Vyvanse question from an Abbott rep

Discussion in 'Shire' started by Anonymous, Dec 30, 2009 at 10:05 PM.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    My son who is now almost 14 was prescribed Vyvanse over a year ago. He took a few pills (30mg) and then refused to take any more. I saw benefit as did his teachers. I want to start opening the capsules and put the powder in chocolate milk in the morning. Any thoughts? Just serious thoughts please. I don't need the bs. We still have a number of pills left.
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    no bs- If you saw benefit you and your doctor that prescribed it should make the kid take it in front of you- easy as that.
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Lets assume you are who you say you are, what is confusing to me is why you would ask on this site as opposed to what a rep with insight would do... Like looking at the PI, on the web, asking your Dr.??? It sounds like there is some other type of motive here.

    (Everyone be careful with your responses)
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    i have a doctor whose son doesn't like to take medicine and he dissolves it in his juice every morning and he has no idea he's taking it. It doesn't really have a taste, but his son is young so he doesn't notice the effect of the medicine
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    OP here. First off, you must not have a kid with issues if you are telling me to have the kid take it in front of me. Second, why not ask a rep? I know a lot about my drugs I figured maybe you do too. Guess I was wrong. We are not seeing the prescribing pyschiatrist anymore as he was a waste of time other than writing the script. I am not sure how much our pediatrician knows about Vyvanse. Son is now seeing a therapist with an PhD but not an MD. Just wanted to see if I could get info here. Sorry to be a bother.
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    If you really are a drug rep, and you've done your research, then you know what you're asking is an off-label question, and no one here is going to answer something like that.

    Vyvanse has been studied when dissolved in water, and is indicated as such. If your child doesn't like water...consult a doctor, and see what they say.

    You shouldn't be trolling Cafe Pharma asking questions like that anyway--these are the stupid types of questions that get people in trouble, and give the industry a black eye.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    You really think that asking if you can take the medication with chocolate milk is an off label question that's going to get you in trouble?

    Hey Abbott rep sorry for the asshole responses here. Someone already posted the "official" answer that you can dissolve Vyvanse in water. Water vs. Milk? I'm sure you're a savy parent who can figure out what works best for your situation. Sorry again for the paranoid prick who thinks you're trying to take down the company with questions about chocolate milk on an anonymous message board.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    exactly, and that is why I always doubt the authenticity of these people and ASSUME they are trolls looking for trouble
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    The reason the PI says water is because it will not change the lisdexamfetamine molecule. You can try putting it in his milk, it will be fine. The Vyvanse does not dissolve, it becomes suspended in the liquid.
     
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Yeah, you've got to look out for the old "chocolate milk" trap! I've heard the FDA has been taking down whole companies with that one.
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest


    OP-THANK YOU!
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    The reason the PI says water is because that is how it was studied.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    So when did Vyvanse get approval in adolescents? I haven't seen any studies of lisdexamfetamine - which is nothing more than a fancy and expensive way to deliver dextroamphetamine - in adolescents. Seems that the approved uses, last I checked are for children 6-12 and for adults 18 and up.

    The OP's child should be old enough to provide assent to treatment if not informed consent. There is likely a reason the child refused the medication - maybe it made his skin crawl, maybe he was anxious, or maybe the drug just made him feel bad. Doing something to him that he does not want (and is aware enough to understand the consequences) is a real ethical problem. If you think you've got problems now, just consider the message that sends to the child (as well as the lesson you are teaching - it should not be ok to surreptitiously drug someone because you want them to behave a certain way). Besides that, there are other actually FDA approved and well-studied treatment alternatives (assuming that the diagnosis of ADHD is correct).

    OP, by all means see your pediatrician. There are many, many conditions which look like (or are interpreted as) attention/hyperactivity, but are not. With luck, your pediatrician will do a thorough assessment, hopefully, you and your child's teacher will be given behavior rating forms if there is not a simpler problem. If your child's psychiatrist was not a board certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist - and maybe even if they were, don't feel at all bad about not following up. The first step in identifying a problem like ADHD should be to rule out all other possible causes of the observed behavior. Sometimes the root cause is something weird and as simple as snoring.

