Vyvanse Patient Stories - Kevin
Kevin's struggle with ADHD
As told by his mother, Rachel
For the past seven years, I have been struggling to find the right treatment to manage my son Kevin's ADHD symptoms. It has not been an easy task.
It all started when Kevin was in second grade. I began to receive phone calls from his teachers telling me how he would show up to class without books or a pencil. He did not realize he forgot anything until he was asked where his materials were. The teachers also would tell me that Kevin did not pay attention in class. In fact, by the time Kevin got home from school, he would have no idea what his homework assignments were.
Kevin's older sister, who took care of Kevin in the afternoons, would yell at him and could not understand why Kevin would not sit still to do his homework. She would tell him to open his book and start doing his work, but would find him distracted playing his video games or wandering around the house a few minutes later.
In addition to Kevin's academic problems, his social life also suffered. I know my son often felt embarrassed in front of his peers when teachers would point out that he had a problem or was not paying attention. As his mother, this always bothered me and it made Kevin want to hide rather than face embarrassment in front of his classmates. I think these feelings also carried into his after-school activities, because Kevin often was alone instead of playing with his friends or participating in other activities. As a mother, it was hard watching my son struggle and not knowing how to help him.
After a few months of things not improving, I took him to our family doctor, who diagnosed Kevin with ADHD at age seven. This was a surprise because despite what I had heard, I did not realize that his lack of focus and attention could be symptoms of ADHD.
Once Kevin was diagnosed with ADHD, his doctor prescribed a variety of medications to help him manage the condition, but no matter what medication Kevin was taking, we ran into one problem or another. With one treatment, his ADHD symptoms were not consistently controlled throughout the day, and with another, the medication would not last long enough. Several left him with side effects, such as headaches.
This is why we agreed to have Kevin participate in a clinical trial for a new ADHD medication called Vyvanse. With Vyvanse, Kevin was able to concentrate at school, get his homework done in a reasonable amount of time, and still have time to enjoy playing basketball outside with his friends. This was because Vyvanse works for up to 12 hours, even at 6pm.
Now that the FDA has approved Vyvanse for the treatment of ADHD, Kevin's ADHD symptoms are consistently controlled throughout the day even through homework, like they were during the clinical trial. Kevin also does not experience any side effects with Vyvanse.
Not only have I seen a change in Kevin now that he is taking Vyvanse again, but his teachers also have noticed an improvement in his behavior and academic performance. He also is more eager to play with his friends after school, he gets along better with his siblings, and he can focus on activities, such as his favorite sport, basketball.
After taking Vyvanse in the morning, Kevin is able to focus throughout the day and still spend quality family time together when I get home from work. I see such a great side of Kevin while he is on Vyvanse.
About VYVANSE
Tell the doctor about any heart conditions, including structural abnormalities, that you, your child, or a family member, may have. Inform the doctor immediately if your child develops symptoms that suggest heart problems, such as chest pain or fainting.
VYVANSE should not be taken if your child has advanced disease of the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis); symptomatic heart disease; moderate to severe high blood pressure; overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism); known allergy or unusual reactions to drugs called sympathomimetic amines (for example, pseudoephedrine); seizures; glaucoma; a history of problems with alcohol or drugs; agitated states; taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) within the last 14 days.
Tell the doctor before taking VYVANSE if your child is being treated for or has symptoms of depression (sadness, worthlessness, or hopelessness) or bipolar disorder; has abnormal thought or visions, hears abnormal sounds, or has been diagnosed with psychosis; has had seizures or abnormal EEGs; has or has had high blood pressure; exhibits aggressive behavior or hostility. Tell the doctor immediately if your child develops any of these conditions or symptoms while taking VYVANSE.
Abuse of amphetamines may lead to dependence. Misuse of amphetamine may cause sudden death and serious cardiovascular adverse events. These events have also been reported rarely with amphetamine use.
VYVANSE was generally well tolerated in clinical studies. The most common side effects reported in studies of VYVANSE were decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, stomachache, and irritability.
Aggression, new abnormal thoughts/behaviors, mania, growth suppression, worsening of motion or verbal tics, and Tourette's syndrome have been associated with use of drugs of this type. Tell the doctor if your child has blurred vision while taking VYVANSE.
About ADHD
Approximately 7.8 percent of all school-age children, or about 4.4 million U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years, have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. The disorder is also estimated to affect approximately 9.8 million adults across the U.S. based on a retrospective survey of adults aged 18 to 34, projected to the full U.S. adult population. ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that manifests as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. To be properly diagnosed with ADHD, a child needs to demonstrate at least six of nine symptoms of inattention; and/or at least six of nine symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity; the onset of which appears before age 7 years; that some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g., at school and home); that the symptoms continue for at least six months; and that there is clinically significant impairment in social, academic or occupational functioning and the symptoms cannot be better explained by another psychiatric disorder.
Although there is no "cure" for ADHD, there are accepted treatments that specifically target its symptoms. The most common standard treatments include educational approaches, psychological or behavioral modification, and medication.
For additional information, please see Full Prescribing Information.
