So basically I wanted to know from someone who is experienced, what is your experiences with long-term uses of psychostimulants like vyvanse or adderall? I'm not looking to be prescribed Strattera because I've heard nothing good from it so it left me uninterested in it. But, to anyone who has taken vyvanse on a regular basis over a long period of time, how do you feel and did it help you in the long run? I plan on taking it on an as needed basis rather than every single day to avoid complete dependence on it but I don't know if it works that way. I'm also planning on combining it with 5-HTP and L-Tyrosine due to past experiences of it helping with the come up and down. Opinions on all of this?
Stimulants About to be prescribed Vyvanse and/or Strattera
- Thread starter kingkpin
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sekio
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Strattera is worth a try if you have the opportunity, it does work well for some individuals and has a much less propensity to get abused and as a result have tolerance development issues. (Of course the forum that deals with abusable drugs will tell you it's crap, so is penicillin if you're looking for a euphoric drug though 
) It will not hurt at all to try it if you have time - at least you can say you don't like it if it comes to that.
(If you try the non-scheduled drugs first it also make it look like you're concerned with treatment first, rather than getting fun drugs, which is a good impression to leave with your doctor )
Amphetamine and its friends (dexamphetamine, methylphenidate, lisdexamphetamine) can be used on an as-needed basis, probably limited to one dose a day, and in fact is probably best used that way rather than every day on a fixed schedule. It may be more useful for you to have instant released amphetamine rather than time-released, if you're using this in an adhoc situation, because amphetamine has a long half-life on its own and you can have a disrupted sleep cycle if you're not careful to time your dosing early in the morning.
If you're using them as an aid for concentration and not as a recreational euphoriant, keeping your dose as small as feasible, and assuming you treat your body right (sleep and diet), you should be able to sustain at least a few months if not several years of amphetamine dosing with only minimal tolerance development.
I would personally avoid buying isolated amino acids unless you have a serious dietary deficiency of protein or some inborn error of metabolism, most tyrosine or 5HTP administered orally is destroyed in the periphery, outside the BBB, and as such doesn't make it into the brain. Spending the extra money on dietary protein sources is a better idea, and you'll also get other nutrients at the same time.
) It will not hurt at all to try it if you have time - at least you can say you don't like it if it comes to that.(If you try the non-scheduled drugs first it also make it look like you're concerned with treatment first, rather than getting fun drugs, which is a good impression to leave with your doctor )
Amphetamine and its friends (dexamphetamine, methylphenidate, lisdexamphetamine) can be used on an as-needed basis, probably limited to one dose a day, and in fact is probably best used that way rather than every day on a fixed schedule. It may be more useful for you to have instant released amphetamine rather than time-released, if you're using this in an adhoc situation, because amphetamine has a long half-life on its own and you can have a disrupted sleep cycle if you're not careful to time your dosing early in the morning.
If you're using them as an aid for concentration and not as a recreational euphoriant, keeping your dose as small as feasible, and assuming you treat your body right (sleep and diet), you should be able to sustain at least a few months if not several years of amphetamine dosing with only minimal tolerance development.
I would personally avoid buying isolated amino acids unless you have a serious dietary deficiency of protein or some inborn error of metabolism, most tyrosine or 5HTP administered orally is destroyed in the periphery, outside the BBB, and as such doesn't make it into the brain. Spending the extra money on dietary protein sources is a better idea, and you'll also get other nutrients at the same time.
Ds
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I'm no doctor , i'd go with the vyvanse and keep a healthy diet while being on it, if you take anything with it then i'd go no more then a mens/womens (whatever u are) multi vitamin(to help your tummy and liver ) and some melatonin to help you sleep.
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Good to take it as-needed. I would choose Strattera over Vyvanse if I could go back and make that decision. Vyvanse is good for people who don't have addiction problems in my opinion.
