Adhd Medication Concerns

I'm 20 years old and I just started taking Vyvanse for ADhD. I don't plan on taking it everyday; just on days when I really need to focus and be productive. However, I'm nervous about the weight loss/metabolism changes. Honestly, I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds, but I don't want the weight loss to come from using this drug. I've read that after you go off ADD/ADhD medication, it's very common for you to balloon up and gain a bunch of weight. I don't want to be on Vyvanse for the rest of my life (I'm thinking about just using it for the next two years until I graduate from college), but I am scared I'll gain weight after I get off of it. I know I'm thinking very far in advance, it just worries me. 

Will my metabolism change if I don't take the medication everyday? As long as I keep my deficits small (no more than 500 calorie deficit per day), will I be fine? I want to be healthy but I also want to be able to focus and be more efficient with my time. Can I have my cake and eat it too? 

Thanks :)

When I was between 8 and 12 I was seriously overmedicated on ritalin. It really screwed with my metabolism and yes, I did gain a tremendous amount of weight. (I was 260 at 13!!!)

However, I don't think my situation is a common one if you have a competent doctor. Make sure you discuss your concerns with your doctor so you can avoid this issue.

I think as long as you're cognizant of how much you're eating you should be fine. Again, talk to your doctor. maybe they can set you up with a nutritionist. :)

I was on concerta (27 mg) for 3 years...I was already really thin before and then lost a bit more and was taken off, but even off it I couldn't gain weight, so I don;t know how related the two were...i've been off it for a year and now weight about 10-15 pounds more, but also grew almost 2 inches so I don't know how related

I loved being on it....I was so focused and it was amazing, hopefully I will get to be back on it very soon...

anyways I think you can have your cake and eat it too (very literally, at least it was that way for me)....but now i'm worried about the weight gain when one goes off it, where did you hear that?

I don't know about Vyvanse, but I take 40mg Ritalin daily for my ADD which is a similar stimulant I think.

When I first started taking it my appetite hugely decreased and even though I was aiming to maintain at that time, I did lose some weight. After a month or so though my appetite came back, which is really a good thing. I would imagine that if your appetite was permanently lowered while taking the drug that you could put on weight when you go off the medication, as your body has a lot of adjusting to do. If you weren't eating much while on the medication, it could also have slowed your metabolism.

But so long as you eat well despite the medication, you should be fine when you come off it. I have heard it is important to decrease your dosage slowly (under a doctor's supervision) rather than quit cold turkey.

I would strongly suggest talking to your doctor about the proper way to take this medication and not self medicate on your own.  Many of these types of medication can not be used only when you want to take them kind of way.  If you have concerns about weight gain or loss, your doctor will be the best one to ask how to control these side effects. 

Original Post by pteresa19:

I would strongly suggest talking to your doctor about the proper way to take this medication and not self medicate on your own.  Many of these types of medication can not be used only when you want to take them kind of way.  If you have concerns about weight gain or loss, your doctor will be the best one to ask how to control these side effects. 

I'm not self-medicating...I met with my doctor last week and he gave me the prescription. he also said it was fine to not take it everyday. 

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I have to see him in a month to see how Vyvanse is going, so I'm going to talk to him about my concerns. That's a great idea to see a nutritionist - I might do that. 

Thanks :)