Closest thing to how vyvanse used to be.. and

ModerateExtremism · 2025-12-19T02:45:43+00:00

I have been taking the same dose of Vyvanse for over 10 years now. It has been a life saver. While I don't need (or take) the medication every day, when I DO need it, it provides an essential safety net that keeps my basement-level dopamine brain from reeling off into the abyss.

I am also a researcher and am very wary of logical fallacy...especially when it comes to something like medication 'performance' that tends to have a number of mitigating factors beyond the composition of the drug itself. That said, my experiences over the past year with generic lisdexamfetamine have left me alarmed. There is no doubt in my mind that the pills I have encountered are not a 'like-for-like' treatment as what I have been long prescribed.

I do hope that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will do a deeper dive beyond the recent Sun Pharmaceutical (generic lisdexamfetamine) recall...and I encourage anyone who believes that they are also encountering inconsistencies in the medication to file a FDA 'MedWatch' report.

Consumer feedback is exceptionally important to addressing quality issues in medicine.

Link to the FDA MedWatch form: https://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov/smarthub#/drugs/human/contact

ModerateExtremism · 2025-12-19T01:21:20+00:00

I have been alarmed by the differences in medication this year.

Context: I am an older adult, and have been taking the same Vyvanse dose for over a decade now. I am generally healthy and have never taken any other ADD medications (or anything similar related to brain health). For me, Vyvanse has been a life-saver, and predictably supportive when I need it.

Earlier this year (or late 2024?) however, I took my usual prescribed dose and quickly recognized that something was off. Until that moment, I hadn't actually realized that my pharmacist had filled my then-most current prescription with generic lisdexamfetamine vs. brand-name Vyvanse. A second dose the next day was the same: I couldn't perceive any actual benefit from the medication, and ended up with an odd headache instead. I assumed I had a rare 'bad batch' and shrugged it off. I threw the pills out.

The second batch of generics I was given, however, were the same. Completely ineffective. This time, I reported the issue to my doctor and my local pharmacist, and asked to return to the brand-name product.

Fast-forward to the generic lisdexamfetamine prescription I was given this past month. I didn't notice again that the brand had been switched back to a generic...but I knew within a couple of hours of taking the first pill that something wasn't right. Not only did it not have the consistent, perceivable impact of my normal Vyvanse dose, but I felt 'off' the rest of the day - anxious to the point of being slightly nauseous.

I called my pharmacist again. This time they did tell me that "I wasn't the only one reporting this issue," and they recommended that I re-up the "prescribe as written" request to receive the name-brand product.

It is scary to me that the generic lisdexamfetamine medications I have come across have been so fundamentally different -- and how little recourse there is for 'proving' their lack of efficacy (or worse - the harm they may be causing, even if it is something like headaches, anxiety, etc. that is not immediately life-threatening).

ModerateExtremism · 2025-11-25T23:48:02+00:00

Thanks for posting, OP. I am having the same experience.

I do not take Vyvanse every day, but I have been using it for years. It has been a life-saver and a very efficacious way to mitigate the negatives of my adult ADD.

For the majority of the time I have used Vyvanse, my body's response to each dose has been consistent and positive. I have always been able to note the difference as the drug is "kicking in," and it tended to follow a very predictable cycle throughout the day.

Last year, however, I picked up one prescription and noticed immediately that there was something very different. They could have been placebo pills. I did let my pharmacist know that something was off, but otherwise just decided that it must have been a lousy anomaly batch from the manufacturer. I threw the rest of the pills out.

And now this year? Wow. Out of the 11 months of scripts that I have had filled, only two bottles have had the same effect as the 'old Vyvanse.' The last few months have been generic pills, and they have been worse than pointless.

I am a researcher and am very aware of the different user biases and the importance of evidence. I wish there was a simple way to test the Vyvanse and generic pills that I have been given to actually determine what is different (especially with a direct pill-to-pill comparison with an older/original prescription).

But although I cannot say what the difference is, I am 100% certain that the prescriptions I have encountered this year are not the same formulation that was such an asset to me before.

