Various observations about Vyvanse from an experienced user
I've been taking Vyvanse at 60MG - 90MG dosage for seven months so far to help manage the symptoms of my condition. My condition is genuine BP2 (not faked to get drugs), with ADD being a secondary manifestation. It runs in my mother's side of the family and has hampered every aspect of my life -- I'm a boomer in my 50s. Fortunately I have a good job and an understanding partner.
Vyvanse helped my ADD symptoms tremendously, as well as relieve the serious depression I had so often. But after a few months, Vyvanse tolerance started building up and its non-medical benefits -- getting a nice smooth high, not needing food, unlimited energy, spontaneous creativity, generally friendly outlook -- all began to fade away. Most of the medical benefits continued to work: ability to pay attention over extended time, reduction of confusion, reduced mood swings, and so on. I still can't get depressed when I take Vyvanse. When I stop using it for a while, I can get high on it again.
Below are some observations that relate to the posts of other Vyvanse users on this board:
Eating: If you start craving food an hour or so after dropping Vyvanse, that means you've developed a tolerance to it. Rather than raise the dosage I recommend cutting back for a few days, then going cold turkey for a week or two. This could bring on some depression, so you should be ready for that. It will also give your body a chance to get back at you for all the weight it's lost, so be ready for food craving. If you're not careful you'll gain a lot -- as in, up to a pound a day.
Pot: I'm one of these people who gets paranoid on pot. I'm glad I don't like it because I've seen how passive and muddled a lot of pot smokers become. I put pot in the same category as booze -- you can get dependent on it and there are consequences, usually not good ones. I would not mess up a nice, clear Vyvanse high with pot.
Tolerance: I've tried baking soda and magnesium, and neither of them have worked for me in terms of staying high longer or resisting tolerance. Adderall is a good way to keep a smooth Vyvanse high running -- but then you have to deal with the insomnia Adderall causes. (For some reason I don’t get insomnia with Vyvanse, but maybe that’s because I use a benzo to help me get to sleep.) To a lesser extent, caffeine helps to perk up a Vyvanse high. You can use coffee, Coke, etc.; but I prefer NoDoze tablets. They are more concentrated and easier on the stomach. Don’t take more than two. One should give you all the help caffeine is capable of providing.
Because it is so benign, Vyvanse is one of the few drugs you can take or not, and still have a good day. So on many days I hold off taking it. (On those days I won’t be as energetic. But after a week or so of no Vyvanse I’m back at my regular level of productivity.) A week or two off Vyvanse brings me back to the point where I can get a nice buzz again, if not exactly high. I could binge and get high that way, I guess, but I have too much respect for the drug to do that.
Withdrawal symptoms: Haikod -- it's not necessary to "admit" you have ADD. Its not like you had a choice, or you have some kind of contagious disease. At least you have a condition you can cope with – think of what schizophrenics have to go through.
You refer to "next day crashes". That is more of a hard-core amphetamine problem. My only next-day symptom with Vyvanse is that it makes me want to sleep in. The same-day withdrawals when coming down from V are gentler than most amphetamines but definitely are there: clenched jaw, irritability (jumpy response to a loud noise, etc.), tendency to zone out, not wanting to talk, etc. When I get to this state I drop some benzo (Temazepam) and hit the hay. I sleep fine but want to sleep in the next day, probably because I’m done so many things the day before on V! If I’m taking V fairly steadily, every couple of weeks I crash for about 24 hours, either sleeping or just lying there, spaced out. It feels kind of nice. Just make sure you don’t have heavy commitments scheduled for that day.
In conclusion: If you need or like to use amphetamine, Vyvanse will work for you PROVIDED you want a consistent, long-lasting, euphoric high, and still be able to work or function socially. If you want an intense, peaky high, you’ll have to use a different kind of upper.
In fact, Vyvanse is almost not an amphetamine as most of us would define it. It is very manageable and mellow – no paranoia or mood swings. Treat it with respect and it will work for you indefinitely. The first rule would be: Don’t take it too much or too often, or you will develop a disappointing tolerance.