children on vyanse that have been diagonsed with Autism spectrum disorder.
Hello I have a 13 yr old son with Autism spectrum disorder. he was diagonsed when he was 4yrs, i never wanted to put him on meds but did at the age of 10He ha\s been on ritlain and risperdone for the last few years, yesterday our doctor recommended stopping the ritlian and starting him on 20mf of vynase once daily. My question is , is there anyone else you has a child with this diagoses that has been on ritlan and now has switched to Vyanse I welcome any advice anyone can give me please..
Last edited by moderator2; 09-22-2011 at 04:50 AM.
Re: children on vyanse that have been diagonsed with Autism spectrum disorder.
In general, I think if a person is doing well on one medication, there's no reason to change. There's SOME evidence that Ritalin is better in children and Vyvanese is better in adults, but that isn't true for all patients.
Is the Ritalin working well, or are problems cropping up?
Also, you should be aware Vyvanese is a lot more expensive.
Last edited by janewhite1; 09-22-2011 at 05:36 AM.
Re: children on vyanse that have been diagonsed with Autism spectrum disorder.
I have an autism spectrum disorder and ADD and so have been off and on concerta (taken as needed - lots to do, papers to write, tests etc.) for years. I recently switched to Vyvance because I dislike the side effects of Concerta when I take it for more than one week straight. I feel it makes me more stressed and anxious and it is more difficult for me to function normally (I feel it messes with my personality). Concerta is basically a time-released Ritalin and so I guess it is similar. I agree with the first response though, why fix something that isn't broken.
I also want to add that Vyvance is a newer medication and hence hasn't stood the test of time against side effects. I have heard from a friend who started experiencing bizarre symptoms (joint pain, hair loss etc.) with Vyvance and have looked it up and there are some odd things. I became sick when I started Vyvance but it could be a timing thing. I have bizarre headaches (I've never had headaches in my life!) and it feels like pins and needles on the back of my skull which is disconcerting to say the least. (I've stopped taking it to see if things change). So long response to say I wouldn't change if you don't have a very good reason. Perhaps if the doctor wants something that is time released Concerta would be the best option since it has the same effects as Ritalin.
Lastly, again I'd sugest really assessing whether or not it is helpful. There have been studies that have shown that methylphenidate can improve ASD symptoms but it isn't a fully researched or commonly accepted topic. It certainly can (like I said, I take it) but I hate taking unnecessary medicine!
