Vyvanse - skin breaking out with pimples :(

[Guest lostaddguy]

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

[lottacrazy]

I have had more acne with certain meds before...ask your GP for retinA it clears it up right away...trentinoin works as well. I am not sure if there is something that certain meds have that creates the breakouts or if it is stress, but the retin-a really works...but ask for the GEL not the cream, your skin will peel like something out of a horror movie at first (just the first layer) but after 2 weeks the blemishes will be almost gone...guy or girl you should exfoliate too, which cleans off dead cells and moisturize along with washing your face...it works and helps until you can get a prescription, it will make your face brighter, so the pimples will be less noticable. If you are going out and there is an inflamed pimple buy Avon spot treatment (it looks like a tube of lip gloss) you dab it on the pimples at night and by am they lose the redness and some the blemishes will shrink...go to Avon.com and you can hunt it down, it should be in the face and skin care area.

Edited September 27, 2008 by lottacrazy

[Guest CheerLEADER]

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

[Guest pimples]

ME Toooo...........

any ideas? Freakin weird? I always have had some, but not like this!

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

[Guest Guest]

I was taking 30mg of Vyvanse, but I have been upped to 50mg after I told the doctor that it was wearing off around 2-3 in the afternoon. Now it seems to last all day. I am in law school, and after barely making it through the first semester, I went to see the doctor, and this has helped tremendously. I feel like I am back to my old self, mentally, and I am doing really well in school this semester.

Side effects/problems: I got a daily headache when I first began taking it. My appetite has become nearly non-existant, and I have lost about 10 pounds in just over a month (though I could have stood to lose it). I have also had dry mouth, but I drink more water and it is fine. More concerning to me is that I have developed a few zits that refused to heal. I alternated using acne medicine and neosporin to encourage healing, but nothing produced ANY results, for days on end. Finally, believing it might be related to the Vyvanse, I went off the medicine for a day or two, and the zits began healing immediately. This worries me, and I wonder if this could be related to "tweaker zits", the facial lesions or zits that abusers of Methamphetimine get. Perhaps I am just over-concerned, but I have never had zits that won't heal at all. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Also, what are the ramifications of not taking the medicine once or twice a week? Is this bad for any reason? WIll it mess up my body chemistry or reduce the effectiveness of the medicine?

ME Toooo...........

any ideas? Freakin weird? I always have had some, but not like this!

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

[Guest izzy]

Glad you all posted on here...even if we don't have an answer, it helps to know I'm not crazy. I haven't broken out like this since I was a teenager, and I'm pushing 30. I tend to scar easily too, so it's really affecting my self esteem and the time it takes me to get ready in the morning...adds an extra ten minutes at least, and the mornings are hard enough to get moving for as an ADD woman with an early morning job (and meds don't kick in until later).

FYI I actually skip the meds on the weekends and am still having the breakouts. I hate not taking the meds for a couple of days, to be honest, because I get much fewer personal chores done and I feel foggy again. But I don't want to get worse acne, let alone develop a tolerance to the meds...

[flgirl1]

Glad you all posted on here...even if we don't have an answer, it helps to know I'm not crazy. I haven't broken out like this since I was a teenager, and I'm pushing 30. I tend to scar easily too, so it's really affecting my self esteem and the time it takes me to get ready in the morning...adds an extra ten minutes at least, and the mornings are hard enough to get moving for as an ADD woman with an early morning job (and meds don't kick in until later).

FYI I actually skip the meds on the weekends and am still having the breakouts. I hate not taking the meds for a couple of days, to be honest, because I get much fewer personal chores done and I feel foggy again. But I don't want to get worse acne, let alone develop a tolerance to the meds...

I'm having the same problems here. Vyvanse works well for me but is giving me terrible acne....I mean terrible cystic acne and I'm over 40. What is going on? I stop for a few days and I clear up...then I start and then it happens again. Adderall does the same thing! What can I do?

[Guest rex]

Glad you all posted on here...even if we don't have an answer, it helps to know I'm not crazy. I haven't broken out like this since I was a teenager, and I'm pushing 30. I tend to scar easily too, so it's really affecting my self esteem and the time it takes me to get ready in the morning...adds an extra ten minutes at least, and the mornings are hard enough to get moving for as an ADD woman with an early morning job (and meds don't kick in until later).