Moondust
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Oh I so agree. My other posts on here were in praise of vyvanse when I got started on it. But two months later and I almost lost my bf because it changed my personality so much. I faked symptoms of ADHD to get a script for vyvanse, and now I wish I never touched it. If you don't need it, stay away. Exercise, change your diet, get a hobby. Hell, in the face of what I could have lost I still crave it ?
modocmodoc
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I agree on Vyvanse. I thought it was the solution when I started, and I took 80mg methylphenidate a day for 6 years, Adderall for awhile.. but after about two months of Vyvanse, it no longer positively affects mood, and can actually take me to a dark place. It's not a mood enhancer once your brain adapts, but it does keep the ability to increase your focus. In retrospect, I wouldn't have switched. In fact, I'm just going to go back on methylphenidate because it never caused any negative effects, addiction or withdrawal. Fucking stimulants.. be careful with amphetamine. Dextroamphetamine is more powerful than many people realize.
I don't take adderall or vyvanse on a daily basis but I wrote about my first experience here. From what I've read people usually take pill breaks on the weekends so that they don't build up a tolerance quite as fast. Also, MAKE SURE YOU EAT AND SLEEP! I can't stress that enough. No matter how gross food might sound, even if you feel like you'd puke it back up, you MUST eat and you MUST sleep! I had a terrible experience with that where I went to a concert and danced and whatnot for about 7 hours straight. The entire weekend I got about 2 hours of sleep and ate about 300 calories in total. The whole week afterwards I felt extremely tired and weak. Melatonin is great for sleep and I recommend fruit smoothies if you're really having trouble eating.
jammin83
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Vyvanse is total and utter shit if you have ever taken adderall. It really doesn't do jack after you have taken it for any amount of time. I'm off the stim train and don't recommend them to people but if you are going to be taking something, stick to the orange IR 20s or 30s or get pure dex. The rest is total shite. Taking them as needed a few times a week is much better than daily.
GoronusMaximus
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I'm fairly skeptical of prescribed stimulants for adhd and feel obligated to remind any would-be user to think very hard before they kick off on that train.
I know people who claim that Adderall turned their life around but I've rarely known anyone to stay on stimulants for long long periods of time. They're best used as a tool when used medicinally and shouldn't he viewed as a final solution but something that can promote healthier habits over the short term before you go off of them. When used for recreation, they are best used sparingly and with the lowest dosage possible needed to attain the desired effects. Amphetamines will hurt you in ways that other drugs cannot if you become addicted. Do your research and you'll see what I mean.
All that being said, I would try stratera first if you really want the prescription for mental health reasons. It is not nearly as prone to abuse and I would assume wreaks far less havoc on your brain/body over the long term. If you must go with Adderall (I know your doctor already put you on it but you don't have to take it), make sure you get enough sleep and a consistent diet. Take breaks on days that don't involve any studying or mental intensive work and absolutely do not modify your dosage! Listen to and be honest with your doctor.
Whatever euphoria amphetamines can bring you (and I assure you that this euphoria can be overpowering), it doesn't last forever and the more that you use it, the more the drug turns on you. It goes from lovely euphoria that makes every second seem absolutely beautiful, to a slight happiness, to being indifferent, to being terrifyingly depressing. And the physical effects only grow stronger with prolonged usage.
I really don't mean to preach, but I feel like doctors are too quick to prescribe such powerful drugs that can easily be used in the wrong way by even the individuals with the best intentions. I'd hate to see yet somebody else taking a ride on the amphetamine roller coaster.
I know people who claim that Adderall turned their life around but I've rarely known anyone to stay on stimulants for long long periods of time. They're best used as a tool when used medicinally and shouldn't he viewed as a final solution but something that can promote healthier habits over the short term before you go off of them. When used for recreation, they are best used sparingly and with the lowest dosage possible needed to attain the desired effects. Amphetamines will hurt you in ways that other drugs cannot if you become addicted. Do your research and you'll see what I mean.
All that being said, I would try stratera first if you really want the prescription for mental health reasons. It is not nearly as prone to abuse and I would assume wreaks far less havoc on your brain/body over the long term. If you must go with Adderall (I know your doctor already put you on it but you don't have to take it), make sure you get enough sleep and a consistent diet. Take breaks on days that don't involve any studying or mental intensive work and absolutely do not modify your dosage! Listen to and be honest with your doctor.
Whatever euphoria amphetamines can bring you (and I assure you that this euphoria can be overpowering), it doesn't last forever and the more that you use it, the more the drug turns on you. It goes from lovely euphoria that makes every second seem absolutely beautiful, to a slight happiness, to being indifferent, to being terrifyingly depressing. And the physical effects only grow stronger with prolonged usage.
