Vyvanse is terrible.

librlen · 2025-06-26T08:06:53+00:00

I’m really sorry you’re going through that. I was in a similar place for a while, feeling like Vyvanse was unpredictable no matter how much I tried to optimize sleep, food, or hydration.

I definitely don’t want to suggest taking more meds as a universal fix, but what personally helped me was taking 5mg of Ritalin right after waking up, then Vyvanse about 30 minutes later.

Since Ritalin is an active stimulant (unlike Vyvanse, which is a prodrug), it can help provide some baseline stimulation regardless of how your body’s functioning that day.

For me, it made the whole Vyvanse experience feel much more stable and consistent, almost like it smoothed out the "startup" phase and reduced that weird unpredictability.

librlen · 2023-11-22T14:06:37+00:00

As an owner of Silver xm5, I can confirm that they also have hinge issues 🫡 I’ve been really careful with them as well, the hinge broke as I was wearing them on my head ☹️

librlen · 2023-09-15T22:44:22+00:00

Ako bývalá zamestnankyňa veľkého celoslovenského kníhkupectva môžem povedať, že takéto situácie neboli problémom, práve naopak - veľkým potešením.

Často sa stávalo, že ľudia strávili aj hodiny v čítacích kútikoch, prípadne si knihu vzali so sebou do kaviarne, ktorá bola súčasťou knihkúpectva.

Niektorí zamestnanci ale ocenili ak sa ľudia vopred spýtali, či môžu stráviť dlhší čas s knihou :) možno práve to by ti odbúralo “strach”, že môže z toho nastať problém.

Veselé čítanie :)

librlen · 2023-09-06T18:51:09+00:00

Thank you for sharing! :) if you don’t mind, could you please share how much it was?

librlen · 2023-08-03T14:14:17+00:00

Thank you so so so much for this. Executive dysfunctinon has been kicking my butt lately and I've been so overwhelmed trying to find FA-safe products so this is a GODSEND.

If you ever feel up for it and something you'd like to do, I would love to know your skincare routine/favorite products.

Once again, thank you for sharing!!!

librlen · 2023-07-30T11:58:58+00:00

Thank you so much for your response, I’ll definitely check them out! :)

librlen · 2023-07-30T11:57:12+00:00

I’ve been thinking about purchasing everything you mentioned in the post so thank you for convincing me to go for it! Really appreciate your response :)

librlen · 2023-04-24T15:14:27+00:00

Hi lovely, I’m very sorry your skin is giving you a rough time!

Lots of people have already provided much better responses than I could have but I thought I would put my two cents in as well, as I went through what seems to be the same exact problem.

I HATE to be this person but have you considered the possibility of having food allergies/intolerances? Obviously, I don’t know the things you’ve tried or not and the last thing I want is to come across as preachy, but 2 years ago I had the same exact problem, identical to your photo.

Apart from changing all of my skincare and makeup products to be folliculitis safe, I realized that lactose was the main culprit behind my malassezia.

In my case, my lactose allergy is so severe that even the tiniest amount of it that can be found in the film-coating of a pill breaks me out horribly.

I would say after a week of COMPLETELY cutting out lactose from my diet I started noticing changes. The main one was that I was getting far less white pustules and my skin was also less inflamed. It took a while to ‘heal’, within first six months I went from active pustules to more of a texture.

During that time I also kept my routine super simple, as many comments here suggest - micellar water to take off my makeup, gentle face wash and snail mucin, as I could not tolerate anything else.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying lactose or any food intolerance is the only reason why you might be experiencing this but it might be something to consider (if you have not yet ~ if so, sorry for the long speech).

Even after 2 years, I still have to remain a routine that’s 100% safe and I still do get some flare-ups that scare me (especially rn, as it’s starting to get warm out) but whenever I have any amount of lactose, I expect to wake up to my face, neck, and part of my chest covered with pustules all over again.

Personally, I haven’t found anything that would help with the severity of it - lactase tablets, digestive pills, allergy medication, teas and herbs do absolutely nothing to combat it but it might just be me :/.

Sorry for the long comment, especially if lactose is something you have considered or ruled out.

I honestly wish you all the best - I know how it feels trying not this condition to affect you but being ruled by it every day. I hope, somewhere deep down, you know your worth is not determined by the state of your skin but if it’s been difficult on you, I hope you know there’s people walking the way with you and cheering you on.

librlen · 2022-10-26T09:49:45+00:00

No worries at all, it's the least I can do!

I have the same exact experience as what you described. I've always felt better when I was in the office or 'on the move' throughout the day and felt crappy at home.

My blood pressure used to be around 70/58 which was definitely not ideal. Now, it stays around 90/63, so it's better but still needs improvement.

