Vyvanse and Irritability: What Users Say

• Ran...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 18, 2020

For ADHD "I take Vyvanse for ADHD and Binge Eating Disorder. I began taking 50 mg Vyvanse in August 2016, and currently take the same amount. Over a span of about 2 years, I lost 70 pounds and got into the best shape of my life. I had great eating habits. I was sociable and doing great. I got everything done in a timely manner. All of a sudden, it stopped working 2.5 years after I started taking it. I gained over 30 lbs in about 3.5 months. All my hard work just disappeared. I don’t know what happened, but it is devastating. I am so tired all the time, have no drive to do anything, binge eat every day, and I’m angry and irritable. It’s been like this for months. I’m a shell of myself. I suggest it for short-term use but not long-term. If anyone else experienced this, I’d love to hear about it."

• Jay...
• August 31, 2019

For ADHD "I'm going to start with the negatives then positives in regards to Vyvanse. When I first started taking this medication, the side effects were less than desirable! Anxiety, agitation, palpitations, unable to socialize - all horrible for day-to-day living. BUT - as my doctor told me - you have to find the dose that's right for you, and you have to let your body adjust to the medication. Well, holy moly! Once you find the right dose that works for you, it's like a whole new world! Motivation, sense of well-being, able to focus on day-to-day tasks. This has been an absolute MIRACLE and has changed my life tenfold. I encourage anyone who starts taking Vyvanse to give it a fair chance, let your body adjust, and try to find what dose works best for you. Because when you do find it, you'll be functioning on a whole new level! Cheers"

• Lis...
• December 2, 2019

For ADHD "I am a 50-year-old woman with ADHD in addition to mild OCD. I was prescribed Vyvanse for focus and motivation at a high-stress job. This drug was amazing at first; I felt calm, focused, confident, and organized for the first time in my life. I take 60 mg at 7 am, and it wore off about 4. Six months later, it is still helpful with motivation and confidence. That said, I now get too focused on details, and by evening, I am anxious, irritable, and don’t want to do anything. I have a hard time waking up. I tried on the weekend to not take it and had terrible depression, negative, and crying. I ended up taking it to function. It has started causing anxiety, I’m too talkative, and procrastinate tasks I dislike. I am not very social after work. Without it, I am emotional and want to sleep all day. I tried 5 mg Adderall IR in the late afternoon, but that caused me to stay up late and could barely get up. It was so helpful at first, but now I’m worried and am trying to wean off."

• ALe...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 23, 2024

For ADHD "This drug starts off wonderfully in the first 2-3 years. Then you start building tolerance and side effects start kicking in. In the first 2-3 years, I was able to almost do anything, achieve a lot of things, and organize my day better. The reason I wouldn’t recommend this drug is that it gives you a form of illusion, the first few years, it works great, then you become so dependent that you cannot do anything without it. You start developing side effects like irritability, anger, paranoia, mania, and aggressiveness. I have been using this drug for 7 years. Due to the nature of the best, the side effects will not hit you out of the sudden, and you will not recognize yourself in the mirror after 7 years of usage. I think once you start down this road, you can never stop, the only solution is probably switching between different generics like Adderall IR and XR to trick the body into not developing a tolerance because of the slightly different ingredients. I stopped this drug for over 4 years now."

• Nie...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 14, 2014

For ADHD "I was not officially diagnosed with ADD until I was 30 years old. I have been on Vyvanse for over 10 years now. I have had to increase my dose from 30 to 50 and have now been at 60 for over a year. Sometimes I feel it causes irritability, but other than that, only dry mouth. It has definitely helped with my attention disorder. It initially made me lose 10 lbs and then leveled out. I have always been athletic except when my chronic pain is too bad. My son has ADHD and took Concerta for about 2 years. It helped tremendously with his anger, outbursts, and grades. I only wish that my parents had me tested when I was younger as we did for my son. It would have taken away a lot of heartache! My daughter never suffered, thankfully."

• Nes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 8, 2014

For ADHD "I am a male and 42 years old. I am an ASM in retail and a husband and father of four kids. The doctor prescribed 30 mg the first two months and upped the meds to 40 mg. I have only been on them for 5 months. I have seen and felt a huge change in my lifestyle. I am more focused at home and especially at work. I am Mr. Mom and won't stop cleaning at home. I even cut and edge my neighbor's front yard. I lost 10 lbs and now weigh 197. I do feel myself get upset faster though. Because I feel that, I also stop and calm myself down. So far I have no complaints... yet."

