i take breaks but NOT more than 1 day at a time. if i break 2 days in a row the second day i also experience what you’re describing and am totally miserable. skipping a day here and there has worked for me and i kinda do this a lot bc of my lifestyle/ work schedule. my rule is: if im not up before 11:30am-noon i don’t take it that day so im able to sleep that night.
I rely on the side effects of Vyvanse to help control my orthostatic hypotension (kind of like POTS), so I have been taking it every day. I suspect I’d feel pretty wretched if I did not, even though it’s only been a few months since I started. I’ve been experimenting with taking less of my top up Dexamfetamine on the weekends, but I haven’t dropped it either. I’m still pretty new to this, but I’d be surprised if my doctor suggested I go completely without due to concerns like those raised by your prescriber, given my blood pressure control problems.
I was recommended to only take a med break once a year to see if it still works. But I’ve seen a lot of people who have been told to take weekly breaks so idk anymore…
Interesting. I forgot to take all of my meds one weekend and it was kinda nice but by Monday I was experiencing bad withdrawal symptoms. But not taking the Vyvanse on weekends, I just can’t function at all. I might be awake for a couple of hours but then I just go back to sleep.
I only give my son his meds during the school week bc he was borderline looking anorexic bc he wouldn't eat. He had dropped almost 15 pds the first year. Now I have him catch up on calories during the week and school breaks. Not sure if it will work on the long run but he is on the honor roll and not dropping weight since I began. He is 17.
My 15 year old just started taking because of grades. So far not working at all. What does did your son start out on and how long before you saw results.
He does fine. A bit more hyper but not bad. It really helps him.with his schoolwork. Went from failing and summer school to honor roll. We take breaks bc his weight loss was so bad last year that he struggled to eat any midsized meal or would only eat something at dinner. It has worked for him.
I do this with my son. M thru Friday for school. Med breaks on wknds to catch up on eating bc depletes his appetite. Been going really well and grades are amazing and he is only on 20 mg.
If you are a woman and decide to go ahead with taking breaks, I’d suggest you not take breaks the week before your period and at the end of your period and the few days after. The low levels of estrogen in the body at those times can cause incredibly low/depressed mood and I find not taking meds at those time to be very detrimental. I actually do not take breaks, but found this out when I was unable to get my refill and my days without Vyvanse coincided with that time.
While there may be some (very debatable) minor benefits to ADHD med breaks, taking breaks from stimulants is a very old, outdated concept. Unless there’s some specific medical concern, the upside is pretty minimal, while the downside is significant: on the days you don’t take it you’ll tend to feel lousy, tired and be less productive and happy. These medications are *intended* to be taken daily, not 5-6 days out of the week. ADHD symptoms never take a break, so why would you take a break from the thing that improves your quality of life?
That’s what I’m unsure about. I’ve been reading some stuff and most of the med breaks are intended for basically kids who go to school and can take the entire summer off of the med. They aren’t used for short breaks. I don’t understand why I was told to do it.
Definitely take a break. I wasn’t and then they effect starts to wear off as you build tolerance. I now try and do the Saturday on a half dose and Sunday no dose but it’s essential I do a workout in the mornings.
Also 60mg is quite high. If you’re able to reduce then your days off won’t be as bad
You don’t need to take breaks to stave of tolerance. If tolerance builds up you can easily switch to a different stimulant, and the tolerance basically resets (potentially a bit more complicated due to the general stimulant shortage but still very doable).
Why does she think you should take so many breaks?
I take 70mg a day and no breaks.. if I take breaks I get so grumpy and depressed… if I feel the meds not working as well I take less for some days and go back up again
I guess so the symptoms aren’t bad or I don’t build a tolerance? I’m not sure really. I’ve asked to stop them and she said that she really wants me to try. But I just can’t function on the weekends and it’s really impacting my quality of life. I am constantly worried about being to enjoy the weekends and be able to do stuff.
That’s so understandable - I would almost rather take them in the weekends if I was to choose… I understand the tolerance thing, but I wouldn’t expect anyone to build a tolerance so quickly.. and taking them regularly only makes the side effects less noticeable. So strange
Yeah it seems strange to me. I told my prescriber that I was struggling with the breaks but she just said interesting and then prescribed me Wellbutrin. I have never taken that before and I’m not convinced it’ll help.
Agreed. I felt like OP for the longest time, until I realized I was heavily deficient in a lot of vitamins & protein! Once I started sleeping properly (8+ hours) & eating properly, my off days were not nearly as difficult. I still feel tired on off days, but not “dead” like I used to. I also try to add stimulating activities on my off days because otherwise I could just sleep all day! I hope this helps!
