Hello everyone,
I’ve been taking Elvanse since June 20th, ever since I received my ADHD diagnosis of inattentive type in April 2025. I’m in my mid-40s. I started with 20mg per day, and since July 8th, my doctor has prescribed 30mg per day.
The first two days of taking Elvanse were almost like an epiphany, because I never would have believed that life could be like this. I can’t remember being so balanced. Before, many things around me bothered me: loud noises, conversations, crowds of people, changes in my daily routine. In retrospect, however, I can’t say whether it was perhaps just a kind of honeymoon phase.
After the first two days, I felt that the effects of Elvanse were at least less noticeable. This worsened until I was prescribed a higher dose (30 mg) at my appointment with my doctor on July 8th.
Since then, I haven’t felt the same way I did after the first two doses of Elvanse.
I’ve noticed, however, that statements (e.g., from colleagues) that I know trigger me don’t affect me as much emotionally or even create a negative focus that’s very difficult to break out of.
So far, I’ve been taking Elvanse continuously since June 20th, but I don’t really feel any effect, or I’m not really aware of it.
Before Elvanse, I was constantly tired, and by tired, I mean that I had trouble keeping my eyes open during the day. For a long time, I couldn’t explain it. Neither could the doctors, until at some point, at the suggestion of a friend, I got diagnosed with ADxD. Now I explain it to myself as my coping mechanisms, which constantly drained my energy. This fatigue is far from there anymore.
My doctor has now increased my dosage to 40mg of Elvanse per day. I mean, I have my diagnosis in writing, and it was diagnosed in a proper procedure by a trained professional who also studied psychology. It involved several supervised sessions with questionnaires for me and people around me, several interviews, and an evaluation of my school reports. Nevertheless, I often wonder if I really have ADHD. If a person without ADHD took my Elvanse, they would certainly be like they were on cocaine. I, on the other hand, definitely don’t notice any overwhelming fatigue anymore.
Do people with ADHD often wonder whether they have ADHD or not? Do you sometimes doubt it too?
Edit:Typos
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I just took my first pill and now I’m Superman
I wrote this a while ago for people who are feeling like you. I’ll copy it below so you don’t have to follow the link but it might be worth checking out the discussions in the comments.
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Just a word of warning to everyone just starting their meds. This euphoria you’re feeling in your first week or even month isn’t going to last. You’re high right now because of all the new chemicals that haven’t become the norm yet.
This will eventually calm down and that’s completely normal, it doesn’t mean you need to rush to up your dose or switch meds (I’m not saying don’t do these things as recommended by your doc).
Make the most out of this time but don’t kick yourself if you’re not as productive a month from now when the high is gone and your energy levels get closer to normal.
The more profound effect of the meds will still be there to help you focus and function but feeling the pill kick in like a rocket up your arse won’t. The crazy unending motivation to be productive won’t either and that’s on you to keep up when the high dies down. Use this time to change some of your habits and build a routine that will last.
Another thing to remember as this all normalises in your brain is that you will feel more ADHD than you ever have when you don’t take your meds. When you find yourself having forgotten to take your pill or taking a break from it, that isn’t how you were before you started your meds, it’s all super exaggerated. Brain fog will be 110% cumulonimbus, you’ll likely not have the focus to pay attention to a 10 minute youtube video and you may want to eat a planet. Don’t start thinking this was how you were before meds and treat the meds like a crutch because that’s not what they’re there for.
They help with focus and that’s all they should do.
If you catch yourself wanting to take more than you should to get that high back then stop and have a long hard think about it before you do because that’s a slippery slope to substance abuse.
It honestly winds me up that this sub upvotes all the “I just took my first pill and now I’m superman” posts. That’s not how this works and it doesn’t last.
Neurotypical people don’t leap out of bed every morning thinking they’re going to conquer the world in 10 minutes flat. That’s just the initial high and we should warn people about it.
