Can You Get Vyvanse Over the Counter? Here’s What You Can Do
Posted by Prescription Hope - See Editorial Guidelines (Last Updated On: Wed Aug 02 2023)
If you’re looking to get Vyvanse over the counter, then it’s likely you are looking for an easy method of obtaining Vyvanse medication. Indeed, the ideal option for many would likely be to get Vyvanse over the counter.
So quite simply, in this article, we’re answering the question – can you get Vyvanse over the counter? Let’s start with a quick answer, then we’ll get into more details…
Unfortunately, you cannot obtain Vyvanse or any ADHD medications over the counter without a doctor’s prescription. Vyvanse is not approved for over-the-counter sales. Buying Vyvanse freely over the counter would increase the risk of abuse and serious side effects, both mental and physical.
Adverse effects are especially risky if you do not have ADHD. In the worst case, it can cause conditions leading to fatality
That’s the quick answer, but let’s dive into some further details to understand what you can do to get Vyvanse.
Can you get Vyvanse over the counter?
Vyvanse is a medication prescribed for ADHD in children above 6 years and adults. It was also recently approved for treating binge eating disorders in adults as well.
For those unaware, ADHD (Attention deficit hypertension disorder), is a condition that affects how one behaves. More specifically, it causes trouble and restlessness in one’s attention leading to several other problems in their routine life.
People with ADHD may have difficulty following directions, remembering information, concentrating, organizing tasks, controlling anger, and finishing work on time.
Anxiety, chronic boredom, forgetfulness, depression, problems at work and relationships, impulsiveness, low tolerance for frustration, low self-esteem, mood swings, substance abuse or addiction, and low motivation are some other problems ADHD people go through.
However, if you are experiencing any of these, then it doesn’t mean you have ADHD and you need to take ADHD medications. Sometimes you may get these symptoms simply because of mood swings or other undiagnosed reasons.
This is why Vyvanse should only be taken after an official diagnosis and evaluation from a doctor. And as per their dosage and administration recommendations.
Take Vyvanse without medical a prescription or medical supervision
If you can get Vyvanse over the counter, or other stimulant medications used for ADHD without a doctor’s prescription, it could lead to over-self-subscribing. Determining your own dosage level could easily lead to abuse.
Unfortunately, there has been a trend of people abusing Vyvanse for recreational, academic, and weight loss purposes.
This has unfortunately resulted in both adverse physical and mental side effects.
Physical and mental side effects
Some common symptoms of Vyvanse abuse include:
- Elevated heart rate
- Constriction of blood vessels
- Increased body temperature
- Increased blood pressure.
Taking Vyvanse without a prescription is one of the most common forms of abuse. This involves taking more than prescribed, and more often than directed.
Taking for a longer period than prescribed, mixing with other medications, and even snorting or injecting Vyvanse can also quickly lead to abuse.
Long-term abuse of Vyvanse can progress to several other harmful outcomes, which include significant impairment and distress in one’s life.
Also, chronic abuse can lead to further complications such as malnutrition – as a result of suppressed appetite, paranoia, and psychosis.
Other long-term side effects vary depending on how the medication is abused.
Intranasal users may experience sinusitis, perforated nasal septum, and nasal bleeding.
And intravenous users are at an increased risk for collapsed veins, abscesses, track lines, infection of the heart lining, contracting HIV or hepatitis viruses, tuberculosis, and blocked blood vessels due to insoluble fillers in pills.
Some might also face lifestyle complications like legal problems, job loss, child neglect, suspension or expulsion from school, impaired work or school performance, excessive absences, and other financial and relationship problems.
If left untreated, the practice of this abuse can cause fatal conditions that cannot be reversed.
There are also possible effects of drug tolerance …instigating the need for increasing doses to achieve the desired effects causing physical dependence, which makes your body function normally only with the presence of the medication or even causing addiction.
What other medication can I get as an alternative to Vyvanse?
So you cannot get Vyvanse over the counter, and unfortunately, there are no perfect non-prescription alternatives to Vyvanse.
However, if you are looking to gain the benefits of Vyvanse without being exposed to the risk of side effects as with Vyvanse abuse or overdose, certain supplements and natural alternatives may help.
Some include organic Japanese matcha green tea powder, Yerba mate, and high-quality coffee. There are also methods you can use to increase the effects of your current Vyvanse prescription. For more on this, check our article on how to intensify Vyvanse.
It’s important to remember that other methods, even methods such as nootropics, are not managed medications for someone being diagnosed with ADHD.
Any other method a patient tries does so without the guidance of a medical professional and so the results could be unpredictable.
You might also want to check our article on switching from Adderall to Vyvanse. Or even Vyvanse vs Adderall.
How a doctor prescribes Vyvanse
There are different types of ADHD, and healthcare providers use the most common symptoms to diagnose ADHD and their different kinds.
If your main problem is difficulty completing a task or paying attention to fine details, it’s most likely to be a Predominantly Inattentive Presentation.
Having this type of ADHD can also make it difficult to understand or stay engaged in an ongoing conversation.
Whereas, if you can’t sit or stand still and spend a lot of time fidgeting, you may have a predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation. General restlessness is one of the most common themes for this type of ADHD.
Sometimes you may also face a combined presentation of the above two types of ADHD. In such instances, you will experience symptoms from both conditions.
Forgetfulness, talking too often, low impulsive control, avoiding taking unnecessary risks, and having social issues are other common symptoms considered when diagnosing ADHD.
If you experience these common symptoms daily, then it most likely means you have ADHD or ADD. Sometimes it can also mean a related learning difficulty.
Experiencing only mild forms or rare incidents of these symptoms could mean you only have some or a few traits of the ADHD brain but not the actual condition itself.
Even in such cases, a doctor may not prescribe Vyvanse or other stimulant medications but instead refer you to over-the-counter alternatives to see if they control the symptoms.
Can you get Vyvanse over the counter – Next steps
It would of course be convenient to get Vyvanse over the counter. But there are good reasons why Vyvanse is not available as an over-the-counter drug.
Trying to get Vyvanse over the counter probably means you already take or are looking to obtain Vyvanse or other ADHD medication. If that is the case then you should be aware you could obtain your medications at a much lower price.