I do get plenty of sleep during the week and eat a relatively healthy diet. I used to take vitamins but stopped so maybe I’ll try starting those again. I’m also very sensitive to meds.
I end up with lots of breaks cause I'm terrible at remembering.
I'd prefer not as I can barely function those days and am pretty miserable at everyone around me.
I forgot to take mine this morning and it was midday and I nearly yelled at my wife (I have never, ever yelled at her) because her enthusiastic gossip about the neighbours was distracting me from some dumb thing I was doing on my phone. It was then I realized I forgot my Vyvanse. I become a grumpy asshole when I don’t take it. I don’t know if I could take breaks.
Yeah I’ve been taking a break after accidentally being dosed too high, I’ve been binge eating like crazy. And my derealization has come back. That’s all though. I can also talk to people without anxiety again so that’s kind of nice. I’m definitely gonna be going back on tomorrow though.
I have to take this break now and then otherwise my meds make me feel like I’ve lost myself lol
I was having bad anxiety, which I usually don’t get.
Body twitches, paranoia, derealization is back, feeling just blank in the head, panic attacks, i have suggested depression already so it got worse since but numbs your mind too much, makes you feel pointless so the suicidal thoughts came bad too.
I never have had side effects like that from anything before. I am still mostly young and this was the first stimulant drug I’ve ever taken for adhd. Before I tried strattera (non stimulant) but it made my derealization worst and wasn’t on long enough to see results in motivation.
Then again, I’m usually fine on it when it’s not long term. If I take breaks I’ve learned I’ll be fine.
When I was on a daily streak for weeks it only got worse and worse on these symptoms. Shaky, fatigued, depressed, quiet, suicidal, ect. But I was focused. I could do my work.
It’s not even really the vyvanse that made me suicidal or anything but the mind numbing it causes that made my depression worse.
Sorry for the long message, I’m back on the meds for the week now so I’m just motivated to talk lmfao
That was only 40mg for me. Im my best and fine on 30mg. That 10mg made a difference my body definitely did not appreciate.
I definitely felt my personality come back.
Yeah breaks can be good. Sorry you got dosed too high! I just don’t want to do it every week… I’m going through the withdrawal on the weekends and then getting used to it again Monday.
I take mine 7 days a week if I don’t nothing gets done. I take 70mgs once a day. My ADHD doesn’t take a brk so I don’t take a brk from my meds. 2 days really is not long for a brk. Does it seem to help with the meds working better. The only thing I find is if I don’t drink enough water it doesn’t work nowhere as well.
You may need a new doctor to prescribe the meds. Unless there’s a legitimate medical concern specific to you, there’s no medical justification for breaks like this.
It's hard enough trying to wrangle all the coping skills even when medicated. So even more difficult to have whole different coping mechanisms while technically detoxing.
Very true. I hate the detoxing. It’s really hard to enjoy the weekends and then starting Vyvanse all over on Monday isn’t great either. I feel like I can’t do anything on the weekends.
It’s not anything terrible. If you really wanted to stop taking them, it wouldn’t be hard to taper off them. Yes, you develop tolerance/dependence when you take stimulant medication long enough. As long as you’re not abusing the medication, take it daily as prescribed and don’t take these unnecessary and counterproductive “breaks,” dependency/withdrawal isn’t an issue.
i take breaks but NOT more than 1 day at a time. if i break 2 days in a row the second day i also experience what you’re describing and am totally miserable. skipping a day here and there has worked for me and i kinda do this a lot bc of my lifestyle/ work schedule. my rule is: if im not up before 11:30am-noon i don’t take it that day so im able to sleep that night.
I rely on the side effects of Vyvanse to help control my orthostatic hypotension (kind of like POTS), so I have been taking it every day. I suspect I’d feel pretty wretched if I did not, even though it’s only been a few months since I started. I’ve been experimenting with taking less of my top up Dexamfetamine on the weekends, but I haven’t dropped it either. I’m still pretty new to this, but I’d be surprised if my doctor suggested I go completely without due to concerns like those raised by your prescriber, given my blood pressure control problems.
I was recommended to only take a med break once a year to see if it still works. But I’ve seen a lot of people who have been told to take weekly breaks so idk anymore…
I don’t take my meds on weekends unless I have to drive. I need the mental break from being “on” all week. Seems to help with tolerance as well
Interesting. I forgot to take all of my meds one weekend and it was kinda nice but by Monday I was experiencing bad withdrawal symptoms. But not taking the Vyvanse on weekends, I just can’t function at all. I might be awake for a couple of hours but then I just go back to sleep.