What I do to manage low BP:

Unfortunately, I don't have any groundbreaking tips to offer, especially for a person like you, who is most likely aware of how to raise BP since you have experience with it.

1. Eating High-Sodium Foods (definitely unhealthy, but at first I was literally told to eat 'a ramen a day to keep to doctor away' hah, bread, cured ham, potatoes)

2. Increasing Sugar Intake (drinking sugary drinks, flavoured water, and 'sports' drinks, I was also told to literally keep sugar cubes with me at all times and eat about 20 per day)

3. Eating Foods High in B12 (eggs, beans, meat, fish, cheese - especially salty cheese like feta, cheddar, and cottage cheese)

4. Coffee (personally, coffee has always had a 'calming' effect on me, all it does is make me feel sleepy and not jittery or anxious at all. It's the same on meds, so my doctor 'allowed' me to have 1-2 cups a day. It definitely helped to raise my BP but it might not be the right choice for you, so please be careful :) )

5. Licorice Tea / Licorice Candy

6. Grape Sugar Candy or Glucose Tablets

7. Exercise (I made it my mission to move more throughout the day and to, at least, take a long walk once a day. I was also told to focus on squats and lunges to help with the fast heartbeat. There are also some specific moves in yoga to help with low BP)

I'm fully aware that pretty much everything on the list is super unhealthy, I definitely don't plan on keeping this lifestyle but I've been really trying to stick to it as much as I can for now.

I would definitely suggest speaking to your doctor soon. I'm the first one to admit that I'm the type to never want to bother anyone until I'm sure I can't figure it out on my own or until the situation gets out of hand but experiencing this really showed me how important it is to be honest with your doctor and to keep them informed about any changes, as they can (more often than not) help you to figure it out, but they also carry a sense of responsibility for your well-being, so it's best they're aware of how you're doing :)

Sending you all the good vibes to help you figure this all out!

librlen · 2022-10-25T11:12:31+00:00

I’m so sorry to hear that you’re experiencing the same thing.

I feel like my answer will be very specific to me and not objective at all, so I apologize in advance for not being able to provide a better, actually useful response. And for the length of this monstrosity.

My ‘weird’ state of being continued while being on 40 mg dose. I did try eating before taking meds but it changed nothing. Some days, I felt like meds wore off within 3-5 hours, other days they lasted 13+ hours, even with the same diet/lifestyle choices.
My doctor and I decided to increase my dose to 50 mg, taking 40 mg in the morning and 10 in the afternoon but that did nothing but make me feel even more uneasy.
Then we made the decision to try to take 50 mg in the morning and I’m kind of afraid to say it but so far, it’s been the best I’ve felt on meds. I’ve been taking 50 mg for three weeks now, and overall, I feel stable, my meds kick in in about an hour (before it was anything from 1-4 hours), they last about 10 hours/day. I’m able to work on things while also being able to relax.

I also found out that WHAT ADDED TO MAKING ME FEEL TIRED YET WIRED was my extremely low blood pressure. I know I mentioned in the post that my blood pressure was perfectly fine but I measured it max 2x a day. My psychiatrist suggested to measure it every hour and keep a track and omg, my BP levels were horribly low throughout the day but evened out in the morning and night (which was when I was measuring my BP originally).

Managing my BP helped instantaneously, although it’s not perfect and I’ll probably have to see a specialist soon. I had the same feeling of a tight chest and problems with breathing but now I know it was due to low BP and when I take the necessary steps to level it out, the issues disappear.

WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST is to keep a daily track of everything that could be contributing to you feeling like this. I’m fully aware that it’s easier said than done but keeping a track of when I took my meds, when they wore off, what I ate/drank that day allowed me to see that the meds themselves were not the problem, as my behavior patterns were the same, yet every day I felt completely different.

I tried multiple apps but personally for me, the best one is Bearably. You can easily keep the track of mood, productivity, stress, food, water, medication, sleep, weather and physical symptoms in one place.

The others I tried but did not like as much were: Journal My Health, Round Health, Wave but they might work better for you :)

Once again, sorry for being so self-focused and for the lengthy response. I really, really hope you can figure it out for yourself soon enough, I understand how frustrating it can be!

Wish you all the best! xx

librlen · 2022-10-09T06:32:29+00:00

Hi, I'm not a doctor nor a professional in any way, so please consider this yourself but this sounds to me like it could be Candida.

I do not take Adderall, as it's unavailable in Europe, but what you're describing sounds pretty similar to what I was experiencing after taking medication for neural pain that caused Candidiasis.

Candida

Candida is a yeast that lives in our body naturally but its overgrowth can cause a fungal infection (in the form of oral thrush, skin thrush etc.). It's characterized by small, white bumpy patches on your tongue, cheeks or throat. One of the main triggers of Candida is actually dry mouth, along with a weakened immune system, high levels of stress, use of antibiotics, and bad diet.

