Vyvanse
Shares rank 7 of 9 ADHD medications by recommenders
People recommend it for smooth, consistent ADHD symptom control all day without precise dose timing. Critics note side effects, and some say coffee intake makes them worse.
People recommend it for smooth, consistent ADHD symptom control all day without precise dose timing. Critics note side effects, and some say coffee intake makes them worse.
9 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 78%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Smooth, consistent effect all day
“The benefit is that the medication automatically produces a smooth effects profile allowing you to live your life without timing medication to perfection.”
Comment from 22 Mar 2026 in “No evidence cannabis helps anxiety, depression, or PTSD” “dex seems to have a more consistenly helpful effect”
Comment from 31 Aug 2026 in “Reverse engineering my ADHD test” Strong results reported
“my life turned around almost instantaneously”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Aldous Huxley predicts Adderall and champions alternative therapies” “someone i know had amazing success with it”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Aldous Huxley predicts Adderall and champions alternative therapies” Fewer side effects than alternatives
“Lisdextroamphetamine on the other hand has much less side effects”
Comment from 4 May 2026 in “Brain scans reveal 3 ADHD subtypes” “0 side effects apart from my mouth.”
Comment from 26 Aug 2026 in “The brain may be about to have its Ozempic moment”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Chest pains linked to coffee
“I had heart/chest pains from Lisdextroamphetamine (ADHD meds) that went away when I stopped drinking coffee”
Comment from 24 Apr 2026 in “Habitual coffee intake shapes the microbiome, modifies physiology and cognition” Coffee causes speediness or tiredness
“coffee on lisdex will either just feel a little speedy and then give slight tiredness”
Comment from 29 Apr 2026 in “Habitual coffee intake shapes the microbiome, modifies physiology and cognition”
Other ADHD medications people recommend
The four most recommended other ADHD medications, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adderall | 38 | 26 | 59% | 11 | 3 yrs4 owners | — |
| Ritalin | 18 | 19 | 49% | 8 | 11 yrs4 owners | — |
| Vyvanse | 13 | 11 | 54% | 7 | 1 yr3 owners | — |
| Methylphenidate | 10 | 8 | 56% | 8 | — | — |
| VyvanseThis page | 7 | 2 | 78% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
10 of the 11 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“dex seems to have a more consistenly helpful effect”
“0 side effects apart from my mouth.”
“Lisdextroamphetamine on the other hand has much less side effects”
“coffee on lisdex will either just feel a little speedy and then give slight tiredness”
“I had heart/chest pains from Lisdextroamphetamine (ADHD meds) that went away when I stopped drinking coffee”
“The benefit is that the medication automatically produces a smooth effects profile allowing you to live your life without timing medication to perfection.”
“They also do have significant risk of side effects”
“absolutely zeroed my appetite”
“my life turned around almost instantaneously”
“someone i know had amazing success with it”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.