FYI I actually skip the meds on the weekends and am still having the breakouts. I hate not taking the meds for a couple of days, to be honest, because I get much fewer personal chores done and I feel foggy again. But I don't want to get worse acne, let alone develop a tolerance to the meds...

I'm having the same problems here. Vyvanse works well for me but is giving me terrible acne....I mean terrible cystic acne and I'm over 40. What is going on? I stop for a few days and I clear up...then I start and then it happens again. Adderall does the same thing! What can I do?

Yep. All kinds of skin problems are common with the amps. Since starting them, I have daily flushing, spots of excema in the crook of my arm, athelete's foot on my toes that won't heal completely, and acne. Nothing you can do except lower the dosage and/or just treat the symptoms. Obviously, if you stop taking the meds for any length of time, they won't do you any good, although a day or two off is good now and then, in my experience.

[bitter almond]

I am really glad I found this post. I was wavering between asking my doc for Adderall or Vyvanse (my doctor is pretty good about prescribing me what I want, so long as I keep going to my therapist). I finally got my acne-prone skin under control and I'm not willing to deal with that again.

[Guest Guest_ant_*]

Hey can you tell us how you got your acne prone skin to go away????

I am really glad I found this post. I was wavering between asking my doc for Adderall or Vyvanse (my doctor is pretty good about prescribing me what I want, so long as I keep going to my therapist). I finally got my acne-prone skin under control and I'm not willing to deal with that again.

[chipmunk]

Hey can you tell us how you got your acne prone skin to go away????

I am really glad I found this post. I was wavering between asking my doc for Adderall or Vyvanse (my doctor is pretty good about prescribing me what I want, so long as I keep going to my therapist). I finally got my acne-prone skin under control and I'm not willing to deal with that again.

I'm not "bitter almond" but I have heard tons of people say that ProActiv worked better than anything their dermatologist gave them. It bleaches your towels and washcloths, though, so be sure and use the old ones.

I actually have dry skin (until I started on Vyvanse....) and I have been using clindamycin topically and Azelex cream. It works ok....my problem is that I am not religious about using it, and any of the skin regimens work best if you don't skip any treatments.

Washing your hair before you go to bed and using a fresh pillowcase every night are also things I have heard that have helped. Keeps the dirt and scalp oils from getting on your face.

[chipmunk]

Just want to come back to this thread and say that my skin has totally cleared up since I switched from Vyvanse to Adderall. The difference is amazing! I haven't had a zit in over a month, and my skin is back to being mostly dry.

[Guest yuli]

Me too!!!! Since I started taking a little over 2 weeks ago my face hasn't stopped breaking out...

Not sure what to do because the benefits are great....

[Guest Jackie]

I just started Vyvanse like a week ago and my skin as broken out like mad! I havn't had it this bad in years!

[Guest cwitt07]

well i quit that shit, i took it for a while and my face went from perfect( not really) to HORRIBLE. but at the time i began, i never would have guessed it was the vyvanse. so i began doing everything i could to git rid of it and all i could do was just calm it down. over thanksgiving break i ran out and went a week off of it and i realized my acne cleared up, but still didnt think of it. i also realized i dont need it anymore because i picked up on the changes in my behavioral patterns and i learned to keep the patterns in effect without the vyvanse.... anyways.... my uncle died trgically at 38, i took some to see if it could relieve depression and all the sudden my face began to look like it did when i started, so i realized its definately the vyvanse.... so i quit and have a clear face again..

[Guest Aymie]

I'm 22 and suffered from acne since I hit puberty @ 10 years old. My ADHD was untreated until March 2009 when my psychiatrist started me on Vyvanse (which was a JOB saver since I work a desk job!). My acne never really went away, but once I started the vyvanse my acne worsened, not only on my face, but also on my neck, back and shoulers! O.O It's really embarrassing and to make it worse, the bumps can take many days to heal. It's very frustrating, but this medicine has had more positives than negatives, so I guess it's just something I'll have to keep dealing with and working on. :\

[summergirl23]

The Vyvance web site says little to nothing about acne as a side effect but if you google it, you'll see lots having this problem. That's the reason I switched from Vyvance. I'm 34 yrs old and was breaking out with cystic acne like a teenager, on my face, arms, back...thanks, dr, I'll take something else, please.

I tried a few things, but salylic acid worked best for me. I got a foaming face soap with the SA in it, and a topical treatment for at night. I also use a moisturizer that reduces oil, I think that's why it got so bad so fast.