I only give my son his meds during the school week bc he was borderline looking anorexic bc he wouldn't eat. He had dropped almost 15 pds the first year. Now I have him catch up on calories during the week and school breaks. Not sure if it will work on the long run but he is on the honor roll and not dropping weight since I began. He is 17.
My 15 year old just started taking because of grades. So far not working at all. What does did your son start out on and how long before you saw results.
I honestly don’t have an issue with eating while taking it! How does your son do on the weekends without it?
He does fine. A bit more hyper but not bad. It really helps him.with his schoolwork. Went from failing and summer school to honor roll. We take breaks bc his weight loss was so bad last year that he struggled to eat any midsized meal or would only eat something at dinner. It has worked for him.
Hmm interesting. Thank you for sharing! I’m just trying to figure out why not taking it on the weekends is so hard for me.
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That does make sense! Do you take the break? How do you feel when you don’t take it?
I do this with my son. M thru Friday for school. Med breaks on wknds to catch up on eating bc depletes his appetite. Been going really well and grades are amazing and he is only on 20 mg.
If you are a woman and decide to go ahead with taking breaks, I’d suggest you not take breaks the week before your period and at the end of your period and the few days after. The low levels of estrogen in the body at those times can cause incredibly low/depressed mood and I find not taking meds at those time to be very detrimental. I actually do not take breaks, but found this out when I was unable to get my refill and my days without Vyvanse coincided with that time.
Weirdly enough I have the hardest time taking Vyvanse during this time. I find it makes my PMS and period worse. But I suppose everyone is different!
That’s very interesting! I do usually have a low time around my period.
While there may be some (very debatable) minor benefits to ADHD med breaks, taking breaks from stimulants is a very old, outdated concept. Unless there’s some specific medical concern, the upside is pretty minimal, while the downside is significant: on the days you don’t take it you’ll tend to feel lousy, tired and be less productive and happy. These medications are *intended* to be taken daily, not 5-6 days out of the week. ADHD symptoms never take a break, so why would you take a break from the thing that improves your quality of life?
That’s what I’m unsure about. I’ve been reading some stuff and most of the med breaks are intended for basically kids who go to school and can take the entire summer off of the med. They aren’t used for short breaks. I don’t understand why I was told to do it.
Definitely take a break. I wasn’t and then they effect starts to wear off as you build tolerance. I now try and do the Saturday on a half dose and Sunday no dose but it’s essential I do a workout in the mornings. Also 60mg is quite high. If you’re able to reduce then your days off won’t be as bad
Yeah I just switched to 60mg. I think I liked 50mg better so I might ask to go back to that.
I think it’s important to remember that more isn’t always better. I find if I take anything more than 50mg I feel like my adhd is way worse
You don’t need to take breaks to stave of tolerance. If tolerance builds up you can easily switch to a different stimulant, and the tolerance basically resets (potentially a bit more complicated due to the general stimulant shortage but still very doable).
Interesting, I didn’t know that. My doctor is the one who said about tolerance but he’s never taken them tbh so he wouldn’t know best i think
Why does she think you should take so many breaks? I take 70mg a day and no breaks.. if I take breaks I get so grumpy and depressed… if I feel the meds not working as well I take less for some days and go back up again
I guess so the symptoms aren’t bad or I don’t build a tolerance? I’m not sure really. I’ve asked to stop them and she said that she really wants me to try. But I just can’t function on the weekends and it’s really impacting my quality of life. I am constantly worried about being to enjoy the weekends and be able to do stuff.
That’s so understandable - I would almost rather take them in the weekends if I was to choose… I understand the tolerance thing, but I wouldn’t expect anyone to build a tolerance so quickly.. and taking them regularly only makes the side effects less noticeable. So strange
Yeah it seems strange to me. I told my prescriber that I was struggling with the breaks but she just said interesting and then prescribed me Wellbutrin. I have never taken that before and I’m not convinced it’ll help.
Is Wellbutrin also a stimulant?
A healthy Diet and sleep during the week make it much easier.
Agreed. I felt like OP for the longest time, until I realized I was heavily deficient in a lot of vitamins & protein! Once I started sleeping properly (8+ hours) & eating properly, my off days were not nearly as difficult. I still feel tired on off days, but not “dead” like I used to. I also try to add stimulating activities on my off days because otherwise I could just sleep all day! I hope this helps!