I really don't mean to preach, but I feel like doctors are too quick to prescribe such powerful drugs that can easily be used in the wrong way by even the individuals with the best intentions. I'd hate to see yet somebody else taking a ride on the amphetamine roller coaster.
GBM
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Im rx'd 20mg 2x Daily Vyvanse for a sleep disorder and honestly I like it better than most stimulants I've tried. I can actually stay awake, focused, and actually get stuff done. No comedown as opposed to Adderall in my experiences, more euphoria too.
I agree with this completely, I don't mean to say people should /rely/ on drugs to help them with any work or social issues they may have but personally I have seen many positive effects of adderall although I can also see the vast amount of negative effects it could have over short term use in high doses or even long term use in lower doses.
Sounds like you're experiencing a lot of negative effects from it. Are these mostly physical or mental/emotional negative effects? Also do you think it could just be because of the use on daily basis that you're experiencing a lot of negative effects?
I'm starting to feel like a zombie when I take it, and when I crash I feel like shit but I still feel human. This drug just ain't for me. I have excessive day-time sleepiness which gives me tons of symptoms of ADHD but I don't really think I have it, if I do it's not severe. But I do get lots of physicals side effects, first day was diarrhea, now I'm completely constipated. Increase in anxiety, no will to talk to anyone at all, also very agitated but at the same time feel very 'empty'. Also daily nausea after taking meds & headaches, along with pain in lower torso, feels like its fucking with one of my organs lmao. I can focus on the task at hand really good and it helps me learn easier but when it comes to anything social it just makes me awkward and really withdrawn from everyone. I've tried very high doses, normal, and low. Low doses seem to help well which is why I seen my doctor the other day and ask for 15 mg IR so I can break it in half and take that to get me through work/school. That way its a lose dose and I don't have to become dependent on a massive dose.
The back pain is so weird though, the drug is like making me strain my back muscles without me realizing it and it's not like a manual thing it's just automatic and it's giving me constant pain in my neck and mid/upper back. I already have back problems and it's not helping at all.
GoronusMaximus
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Sounds like the dosage is too high or maybe it just doesn't agree with your body. When I was using adderall/speed on a regular basis at higher dosages, I had a ton of muscle pain and felt like my body was being slowly torn apart. Moving also felt awkward and unnatural at times. The anxiety also would become unbearable.
Funny thing about amphetamines is how you build tolerance to them. When I first started losing control of my usage, I could do monster amounts in a single day and often would feel pretty good doing so. This didn't last too long though and while I kept chasing the dragon, using it become more and more uncomfortable to the point where I damn near committed sucide, dropped out of college, and eventually found my way to opiates to deal with the mental/emotional devastation. I found the further I went, the less I needed to start feeling "tweeked". When I first started taking Adderall, a 10mgXR capsule gave a slight effect and I found a sweet spot with 15mgXR (that I eventually went far far beyond because of stupidity and addiction) but around the time I stopped using, half of a 10mgXR capsule would make me feel sped out of my mind. There's a pretty good thread somewhere on the forum about the "stages" of amphetamine use. I'd check that out.
Funny thing about amphetamines is how you build tolerance to them. When I first started losing control of my usage, I could do monster amounts in a single day and often would feel pretty good doing so. This didn't last too long though and while I kept chasing the dragon, using it become more and more uncomfortable to the point where I damn near committed sucide, dropped out of college, and eventually found my way to opiates to deal with the mental/emotional devastation. I found the further I went, the less I needed to start feeling "tweeked". When I first started taking Adderall, a 10mgXR capsule gave a slight effect and I found a sweet spot with 15mgXR (that I eventually went far far beyond because of stupidity and addiction) but around the time I stopped using, half of a 10mgXR capsule would make me feel sped out of my mind. There's a pretty good thread somewhere on the forum about the "stages" of amphetamine use. I'd check that out.
I'm very experienced with speed, I just never did it days on end so this is all new to me. I've around 90-100mg in a day and that's quite a bit. And I did take too much, that's because my 20 xr wasn't doing anything for me so I overdid it and sped through the entire day but started feeling reaaaly weird. But even 20 xr gives me back pain and fucks with my emotions. If IR doesnt work then I'm going completely sober which is my best option
MainLiner420
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A lot of my upper friends love Vyvanse just as almost as they love Adderall.