Good Luck!

[Guest cajncutie]

I have been on ADHD meds for almost 20 years. I was prescribed Ritalyn for about 15 of those years, then in 2008 my doctor switched me to Adderall. Got much better mental results from Adderall but then a few months ago he switched me to Vyvanse claiming that his other patients had given it rave reviews. i was VERY reluctant to switch but he gave me no choice and surprisingly, i Love the mental results.

As a teen, I had perfect skin and after my first child, I began to get a pimple every once in a while but when I started the Adderall, I began to have ACNE. up until that point, Proactiv had kept my face under control but it did not work for the Adderall acne. The Vyvanse has only made it even more intense. My face is in a constant state of pain and the scars are piling up by the minute. I have tried other acne treatments in addition to Proactiv: Murad, SK1N, Clean & Clear, and more. I have been on prescription acne medication for a little over a month now and still have seen little results. There seem to be very few medical professionals who are aware of the Acne side effects and as of yet I have not heard of any ADHD medication that works as well as the Vyvanse but doesn't cause breakouts. Until they create such a "pill" I guess we are forced to choose whether we lose our minds, or our faces...

The Vyvance web site says little to nothing about acne as a side effect but if you google it, you'll see lots having this problem. That's the reason I switched from Vyvance. I'm 34 yrs old and was breaking out with cystic acne like a teenager, on my face, arms, back...thanks, dr, I'll take something else, please.

I tried a few things, but salylic acid worked best for me. I got a foaming face soap with the SA in it, and a topical treatment for at night. I also use a moisturizer that reduces oil, I think that's why it got so bad so fast.

Good Luck!

[Guest Merry]

Me 3! Always have had perfect skin and now big pimples that really hurt before they come out. I thought maybe it's sweating at the gym but I think it's definitely the Vyvanse. Love it though, even with it's side effects!!

ME Toooo...........

any ideas? Freakin weird? I always have had some, but not like this!

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

[Guest Jordan]

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

I have been taking vyvanse for almost exactly a year now, and before I had always had a few pimples here and there but nothing to where it ever bothered me much, and I felt like other people never really noticed it either. Over the last 6 months or so I feel like my breakouts have gotten way worse and I honestly think it has a lot to do with the Vyvanse. I usually take it everyday because on the days I dont I feel really tired and lazy, but one time I was wondering if it would help my acne if I went a couple days with out it and my face started to clear up. I hate not taking it because I have trouble focusing in my college classes and studying for tests with out it, but I dont know what to do about the acne part of it at all. I also have been seaching everywhere for something that actually will help, but no answers so far. Vyvanse is a Stimulant so i know that it can cause your blood presure to be a little hire or increase your heart rate. Also, it causes your cells and oil glans to produce a lot faster making your face more oily and prone to break out. The only thing that I have found is that maybe caffeine which increases the affects of the vyvanse and makes at least my face more oily and breakout more. Also, milk and other dairy products with alot of calcium can make you break out more also. So i guess a low glycemic type diet could be best. The two things that probably help the most I think is showering with ivory soap since its all natural, and i use a medicated acne gel with 10% benzol peroxide. the one i use at night says clear but its white so you prob wouldnt want white stuff on your face walking around in the day time. but it works pretty good and its only like 2 bucks at walmart and its the equate brand. durring the day you can get the one that Clearasil has and its a tinted acne treatment cream. and right after I shower i always use a sensitive skin shaving cream on my face which keeps my skin from cracking and drying and when I shave or even just whipe it off I put the tinted acne cream on my face. If you just do it real light its not real noticeable at all other wise i wouldnt uses it cuz im a guy and I dont wear make-up. haha but it has the 10% benzol peroxide in it as well and keeps my face a little less oily and from breaking out as much. But im still searching for something that will just help stop my face from breaking out for the most part almost all the way. Im 20 year old and getting pretty sick of the embarassment of acne. anyone with advise i would def be willing to listen though!

[Guest mommy baker]

I have been on Vyvanse for over a year, and yes it causes acne!!!! I have never had cystic acne until I started this medicine. It took awhile for me to figure out what was causing it. I went to a dermatologist, an internal medicine doctor, gynecologist etc. and not one attributed it to the medication. I reduced the dosage in half, and poof, no more acne! Now I have huge scars and pits to remind me of the hell i went through from this shit.

