ADHD Update: after (almost) a year
May 27, 2025Almost a year ago I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, and I wrote about it. I also followed up with another article a few months later.
As a recap, I have long suspected I have ADHD, was finally convinced by my wife Chyra to get it checked, was diagnosed with "inattentive ADHD", and was prescribed Vyvanse (aka "lisdexamphetamine") and Intuniv (aka "guanfacine").
After 6 months I was still dealing with sleep disruption, and after talking to my doctor, I reduced my Vyvanse dose from 40mg to 30mg. This really helped me get better sleep, although it's still not quite as good as it was before I was on stimulants.
There's not a ton to report, because at this point it seems to just be working as it should, and I'm moving forward with life. That's a good thing!
🟢 Intensity: It's at a good level -- not too intense, but noticable improvement in focus and lower distractability.
🟢 Creativity: I'm still coming up with ideas and executing on them, but I'm currently focusing on ... focusing, and reducing the complexity in my life.
🟢 Mood: My mood has been good, in general. Some of this has to do with better stability in other parts of my life, which is due to a lot of work, which in turn is helped by my increased ability to focus.
🟡 Weight loss: This continues to be a struggle for me, but I think the Vyvanse has indeed helped. But it's not a miracle drug. I still have to put in the work.
🟢 Sleep: With good sleep habits and the lower dose, my sleep has improved immensely. It's about 7 hours a night, which is sustainable at my age.