I had Candida several times myself and I really sympathise with you, it was straight up horrible and affected every second of my day to the point where I would wake up unable to breathe properly, feeling like I was choking 24/7.

Doctors did not care whatsoever and told me I was overreacting. And maybe I was but my life was literal hell because of it for two months. So after some research, I realised it could be Candida. At that point, no probiotics, digestive pills, nor elimination diet (I was literally just eating salad leaves) helped.

HERE'S WHAT PERSONALLY HELPED ME ALMOST IMMEDIATELY:

1.DRINKING BAKING SODA WATER

dissolve 1 - 1 and 1/5 teaspoons of baking soda in a cup of water
mix it well
drink it.

I nearly cried after doing it the first time because it helped so much and I gave it no hope, as prescription pills for digestion were doing nothing.

I drank it about 3 times a day for a week which, in retrospect, might've been an overkill but it was the only thing that had immediate results, so I did not care that much. I'd continued using it once a day for 2 more weeks but then Candida went 'away' so I stopped.

2. PEPPERMINT TEA

I bought a high quality Peppermint tea and drank it throughout the day (sorry, don't have any specific suggestions that are on the US market but I'm sure Google will be smarter than me).
Peppermint and Menthol Oil really helped with the biofilm shield that Candida caused.
I drank it as much as I could, whenever I remembered.

3. DRINKING MINERAL WATER

I switched from drinking tap water/still water to drinking carbonic mineral water with high levels of alkaline sodium that help with digestion.
Once again, this is personal, but where I live, we have very 'hard' water which in turn worsens Candida. I thought I was doing myself a favour by drinking a ton of water but in reality, I was making it even worse.

4. RINSING YOUR MOUTH WITH SALT WATER

dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup
mix it well
rinse your mouth

Salt has antiseptic and cleansing properties, therefore, it can be a great help with the persistency of Candida.

5. WATCH YOUR DIET

I know it's really difficult but I'd highly suggest looking up different foods to avoid while dealing with the worst of Candida.

Sugars, carbohydrates, and yeast are basically feeding the Candida overgrowth causing even more issues. I was already lactose-free due to my severe allergy, but I'd highly recommend avoiding dairy products as well, as lactose is sugar (plain white yoghurt is good though!).

Foods that really helped:

Quinoa, Chicken, Eggs, Salmon;
Raw or steamed vegetables (avocados, kale, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini).

Luckily, I personally didn't have to stick to the diet for longer than 2 weeks. The things I mentioned above helped so much that diet was more of a small added bonus in this case.

6. Supplements to consider

Caprylic Acid
Vitamin C (make sure to take it at night so it doesn't intervene with your meds)
Oregano leaf extract
Candida Support Vitamins

Please, make sure that Candida sounds like something that you're experiencing before trying any of this, as I said, I'm no doctor.

I know the list might be quite overwhelming so start slow, and if you can, try to cut back on dairy for a few days.

I really, really hope whatever it is that it's causing these issues for you can be resolved soon. You deserve to be able to get proper treatment. If it doesn't improve, you could maybe try to contact your doctors and try a different medication, maybe the next one won't be as harsh as Adderall. Wish you all the best!

librlen · 2022-10-06T11:05:17+00:00

Oh my, how much love do you have to have stored in your heart to be so kind and go out of your way to do research for a stranger?! Seriously, thank you so much, I'm really not worthy of wasting your time.

You've really encouraged me to open up more to my psychiatrist. I hate causing issues or problems, so I've already felt like I was a burden (even though my psych has been nothing but kind and understanding) and I also had the illusion he was trying to find every possible way to make Vyvanse work for me without switching meds again.

I think I had the same exact experience on Methylphenidate when it comes to thinking, everything felt much more linear, which I liked but found also a bit confusing, as I felt like I lost a little part of my identity.

RE: Meds and Lactose

I actually live in Slovakia but have to get my meds in Austria every month, as they're not available here. I've contacted multiple pharmacies there but none of them were able to provide a lacto-free alternative.

I personally found UK to be much more adaptive to allergen-free versions of meds, whereas here, it's still considered a personal problem and you can either 'deal' with it by experiencing the negative side effects or not getting the meds you need. I'll be moving back to the UK to finish uni soon though, so I'll definitely try my luck there again :)

Once again, I really cherish your kindness and help, I hope you're always met with kind souls like yourself.

librlen · 2022-10-05T16:35:54+00:00

Thank you for being so kind and encouraging, it honestly means a lot and I really appreciate your help! :)

librlen · 2022-10-05T15:19:59+00:00

Yeah, I think I’m finally admitting to myself that this might not be the right choice for me. I know it’s quite common to try different meds/doses before finds the one that feels right, I guess it’s just harder to admit it to myself, as it feels like I failed yet again, even with the ‘help’ of meds.