The only thing that has helped my acne is to keep your skin clean, without overdrying. Even if you're a guy, it is best to use a moisturizer especially after using benz. peroxide or salycilic acid. At first it sounds like it will just make you oily, but in fact it lets your face accept the moisture so that it doesn't over produce oil. You can purchase a microderm abrasion kit from your local drug store, or my fav is a Mary Kay product that really gets your pores clean. After that, use the moisturizer and this lessens my acne tremendously. Any product with zinc will calm the redness (even balmex) although you would only want to do this at home of course. Another product to help out is sulfer. The only product I can remember that has this in it is a mask made by Proactiv. For household products, you can use baking soda as a "microderm" alternative, lemon juice as an astringent, and aloe to calm the skin. I have also tried beating egg yolk and applying as a mask. This really tightens your pores and it is high in protein.

I used to eat a very low carbohydrate diet and I never had acne then, so you can try to eliminate or greatly reduce your carbohydrate intake, especially the refined sugars and I would almost guarantee that your acne will clear up tremendously!

Good Luck!

Edited March 26, 2010 by null0trooper

[Guest Agree!]

I'm glad I found these posts. I started taking Vyvanse 3 or 4 months ago and it has worked really well for me. However, my skin started to break out about a month ago. My skin is usually pretty clear and I haven't had pimples like this in years. I started thinking about what I've been doing differently that could be causing the acne and it occurred to me that it might be a side effect of the Vyvanse. The Vyvanse website says almost nothing about skin side effects, but I've found a lot of people with similar problems through google searches. I'm thinking about asking my doctor to switch my prescription because I refuse to have bad skin and waste money on acne medication that I shouldn't need to use. Does anyone know if Adderall (or any other ADD medication) is better for your skin? Has anyone tried both medications and seen different results as far as acne problems? Help!

[Guest abbey]

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS i have been using this medicine for a few months now and it gives me horrible acne. at first i didnt know what the acne was from so i stopped taking the vyvanse, and the acne cleared up. so, i started taking it again, and it came back. now ive stopped again. i want to know if this is an initial symptom and it eventually clears up, or if acne is always going to be there with the vyvanse? i love the vyvanse but i hate the acne

[Guest abbey]

I'm glad I found these posts. I started taking Vyvanse 3 or 4 months ago and it has worked really well for me. However, my skin started to break out about a month ago. My skin is usually pretty clear and I haven't had pimples like this in years. I started thinking about what I've been doing differently that could be causing the acne and it occurred to me that it might be a side effect of the Vyvanse. The Vyvanse website says almost nothing about skin side effects, but I've found a lot of people with similar problems through google searches. I'm thinking about asking my doctor to switch my prescription because I refuse to have bad skin and waste money on acne medication that I shouldn't need to use. Does anyone know if Adderall (or any other ADD medication) is better for your skin? Has anyone tried both medications and seen different results as far as acne problems? Help!

i have the same exact problem. i cant stand this new acne on my face, but vyvanse works so well for me. i remember taking adderall, it did not cause acne, but it does not work the same way as vyvanse. im wondering if our faces will eventually get used to the vyvanse and clear up, or if it is just going to stay as long as the vyvanse is in the system

[Guest Carol]

i have been on vyvanse now for over a year and just recently my doc upped my dosage. ever since i started taking it i had quite a few break outs...more than normal..before the meds i hardly ever saw a pimple on my face .. ive been on the higher dosage for a few months now and my face is literally scar central ...it never occured to me it could be the meds until now ...i plan on getting off vyvanse completely ...both sides of my faces are completely scarred from pimples and not even make up can hide it anymore at this point ...and the thing is it just keeps getting worse ...

[Guest Bad acne]

I am 20 and a college student and have been taking vyvanse for a year now. Vyvanse gave me terriable acnes that take forever to heal an they do leave scares. I tried to skip vyvanse between days and it helped cleared my face. However I was not able to focus on those days. Now I m back on 30mg everyday and I have noticed if I exfoliate well like everyday the skin was able to heal faster. Also, exercise help too.

I use a lot if stuff on my face and few things that helped me are: drying lotion by Marie bascue, proactive , Zeno . When using Zeno, do it twice bc our acnes are much deeper. Usually right after shower when the pores are wide open I will use proactive system and follow by Zeno and then apply drying lotion before I go sleep. The next day morning wash off with just water and apply neotrogena sunscreen.

