Trying to put down in words what it feels like taking Vyvanse for the first time as an adult diagnosed after 30.
After years of trying other treatments, therapy, non-stimulant medications, I’ve got my first prescription for a stimulant and today is my first time taking it. I was always wondering what would it feel like so I think I’d try to describe it:
After the initial physical sensation subsided (stiff feeling in the neck, jaw, a feeling like tension on the skin of the back of the head) and I’ve started my work day I’ve realized that I’m pretty much feeling calm. Like there was a race in the back of my head where each task was fighting for a priority and I was trying to accommodate the first one that came to mind, but now while the race is still there I can just methodically pick one out and focus on it for a bit, or switch to another while still remembering the first one. It feels almost mechanical in how calm the process is (maybe a bit too mechanical actually), and I feel less governed by emotion.
I’m still getting distracted, but it seems like distractions last much less and I don’t feel panic and urgency after returning to the task at hand.
Now I wonder what it feels like once the effect is over, and if I will be able to sleep tonight normally.
One other effect is that there is almost no hunger, so I had to remind myself to eat something. In that regard it feels similar to hyperfocus when I’m absorbed in a task and forget to eat anything. I don’t know if it’s actually bad since I do have enough weight that needs losing, but I also don’t want an eating disorder. Feels like I need to start planning my meals.
My experience with Vyvanse isn't exactly a lack of hunger, but rather struggling to know if I'm hungry or not. I could either overeat, or eat nothing, and it wouldn't make a difference until later, when I'm either feeling bloated because I ate too much, or feeling dizzy because I skipped lunch. What I found to work well is eating mostly the same thing every dinner; something light, like a sandwich or something. Also, having a big breakfast and a big dinner kinda balances out not eating much at lunch. But aside from hunger-related side effects, I've found Vyvanse to be a life-changer for me, after being diagnosed at 37. I'm turning 45 this year, and I've been taking 50mg for almost 8 years. It improved my focus, my mood, and my motivation; almost makes me wonder how I made it so far without it!