Vyvanse is a stimulant drug often prescribed by medical practitioners to help their patients manage the most severe symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and various eating disorders. This medication also helps young children, teenagers, and adults who struggle with narcolepsy, depression, and chronic fatigue. While the effectiveness of Vyvanse is indisputable – it makes individuals more focused and less impulsive – and it reduces other symptoms that interfere with the patient’s life, there are also dangers such as dependence on the medication and Vyvanse overdose.
With the help of this article you will discover the signs, symptoms, and treatment options for Vyvanse overdose. You will also understand the potential risks and how to manage overdose situations effectively.
Average Vyvanse Dosage
Your healthcare provider should be the one to determine the dose of Vyvanse required to manage your symptoms – they will take into account your medical history, current weight and age, and other prescription drugs you are taking at the moment. The physician will try to prescribe the lowest dose that is effective enough to deal with the symptoms – the dosage varies from ten to seventy milligrams. In most cases, the dose for an adult person will not exceed thirty milligrams.
Signs Your Vyvanse Dose Is Too High
A doctor will warn you about the adverse effects of the medication – make sure you note any changes in your physical state after the dose of Vyvanse is administered. If the dose is too high, it will be necessary to adjust it for the upcoming days. While there are obvious Vyvanse overdose symptoms like tremors, vomiting, and diarrhea, pay attention to other signs that were not there before like sleep disturbances and decreased appetite.
Can You Overdose on Vyvanse?
If the dose of Vyvanse prescribed to you by your physician was too high or you misuse the drug, a Vyvanse overdose is certainly possible. Still, not every individual is in danger of going through an overdose – Vyvanse overdose risk factors play a major role in a potential overdose. An elderly person, an individual with excess weight, a patient who undergoes treatment for other illnesses and takes medications they did not warn their doctor about, and a dehydrated person are at risk of overdosing which is why it is essential to undergo a full physical examination and share your medical history before any drug is prescribed.
Vyvanse overdose may occur if you are taking a dose that exceeds the maximum daily dose which is usually seventy milligrams. Naturally, the physician will adjust the dosage based on your age, weight, and presence of other illnesses or conditions – for instance, if you are told by your healthcare provider the maximum dose for you specifically is fifty milligrams, the overdose may happen when you take sixty milligrams of Vyvanse. Moreover, if your immune system is getting weaker or you are not drinking enough water, the likelihood of an overdose increases.
Vyvanse overdose prevention includes the following measures:
- Always administer the drug the way your healthcare provider demonstrated during your appointment.
- Take the medication at a specific time in accordance with the directions of your physician. When you take Vyvanse later in the day or at night, the effects of the drug may disrupt your sleep which is why the recommended time of administration is the morning.
- Inform the doctor about mild side effects at your next appointment and call emergency medical assistance if the symptoms are severe and may indicate an overdose.
Vyvanse Overdose Signs & Symptoms
Although the individual characteristics of the patient and other medications they take will influence the way Vyvanse affects them, the symptoms of the overdose are usually the same for every person:
| Symptom | Description |
Tremors | There may be trembling and shaking movements of the body parts you cannot control – tremors affect the nervous system of the individual causing them to shake |
| Confused Behavior | You will find it hard to pay attention to people and objects around you, concentrate on a trivial task, and struggle to make decisions because of the brain fog |
Panic Attacks | Intense fear that impacts the person’s psyche and physical state alike is one of the key Vyvanse overdose symptoms often exacerbated by the realization of what happened – you will start sweating, shaking, and feel like you are about to faint |
Hallucinations | When you start seeing, hearing, or smelling things that do not exist in reality and even continue doing so after you have been told what is actually true, it might indicate an overdose |
| Cardiac Problems | Tachycardia, arrhythmia, and even a heart attack are very likely when the dose of Vyvanse is increased without the doctor’s approval |
Seizures | There may be even more intense uncontrollable body movements due to abnormal electrical brain activity – seizures are the scariest symptom, and you have to see a doctor immediately |
Side Effects of a Vyvanse Overdose
After the individual seeks Vyvanse overdose treatment and their condition stabilizes, the consequences of the overdose may haunt the person for quite some time – there are adverse effects for physical and mental health alike:
- Soon after the effect of the drug wears off, you may feel severely depressed, fatigued, irritated, and drowsy – withdrawal is a common complication that may manifest within 24 hours since the last dose especially if the dose was large. Vyvanse withdrawal will also cause intense nausea and headaches.