Some extras : Peter thomos Ruth max stength clearing pad ( something like that) , philosphy microdelibery peel,

When doing makeup powder covers better buy make sure you use a good primer that won't make you oily.

One thing I also noticed and it worked well on me but it comes with great sacrifices : I stoped taking it for three days and all I did was sleep. I was not able to think and I felt like I was not functionig. However the acne cleared up like magic within two days and when I start taking vyvance again it took about a week for me have new acne again..... I don't know if it is good idea..

Best wishes

[Guest Could it be?]

I have been on ADHD medicines for 5 years, and never once thought it could be causing the major skin issues I have had all throughout high school. My acne is really red and inflamed, and to top it all off they take nearly a week to clear up. Basically I am stopping the use of these medicines for good, and if it does turn out that i could have had perfectly dry clear non-red skin throughout high school then FML.

[Guest Dez]

I'm glad I found these posts. I started taking Vyvanse 3 or 4 months ago and it has worked really well for me. However, my skin started to break out about a month ago. My skin is usually pretty clear and I haven't had pimples like this in years. I started thinking about what I've been doing differently that could be causing the acne and it occurred to me that it might be a side effect of the Vyvanse. The Vyvanse website says almost nothing about skin side effects, but I've found a lot of people with similar problems through google searches. I'm thinking about asking my doctor to switch my prescription because I refuse to have bad skin and waste money on acne medication that I shouldn't need to use. Does anyone know if Adderall (or any other ADD medication) is better for your skin? Has anyone tried both medications and seen different results as far as acne problems? Help!

No, adderall does the same thing to your skin. I was just on these boards to see if vyvanse had better luck, but obviously not. Better get off the meds completely.

[Guest joanne]

I have been on Vyvanse for about 2 years now. My face has broken out but only on one area of my face its only on my right jawline going up to my cheeks. I have had horrible cystic acne in that area that has been there for over a year now. Ive been to the dermatologist 3 times, nothing is helping. Even worse now I have awful long facial hair growing!! Its only in that area that I brekk out in though. Anyone else have this side effect?

[Guest Jamie]

I was taking 30mg of Vyvanse, but I have been upped to 50mg after I told the doctor that it was wearing off around 2-3 in the afternoon. Now it seems to last all day. I am in law school, and after barely making it through the first semester, I went to see the doctor, and this has helped tremendously. I feel like I am back to my old self, mentally, and I am doing really well in school this semester.

Side effects/problems: I got a daily headache when I first began taking it. My appetite has become nearly non-existant, and I have lost about 10 pounds in just over a month (though I could have stood to lose it). I have also had dry mouth, but I drink more water and it is fine. More concerning to me is that I have developed a few zits that refused to heal. I alternated using acne medicine and neosporin to encourage healing, but nothing produced ANY results, for days on end. Finally, believing it might be related to the Vyvanse, I went off the medicine for a day or two, and the zits began healing immediately. This worries me, and I wonder if this could be related to "tweaker zits", the facial lesions or zits that abusers of Methamphetimine get. Perhaps I am just over-concerned, but I have never had zits that won't heal at all. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Also, what are the ramifications of not taking the medicine once or twice a week? Is this bad for any reason? WIll it mess up my body chemistry or reduce the effectiveness of the medicine?

ME Toooo...........

any ideas? Freakin weird? I always have had some, but not like this!

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

Hey!! Ive been taking vyvanse since last year. I've never had any problem with acne at all. I guess I'm kind of slow, but I'm just now putting the two together. The vyvanse has to be causing my acne. I experienced everything that you said; loss of appetite, weight loss, headaches, acne, etc. As soon as I stopped taking it, my acne cleared. It's not so much on my face, but on my back. They are big painful zits that last forever. I love the medicine, i'm also in college, and it helps me out so much. But, I've had to call of photo shoots because of this acne. I've decided to talk to my doctor when I go back and ask about a medicine that is just as effective, but without the acne. Ill post the medicine when I find out.

[Guest Acneville]

Thanks for posting. I was thinking something was wrong with me. Since I started Vyvanse in May its been breakout after breakout. Breakout on my face, shoulders, back & even behind my ears & back of neck. I had acne b4 but not like this. Some will heal more pop up. I'm so frustrated & don't know what 2 do. No 4play cuz when he touch my back I get out of the mood cuz he has touched a pimple! My dr do not think its the med. More breakout on the sides of my face. Only been using Olay soap for a couple of days & pimples r drying up but have dark spots on face. Went to Patient First, said it was bacteria infection & gave me an antibiotic. They started drying up but still more pimple showed up after med was gone. I truly believe its the vyvanse. Will continue using the Olay soap. If anyone out there has a solution, PLEASE SHARE! Tryed neutrogena Advance solution, cortizone, calmoseptine Ointment, 100% pure shea butter, & soap recommened by dermatologist (can't think of name but starts with a C) but didn't work. Just sick of my face breakin out.

