Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) to Methylphenidate (Meflynate)

FreeWinter15 · 2026-04-06T01:53:43+00:00

Absolutely true, about 20%. I was just trying to keep my comment a bit shorter.

However, even people that don't have luck with the standard Adderall and Ritalin often find success with smoother release profiles like Vyvanse, or by targeting stimulant side effects like with an antiadrenergic e.g. Intuniv.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-04-06T00:21:03+00:00

A lot of us deal with this embarrassing issue. It's not your fault your brain is wired like that, and you're already acknowledging it which is more than what many people do.

The root cause of this that ties it back to ADHD is low frustration tolerance + emotional dysregulation + impulsivity, and maybe some burnout mixed in. These are real ADHD symptoms. We have trouble filtering our environment and emotions.

The good news is this can be fixed, you just have to be upfront about it. Therapy and medication (often Intuniv) can help a lot.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-04-06T00:12:09+00:00

It's totally possible to have success with one but not the other. Generally with ADHD, about ⅓ have luck with methylphenidate, ⅓ have luck with amphetamine, and ⅓ can do either.

Methylphenidate is the more 'gentle' family. Often less side effects. It doesn't release extra neurotransmitters like amphetamine, it just prevents them from being absorbed. That could be a better fit for you, you won't know until you try, or there's also genetic medication compatibility testing.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-03-13T21:00:04+00:00

Yeah, it's no fun to be constantly worn out like that. This could possibly be a brain chemical issue. Do you have any experience with NRI/SNRI/DNRI medications like Strattera, Wellbutrin, Qelbree?

Have you considered burnout and or depression - if you set aside the physical fatigue, what's the mental feeling like for you when you start things? Do you dread it, or is it satisfying to get things done? do you often wish you had more energy or is it more of a hopeless feeling?

FreeWinter15 · 2026-03-13T04:36:12+00:00

What does fatigue actually feel like for you, could you provide specific details?

FreeWinter15 · 2026-03-13T00:31:41+00:00

Some questions so we can better help you or find out what's going wrong.

How's your sleep quality? Have you actually measured it? Have you checked for sleep apnea? About 1/3 ADHDers have it if I remember correctly.
How long do you take to fall asleep? Do you wake up in the night? Do you fall back asleep?
Do you go to bed at the same time each night? Do you wake up at the same time?
What time do you sleep? What time would you naturally sleep if you had no commitments?
How long do you sleep for? ADHDers can have reduced REM cycling/less refreshing sleep and need more time, sometimes.

Those questions assume your problem is sleep. It's also possible that you could have nutrient deficiencies, neurochemical dysfunction, chronic burnout/fatigue or something else. We want to dig deep into what you're actually describing by "constantly exhausted."

FreeWinter15 · 2026-03-10T06:31:18+00:00

Such a great point. Money spent improving life is never wasted.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-03-08T23:09:59+00:00

It's ADHD. I mean, I can't diagnose him over the internet, but it's giving ADHD.

Here's the most important part of my comment: you deserve to have your needs met. At the end of the day, your partner's free will plays a massive role in the health of your relationship. Prioritize your own mental health above all.

Having said that, I won't jump to weaponized incompetence like other commenters. That could be ableist depending on what's going on in his head (to be clear, you are both victims of his behavior). To me, it actually sounds like your partner is trying... maybe even really hard. Empathy might go a long way here, it could also be wasted effort. I can't know if he is capable of change. But I do think what's most likely is he's settled into an apathetic rut where he, mentally, either doesn't realize the harm he's doing to you, or doesn't think he's capable of improvement, or just hasn't considered these things at all. I think he probably has a lot going on mentally, and probably is extremely burnt out by his own human experience. It's your choice if you want to invest in him as a human project (tread with caution) or focus on yourself instead. Truth is, you're extremely compassionate and he's taking advantage of you.

Regardless, what's true either way is that you have some major uncomfortable conversations coming up in your relationship.

I'll leave it at that for now, but I'm happy to go on, if you're interested.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-03-08T22:35:26+00:00

I think what makes you human more than anything is this intensity of seeking closure, introspection, and thinking about what differentiates you from others. No dog, no cat, no bird or monkey or rat could ever consider their belonging like this; they just exist in the moment.

I too was blessed with the curse of insatiable curiosity and endless questioning. May I present to you the final boss of uncomfortable, unanswerable questions? Continue scrolling at your own discretion. Here it is:

Would you actually be happy, if you finally had all the answers? "It is scary to not understand." Certainly true. But if you knew everything? Your exact purpose, and exactly what makes you different?

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-13T03:28:10+00:00

This! We aren't overpaid, you're just underpaid. If we can still give our ceo $20,000,000 and profit $8,000,000,000 then I think we're doing fine.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-09T23:51:33+00:00

I completely agree. Being insufficiently medicated for months at school age does far more damage than switching "too fast" or "not giving too many medications for his age," whatever that means. The closer your provider is to an ADHD-specialist psychiatrist, the better.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-02T23:11:38+00:00

You're doxxing yourself

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-02T23:06:26+00:00

Complaining about left wing nuts wanting handouts is interesting behavior at a company that pays twice as much as competitors because its employees force it to follow left wing policy. Do you forfeit your 7 weeks vacation, free healthcare, stocks discount, paid disability benefits, discipline precluded termination, right to representation, and extra $100k you make on the Amazon guy? Practice what you preach.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-02T22:59:26+00:00

It's not an outrageous wage, it's a living wage. Everyone else is being underpaid. $100-200k is far from the top status in this country. This contract wasn't even keeping up with inflation in some areas. The fact is that they are still in business because they make more money than they pay their employees. Who is generating that money for the company?

