I haven't read through everyone else's reply because I'm in a hurry, but I wanted to respond!
DS was diagnosed at 6 years old. His doc started him on Concerta. He showed some improvement in attention, but started losing weight almost immediately. This was compounded by the fact that we seemed to constantly have to up the dosage levels. A few months later after we'd moved cities, DS's new pediatrician recommended we switch to Vyvanse. For my son at least, Vyvanse has been a MUCH better choice. He's gained back some of the weight he lost without sacrificing behavioral improvements. It's a better choice for my son and he's tolerated it well over the last couple of years. We've upped the dosage two or three times, but he has been growing. And he doesn't seem to get worse side effects as we up the dose, either. If a parent were asking me which I thought was better, I would say Vyvanse (and the docs I've talked to seem to agree, as well).
That being said, it would tick me off about the insurance company, too! How disturbing that they can apparently override a doc's order like that!