• Use...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2013

For ADHD "I am a 43-year-old mom of 2 (3 if you count my husband). I can't stress enough how much Vyvanse has completely changed my life. I was diagnosed with ADD after my oldest received her diagnosis about 10 years ago. I've tried Adderall, Concerta, & the like and even on high doses, NEVER experienced the clarity & energy I've gotten on just 20mg of Vyvanse. I've just started taking it 2 weeks ago & wish I had discovered this medicine years ago! The only issue is that this week I titrated up to 30mg and have noticed some irritability, so I think I'll go back to the lower dose. Love, love, LOVE my new lease on life thanks to Vyvanse!"

• Thi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 24, 2014

For ADHD "I really want parents to take a good look at what they may be about to give their children before they do so. If dopamine deficient, Vyvanse will initially appear to be amazing, until a 'tolerance' is built up, when it will leave a person feeling as low, moody, and agitated as they ever have. Recent studies indicate that mood disorders may mask themselves as ADD/ADHD. If you or your child is experiencing any of the major or severe emotional side effects of this or other stimulants, please consider that it could be mood disorders brought on by a dopamine deficiency. This is what happened to me, and because I was aware of the symptoms of dependency and mood disorder, I recognized it immediately."

• Sho...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 7, 2016

For Binge Eating Disorder "I have been taking Vyvanse for about 6 months now. It is working really well for my binge eating disorder. I think I binged one time since taking this, and most days I consume less than 1,200 calories. It hasn't taken away my appetite completely, but it has decreased it by a lot. I was able to lose 17 lbs and plan on losing more. The side effects for me have been dry mouth and just a slight bit of agitation in the mornings, but I take the pill in halves throughout the day to maximize its usefulness. I am prescribed 70 mg and open the pill to add half the powder to a drink around 12 PM, then eat the other half about 4. This way it will not wear off and helps me not binge all day."

• Kp9...
• November 7, 2017

For Binge Eating Disorder "I’ve been on Vyvanse for 6 months and have slowly increased from 20 mg to 40 mg. I’ve lost 24 pounds and plan to lose more. I had the hardest time changing my eating habits after pregnancy and continued to eat more than I should have. I gained the 34 pounds back that I had lost after giving birth to my son. I ate large portions and didn’t realize it until after it was gone. Vyvanse has changed my eating habits much more than I expected. I eat very little, and when I look at food, nothing looks appetizing, not even crackers. I’ve started to experience issues with anxiety and depression and am worried that it is being brought on by Vyvanse, as anxiety and agitation are side effects. Vyvanse works, but listen to your body for signs of trouble!"

• Aan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 8, 2020

For ADHD "My son was prescribed this for ADHD. He is 15 and hasn't been on any other medications his whole life. He was just having trouble focusing in school, he told me, and thought it would be a good idea. He is a very intelligent young man. When he came to me with his issue, we went and saw the doctor right away. Like so many stories I have heard, he started out okay, then the chest pains, irritability, etc. I thought he was just making excuses about going to school. Then I saw him try to put his shoes on one day, like he was in slow motion. He then developed a tic. We stopped the meds right away. Doctor says it could've been anything that caused it! Family genetics even!! They say he can get prescribed something for the tics. Great! What will happen then??"

• Ean...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 1, 2019

For ADHD "I’ve been on Vyvanse daily for the past 8 years (recently, my doctor has added 10 mg of Zenzedi in the afternoon). Vyvanse has truly been a godsend for my ADHD. I also have anxiety, which causes even menial tasks to seem unbearable. With Vyvanse, daily life tasks are not only easier to complete, they are easier to begin. Prior to Vyvanse, I tried Ritalin and Focalin (gave me horrible anxiety and agitation), Strattera caused me to lose an unhealthy amount of weight, Adderall gave me headaches and plunged me into a depression as it would wear off."