    One more piece of advice: Don't ask people who market/sell drugs for a living for medical opinions - unless of course they went to medical school...
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I believe his question was if Vyvanse could be taken with chocolate milk which is well within the abilities of a pharmaceutical represenative to answer. He wasn't asking for us to diagnose anyone, which treatment option he should choose or if his doctor's choice to use a product on or off label was appropriate. It doesn't appear you are a doctor or you have no clinical experience with Vyvanse since your assesment of lisdexamfetamine is way off. The studies and feedback from the medical community speak for themselves.
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    OP here. I appreciate all your comments for the most part. Just to provide more info, I have been dealing with this child for various issues since he was 3. I cannot tell you the number of physicians and therapists we have seen. Concerta, the Lily one (cannot think of the name), Ritalin were all terrible for him. He does not really have an ADHD diagnosis. He has Asperger's Syndrome which makes him too smart for his own good. He is mostly afraid he will get "fat" on meds as he was on Risperdal as a child. So two days with the Vyvanse in the milk, he has told me twice he is more motivated in school (I have not asked, he has offered the info), he was hard at homework last night AFTER swim practice without me saying ANYTHING to him. I thought this drug worked wonders for him when he took it the first time over a year ago, but he does not like the thought of taking pills. So.....yes I am willing to put it in the milk for now. He is taking the 30 mg dose. And btw I am the mom.
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    To the OP (I don't work for this company but I just want to help) I have read that there is a correlation between low Vitamin D levels and autism. You may want to look at supplementing your son - get the D3 kind. Some resources suggest as much as 1,000 to 5, 000 mg daily. Good luck!
     
  17. You are 99% correct in the FDA taking down "Whole" companies with that one.

    But only if you disolve it using "Whole" milk!

    Use 2% or less would be my suggestion!

    Actually I do not see a problem with it as I mix mine in water and drink it all down.
    Seemes to work better for me that way as it forces me to actually drink a larger amount of water vs swallowing the pill and just chase it with a little water. They cost too much to waste!
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest


    "He does not really have an ADHD diagnosis." And you have him on an amphetamine? (& he's Asperger's?). I think asking Shire reps for input is ill advised.
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    My son takes it he cant swallow pills, at first I tried putting it in juice which "worked" but I noticed there was always some of the "crystals" in the bottom of the glass EVEN AFTER putting a little more juice in and swishing it around. So we started putting it in yogurt, but the key is the delivery of it. Take two spoons, get a bit of yogurt on the spoon, put the contents of the pill on top and take your second spoon and put a little more yogurt on top. Simple in on bite!
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    As having been on every conceivable ADHD drug since the 3rd grade, (Literally..methylphenidate, methylin, wellbutrin, strattera, adderal, concerta, focalin, lisdex [Dexedrine prodrug] I must tell you I think it is extremely unethical to drug your child without his consent. Methylphenidate (ritalin) is a powerful psychotropic drug, the benefits and negatives of which should be weighed and discussed with the child. Understandably a young child may not grasp the full scope of the issue, but as a young adult having been on these drugs my entire life let me tell you it has been hell having to choose between being a social being and improving your academic performance. Yes the stimulants and such will focus your child but it will also unequivocally change them. These drugs often have a SEVERELY personality restricting component and children may be unwilling to communicate with their parents about this issue. I was an utterly different person on these medications. I became isolated and severely withdrew from interaction because of the seeming impossibility of communicating in a socially 'un-strained' way on these medicines. If you knew me as a child you would know that withdrawn and negative is the POLAR opposite of how I was before the stimulants etc. I began to seriously resent taking them, and refused for a considerable while, but as you know if you have a child with ADHD, school can just be too difficult without treatment, and so a graduate student today I have to really think about maximizing my efficiency while I am under the effects of these drugs, because interacting gets seriously just like TOO WEIRD. Strangely enough it has been the first generation TCA Imipramine (tofranil) that has most effectively handled my symptoms without the bizarre effects most of these uppers had on me. Thank God for drugs, but 'with power comes great responsibility.