[Wren329]

I've been taking Vyvanse and it has worked really great for me for months. I've dealth with anxiety from time to time in the past but the medication has always calmed me except for occasional issues during the comedown. Nothing I haven't been able to deal with. But I've had some circumstances in life lately that have caused me some anxiety (with resting heart rate of 110-120 for hours) and even one night of panic attacks so i've been trying to lower my dosage of the Vyvanse slowly just to be safe but now I'm starting to feel this physical anxiety even when I'm not actively thinking about anything to provoke it.

It almost feels like taking a lower dosage of the med is making me anxious. I also get more anxious after I eat something. Anyone else ever experienced this?

[kecanoe]

I don't have experience with Vyvanse, but if stuff is going on that is increasing your anxiety, perhaps this is not a great time to adjust meds.

How long have you been taking it? Does your Dr think it could be adding to anxiety?

[Wren329]

I've been on it off and on for years but this around about 3 months. it's my personal doctor who prescribes it. I was lowering it just a tiny bit this time because my psychiatrist wants me to try out an SSRI and I read the warnings and have fears about taking an SSRI and stimulant together. I also never like being on stimulants long-term (hence the being off and on it for past few years) as I have a benign heart condition and i just have some fears about long-term use even if my doctor doesn't see a problem. I was in the middle of a crushing full-time school semester plus full-time work and I decided to go back on it so I didn't fail both. I'm glad I did but was ready to slowly taper off and see about doing something more long-term like the SSRI for my off-and-on anxiety/depression struggles. But you are right... maybe just not the best time to mess with it at all. I just had never had any problems with slowly weaning off when on it in the past. I have an appointment with my personal doctor today who is the one who prescribes it and an appointment with my psychiatrist in a couple of weeks who I know will favor me being off stimulants and going with an SSRI. Hopefully my doc and I can figure out a way in the immediate to stop the anxiety.

Since I wrote that post I've gone up to my regular dose again but the anxiety seems to still be sticking around so it must be that the stressors in my life have just gotten to me a little too much lately and my typical CBT and managing techniques are just not working as well.

[Wren329]

Repeating what I said in my reply above relevant to original post...

Since I wrote that original post I've gone up to my regular dose again but the anxiety seems to still be sticking around so it must be that the more recent stressors in my life have just gotten to me a little too much lately and the Vyvanse is no longer calming and my typical CBT and managing techniques are just not working as well either. I'm seeing my personal doc today (who prescribes the vyvanse) and will bring it all up with him. It stinks because i go into deep anxious depressions when I go off vyvanse cold turkey but I just hate these feelings so much and obviously weaning off isn't working either. Hopefully there is something else I can do along with the med or in place of it to manage my anxiety better.

[JakeBH9]

being on an ssri and vyvanse was the worst thing i've ever done @ Wren329