• Mik...
• July 19, 2021

For ADHD "I am 26 years old, been on for a couple of months now, started with 20mg extended release of Vyvanse, then 30mg. It works in the beginning. Once your body gets used to it, if you are a high-functioning individual with a very active brain and life speed, you will notice it fading throughout the day. Crash is the worst, especially if you got used to not doing anything after 5 PM (after work or whatever) before taking it. One thing I noticed was I have no anxiety anymore, but I do not want to say it was due to the pill because I stopped several things the past few years that could’ve contributed. Anyways, one MAJOR side effect I got that I was not AWARE of is going psycho. You think people are always staring at you, they are out to get you, you become secluded, you get irritable way easier as well. You do not have control over your thoughts, emotions, body. It changed my PERSONALITY. I do not remember who I was before taking Vyvanse anymore, and that’s a fact."

• Anonymous
• August 13, 2009

For ADHD "I am a 23-year-old female. My entire life, I have tested highly, been in advanced classes, had a full scholarship through college, but my grades were always a struggle. I felt like I had to work so much harder than everyone else just to keep my B grades. I was disorganized, forgetful, irritable, and pretty desolate. I felt like I was drowning. I have taken medication for depression and anxiety since I was in high school-everything from Wellbutrin to Xanax to Prozac. I graduated from college in four years with a mediocre GPA, but with many awards. Finally, my new doctor actually listened when I spoke, and she agreed that we try a course of medication for ADHD. I am on my second week of Vyvanse and am a new, happy, functioning person."

• Lad...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 23, 2013

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD when I was 21. I had failed out of university, I was unorganized, felt like a failure, and was frankly quite depressed. Vyvanse helped me focus and think more typically, and I was better able to do my schoolwork. I'm about to graduate with a GPA of 3.8, and my heart is set on a master's degree! My only issue with this medicine is the moodiness I experience when coming off from it every single evening. I try to be doing something alone at this time since it only lasts an hour or so, but I become very introverted and irritable. I also found that I'm crazy tired in the morning and sleep in. I used to be up at six thirty every morning! But the benefits far outweigh the cost."

• Rra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2019

For ADHD "I was on Vyvanse 30 mg for 5 months, it was the best time of my life. Succeeding in school. Succeeding in soccer and being really social while on it. Coming off it wasn’t that bad as I pretty much just went every day, then just decided to quit because I was so confident that I didn’t need the drug to do what I was doing. About a month later, I lost all my confidence as my ADHD really brought down my confidence when I started falling behind in school and wasn’t quite as social. I feel this drug does help with social anxiety, which I also have. Strongly thinking about going back on it, and I haven’t taken it in 2 years, just not sure yet. Some side effects I did notice were agitation, loss of appetite, and being abnormally emotional."

• Aug...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2020

For Binge Eating Disorder "I started Vyvanse 5 months ago 30 mg for BED (binge eating disorder). The first 2 days went absolutely amazing. It curbed my appetite, made me more hands-on and focused with my daughter. I was able to get motivated to do things. Then on day 3, it was different, the motivation stopped. I was focused so much on my phone and nothing else that playing with my daughter became difficult. I lost all my energy, I became very antisocial and withdrawn, very angry, agitated, no one could speak to me without me having an attitude. I started yelling a lot and having random fits of rage. I would feel extremely depressed and unhappy, tired and aggravated. When the medication started to wear off, I eventually went up to 40 mg in hopes that the side effects would go away, but they didn't. 5 months later, I finally told my psych I couldn't handle it anymore. My psych decided to try me on Adderall. I wouldn't recommend Vyvanse to anyone, and for those who are adamant about taking it, tread lightly. This stuff mucked around with my head and made me incredibly on edge. I'll never go back on it again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 3, 2015

For ADHD "There are many positives such as motivation and a brief period of content, but there are also many negatives: rapid heartbeat, chest pains, weight loss, dizziness, dry mouth. When the medicine kicks in, I feel this amazing sense of being content, no matter what I'm doing at the time, I just feel happy, but soon feel an extreme sadness and despair when it wears off because I wonder why I can't be happy anymore. I also become extremely irritable, anxious, and restless. I continue to take this medication because it helps me get things done and focus, but the negative impact is extremely hard on me and affects my mental and physical health greatly. Most common side effects for me are chest pains, sadness, rapid mood change, headache, and loss."

