What does it mean when stimulants stop working and/or start causing anxiety or moodiness?  Stimulants usually have a stronger effect when they are first started and then the dose has to be increased to achieve a good response.  Some patients will become tolerant to at least some of the stimulant effects and have to increase the dose gradually over time.  This is not a major problem as long as the total daily dose doesn’t exceed the maximum.

Dosing chart:

Your problem may just be an inadequate dosing issue.

The anxiety and moodiness that you are having may be a side-effect or a rebound effect depending on when it is occurring.  If your mood symptoms are at their worst between 3 1/2 to 5 hours of taking Vyvanse it is probably a side-effect.  If they are  occurring later it more likely is rebound and you need a second dose - probably around lunch time.  Rebound symptoms are more likely with Adderall XR than Vyvanse - short acting Adderall or Dexedrine tablets are even worse.

The majority of my patients have done better on and preferred Vyvanse.  There are some patients however who do better on Adderall XR, presumably because they need the added norepinephrine effect.  More patients on Adderall need to add Tenex, but it can also be helpful with Vyvanse.

Anxiety and moodiness starting after taking stimulants for a while can also be due to underlying genetics of mood disorder, especially bipolar.  Any significant family history of major mood disorder increases the risk.  Patients with ADHD and bipolar genetics do best on a combination of a mood stabilizer and a stimulant.

There are occasional patients who become sluggish or sedated with methylphenidate for reasons that aren’t clear.  If you are taking Effexor or Lexapro in the am then these could interfere with the activating effects of the stimulant.  Lexapro and Effexor are usually taken in am when first started, but after a few weeks they generally work better taking them at night (Lexapro) or supper (Effexor XR), and this is especially true when combining with stimulants. 

See how to take Effexor: http://www.askdrjones.com/2005/12/29/how-to-take-effexor/

The most effective stimulant for appetite suppression and weight loss is Dexedrine (Vyvanse is the most effective form).  Adderall is the next best.  Methylphenidate is the least effective for appetite/weight.

In general, using stimulants to lose weight needs to be a long term commitment.  If the stimulant is stopped the weight is almost always regained - usually with 5 extra pounds for good measure.  This is not usually the case if weight gain only occurred on an antidepressant and the antidepressant is no longer being taken.  All antidepressants except Wellbutrin are sometimes associated with weight gain, but may not occur until several months of being on the medication.  Weight gain is partly due to changing set points for serotonin receptors that help regulate carbohydrate intake.  Another possible mechanism is that serotonin up regulation by antidepressants can down regulate dopamine and eating is one way to stimulate the dopamine system.  Stimulants, especially amphetamines (Dexedrine, Vyvanse, Adderall) increase dopamine release to counteract the serotonin effect.

See the Do’s and Don’ts of sleeping habits on my site:   

 http://www.askdrjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/sleep_dos_and_donts1.pdf

Make sure you are doing all the cognitive and behavioral things you can do to optimize sleep. 

You are in a high risk group for insomnia.  Sleep problems are more common in women than men, increase with age, and are aggravated by menopause.  The onset of your insomnia coincides with perimenopause.

Estrogen has many more potential benefits than risks for most women - especially brain benefits.  Unfortunately, if you still have your uterus you have to take some progesterone.  There are options like long acting intrauterine forms of progesterone that can minimize side-effects.  I am totally opposed to oral estradiol such as Estrace.  http://www.askdrjones.com/2007/04/28/say-goodbye-to-the-pill-ladies/

  Premarin or synthetic Cenestin by mouth and or estradiol cream/gel or patch is the best form.  The WHE study 5 years ago scared a lot of women about estrogen replacement therapy but the women in the study were on average 10 years post menopause and never used estrogen - that puts women at greater risk and may apply to you especially if you smoke.

One milder option is prescription DHEA which in women mainly turns to testosterone (good for bone and muscle) but then in the brain is converted to estrogen - avoiding the increased risk of estrogen related breast cancer.  

There are occasional women who benefit from natural progesterone (Prometrium) at bedtime since it has a natural benzodiazepine like sedative effect.  I recommend that you don’t take synthetic progesterone like Provera.  

Any form of alcohol can contribute to sleep problems because it causes arousal as it wears off.  If you do drink alcohol make sure it is not within 3-4 hours of going to bed.

We are fortunate to have very effective sleep medications that provide normal sleep.  The mildest, shortest acting is Sonata, usually 10mg-20mg lasts 4-5 hours.  Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Klonodine, Ativan, etc., shouldn’t be used at bedtime because they decrease stage 4 sleep (the most important type of sleep), but they can be used for early awakening with inability to get back to sleep - since we get all our deep sleep in the first three hours.

Lunesta (2-4mg is needed) for sleep but may cause a bad taste in 15-20% of people (less likely if taken with orange juice).

In general, Ambien CR is better than Ambien tablets because they frequently don’t last long enough.  The generic form is probably weaker.  The CR form is not as strong as the tablets for inducing sleep but lasts longer.  Some people have to combine CR with the short acting tablets to get to sleep.

All of these sleep medications work better on an empty stomach - combined with good sleep habits as I stated earlier.

Circadian rhythm problems can also contribute to the problem.  Morning bright light and or evening melatonin or prescription Rozerum may also help. 

Adding Tenex or Clonidine, or occasionally Prozosin can be helpful.  Trazodone, Seroquel, or low dose Doxepin may help.  Neurontin (up to 800mg) or Lyrica also induce normal sleep.

Chronic insomnia can be very resistant because of all the anxiety and conditioned negative expectations.  It is harder to treat initially and gets easier as fear of insomnia subsides.  When problems persist a sleep study can help identify problems such as restless legs, myoclonus, or sleep apnea.

When all else fails there is a medication that usually works, Xyrem.  It is highly regulated because of previous misuse of it as GHB.

Because good sleep is so essential you have to persist until you find what works for you.  Don’t give up until you find the right medication at the right dose.