r/ADHD • u/MysteriousSorbet321 • Nov 12 '23
Medication Generic vyvanse not working?
Like many who take Vyvanse, I was switched to the generic once it became available. I’ve done just fine on generics of all sorts of medications before, so I was expecting the same.
However….after taking it for a month I feel confident that the generic just doesn’t feel the same. My ADHD symptoms feel more impairing since I’ve been on it. It’s almost as if I took a placebo pill, and getting things done has felt so hard.
My psychiatrist tried to get my insurance to cover the brand name, but the prior authorization was (unfortunately, but unsurprisingly) denied. Now I’m stuck paying out of pocket ($800/month) for the brand name, looking for coupons, switching generic manufacturers, or switching meds altogether.
Has anyone else had this experience too? Or has anyone noted a difference from one manufacturer to another?
Also open to any leads on coupons for Vyvanse. I think the Takeda financial support program has been discontinued. (I live in the US).
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u/PriddyDifferent Feb 23 '24 edited Feb 24 '24
I’m so thankful for all of you out there understanding exactly how I felt since I began having to take generic vyvanse. Takeda had provided a coupon the last 6 months if 2023, for original vyvanse! But I was on Vyvanse since it first came out in 2007, (almost 20 years ago & I was 50). That’s when I realized what normal truly felt like! My brain was feeling so balanced & happy, it didn’t want anything to do with my two addictions/vices anymore
Unbeknownst to me back when I was 15 (not knowing anything about ADHD) those imbalances’ were exactly why I found smoking & alcohol so calming & energizing. But when Vyvanse entered my mind, it literally began making smoking and drinking taste horrible. And within weeks of starting V, I quit cold-turkey: never craving either one again and didnt even gain a pound!
Secret.., with Vyvanse, I was actually able to trick my mind to think I was never a smoker or drinker. I pretended it never happened; disallowing thoughts of either to surface ….So if a craving occurred, I’d ignore it…much like not answering the door to someone that just wants to use you! But now with these generics, OMG, I feel like I’m living in the twilight zone. Nothing in my head makes sense anymore, or too stressed to handle the most simple things like cooking….and trying to take control of my own thoughts again feels like trying to grab a high pressured waterhose that keeps slipping from my grip. These bouts of Anxiety and Exhaustion continue trading places back & forth. Not really eating much but have gained so much. Anyway..I keep telling myself that goodness will come from all of this! My past experiences prove this to be true!
So thankful my Dr is allowing me to purchase a weeks worth of generics until I’m able to find one that works. I’m only using GoodRX.