[Guest doozerchik]

Yes, Vyvanse speeds your heart, and then your temperature rises... So it creates a problem for those who have acne (or previous outbreaks) I cannot believe it has not yet been tested or proven. Am I wrong? I hate this drug. I have a lot more energy after withdrawals were over...

If you can just exercise and diet, your energy and focus levels rise. ADD/ADHD can be controlled naturally.

[Guest Cameron]

1. Vyvanse is a stimulant. If you are already prone to acne, its going to make it worse. Just like smoking cigarettes will make it worse, or caffeine. Now if you do all of those im sure you dont have to wonder why youre having a problem with your skin. Drinking lots of water is very helpful. I would say the recommended 8 glasses a day, if not more. Stimulants, well, stimulate your body, using up everything your body needs faster. Essentially to make you a SUPER HUMAN. Which is why you all rant and rave about how amazing vyvanse is. So keep yourself hydrated, and eat healthy, get some sun, and excercise.

[Guest Confused Kitty]

ME Toooo...........

any ideas? Freakin weird? I always have had some, but not like this!

Odd, maybe not enough to be a big deal, but curious about why this would happen or if anyone has ever heard of it?

AHHHH!!!!

YES!....me too!

i have been searching to see if anyone has experienced acne breakouts from taking vyvanse but i have had no luck. i ahve been taking this medication since february and i have absolutely loved it! (with the exception of a dry mouth and extreme tiredness at night)...but i use to have no problems with acne at all. like i would maybe get one pimple every other week but nothing noticeable. ever since i have been taking the medication, my face has just been getting worse and worse and i dont know what to do!

I'm on Concerta, which is very similar to Vyvanse from what my Dr says, Concerta is just a little bit different.

I have been on Conterta for 6 months now, slowly increasing my dose from 36mg per day to now 108mg per day. My face seemed ok during the lower doses. I noticed a HUGE increase in how oily it was though, which I treated by using the Clean and Clear Oil Wipes, at least 15 wipes per day now! (in h.s. I always had oily skin, but would use about 5 wipes a day) P.S. I am a 25yr old female for what it's worth...about to be 26 in just 2 months...yikes!

However, a few weeks ago I bumped my dose to 108mg after telling my Dr (who apparently is an adult ADD specialist, 1 out of the 5 listed in Colorado), and within a few days of doing so I got 3 HUGE cystic zits on my lower chin.

Now, to understand my history here...about 2yrs ago I had experimented with an illegal drug called Molly (aka Ecstasy but powder form, not a pill). Every time I did that I would get cystic acne. Not a lot, but usually one or two spots around my chin that WOULD NOT GO AWAY! (I wasn't on any ADD meds at the time, just Bcontrol)

I went on Minocyclin(antibiotic used for acne) which sometimes helped, got regular "Cyst Injections" from my dermatologist...but it always came back. I even had one surgically removed in 2009 because it wouldn't go away and had been there despite meds/injections for 9 months.

I decided to STOP using the drug about a year ago. I'll admit, for a while I used it almost as frequently as your average Joe would go to the bar/club for weekend fun. I didn't drink alcohol, quite smoking cigs when I was 23, and used Molly as my justification for not being a drinker who wanted to party and get f*cked up.

I quit not only because A)It's illegal and horrible for your body and B)Didn't enjoy the way I felt, i'd be lazy, tired, and had no co-ordination. I love do dance, and Molly made me unable to move and I felt brain dead and lifeless.

Plus, my Dermatologist said my last resort would be to try Accutane. Now THAT, is a nasty drug. I realized I needed to do what I could "personally and internally" before going on something that hardcore. I cleaned up my drug use and POOF! Cystic acne was gone.

After being sober for about 2 weeks, my face cleared up. I hadn't had any cystic acne since the surgical removal and stopping illegal drugs. Sure, i'd get a small zit here and there due to my period or stress, but nothing that didn't go away w/ topical cream or by just giving it a few days to do it's thing and disappear.