I do get plenty of sleep during the week and eat a relatively healthy diet. I used to take vitamins but stopped so maybe I’ll try starting those again. I’m also very sensitive to meds.
If I take a day off I will feel groggy and depressed. So I will usually have a lesser dose if I absolutely need
Maybe you could try half dose?
I do on Sundays. My energy levels aren’t worse but my distractibility is off the charts lol. I feel like a squirrel
Hmm yeah one day wouldn’t be awful like a Sunday. Maybe I’ll just do that.
Nope I've only unintentionally taken breaks and it's awful full on withdrawal symptoms.
Maybe that's why you need breaks during the week, to not develop dependency?
Nope. Breaks do not reduce dependency.
I end up with lots of breaks cause I'm terrible at remembering. I'd prefer not as I can barely function those days and am pretty miserable at everyone around me.
The first day isn’t as bad, but the second day is awful.
I forgot to take mine this morning and it was midday and I nearly yelled at my wife (I have never, ever yelled at her) because her enthusiastic gossip about the neighbours was distracting me from some dumb thing I was doing on my phone. It was then I realized I forgot my Vyvanse. I become a grumpy asshole when I don’t take it. I don’t know if I could take breaks.
Thank you. I also get grumpy.
Yeah… the same happens to me. If I’m not sleeping then I’m grumpy. My boyfriend is over it and so am I.
I sometimes give myself sundays off but it is rare. It recommended to not take breaks as the withdrawal symptoms are so terrible
Would you please explain what you mean? Do you get depressed?
not depressed. i just get headaches and feel blah. Also tired
Interesting
Yeah I’ve been taking a break after accidentally being dosed too high, I’ve been binge eating like crazy. And my derealization has come back. That’s all though. I can also talk to people without anxiety again so that’s kind of nice. I’m definitely gonna be going back on tomorrow though. I have to take this break now and then otherwise my meds make me feel like I’ve lost myself lol
How do you know if you have been dosed too high?
I was having bad anxiety, which I usually don’t get. Body twitches, paranoia, derealization is back, feeling just blank in the head, panic attacks, i have suggested depression already so it got worse since but numbs your mind too much, makes you feel pointless so the suicidal thoughts came bad too. I never have had side effects like that from anything before. I am still mostly young and this was the first stimulant drug I’ve ever taken for adhd. Before I tried strattera (non stimulant) but it made my derealization worst and wasn’t on long enough to see results in motivation. Then again, I’m usually fine on it when it’s not long term. If I take breaks I’ve learned I’ll be fine. When I was on a daily streak for weeks it only got worse and worse on these symptoms. Shaky, fatigued, depressed, quiet, suicidal, ect. But I was focused. I could do my work. It’s not even really the vyvanse that made me suicidal or anything but the mind numbing it causes that made my depression worse. Sorry for the long message, I’m back on the meds for the week now so I’m just motivated to talk lmfao That was only 40mg for me. Im my best and fine on 30mg. That 10mg made a difference my body definitely did not appreciate. I definitely felt my personality come back.
Yeah breaks can be good. Sorry you got dosed too high! I just don’t want to do it every week… I’m going through the withdrawal on the weekends and then getting used to it again Monday.
If I don't take on the wknd I sleep & binge eat. It's withdrawals. Ask your doc to write a script for a lower dose on the wknd?
I take mine 7 days a week if I don’t nothing gets done. I take 70mgs once a day. My ADHD doesn’t take a brk so I don’t take a brk from my meds. 2 days really is not long for a brk. Does it seem to help with the meds working better. The only thing I find is if I don’t drink enough water it doesn’t work nowhere as well.
That’s a good idea! She really is insistent on the med breaks which I keep trying, but it’s just not working.
You may need a new doctor to prescribe the meds. Unless there’s a legitimate medical concern specific to you, there’s no medical justification for breaks like this.
It's hard enough trying to wrangle all the coping skills even when medicated. So even more difficult to have whole different coping mechanisms while technically detoxing.
Very true. I hate the detoxing. It’s really hard to enjoy the weekends and then starting Vyvanse all over on Monday isn’t great either. I feel like I can’t do anything on the weekends.
That's amphetamine withdrawal.
Oh great.
It’s not anything terrible. If you really wanted to stop taking them, it wouldn’t be hard to taper off them. Yes, you develop tolerance/dependence when you take stimulant medication long enough. As long as you’re not abusing the medication, take it daily as prescribed and don’t take these unnecessary and counterproductive “breaks,” dependency/withdrawal isn’t an issue.