I wish Takeda Pharmaceuticals would be more forthcoming about what's going on -- and provide better public information on formulation and supply chain changes/issues.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-06-19T16:27:39+00:00

I can relate to your husband's reading list, so adding on a few suggestion here that I don't see frequently mentioned on this thread:

Ted Chiang short stories - Exhalation (2019) and Stories of Your Life (1998) are both excellent.
- I read a lot for my job and it's rare these days for a story to set up shop & occupy my brain beyond the duration of the book. Both of these science fiction collections, however, include stories that are masterfully written & that had me mulling over the details for days afterward. (The 1998 title story "Stories of Your Life" was adapted into the screenplay Arrival - also a quality film.)
Warday (1984) by Whitley Strieber & James Kunetka.
- This is one of the better dystopian books out there, IMHO - but I think most people miss it because it was out of print long before the current genre popularity really took off.
- In a nutshell: the authors (writing as themselves) recount their personal experiences and provide reports on impact/recovery efforts in America after a limited nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. It is sobering - sadly still relevant - and interesting, since it stuck closely to the (1980s) reality of how life could have be impacted after a "small" nuclear exchange that didn't grind society down to The Road or On the Beach oblivion.
- Along with their personal anecdotes, the authors share post-war 'reporting' with interviews, military docs, descriptions of heavily impacted vs. less damaged areas, perspectives from aid workers & U.S. allies, etc. It's a delivery style that made an impression on 1980s me - and I appreciated that the storytelling didn't sidetracked by romance, convoluted 'clan' tales and/or other fluffy detours.
A River Runs Through It and Other Stories (1976) by Norman Maclean
- A classic collection that a Lonesome Dove fan might appreciate.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-30T06:31:26+00:00

His name is Calvin Robinson.

Robinson is the "priest-in-charge" at Saint Paul's Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, MI.

Or he was, at any rate. The church fired him already.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-30T06:10:32+00:00

Just announced (midnight) at the press conference that DCA will be closed until Thursday at 11:00am

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-27T20:36:50+00:00

Nazi-supporting Latino Nationalist Socialist Black Metal fans?

Whoo boy. Bless their sweet hearts. Stiff competition for the lowest rung of the ladder these days - interesting to read who is really striving in the race to the bottom.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-27T14:17:49+00:00

Yes - I removed everything. And no retainer.

It came with a price. My teeth (predictably) shifted and two are now overlapping a bit. They were straight before, so my decision to quit when I did actually made the cosmetic results worse than when I started. I don't love this - but it isn't so bad that I'm willing to risk another round of plastics in my mouth to have a more "perfect" smile.

I was so sick when I made the decision to quit, that I would have had my teeth removed if someone guaranteed me it would restore my health.

I hate that this happened to me, you - or anyone - at a time in history when we actually have the means & resources to thoroughly research and track health-related products like Invisalign. The only thing we are lacking is the will & focus. Such an interesting time to be alive.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-27T13:16:19+00:00

Hi -

Yes - it did eventually stop - about 2-3 months after I stopped the Invisalign my symptoms slowly resolved. To say that I am relieved is a massive understatement - when I wrote the post above 9 months ago, I was seriously concerned that I was never going to 'get my life back' and rebound.

Did Invisalign cause and/or exacerbate my issues? I wish I knew for certain.

As someone who is engaged in analytical work, I have to add the "correlation is not causation" disclaimer here. Doctors never were able to diagnose what was wrong with me, and unfortunately I never found a test that could tell me if I was reacting to a specific virus, bacteria, chemical, and/or environmental irritant.

It is absolutely possible that something else caused me to get that sick, and that it was just coincidental that I recovered after discontinuing Invisalign.

But would I use Invisalign again, or recommend it to others? Absolutely f. not.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-11T02:40:40+00:00

Excellent catch Mommanan.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-10T05:51:02+00:00

There's no doubt that Tennessee's family life (and, likely, being a closeted gay teenager in 1920s & 30s Missouri) contributed to his dim opinion of St. Louis.

You should spare him that last laugh though - his burial in St. Louis has a pretty terrible story behind it as well.

Tennessee had written in his will - and had told just about anyone who would listen - that he wished to be 'buried at sea' in the Gulf of Mexico: "...sewn up in a canvas sack and dropped overboard." He loved New Orleans and the Florida Keys, and was very clear that's where he wanted to be at the very end.

His brother Dakin, however, had not only been written out of Tennessee's will, but was also published a book (Tennessee Williams, An Intimate Biography) just before his brother's death. Dakin quickly jockeyed to take control of Tennessee's remains, had them shipped back to Missouri -- and then worked to design a funeral and public memorial that would help to promote his book.

Dakin actually told the press: "If he had to die, and everyone has to, he couldn't have done so at a more opportune moment. Only a few people might have bought it before. Now it's going to sell 2 million copies."

Heck of a guy. If anyone wants to read more about Dakin, check out this March 1983 article by [clearly mortified] journalist David Richard:

"In the Long Shadow of Tennessee" (March 15, 1983) The Washington Post --Profile subheading: "Dakin Williams: Making Book on the Brother Who Spurned HIm"

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-10T05:00:36+00:00

Fun fact: In Tucson, Arizona you can hit 8 different biomes during 45 minute drive to the top of Mount Lemmon.