Being on Concerta has changed me a lot, not only in the increased facial oil/sweat, but mentally i'm not as creative or social, i've lost my sense of humor that people always remembered me by. (same personality loss as when I was using Molly on a regular basis, and my friends noticed.)

However for the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, my brain is clear and I can pay attention to conversations. I almost lost a very important job because of my spacing out and making a huge mistake...but since being on Concerta my ability to focus on work has changed and I got offered a full time position at the company who almost fired me for my space out mistake. (In this economy that is HUGE for a non-college grad, or anyone for that matter.)

When bumping up to 108mg per day, I got a cystic zit on my chin within 2 days. Total flashback to the drug abuser days.

I stopped taking 108mg and went back to 90mg even though my Dr had said I should go up to 108mg since I'd already hit a plateau which is bound to happen w/ stimulants. (i'd take two 36mg and one 18mg in the a.m, that's the way the doses work...increments of 18mg)

and my face cleared up that week by cutting back to 90mg per day.

SOO...long story not short at all, I truly believe that the stimulant factor in any ADD/ADHD med will cause severe acne for a lot of people. What boggles me though, is that tiny 18mg difference of where I will break out at 108mg but be semi-clear at 90mg, but defeating the purpose of being on the drug at all since my focus is foggy and I feel strung out and tired on 18mg less.

I was looking into switching to Vyvanse because some forums I found said that compared to Adderrall being on Vyvanse helped their skin. However after reading this forum I guess it doesn't matter what you are on...if you're on a stimulant and acne is your unfortunate side effect then you have to make the decision as to what's important...clear headed but not clear faced, or clear faced and foggy headed.

I'm thinking i'll just go back to my days of overdosing on Coffee to focus, it never helped the way Concerta has, but it doesn't have the medical side effects/acne side effects that any RX stimulant does. Nor is there a sudden death warning on a Starbucks double shot cup ; )

I hope this helps someone w/ the same question!

If anyone knows of an ADD medication that DOESN'T cause acne, please let me know! I'm torn between being a vain 26yr old w/ clear skin but dumb and possibly jobless, or losing my semi-cute face to acne but able to concentrate and get things done

[Guest Kathleen]

Hi all! I read through all of this because I am having the same problem as all of you (so glad to know I'm not the only one!) and I stumbled across this website a few days ago. http://www.acne.org/

I have only tried a few simple tricks they gave on cysts and nodule reduction (that's what my breakouts have been since starting on Vyvanse a few months ago) and it seems EXTREMELY helpful. You do need a username and password to post and read all the threads, but it's 100% free and I have not gotten any obnoxious e-mails. I hope this can help some, if not all, of you!

[Guest Tawnee]

Prior to Vyvanse, I actually had a ridiculous amount of acne because I was sooo incredibly stressed out and overwhelmed with work and school. I saw a dermatologist, and started a regimen for my face about a month before I went on Vyvanse. Although my skin has greatly improved, there are a couple of times on Vyvanse where I've questioned if it's causing me to break out here and there. This is what I've figured out from my own personal experience. I don't know if it will help at all, but I'll share anyways and hope it does!

Ultimately Vyvanse is a chemical, so it is possible that your chemicals are just going crazy in your body and causing you to break out. How is your appetite since you've been on it? Are you eating enough? Eating regular? The foods we put in our body have a lot to do with our body. Our skin is an organ, and if we aren't taking care of our insides with good food, the crap gets purged through our skin. I noticed initially when I went on Vyvanse, that I wasn't as thirsty as I normally was, and wasn't drinking enough water. This in itself caused me to break out. When you drink enough water, it helps flush your body of toxins and greatly improves all types of skin conditions including acne. Additionally...SLEEEP. If you take Vyvanse too late in the day, or if one of your side effects is insomnia and you're not getting enough sleep, that can perpetuate the problem as well. Even prior to being on Vyvanse, if I was having sleep issues....I would break out, or my skin would look dryer and what not.

I guess what I'm saying, is maybe it's a chemical reaction in your body......or maybe your body is just reacting to some of the side effects of being on Vyvanse and perhaps if you're aware of them...you might be able to tweak your routine a little hear and there and see how it helps.

You must remember, it takes 30-33 days I think for your the skin on your face to fully regenerate, so you can't jump to quick conclusions.

