u/LongAffectionate4618

Hi All,

I’m looking for a backpack to take with me when travelling. It needs to be quick access and ideally 20l or smaller, which will allow me to store essentials like a power bank, AirPods, iPad mini etc. Also reasonably comfortable too so I can take it out and about with me when on city breaks.

I’m currently looking at the Aer city pack 2, however my fear is this’ll be too small, although it fits every other category. If there is a better alternative, please feel free to suggest! Thank you.

After 2 months on Elvanse/Vyvanse, I can honestly say it’s been life-changing for me. I started on 30mg for the first month. The main thing I noticed was a pretty noticeable rush of energy/euphoria in the morning, followed by around 6 hours where my brain actually felt switched on and functional. It wasn’t euphoric or anything dramatic, just this feeling of finally being able to do things without fidgeting or getting distracted, e.g cleaning/organising my room.

After that I titrated up to 40mg for 2 weeks and weirdly… I barely felt it. It almost felt less effective than 30mg somehow. I was starting to worry maybe the medication just wasn’t going to work consistently for me.

But I’ve now been on 50mg for the last 2 weeks and it’s definitely been the sweet spot so far. I still get that morning energy boost, but after that it settles into this calm, focused state for most of the day. I can work, study, reply to messages, organise myself, and just generally function without constantly darting around or being distracted.

What’s surprised me most is how much it’s helped emotionally too. I feel way less reactive, less overwhelmed, and much more regulated overall. Small inconveniences don’t completely derail my mood anymore.

I was honestly pretty skeptical about trying another stimulant because I had a bad experience with methylphenidate previously, and I nearly avoided Elvanse altogether because of that. Really glad I gave it a chance though, because the difference has been massive for both work and studying.

One thing to note, I still drink coffee while taking it. For me personally, I actually think caffeine enhances the effect a bit and helps me lock in even more. Obviously everyone reacts differently though.

Overall, I’m just genuinely thankful I started it. It’s not a magic cure for everything, but it’s made everyday life feel so much more manageable!

A quick footnote: diagnosed through Harrow Health in Jan 2025, also diagnosed Autistic as a child.