- Vyvance overdose, just like overdoses on alternative medications that increase alertness, may be dangerous for a person’s heart – hypertension, arrhythmia, and an increased chance of having a stroke or heart attack are just a few cardiovascular issues you may struggle with.
- Whether you misused Vyvance or you overdosed on it once, your cognitive function may suffer. In rare cases, an individual may even develop a mental health illness characterized by psychotic episodes – seek therapy after your behavior changes in a negative way.
Vyvanse and Serotonin Syndrome
Serotonin syndrome is one of the most dangerous side effects a person taking Vyvanse may experience. It typically occurs after you overdose on Vyvanse while combining this medication with various antidepressants or illicit drugs – your serotonin levels are way too high for your body to deal with.
The onset of serotonin syndrome is quick – you will feel it within minutes or hours. The symptoms vary from mild to severe:
- A mild case will cause you to feel stressed and nauseous, your pupils will be dilated, and you may experience tremors.
- Moderate signs of the syndrome include fidgeting, muscle cramps, excessive sweating, and random eye movements.
- When the syndrome affects the individual severely, their thoughts will be confused, their heart will beat fast, and they will lose consciousness.
What To Do If You Accidentally Took Too Much Vyvanse
Whether you or someone else in your vicinity is overdosing on Vyvanse, you have to contact emergency medical assistance right away. Do not attempt to self-medicate or deal with the most frightening manifestations of the overdose on your own – treating high blood pressure with beta-blockers or waiting for seizures to stop as if nothing has happened will have serious consequences for your health.
A doctor will know how to ensure Vyvanse overdose recovery – they will administer intravenous fluids for dehydration and observe the patient to confirm they will not put themselves or others at risk because of aggressiveness often exhibited by people going through an overdose.
FAQs
- What are the Vyvanse overdose causes?
The main reason for the Vyvanse overdose is too large a dose administered. Whether the patient failed to tell their physician more details about their physical health since liver or heart disease, for instance, must be considered when the prescription is made or they misused Vyvanse of their own volition, the larger dose is always at fault.
- How often does Vyvanse overdose happen?
Vyvanse overdose statistics have been largely unexplored – the person overdosing on Vyvanse usually sees a physician right away due to unexplainable symptoms, and the latter helps them to get back to normal. Still, an overdose on a stimulant drug is a serious issue – do not overuse medications you have been prescribed.
- How to recognize Vyvanse overdose?
If you or someone nearby took too much Vyvanse at once, look out for potential Vyvanse overdose symptoms – tremors, seizures, nausea, diarrhea, sudden aggression, confused behavior, and fainting are among the most apparent signs too much medication was administered at once.
- What can I do if I take too much Vyvanse?
Vyvanse overdose management cannot be conducted at home without the assistance of a doctor – if you take a bigger pill or miscalculate the dose in a different way and the consequence of this action goes beyond a mild headache, you need to talk to a medical professional. Remember that you must be honest about other medications you have been taking as well as inform the doctor about illegal substances and alcohol you have been combining with Vyvanse.
- Can I become dependent on Vyvanse?
Just like other stimulant drugs, Vyvanse is powerful enough to be addicted to. Since many young people take this medication to cope with their mental health conditions, dependence, withdrawal, and overdose are likely. In the event of severe withdrawal and in case of Vyvanse overdose, emergency medical treatment is a necessity to avoid further health complications – later on, therapy will help you to recover from the addiction.