I don't know how good your insurance is, but mine is pretty decent so I had decided to see a dermatologist. The over the counter stuff works for some people, but unfortunately it just doesn't cut it for me. I was trying a zillion and one products and spending SOOO much money anyways, so I figured what the hell. There's no way I'm gonna end up spending MORE at the derm, when I'm dropping money on products that don't work already. For females, birth control pills will certainly help regulate your hormone chemicals in your body for your skin. Additionally, I went on Tazorac which is a vitamin-a derivative. It helps with acne, acne scaring, pockmarks, and wrinkles. Even just for anti-aging purposes I loooovvve it. Once you turn 20, you should start treating your skin. Kind of a preventative maintenance kind of thing you know? That definitely helped significantly, but that alone just wasn't cutting it. My derm also put me on Avar-e cream which has sulfur in it for me to use in the morning. This has been my regimen including Vyvanse:

Wake up

Take Vyvanse

Take a multi-vitamin

Fish Oil

Face regimine AM:

CeraVe face wash

Avar-E cream

CeraVe moisturizer with 15spf (you need to wear an spf on your face to prevent acne scarring)

DRINK LOTS OF WATER THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AND EVEN ADD AN EXTRA FEW GLASSES ON DAYS WHERE YOU FEEL MORE BLEH ABOUT YOUR FACE

Face reginime PM:

CeraVe face wash using Clarisonic face brush

Hope in a Jar Moisturizer

Tazorac (only a pea size amount)

Every other evening, I add a mild Alpha Hydroxy toner after I wash my face and wait 10 minutes for it to dry before I use the moisturizer and Tazorac. A couple times a week I'll use different face masks too.

Even if you aren't someone who suffers from acne.....you should still take care of your skin. Maybe not as extensively, but absolutely washing your face and using good moisturizers and what not.

I'm not saying that you don't, I'm just hoping that if others are reading this, maybe it might help them

I'm sorry you're having so many problems. I personally understand what a hit it is to ones self confidence and how difficult it is to deal with. Although I have some discoloring still...for the most part my break outs aren't all too often. But like I said before, when I don't get enough sleep, or eat right, or drink enough water.....it flares up.

I wish you ALLL the VERY BEST OF LUCK trying to figure out a healthy balance between dealing with ADD ANDDDD Acne at the same time.

[ncb]

Hello everyone!

I have not tried this mixture yet, but am going to. I have the same acne / rash problem as everyone else here, and have done a lot of searching on the web. It seems like multiple people have posted this same homemade face wash, and they all call it "Blood" or "Blood Mixture" or something like that.... From all of the feedback that I have read, it sounds like it works well.

I copied this word for word from another chat site:

Topicals seem the way to go. The trifecta that worked for me, and others on this site:

"BLOOD FACIAL WASH":

-1/2 Cetaphil Cleanser and 1/2 Betadine Liquid, mixed and used with a buff puff (non-prescription)

-Clindamycin lotion or liquid (depending if you are dry or oily.) This is a topical antibbiotic, and prescription only.

-Benzoyl peroxide - For spot treatments. The best formulations are prescription, but it is available over the counter.

VARIANTS:

-1 part Betadine to 3 parts Cetaphil for the blood, or sub out Hibicleans for the Betadine if allergic to poviodione-iodine (you know if you are.)

-Benzoyl Peroxide: The 5% is often preferrable to the 10 %; the 10% is too drying for adults and can become an irritant.

-Add a topical retinoid or azelaic acid if it is the cystic and painful kind."

So, if anyone tries this I would be curious to know how it works? Hope this helps in some way, the rashes and the zits and I get this itchy bumpy rash on my scalp....sometimes it just makes me want to kill or cry or whatever....

Also, and I know it is a HUGE change of diet / lifestyle, but out of desperation I eliminated gluten from my diet, and among other positive benefits it has helped with my skin issues A LOT. If I eat some for a coupld of days in a row, the skin and scalp get worse immediately.

Curious - has anyone had issues with itchy scalp / rash on scalp of head?

OK, cheers!

[Marta]

I think they seriously need to recognise acne as a side effect - I’ve been taking Elvanse (UK equivalent to Vyvanse) and I went from having a couple of pimples to literally 20+ red painful spots every single day. (Within 2 months or so) It’s really taken a toll on my self esteem so as of 3 days ago I came off meds and will be starting Xaggitin XL (methylphenidate) - really hopefully this won’t cause acne. Tempted to just come off my meds completely