa
Posted by detroitpistons on May 25, 2010, at 13:54:23
In reply to Vyvanse Trial/Day #13-14/50 mg, posted by stargazer2 on May 21, 2010, at 0:51:53
Star,
50 mg is a decent sized dose, but you may need a slightly higher dose. I think I ended up taking 70 or 80 mg.
However, I mentioned in the other thread that Vyvanse is just an expensive version of Dexedrine. Dexedrine is very old, very cheap, and it's also available in an extended release Spansule, which is a bit more expensive but still cheaper than Vyvanse.
Adderall does have a bit more of the "kick in the pants" effect. This is due to the presence of the L-amphetamine "salt." Some people prefer this and others don't. Personally, I think I'd like to try Dexedrine because Adderall gives me anxiety and too much of a "high" at times.
> Still on Vyvanse, just on 50 mg since early this week. I don't feel more focused yet and I thought I would have felt this way already...Does it make sense to continue for awhile longer?
>
> I wish my doc didn't order 30 pills at $150 if this experiment ends early...
>
> I think my doc said I will know right away if it were going to help but I figure I'll given it a few more days before I call him.
>
> I'm wondering if being dizzy and spacey means the dose is too high or will this go away? I don't remember feeling like this when I was on Adderall.
>
> I'm still thinking if this doesn't even out, perhaps a trial with Adderall will be the next experiment. Here we go again..where it stops nobody knows.
>
> Star
Posted by stargazer2 on May 25, 2010, at 22:02:48
In reply to Re: Vyvanse Trial/Day #13-14/50 mg » stargazer2, posted by detroitpistons on May 25, 2010, at 13:54:23
DP, are you looking at taking a stim for depression or another reason?
I'm sorry I got more than a few capsules of V filled as my new insurance is a high deductible where any med costs accumulate toward a deductible. Out of the 30 pills for 30 mg and 30 pills of 50 mg, I probably on took 5 of each, so all those meds are going to be wasted, unless anybody is intersted. They cost about $5 a pill and I got no intended results, only dry mouth and bug eyed, no need to pay to feel like that
We should have an online pharmacy for unused meds just from this forum. I know that is a no-no but wasted meds is a huge cost issue and I throw nothing away that is why I have a huge arsenal of pills just sitting in a closet.
In the future, for any trials, I will just buy a week's worth especially with a stim since I was told you will know right away if you will tolerate it. Do you think that's true?
I did take Adderall XR before and had good results. I also took D-amphetamine and it was OK. Taking a stim with Nardil is risky so that is why I stopped NArdil a few weeks agao and got myself into a bad jam. Never again.
I used to remember your posting name but hadn't seen it is a while. Welcome back to crazyland. It is a unique place and can be very helpful when you are in a bad place, as everyone here has had equally crazy things happen to them, unlike the so-called normal world out there. Those people haven't seen nothing like we've seen here.
Star
Posted by detroitpistons on May 26, 2010, at 13:17:27
In reply to Vyvanse Trail over/DetroitP, posted by stargazer2 on May 25, 2010, at 22:02:48
Hi SG,
I take adderall because I'm going to go to grad school and I've been taking a lot of prerequisites because it's a completely different field from my first degree. By the way, this career change has really helped me. The process can be stressful, but I feel good about what I'm doing. I think I'm a little less prone to depression now because of this.
I agree with you completely...It's a crying shame that all of these meds get wasted. As far as Vyvanse, I just didn't like it. My body didn't agree with it. It's supposed to be "smoother" but I crashed so hard when it wore off. I think I might ask for regular old dexedrine because maybe that will be a little smoother for me. I just feel like crap when these stims wear off, but at the same time, I feel like I can't focus without them.
When I tried Vyvanse, you could get a card (sort of like a gift card) that you could use toward three months worth of free Vyvanse. I didn't pay a cent for it, so I was lucky. I only used 1 month out of the 3 that I had.
I think if you buy a week's worth of drugs, it's really not that much cheaper. For example, my stupid doctor's office forgot to call in a refill of Effexor XR from my patient assistance program. To bridge the gap, I figured I'd get about 5 of the generic (not technically generic because they are in tablet form instead of capsule form) pills made by Osmotica. I was very surprised when they told me that the price was $54! This was from Costco, too. They have the absolute cheapest prices.
I think you should have a pretty good idea of the effects of the ADHD stims within a week. I mean, I feel the effects immediately, but I like to give it at least few days to really make a decision.
I used to be around here a lot more a few years ago. I would come home from work and just read this board all night because it was the only thing that would sort of distract me from being depressed and anxious. Eventually, I actually got better! I felt fine. I just stopped coming around. Recently, I've been posting again, but it's not because I'm depressed. Honestly, I can't remember why I came back here. I think it was to look up some info about the benzo tapering hell (long story) I've been going through.
This is a great place and there are some great people here who have brought me comfort and support when I really needed it.
DP
> DP, are you looking at taking a stim for depression or another reason?
>
> I'm sorry I got more than a few capsules of V filled as my new insurance is a high deductible where any med costs accumulate toward a deductible. Out of the 30 pills for 30 mg and 30 pills of 50 mg, I probably on took 5 of each, so all those meds are going to be wasted, unless anybody is intersted. They cost about $5 a pill and I got no intended results, only dry mouth and bug eyed, no need to pay to feel like that
>
> We should have an online pharmacy for unused meds just from this forum. I know that is a no-no but wasted meds is a huge cost issue and I throw nothing away that is why I have a huge arsenal of pills just sitting in a closet.
>
> In the future, for any trials, I will just buy a week's worth especially with a stim since I was told you will know right away if you will tolerate it. Do you think that's true?
>
> I did take Adderall XR before and had good results. I also took D-amphetamine and it was OK. Taking a stim with Nardil is risky so that is why I stopped NArdil a few weeks agao and got myself into a bad jam. Never again.
>
> I used to remember your posting name but hadn't seen it is a while. Welcome back to crazyland. It is a unique place and can be very helpful when you are in a bad place, as everyone here has had equally crazy things happen to them, unlike the so-called normal world out there. Those people haven't seen nothing like we've seen here.
>
> Star
This is the end of the thread.
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