• tcu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2016

For ADHD "I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and I was first prescribed Concerta. Since Concerta is part instant release and part extended release, it starts working extremely quickly, within 15-30 minutes, which was nice because there was no need to time things out when taking the medication. Unfortunately, Concerta starts working immediately and also stops working immediately, which for me led to a horrific crash. I was irritable and angry after the medication wore off. Due to this, my doctor switched me to Vyvanse. Vyvanse is a prodrug, which means the actual drug inside the capsule is not therapeutically helpful until it gets broken down in the body. This allows for a nice steady come-up and no crash when the medication is eventually excreted."

• Anonymous
• June 4, 2009

For ADHD "I am a 21-year-old male diagnosed with ADD around 4 years ago. About a while back, I was prescribed 50 mg of Vyvanse. So far, its effects have been very positive. In the past, I have been on Strattera and Adderall. The euphoric feeling Adderall produces brings a high potential for abuse and dependence, along with extreme mood changes and irritability. With Vyvanse, the urge for more does not exist. It is consistent throughout most of the day and delivers concentration and a sense of confidence and well-being. I've had slightly decreased appetite, but am much more productive and focused. I feel that I have gotten my life back. It is the best ADD medicine I have been on. Highly recommended."

• Sen...
• July 26, 2015

For ADHD "5th month on Vyvanse 30 mg, which is on the lower dose end. This med has an awful crash. I exercise 4-6 times a week. I eat very healthy. I stay busy. I read so many reviews about the same issue. I did reading about the 'minimal' crash felt on this med, and it is so scary how pharmaceutical companies try to set the med apart. For me, it lasts 6 hours, and irritability increases. I think it's in part tolerance. Mid-afternoon, I get severely irritable, anxious, moody, sleepy, and agitated. It is so uncomfortable, I'm supposed to 'up' my dose now...to see it last longer, and my 'crash' will start later?"

• Sen...
• July 26, 2015

For ADHD "5th month on Vyvanse 30 mg, which is on the lower dose end. This med has an awful crash. I exercise 4-6 times a week. I eat very healthy. I stay busy. I read so many reviews about the same issue. I did reading about the 'minimal' crash felt on this med, and it is so scary how pharmaceutical companies try to set the med apart. For me, it lasts 6 hours, and irritability increases. I think it's in part tolerance. Mid-afternoon, I get severely irritable, anxious, moody, sleepy, and agitated. It is so uncomfortable, I'm supposed to 'up' my dose now...to see it last longer, and my 'crash' will start later?"

• Zak...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2019

For ADHD "I'm still early days (less than 2 months into my prescription), and I must say it is promising. The focus this gives me is amazing, I've started on a 30 mg a day prescription, and since, I have had so many less issues with my memory and recall as my brain feels like it is functioning at a normal rate. The side effects as it wears off are not great, as another user said: tight jaw, tense jaw muscles (much like the drip/gurn on Coke XD). Appetite is nonexistent, but as long as I have my partner to remind me to eat, it shouldn't be a problem. My main issue is my prescriber messed up, and I went 10 days without it after finishing the first 28-day course, and it mucked me up. Extreme tiredness and very irritable, spiraling mood swings. Will update after this next set with more thoughts on it. Overall, an effective medication for me."

• ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 6, 2017

For ADHD "I've been on Vyvanse for a year. I take 50 mg now and I wouldn't say it's a miracle drug, but over the past year I have attended more classes and gotten more consistent grades in university. I definitely have to put in the effort to experience the benefits; it's not motivation/focus-in-a-pill for me! The side effects I've experienced are increased anxiety, dry mouth, increased perfectionism, irritability, and some insomnia. Its impact on my mood varies. At first, my appetite decreased and I had terrible afternoon crashes, but they have leveled out over time. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons for me. I haven't tried anything except for Wellbutrin, which I still take. Not sure how they interact."

• Eli...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 21, 2017

For ADHD "Summary: effective treatment of ADHD, awful if you have anxiety or BED/anorexia. This was the first drug I took for ADHD. It was extremely effective. I was able to get all my work done in my classes with time management I had never had before. However, the side effects can be extreme. It made me extremely self-conscious. I would apologize after virtually every sentence in a conversation because I was so scared something I did/said would be perceived as rude. I became obsessed with my skin and weight, developed severe dermatillomania, and I lost about 35 pounds. Vyvanse crash is awful. In the middle of the day, as it would wear off, I would suddenly become extremely agitated, snapping at people over something as small as the sound of their voice."