ADHD Meds for RNY Patients

[MelissaE3437 5]

Hi everyone,

I had open RNY gastric bypass surgery way back in 2003, and I was diagnosed a few years ago with a raging case of ADHD. I always did very well academically so the ADHD was never diagnosed, at least not until I had two sons with it and their doctor said I needed to go get checked.

From a weight loss perspective I’m doing great, currently hanging in there at 143 pounds (I wear a size 6 or 8, though my weight has varied somewhat through three pregnancies and 18 years of, well, life. But medications (all kinds) have given me a lot of trouble. For the last three years I have been on immediate release generic Adderall, since extended release medication tend to be ineffective and even dangerous for me. Lately I’ve noticed it seems like the medication stays in my system only three hours or so, and my doctor thinks the surgery made my absorption extra poor since I am missing so much intestine. My doctor was having me take Adderall IR every 3 1/2 hours four times a day, and it was tricky to remember to take it and I felt like the levels were very unpredictable in my body. (By the way, I’ve tried the non-stimulant meds and they had absolutely zero effects.)

Currently I’m doing a trial of the Daytrana patch, since it doesn’t involve my stomach at all. Daytrana is a form of Ritalin, and for some reason it doesn’t seem to work well on me, though it could also be the dosage. I’ve heard rumors of people using Vyvanse after gastric bypass and having it work because it absorbs differently, and I was wondering if there’s any truth to that. I would love to hear stories of any RNY patients and the ADHD medications you found that worked postoperatively. Thanks in advance.

[Christina J. 17]

I recently was diagnosed and had to do some trial and error. I am on Adderall but it comes out listed as D-Amphetamine and I take 10mg twice a day. Once when I wake up and then around 2pm. So far it's helped immensely to just have the two at that dosage. I have been curious about Vyvanse but actually had a nurse practitioner say that it's absorption would probably not work out very well for me. Before when I took just one table of Adderall in the morning I had these awful energy dips at 2pm thus why we split it up. I have tried 3 times a day but it was too much and made me either very tired or very jittery, never a consistent effect though.

[LilaNicole20 252]

following

[mynameislaurak 0]

I had surgery in April and once my surgeon ok'ed me to go back on my meds (I was more than ready, being off my ADHD meds was horrible) I went right back to Adderall XR. I went back to my original dose (40 mg in the am) but I found that I got VERY shaky about two hours after taking it, so now I take the first 20 mg with Breakfast and the second 20 with lunch and that's much better. I used to take Vyvanse pre-surgery but it was SO expensive - this works just as well (if not better) and is a fifth the price.