Mental Health Need some guidance with Vyvance for ADHD please!

[CrazyCockatiel]

Hey everyone, I really hope someone reads this post, I need some serious guidance.

I'll get right to it because this time, I need to get it right.
I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder a decade ago and was re diagnosed many times after that from various psychiatrists. I've tried many different combinations (not all at the same time) of Seroquel, Lithium, Abilify and Wellbutrin. Have been hospitalized three times for manic episodes. I've finally found a doctor who seems to understand the disorder in more complex ways. He has diagnosed me with ADHD and has also acknowledged my high levels of anxiety. He has prescribed me Lamictal (100mg which seems to be working), Vyvanse (70mg, but told me to dissolve in to a water bottle in equal parts and start off with 20mg - he didn't want me to be stuck with an ineffective dose for the rest of the month) and Clonidine (.2 mg at night).

I'm nervous saying this, but after a decade of extreme mental chaos, I feel clarity, calm, focused and hopeful. Everything seems to be ok so far and I'm working on developing a healthier lifestyle (eating healthy, working out and generally getting shit done). The first day I accidentally took 35mg and my family noticed that I was extremely chatty and productive and it freaked them out because I had been extremely depressed. The next few days I took the lowest dose of 20mg and things are much better, I'm more like myself.

Now that I've bored you to death about my medical background, the actual question is: Can this be a permanent, life long solution? I have no intentions of abusing Vyvanse (I've done my fair share of other drugs recreationally in the past) or any other drug for that matter. I just really need to regain control of my health and get my life back on track in a real and life long way. I drink twice a week (3-4 beers at one time) but that's about it.

I've been reading obsessively on Vyvance on blue light and other places. Many people say it's not a permanent solution to anything. Some aren't sure or maybe I just so desperately want this combination to work out. I know many children who are on it and have been able to regain control of their lives. If I maintain a low dose, can it work for me? It seems to be really helping me with the Lamictal and Clonidine. I have a supportive partner who is involved and there to help me figure this shit out once and for all. I fear if things go wrong this time, I won't be able to recover.

ANY advice will be greatly appreciated. Anyone who has had experience....knowledge.....anything. I can't afford to let my life slip away in front of my eyes anymore so please write back if you have anything to say.

Thanks,
CC 8?

 

[neversickanymore]

HEY crazyC welcome to BL!


Stimulants often send a BI polar into a hypomanic phase.. this is often why they are so dangerous for us.. I'm sure you are well aware that there are both good and bad things with hypomania.. yes we can get amazing amounts of stuff done... including spending all our money on this that and the other thing. Yes we can go from being shy around potential mates to being able to talk their pants off in no time.. then we spend all our time talking the pants off people and often develop a pretty risky sex life.. Life feels really good in hypomania doesn't it?.. and there in lies one of the difficulties of this approach.. because we have a tendency to think, yeah this feels great i'm super productive, everybody likes me, I accomplishing in hours what used to be a struggle over days.. but almost all of us tend to start to think, yeah this is really nice but why not take a little more and feel even better.. so we end up overshooting the really nice part of hypomania and get into the not so nice part where we are easily angered, spend huge amounts of money, take amazing risks for nothing really, etc.. and if we push it to far we run into mania and psychotic breaks and there is nothing good about that..

SO what i'm trying to say Is for this to work you will need to find and accept and STICK to the correct dose on the stims.. I going to come right out and say that the majority of stimulant use by bipolar 2 patents (and i assume thats what you are because it usually manifests itself in depression) does not end up turning out to good because we all love hypomania so much that we end up abusing the medication.

You do seem to have the best combination of drugs in my humble non medical opinion... just try and fight the urge to feel just a little bit better than perfect. and please make sure to stay on the lamictal if you are going to use the Vyvanse.. and the clonidine will eliminate the norepinephrine response to the vyvanse.

 

[weekend addiction]

The benefit from any amphetamine is not permanent in my opinion just like pretty much any other drug. I think some stay on the same dose and grow out of it for the most part (like me). And some don't and need every increasing doses. IMO amps just let you learn to be what you should be at all times. Whether you learn the lesson and commit to work harder or just let the pills do all the work and increase your dose is up to you. I do know that some people NEED these meds and aren't lazy\unmotivated but from what I've seen most people are the latter category.

Everyday that you don't take Vyvanse is good because it works better when you don't develope a massive tolerance by daily dosing. The benefit your feeling now will decrease over time. The question really is how much and how are you going to respond?