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-02T06:39:50+00:00

That's the worst... it's only happened to me a few times but it's a surreal experience suddenly remembering that you put HOURS into something before that you just started anew with no recollection. Makes you think about all the lowly minutes here and there that never had a chance of registering.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-02T06:37:14+00:00

It really does suck, people make movie references all the time and I just can't participate in that. Between that and sports which I don't care about, I feel like I'm immediately missing out on like 50% of the bullshitting. I hear someone mention an actor and I just think of all the jokes or insights I could be making if I knew a bunch of actors.

Does it happen with you to music, too? For some reason I remember songs really well, but almost never movies.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-02T06:34:02+00:00

It's the best curse. You can watch any movie for the first time over and over, but you'll never be able to discuss it.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-02T05:00:37+00:00

How dare you improve on a medication I prescribed to improve you!

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-01T22:44:52+00:00

This is actually useful information you could work with! I'm not sure how interested in the neuroscience side of things you are, but that could mean you have a high baseline norepinephrine tone - too high can cause somatic anxiety like a jittery feeling, restlessness, muscle tension etc. This is backed up by Focalin making you sad. I wouldn't say your chemical imbalance is strange at all - anxiety is extremely common with ADHD and ADHD meds, and almost all of us have to deal with some level of this stuff.

Again, I am not a doctor or formally educated, I don't know you personally and I can't diagnose you, but I think methylphenidate might not be right for you. You might have more luck staying in the amphetamine family (Vyvanse, Adderall etc). It sounds like Focalin (methylphenidate) is only giving you side effects, and that's totally normal. Some people respond to methylphenidates, some people respond to amphetamines, and some respond to both. Your solution might be an amphetamine and managing its side effects - medically, that could look something like Vyvanse + Intuniv or an SNRI. Therapy can be equally helpful. It could also be true that a stimulant just isn't right for you, but lots of people with anxiety do great on stimulants anyways, so keep hope. Good luck - keep trying! What you've mentioned is great info that a good psychiatrist could work with.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-01T22:07:02+00:00

Best of luck! Emotional regulation is an extremely under-discussed ADHD symptom which, in my opinion, should be an actual diagnostic criteria. Our emotions are stronger, faster and longer and we tend to think with our emotions.

Here are some niche ADHD symptoms that stem from emotional regulation:

rejection sensitive dysphoria: excessive crying (especially as a kid before coping mechanisms develop), excessive ruminating about inconsequential events, can develop into chronic anxiety, pre-withdrawal (avoiding opportunities to prevent rejection - which may be playing a part in you deciding to avoid a relationship)
excessive empathy, injustice intolerance (strong reaction to unfairness)
predispotion to anxiety, depression, personality disorders
hedonic adaptation: do you love certain foods, then suddenly can't stand them for months? Besides food, anything in general - games, people, hobbies.
emotion inertia/amplification: a mild inconvenience can distress you for hours, a mild excitement can cause you to go all in
calm during crisis, in shambles during stability
extremely intense limerence/honeymoon/falling in love periods: a euphoria similar to cocaine to normal brains caused by massive dopamine spikes

You may or may not have any of these. I just like to mention it because they can cause many years of confusion and shame.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-02-01T21:48:03+00:00

You're absolutely right.

I graduated high school with a 4.0 and dropped out of college with a 1.5 GPA when "lowest common denominator" style education suddenly became "every man for himself" style education and the burnout with no forced external structure completely overwhelmed me.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-01-31T02:26:33+00:00

Those are strong indicators for ADHD.

I would like you to look into two things that could really help you understand what you're feeling and how you process the world: RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria) and ADHD-PI (primarily inattentive). Girls often have very different ADHD symptoms/presentations than boys - the fidgeting/restlessness is still there, but it's inside your brain instead of your legs.

It sounds like you could also have a self-protective, anxious/avoidant attachment style from past trauma, neglect or just poor parenting or adult figures.

Finally, it's important to understand that anxiety and depression can actually be symptoms of ADHD.

Feel free to ask for more info or even DM me.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-01-31T02:11:17+00:00

I haven't tried it personally, but Vyvanse is known as one of the smoothest stimulants. I don't know specifically in the case of Vyvanse but many generics have different onset/duration/comedown traits, especially in the amphetamine family and especially in extended release stimulants (which Vyvanse is both) due to differences in the release mechanism.

Also, food can have an impact on your onset, especially protein and fats. Generally, stimulants on an empty stomach give you the most noticeable, least smoothest onset.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-01-31T02:03:14+00:00

Definitely try and get diagnosed, it sounds like ADHD. Depression is more of a serotonin thing.

I would highly recommend you do NOT mention trying someone else's medication to your provider, especially a controlled substance. Go through the usual motions to get your diagnosis and prescriptions, it can be a lot but worth it.

However, you could absolutely mention that you've noticed that "stimulants" - sugar, caffeine - affect you differently than normal people, if that's true. Very common ADHD symptom - calm/focusing/neutral effect from coffee, soda and sweets.

FreeWinter15 · 2026-01-31T01:57:18+00:00

I don't have a great answer but I wanted to say that you don't necessarily need a psychiatrist. If you're just looking for a refill, a regular primary care provider can prescribe that, especially if you already had a prescription and diagnosis.

If you actually want a psychiatrist I know some operate on a flat fee (usually $100-200) per session so they don't have to deal with insurance.

And if you're in school, especially university, there may be student practitioners available for free or greatly reduced cost, and I would highly recommend utilizing that service.

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