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Just got diagnosed with ADHD and I'm prescribed Vyvanse.The crash feels awful and I lack appetite. What do I do? (self.ADHD)

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[–]ashnbotADHD-PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Woah! haha let me give some non weed advice :P I am currently taking 50mg Vyvanse and deal with the lack of appetite. I have realized the crash hits harder when I don't eat anything. So my suggestion is to try to eat various snacks throughout the day instead of trying to eat a whole meal. If you can eat a meal, that is really good! Usually a few hours after the capsule release, you usually can muster enough appetite to eat something :)

[–]bmiggidy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hate the crash, but I take adderall. Same thing but worse. Work out 4 hours after taking it. Eat before you take it.

[–]ZamboniFiend 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I've been taking Vyvance for about two years. The "crash" effect was awful for about six months and then I stopped noticing it. I can't remember any details about how I handled it, but I was in school at the time, and I think I tried to figure out when I would crash and tried to plan work so that I'd done as much as possible before I crashed. That was a huge change from my usual behavior of just waitingandwaitingandwaiting to start. While it lasted, it was nice, but now that I don't feel the crash, I'm back to putting stuff off. :(

I struggle with lack of appetite. Finding "healthier" snacks that I liked enough to eat even when I wasn't hungry helped (a particular brand of granola bar, string cheese, raisins). I eventually realized that when I had low blood sugar, I would be irritable and anxious. When I feel like that, I'll eat candy as soon as possible and then try to make a meal. Sometimes I know I need to eat, but I just don't have an appetite. When I feel like that, I'll leave the food in the kitchen, take a bite, wash a few dishes, take a bite, go put laundry in the dryer, take a bite, sweep the living room floor, take a bite. When I first started Vyvance, it felt like I never needed to eat, like I was the Superman of Dieting, and it doesn't feel like that anymore - it feels more like "I'm hungry but I have no appetite."

Anyone else ever feel like that? Hungry but no appetite?

[–]mindmavenADHD-PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes, I feel like that sometimes as well. What I've done to deal with it is to really think about what I want to eat, and if enough options are available, I usually find something that is appealing. I also had similar experiences with the burn out fading away with time. Also, as mentioned a few times, eating enough and exercise help a lot. Lastly, dropping 50mg to 40mg helped me a lot.

Good luck.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had the same issue. I use daytrana 15mg patches. The transition is smooth on and off.

[–]actorgirlADHD-PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have only been taking it for a week and a half. I can't deal with the crash. Sometimes I honestly feel like I am on the verge of hurting myself. I don't have depression either, but after the pill wears off I feel horrible.

[–]rkeiADHD-PI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others have stated, it's likely from not eating/drinkng enough water.

One thing about eating when not hungry: if chewing (when you force yourself to eat anyway) just feels incredibly unpleasant/difficult, try eating something like soup or stew, or a smoothie, or something soft you can swallow without much chewing..

Also, you can try eating smaller meals more often - way way to do this is cook some chicken breasts (or make some other kind of food you like), cut it up into nice sized pieces, and divide them into a bunch of different Ziploc snack bags that you can throw in your bag on the way to school/work the next day.

[–][deleted]  (4 children)

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        [–]yanfADHD-PI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

        Marijuana as in /r/marijuanaenthusiasts? Enjoying the wonderful natural plants of this world sounds like a fine way to chill out and relax in the evenings once work is done, as long as it doesn't interfere with your ability to function during the day (like daydreaming about climbing trees while you're supposed to be working) or otherwise have negative effects on your health or lifestyle.

        I hear some people use cannabis for such purposes, but discussion of such topics is against subreddit rules (as stated in that sidebar that nobody reads). Don't necessarily agree but I'm sure our beloved moderators have their reasons.

        OP might also want to make sure he's eating and drinking proper amounts during the day, and otherwise taking care of himself. It can be all too easy, especially when new to the medication, to eat and drink a lot less than your body needs because the meds reduce the sense of needing those things. The Vyvanse will forcefully make you feel good and high-functioning when its active, but once it wears off your body realizes that it's starving and dehydrated and get very angry at you for neglecting it. Even if food doesn't sound good, force yourself to eat at least some (in my experience lack of appetite doesn't imply nausea or other discomfort if you do eat), and drink a lot of water. Also, side effects in general are stronger in the initial days, so if you've just started taking medication the crash may lessen or fade entirely once your body adjusts.

        There was also a thread about this about a week ago that might be useful: convenient link.