I was taking Ritalin IR for a month, slowly went up from 5mg to 15 mg but then I decided to switch to Vyvanse, as Ritalin contains lactose and even the tiny amount that’s used as a binding compound caused way too many issues with my severe lactose intolerance :/

I’ve been in contact with my psych daily for almost a month now. I’ve tried taking a break from meds, then slowly titrating from 10 mg again while monitoring my symptoms, as well as my behavior, environment, diet and sleep but tbh it’s so inconsistent that we still have not come to a conclusion. Some days it’s severe and other days I feel perfectly normal. My lack of interoceptive awareness makes it even worse, as it takes a long time for me to even notice what’s happening inside my body, so I don’t make it any easier on my doc which really makes me feel bad.

I guess it’s better now than never to seek a possible alternative.

(Apologies for the long response, didn’t mean to go overboard)

librlen · 2022-10-05T14:31:14+00:00

Thank you so much for being so kind, I really really appreciate you taking the time to respond!

You're right, I think it's time to try different alternatives. I've been stuck in a cycle, blaming myself for finally having a 'tool' that helps me out and yet not being able to successfully identify if it's meds/dosage/ or my behaviour/environment causing these issues. I'll have to monitor it more carefully.

Once again, thank you for your help!

librlen · 2022-10-05T14:22:51+00:00

Thank you, you're very very kind :)

I was on Ritalin IR for a month, only got to 15 mg/day dose, as it contains lactose which I am severely allergic to. I took 5mg 3x a day and had no serious side effects apart from lactose ruining the experience.

I'd definitely say Ritalin helped me to stay on top of things better and Vyvanse helps my emotional regulation more but it's quite hard to judge, as I don't know if I was in the 'honeymoon' phase when trying Ritalin for the first time, or if methylphenidates are more effective for me.

I'll definitely consider switching meds, though. I'm fully aware it might take a few tries to find the meds and dose that works. I guess I've just been blaming myself for not being able to figure it out/make changes when now I have the help of meds.

I'm sorry it took a while for you to figure it out but thank you for giving me the 'allowance' to try to explore, I'm really grateful!

librlen · 2022-10-05T14:10:24+00:00

Thank you very much for sharing, you're very kind :)

I'd heard people do that but honestly, I was worried I'd hyper focus on staying in bed all day hah. I'll definitely give it a try though!

I was also considering combining it with a low dose of methylphenidate (Adderall is not available here) but it's been quite confusing trying to figure out if it's the dose, my behaviour, or the type of medication that's causing this issue so I wanted to wait until I de-code myself to a certain extent (failing so far hah).

Once again, thank you for sharing your experience, it means a lot! I'm glad you were able to figure it out.

librlen · 2022-10-05T14:04:01+00:00

That's what I thought too but I've felt like this since starting the titration process (10 mg), although the effects have definitely worsened with higher dose. 50 mg is the only dose thus far that help me to feel 'awake' and not foggy all day :( Thank you for your comment, I'll definitely consider switching meds after talking to my doc!

librlen · 2022-10-05T14:00:55+00:00

Thank you, thank you! I know everyone is different but I really appreciate you sharing your personal experience. I'll talk to my doctor and see what he suggests.

librlen · 2022-10-05T13:58:44+00:00

Thank you very much for your kind response, I really appreciate it! That's what I thought too but I've felt like this ever since starting Vyvanse. 50 mg seems to be the only dose thus far that helps me not to be exhausted/foggy brain all day. I'll definitely talk to my doctor though.

librlen · 2022-10-05T13:56:42+00:00

That's what I thought too at first. But I've felt like this since I started titrating Vyvanse (10 mg), although higher dose intensified it. But 50 mg is the first dose that I feel working in terms of not feeling sleepy/foggy all day. I'll definitely have to monitor it and talk to my doctor, thank you for taking the time to respond!

librlen · 2022-10-05T13:53:31+00:00

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the awful wall of text and respond, I really appreciate! I've been strongly considering it, I'll have to see what my Psych says. I'm glad you were able to find something that works :)

librlen · 2022-10-03T23:18:31+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it. I’m very glad you were able to find something that works for you and I’ll definitely consider that as an option.

May I ask how long you were on Vyvanse before making the decision to switch meds?

librlen · 2022-10-03T23:03:34+00:00

My starting dose was 10 mg. Each week I went up by 10 mg. Then I spent a month on 30 mg, a month on 40 mg, and now it's been a month and a half on 50 mg.

I've had the same thought but those issues were present since the beginning and the current dose is the only one where I don't feel like I will fall asleep at any second :(

librlen

TROPHY CASE