Your description sums up my experience quite well. I have been on Concerta for 5 months now 54mg + 18mg at lunch). In the beginning I felt like I could do “Everything, everywhere, all at once”.
Now it has mellowed out a lot and I can even say I feel more affected by my AD(H)D on meds. But I know that is because the medication is helping in some aspects and some aspects alone and doesn’t fix everything.
I have a greater ability to focus on the things I actually need to focus on (with some deviation of course), and the best part is that it heightens my mood level. Instead of waking up and being at a -5 I feel like i am more baselined with the medication. A baseline that actually makes me want to do things instead of just feeling that everything is an unclimbable mountain.
So far, I’ve been taking Elvanse continuously since June 20th, but I don’t really feel any effect, or I’m not really aware of it.
You are handling the triggering comments, and if I’m reading it right you aren’t nearly as constantly fatigued anymore. This seemed like a huge change shortly after, but now that you have adjust it doesn’t seem any different because you are getting used to the reduced symptoms. An ADHD medication working just means not having all the negative side effects, it won’t make you feel super awesome all the time.
That’s what ADHD meds are supposed to do to ADHDers, they bring them closer to neurotypical levels. You’re not supposed to have effects similar to cocaine.
The cocaine thing wasn’t meant literally. I was just exaggerating 😉. I just imagine that people without ADHD might act more like they have ants in their pants when taking Elvanse. But I have to admit, I do miss that feeling a little after I took Elvanse for the first time.
I had the same experience. It felt like: This can’t be legal!
Still does a bit after almost a year, but to a lesser degree.
Anyway, I suspect that this effect will fade, and that it’s more like a side effect anyway, not the intended therapeutic effect. Although these might be hard to completely separate; the line is blurry.
I still have many symptoms, but two major things are completely fixed: Getting on a task just by thinking it, and sharp focus.
Lol, cocaine made me calm and focused. Now I take prorscribed stimulants for the same effect!
Much of it sounds the same as me. I’m just 9 months ahead.
The effect of HOW it helps is a bit different for me, though.
I believe that especially initially, it gives a certain euphoria, similar to recreational stims like speed. And many patients feel like that is how it helps only, and that it stops working after a while. But what it is supposed to do, to regulate noradrenaline and dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, keeps working even after years - or so I’ve been told.
I think more focus should be put on how falling asleep was a primary symptom before. I can think of a couple of reasons: Comorbidity with something like narcolepsy, not enough sleep, or actual ADD symptom from sensory overload leading to tiredness or something. It will be hard to figure out whether Elvanse helps by keeping you awake, or if there is more to it. If it’s the former, I believe it’ll slowly fade over the next 6 months like high dose caffeine.
I did have the same problem before, but I realised I need naps. I have to work from home, because without my noon nap, things are bad. Often, I don’t even realise I need a nap; I just get cranky like a baby. My thoughts end up in a bad place, everything sucks and is wrong. It’s really a must for me. And I actually used to fall asleep at meetings or at my desk, no matter how bad it looked.
And I noticed that especially on Elvanse, I can’t trust myself. I lie down and close my eyes when I SHOULD feel tired based on what I did, not when I actually feel tired. Stims make it much harder to feel tiredness, exhaustion or hunger, but it’s super important to act as if I would feel it. This advice (from my doc) that was the biggest extra boost I got after getting the meds.
Oddly enough, I did use Modafinil, which is used against narcolepsy but also happens to work against ADHD, before I could get my hands on the good stuff.
So long story short, not sure if your situation is exactly the same, or very different. Chances are, I didn’t quite figure out mine yet either.
I think more focus should be put on how falling >asleep was a primary symptom before.
The more I think about it, you might be right.
I think that having difficulty noticing tiredness, exhaustion or hunger is a major symptom of ADHD. Do discuss this with your doctor, your dose might be not yet right.
Already done, and it was found to be a side effect of the medication. Not a problem unmedicated.