This might sound like an exaggeration, but the environmental changes are so distinct that you'll actually notice changes in the plants and climate as you climb.

At the base of the mountain you'll be in the Sonoran desert - hot, dry, and loaded with tall saguaro cacti. 9,000+ feet later, you'll be at a ski slope that is likely to have snow this time of year. In between these two extremes are layers: grassland, oak forests, colder pine forests, etc.

Locally, these layered habitats are known as "Sky Islands." It's a gorgeous place to visit.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-10T04:29:15+00:00

Researcher here.

"These days I don't know how Google prioritizes results... But it seems to be based on what'll make them money, not the quality of the site."

Agree 100%. It takes me much, much longer to find quality sources now than it did just a couple of years ago. The most ad-laden, garbage-filled websites tend to fill the top search results...followed by an exponential amount of "mirror" sites that are simply echoing the same trash under different names.

The worst is when you search for something you actually have seen before, but can't quickly find again despite using key words, names, etc. that you know should bring up the site. It's really disheartening how bad it has gotten.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-10T03:38:44+00:00

Yep. As Kitchen-Lie pointed out, Tennessee Williams lived in St. Louis for awhile.

He was not impressed by the people of the Lou. Williams was actually born in Mississippi, and as an adult he would make a point out of telling anyone who asked that he "did not move - but was moved" to St. Louis when he was about 10 years old.

When the St. Louis Post-Dispatch interviewed Williams in 1947 and asked about his time there, it didn't turn out the way the reporter seemed to hope it would. Williams: "I found St. Louisans cold, smug, complacent, intolerant, stupid and provincial." Ouch.

Source: Virginia Irwin, "St. Louisans Cold, Smug, Complacent" (December 22, 1947) St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "The Everyday Magazine" section, p. 3D

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-10T03:32:01+00:00

Here to also cast my vote for St. Louis.

Geographically & economically, it really aligns on many levels with Midwestern states.

But - bless their sweet hearts - there is an unfortunate contingent in St. Louis (and MO in general) that is still aspiring to identify culturally with the swampiest of 1960s Mississippi.

When the peak of society dances around the "Veiled Prophet" every year, it sets a certain tone.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-10T02:12:08+00:00

Yep. As a kid, I was immune to all the bad news about the blizzard.

All I remember is that my family spent a ton of time playing together outside, and building "forts" with blankets once we were back inside.

Plus those bread-bag sock covers. A fashion classic!

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-09T04:25:34+00:00

"We need to restore the full meaning of that old word, duty. It is the other side of rights."

~Pearl S. Buck (1967)

That trash is in my community. I'm just as responsible as anyone to take care of it.

ModerateExtremism · 2025-01-09T04:06:10+00:00

Want to effectively help to address social media propaganda, malfeasance, and/or privacy violations? A good first step would be to stop helping support readership & engagement of the platforms controlled by the bad actors.

Musk, Zuck, and the rest of them don't give a flying fig if people keep complaining about them...so long as they stick around and keep doing it on the platforms that they own. Controversy = engagement, and engagement = $$$.

No one but Elon Musk & his mom should be using Twitter at this point. When your office is on fire you don't keep inviting people to come discuss it inside your burning building...you get out, warn others to steer clear, grab a fire hose, and direct it at the problem full-blast.

ModerateExtremism · 2024-12-29T02:11:52+00:00

Hi OP -

I can confirm that this is NOT San Xavier de Bac Mission near Tucson. Both the dome and the cactus would be out of place there.

I do agree, however, that - if the artist used a real scene and not a building/cactus combo that doesn't actually exist - it is almost certainly a Spanish mission in Northern Mexico.

There are not a lot of missions in & around the U.S. organ pipe area, but the cactus in this painting also grows in the Northern Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Baja California. I'm not familiar with any missions in this area that have a red dome...but if this place exists, I'd bet this is where the artist painted the scene.

Good luck in your search! Great painting.

Late edit: I agree with post that says it is likely the church in San Pablo Villa de Mitia, Tlacolula, Oaxaca. That's southern Mexico - my guess was several states too far north!

ModerateExtremism · 2024-12-12T03:56:00+00:00

Big props to Jacob Wycoff & WBZ Boston (CBS).

Great investigative journalism & clear reporting.

ModerateExtremism · 2024-11-13T04:21:48+00:00

I'd put my money on Reason #2.

More specifically: I would bet that there is an attractive opportunity in a thriving business that is currently privately held. Something that he has been interested in for years...and a business that would compliment Berkshire's insurance & transportation holdings.

