Weed and Vyvanse: Is It Safe to Mix Both?
Mixing Vyvanse and week comes with several dangers. Vyvanse is the brand name medication that is used to treat and manage conditions like binge eating and ADHD. Vyvanse is an amphetamine, meaning it takes on the role of a stimulant, boosting the levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in your body.
Weed and Vyvanse are especially dangerous when you take them simultaneously or take one right after the other. Regardless of the order you take them in, it’s important to understand that both come with their own set of risks. Here, we learn about what happens when you take Vyvanse with weed and the risks associated with it.
How Does Vyvanse Work?
Due to its amphetamine qualities, Vyvanse helps treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and binge eating. It is available in 5 different doses: 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 30mg, 50mg, and 50mg. The main ingredient of this drug is l-lysine, which, when consumed, is metabolized into d-amphetamines. D-amphetamines impact neurotransmitters by stimulating the central nervous system. The neurotransmitters that d-amphetamines target are responsible for controlling sleep, mood, pain, hunger, and pleasure sensations. Amphetamines can also affect your liver and kidneys.
Can You Mix Vyvanse and Weed?
One of the most common methods of using cannabis is by smoking weed. When you smoke marijuana, the smoke traverses your lungs and bloodstream. Weed comes with countless health risks and unfortunately, using it via a joint can be one of the riskiest methods of using it.
When you smoke weed, you allow harmful toxins like tar and carbon monoxide to enter your body. You also leave your lungs vulnerable to large amounts of oxygen which can eventually cause lung damage.
Your lungs and bloodstream are also where Vyvanse metabolizes. So, when you use Vyvanse and weed at the same time, the metabolism of Vyvanse ends up worsening. The result? The d-amphetamine levels in your bloodstream shoot up. On continuous use, weed can make way for toxic levels of d-amphetamines and other chemicals in your body. In some cases, these levels can even be fatal.
Dangers of Using Weed with Vyvanse
When you take weed and Vyvanse together, you naturally experience the effects of both drugs. The amount of reactions your body faces over time typically depends on whether:
- You consume more Vyvanse in relation to weed, or
- You consume more weed in relation to Vyvanse
Using weed and Vyvanse can trigger a side effect called “Scromiting.” Scromiting can make a user violently sick. It leads to violent vomiting which can even make you scream due to pain. The medical term for this condition is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome or CHS. Long-term use of weed and Vyvanse can cause your lethargy to peak. Such a situation can easily translate into respiratory depression, coma, seizures, and death.
Anxiety is one of the leading symptoms prevalent among those who use weed. Given the correlation between Vyvanse and weed, a mixture of the two can actually heighten your anxiety and lead to depression. Other common side effects resulting from this mixture include lethargy and sedation. Doctors are unlikely to prescribe Vyvanse to a person who struggles with weed dependence.
Does Weed Impact the Potency of Vyvanse?
Vyvanse can be administered via several mediums including:
- Oral tablets: This is the most common method of administration and the results begin to manifest within an hour and last for about 12 hours.
- Injections: When injected into the muscles, this method of administration takes about 15-30 minutes to kick in and lasts for up to 8 hours.
- Solutions: Vyvanse can also be taken in the form of a liquid solution. The effects here manifest in 30 minutes to an hour and last for about 4 to 12 hours.
The way your body processes Vyvanse may change due to marijuana intake. Marijuana may impact the potency and metabolization of Vyvanse. When the potency of Vyvanse is compromised, the user may fail to experience relief for their underlying symptoms. The risk of overdose usually increases when you inject Vyvanse. In some cases, it can even cause seizures, heart attacks, and death.
Side Effects of Consuming
Weed and Vyvanse
To understand the danger of combining weed and Vyvanse, here is a list of potential side effects to consider:
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Drowsiness and sluggishness
- Respiratory depression
- Intense palpitations
- Seizures
- Cardiac arrest
- Coma and death
Aside from considering the dosage taken of weed and Vyvanse, it’s also important to consider an individual’s tolerance and genetic makeup. Given the many mild to fatal dangers of mixing both drugs, it is recommended not to take such an approach. If you ever notice an individual facing these side effects, it is critical to rush them to your local emergency room.
Start Your Journey Towards Recovery with Asheville Recovery Center
Weed dependence comes with countless life-threatening repercussions. In many cases, marijuana addiction can quickly translate to other, more fatal addictions. If you’re looking for a way to overcome your cannabis dependence, now is the time to start healing. At Asheville Recovery Center, we create a comprehensive recovery plan to help you overcome your substance dependence and pave a path toward lasting recovery. Call us today to start living a happy and healthy life!
