Captains Log - Day 3 on the Return Trip from Space

So we made a special trip back to Clinton after work Friday to pick up my new head-meds before going to my parents' for the weekend. I was determined to start them on a weekend because I never know how the side effects will hit me and I didn't want to deal with it while at work if it was ugly. Greg and I got a kick out of reading the Medication Guide insert. Yes, I'm a nerd who always reads the insert. This one was more of a one page flyer. Some of our favorite exerpts:

1.Vyvanse is a stimulant medicine. The following have been reported with the use of stimulant medicine:

*sudden death in patients who have heart problems
*stroke and heart attack in adults
*incresed blood pressure and heart rate

Yeah. I'm feeling good now. Especially since I had all kinds of heart problem while taking Ritalin.

2. Mental (Psychiatric) problems:

*new or worse behavior and thought problems
*new or worse bipolar illness
*new or worse aggressive behavior or hostility

Um, aren't those some of the things we're trying to FIX with the meds??? And I'm really looking forward to the new bipolar illness, that'll be a nice change for me.

Finally, my personal favorite and the one I've been making fun of all weekend:

*new psychotic sympotms (such as hearing voices, believing things that are not true, are suspicious) or new manic sympotoms

Call your doctor right away if you or your child have any new or worsening mental symptoms or problem wile taking Vyvanse, especiallly seeing or hearing things that are not real, believing things that are not real, or are suspicious.

First of all, they can't just say "hallucinations" or "paranoid." Politically correct? Maybe, but if believing things that are not real and being suspicious are considered serious side effects, they shouldn't start people on it during an election year! After I took the first pill on Saturday I kept pointing at things and asking my mom if she could see it too, much like John Nash at the end of A Beautiful Mind. I also used this as an excuse to say things like, "I don't believe you! I won't start believing things that aren't real!" to the most simple statements. Guess if I'm having that much fun with it it's not really bothering me much.

But on a more serious note, this drug is predominately prescribed for kids. I would freak out if somebody wanted me to give a kid something with those warnings on them. I freaked out taking it myself. So far no major problems, highest clocked heart rate was 132 on Saturday but seemed to even out pretty quick. Granted, food is of no interest to me now, but I've been that road before so hopefully I can work that out. But still, this looks like some scary stuff to give little people.