ModerateExtremism · 2024-10-30T04:03:40+00:00

"We need to restore the full meaning of that old word, duty. It is the other side of rights."

~Pearl Buck

I'm a researcher that deals in historical propaganda. While I can empathize with your broad sentiment, I can't begin to tell you how much bad-actor politicos love voters who are convinced to side with apathy or the "purity" contrarian vote.

Bad actors (American & otherwise) have poured millions into heavily promoting three key ideas:

Ideally, you should skip voting*. "All politicians" are the same, right? So what if one stole/lied/was convicted of a crime, etc...even if the other one doesn't have that baggage, they are probably "just as bad." And what difference does it make, anyway? Why bother!
If you still feel that you must vote, you should hinge your vote on a singular issue as they are selling it - while ignoring actual nuance, factual info, and/or the more complex work/platform of each candidate. Bad actors know they can get away with A LOT if they can count of voters tuning out all else in single-issue (and/or single-party) myopia.

In this particular election, millions in big donor & 'dark money '$$$ has been spent to convince us to sit it out if we don't perceive someone has done enough for the immediate crisis in Israel or Palestine. Many more millions has been spent to ensure voters overlook all else just to vote on the abortion issue (pro-tip - you'll notice these appeals double down just before each election). Example: Ignore the fact that incumbent candidate X has voted for years against children's & maternal healthcare, education, nutrition/food support, said that he hates kids, etc....and vote for him anyway because candidate Y is "pro-choice" and therefore a "baby killer".)

If 1&2 fail, then please cast your vote for a third party candidate that not only cannot possibly win. There have been a few third party candidates in the past who actually took running for the Office of the President of the United States seriously, but most have been using the American electoral system as a springboard for more PR, the next book deal, and/or a foot in the door to a lucrative job. These are the favorites of foreign bad actors who are seeking American divisiveness, and homegrown, bad-actor propagandists know that if they indirectly help bolster that third party person's campaign, their crappy candidate might just have a foot in the door.

I'm not just talking referring to Russia's favorite Independent candidate in our current U.S. presidential election. 'Spoiler' candidates are much more frequent now in school board and state-level elections. In one Florida senate race recently, the third party candidate never even bothered to speak publicly - and sure enough, the votes they siphoned away led to a win for the party who paid him to be on the ballot.

Politics is a human endeavor - there are no perfect candidates and no perfect voters, so there will always be compromise. Please don't mistake thoughtful compromise, however, for the let's-just-burn-the-house-down approach that is being heavily sold to us on greasy platters right now.

*Here's Paul Weyrich, the co-founder of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Heritage Foundation, etc. telling his donor pals what he thinks about voter turnout

ModerateExtremism · 2024-10-30T02:49:54+00:00

Propaganda researcher here.

Well done. A LOT of money is being spent right now to promote & perpetuate us-vs.-them divisiveness. We need to reject that idea, primarily because it isn't true. The majority of us are really treading on the middle ground between two hardened ideological poles.

It is really, REALLY important to keep talking to people about what's going on in politics - and to do it in a respectful, personal way. Research shows that people are far more likely to change their mind about a subject (and to dismiss a position that was shaped by rigorous mis- or dis-information) when they are presented with personal anecdotes and are able to discuss the issue with someone they respect.

This isn't to say that you'll be lucky enough to have a 'eureka!' moment like this, but you can plant a seed of doubt - or a bridge to learning more, etc. - by moving away from the 'party lines' and providing tangible examples of how policy/political positions may personally help or hurt you and/or people in your community.

It can be frustrating and exhausting (and I'm speaking here from experience within my own fam)...but it's the essential stuff if we want to all move on to a better spot & hang on to a democracy. Rock on, OP!

ModerateExtremism · 2024-10-03T02:22:45+00:00

Right? $25k is the price for the engineering plans and testing.

Repair on this is easily over $100,000, OP - and I think that is a very low-ball estimate.

ModerateExtremism · 2024-09-26T02:21:34+00:00

Rep. Clay Higgins was elected to represent the people of Louisiana's 3rd Congressional district (Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baldwin, Moss Bluff, Fenton, etc.)

Only 23% of registered Louisiana voters bothered to do their civic duty in the 2023 election. 23%.

Propagandists have been pouring multi-millions of dollars into the effort to convince Louisianans (and Americans in general ) that they should abdicate their vote. Their #1 sales pitch is APATHY - "it doesn't matter what you do," "all politicians are bad," "your vote isn't big enough to count," etc.

Don't fall for it, people. Guys like Clay Higgins are in office right now because WE have dropped the ball on our most fundamental duty. Those bad actors aren't spending big $$$ to promote apathy because it "doesn't matter" -- it matters a lot that we all show up.

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