msmlb

New Member
I have been noticing that a lot of difficult child's with ADHD and ODD are taking Vyvanse. What is the difference between Vyvanse and Metadate CD? We tried a switch of daughter's medications back in April from Metadate CD to Concerta and her teacher reported that her impulstivity was in full swing and it was like she wasn't medicated. So went back to Metadate CD. Just wondering about the Vyvanse and how it has helped with issues.


Melissa
 

sunxstone

New Member
We just started Vyvanse this morning with difficult child, and OMGAH, it's totally had an immediate effect. He came home very emotional, agitated (which I feared with his bipolar and it being a stimulant medication) but then he calmed down, CLEANED HIS ROOM of his own accord, and his focus is improved amazingly. Unfortunately, it's also improved his focus when he's trying to lawyer is way into/out of things (I'm exhausted.. get off me, kid!) but yeah, I'm seeing a major difference all ready.

We'll have to see where it takes us. Sorry, I've never heard of metadate so I can't help you there!
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Every child is different and therefore it often takes awhile to find the "right" stimulant medication. In our family we have tried them all over the past forty plus years. The youngest (now 9) takes Vyvanse with success although she does need a small booster stimulant late in the afternoon. The boys did well with Concerta. All I think you can do is keep a daily small journal tracking the behaviors so if your first choice doesn't work well you can show the Doctor how your child has reacted to the medication. Good luck. DDD
 

syykkogrl

New Member
In answer to your thread, Metadate is from a family of stimulant medications called methylphenidate, the same thing that Ritalin is derived from. Whereas Vyvanse is Lisdexamfetamine, and is a "Pro-Drug", which is a drug that has no physiological activity of and in itself, but once metabolized by the body (after passing through the liver) it is transformed into an active drug. There is a protein attached to the medication that prevents it from taking effect until after it is processed through the liver, making the Drug non-habit forming. Finding the right medication for your child is always a trial and error process, as there are no set rules one can follow for EVERY child. Most of the time, your Dr. will try a drug from the methylphenidate family (like Ritalin or Focalin XR), and if there is no success, will then try a drug, like Adderall, from the amphetamine or dextroamphetamine family and compare the results. If one medication seemed to work better than the other, the Physician will most likely, then attempt to prescribe different medications in the same family of the medication that had a better effect. Vyvanse is becoming increasingly more popular because many parents see the effects of the medication immediately, and because it cannot be abused like many other medications for ADHD that are on the market. My daughter has Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD, and Vyvanse has worked amazingly for her, as well as my youngest son (who has only ADHD). My oldest son has been on Focalin XR for several years with excellent results, so we have not changed his medication because the Focalin XR DOES work very well for HIM. It was not easy to find the correct medication and dosage for each child, even though they are siblings. It took months of trial and error for each child to find the medication that worked well (and the correct dose of the medication) for their individual needs. I hope that this answers many questions, and that it better informs you of what to expect if you are just embarking on the journey of ADHD with your child. Good Luck!
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
msmlb,

we often refer to the change and trial of medications as the "medication merry-go-round". It it definitely trial by error since all of our children are different and their bodies metabolize medications differently. My son's first adhd medication was metadate and he was on it for two days - it was a complete disaster! We saw an immediate positive change in the adhd symtoms but the emotional toll was bad. He was then on Concerta for about a year and a half with much success until it was deemed necessary for an increase due to his increased inability to focus.

Immediately upon the increase from 18 to 27 mg my difficult child began having extreme raging at school (never at home). His medication (among a number of other things) was changed to adderall and he did great on that from 2nd grade through 6th. In 7th grade we started vyvanse because it had a "smoother" delivery system and he is now in 10th grade.

I give you this "brief" history so you will see that even if a medication has worked wonderfully, the changes in our kids as they grow, hormones coming into play, etc., often make medication changes necessary.

For my difficult child, the vyvanse was "smoother". It's kinda hard to put into words but that's how I describe it -- the adderall seemed to give him a "hit" in the morning and a "hit" in the afternoon that could often result in negative moodiness. The vyvanse is different.

Another difference was that the vyvanse doesn't affect his appetite as much but it does last longer and it is important to get it in him as early in the day as possible.

Sharon
 

Gigimac19

New Member
These posts are so wonderful. I am 45 right now. I have been on ADHD medication since I was in 5th grade. And as it was put in a previous post is is definitely a merry go round. It still is to this day. I am currently having problems even as old as I am. And believe me, no matter what people tell you, YOU DON’T GROW OUT OF IT! Make sure you and your children stay up to date with an entire ADHD well being program for their lives so they can live their best life possible. And believe me, it is well known the ADHD individuals have AMAZING POTENTIAL if they can just live up to it. Anyway. I want to than you all for your posts, As one of the first children in my town diagnosed with ADHD and as a former teacher I have seen first hand from parents, students and even friends that were left floundering because their parents either heard horror stories of the side effects of ADHD medication and thought The side effects would be worse than the disorder or tried one medication without success and assumed all ADHD medications were the same. While the world has changed today thanks to the internet. And we have access to more information than we could ever consume, none of that matters if people like you don’t speak up and educate each other about your own experiences. And yes each and every child, adolescent and adult with ADHD (ADD) is different. Their problems that go along with ADHD are different. And the way their bodies process the medications are different, even from one day to the next. But every detail is important. I believe we should look at our ADHD well being as a Police Investigator. Analyzing every detail of our lives and learning all that we can about how others with the same disorders function. It also helps to learn about dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin. ADHD and many other disorders and vulnerabilities in us are controlled by the way our body regulates these chemicals. There are many things we can do with exercise, diet and vitamin that can improve the regulation of these chemicals or on the other hand can cause detriment. Once again it is a situation of the more you know. However, I would never recommend 100% Hollistic without ADHD medications. But that is just me. I have tried both multiple times ove the years and there is no substitute for pharmaceuticals. Sorry I have written so much I will bring this to a close. But I will leave you with one last thought. For those parent out there who are new to this and are having trouble understanding what your child is experiencing I will give you a little window into their world. In my experience before my medication started working if I was reading a book (text book, English, math, history, or even a book of my choosing that I enjoyed) I could read the pages over and over. I wasn’t absorbing or understanding page after page. Even as I went back and reread the page. It was as if I was reading pages in foreign languages. Then the moment my medication kicked in (and believe me if It’s the right medication you can tell the exact moment it kicks in), all of a sudden it’s as if the pages magically turn to English. I can read them, I can understand them. And I can learn them. It’s a wonderful feeling to magically learn you really are smart. I graduated college with a 3.96 GPA And I have 3 degrees. I was president of Teachers of Tomorrow. Member of Golden Key Society at Ole Miss and I did it on Scholarship. I am not bragging but I just want to make it clear to anyone one out there who worries about their children’s future that ADHD (ADD) people have great potential. I do no not consider myself as one of those people. I didn’t even start applying my potential until my freshman year in college. I didn’t have the information you do now. Please for yourself or your children take advantage of it. And thank you to all those who are posting here making it helpful for everyone else to learn. If anyone would like to ask me any questions about my ups and downs through the years or pick my brain you are welcome to. You may contact me at [email protected]
 
Top