First off I'd just like to say Hello and thank you ahead of time for answering my questions. I was diagnosed with ADD several months ago and was put on Adderall XR and Welbutrin. The Adderall was initially a 10mg dose and after 2 weeks I was moved up to 20mgs. The Welbutrin was to help me quit smoking which I still haven't succeeded in doing. Well at the time I was first diagnosed I didn't have health insurance and had to pay for the prescriptions out of pocket. I got the first scripts, took them meds as directed and I felt absolutley great. I was getting things done, organizing myself better, and not getting bored with my job, etc. Since I still didn't have health insurance, I let the prescription run out and things went back to the way I was before the meds. Then about a month ago I got health insurance again and refilled my script for just the Adderall and not the Welbutrin because it was interfering with my sex drive/performance. So I started taking the Adderall again but didn't titrate. I started again with the 20mg dose right away. Things were working good for about 4 days then I had the worst panic attack I've had in over 5 years. I was totally freaking out. Also after the panic attack I had severe heartburn for several days. I immediately stopped the adderall again and waited to get in at my doctor's office. So I went to the doctor this past week and explained to him what was going on and his advice was to start taking the adderall again at 20mgs and he also prescribed Lexapro for the panic attacks and Prilosec OTC for the heartburn. Well after the 2nd day of this cocktail the panic attacks have come back. Out of curiosity while I was having one of these episodes I decided to check my blood pressure. It was around 145/80 on average. So to make a long story short I liked the positive effects the adderall had but now the side effects are masking the positive ones. So I have a couple questions to pose to you guys.

1. First and foremost are the panic attacks anything to worry about? I did have attacks prior to starting the Adderall but before starting the Adderall the last one I had was at least 2 years ago.

2. Do you think my dosage is too high? I can't tell if my side effects are due to the fact I'm over dosing or that I'm just experiencing common side effects.

3. As I mentioned I'm a smoker. Seeing that smoking was probably a way of self medicating do you think I should quit cold turkey to let the adderall do it's work rather than in a sense doubling up on adderall and nicotine?

4. After the initial week of taking the combo of Adderall and Lexapro do you think the panic attacks will subside as Lexapro takes at least a week to see any results?

Any info you guys could provide me would be great. Thanks again.

HOser,

I haven't heard of Lexapro for panic attacks. I'm on again and off again with the Lex which works like a chain gang for depression. Adderall has always calmed me down but read the posts and you'll soon see we all respond differently. I have heard of others that Adderall made jittery. Nevertheless is best to stick with the plan unless the side effects are worse than the disorder. Most crazy meds take some time (months in some cases) to do any good. Side effects usually wane with time.

Paying for them is another story. I'll tell you one that beats all: I have health insurance and the cheap sons-a-guns won't pay for anything other than generic. Some of the new meds like Lexapro are light years ahead of the older stuff. Makes no difference to those cheap^&#%ards. They won't pay. I got to stop before I start cussing and get flamed for bad language and thrown off the board.

Meds are trial and error. You got to give them a chance though before switching or upping the dose.

Bob

10mg and 20mg are not high dosages of Adderall XR. However, nicotine being a stimulant, it can sort of magnify the effects. I know that I have to drink less coffee when I'm using Adderall or else I get extremely jittery.

You should talk to your doctor about the panic attacks. Especially if they continue. As your body gets used to the adderall, some of the initial effects will diminish, that could be one of them.

Well this is now my 8th day on the cocktail of Lexapro, Adderall and Prilosec and things seemed to be going much better. I still have a slight anxiety feeling sometimes but it's never the full blown attacks I was getting the last time I tried the adderall.

The only real side effects I'm still experiencing are dry mouth, sweating arm pits, and no appetite. I can live with those so long as the panic attacks don't come back. I've also noticed that if I wait a couple hours to take the Prilosec the adderall doesn't hit me so hard and give me that initial jolt like it use to.

I go back to the doctor next week so I'll definitely talk to him about it. Also for some reason I have no desire for caffeine throughout the day save for my morning tea. But I've definitely noticed that my cravings to smoke have gone up. I'm sure the nicotine isn't helping with the effects of the adderall. Thanks for the replies!

Well this is now my 8th day on the cocktail of Lexapro, Adderall and Prilosec and things seemed to be going much better. I still have a slight anxiety feeling sometimes but it's never the full blown attacks I was getting the last time I tried the adderall.

The only real side effects I'm still experiencing are dry mouth, sweating arm pits, and no appetite. I can live with those so long as the panic attacks don't come back. I've also noticed that if I wait a couple hours to take the Prilosec the adderall doesn't hit me so hard and give me that initial jolt like it use to.

I go back to the doctor next week so I'll definitely talk to him about it. Also for some reason I have no desire for caffeine throughout the day save for my morning tea. But I've definitely noticed that my cravings to smoke have gone up. I'm sure the nicotine isn't helping with the effects of the adderall. Thanks for the replies! Adderall will murder your appetite. I'm currently forcing myself to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, after I forced myself to eat a bagel this morning. You'll be irritable if you don't, so it's worth it, but it does suck sometimes.

Lexapro on its own gave me one of the worst panic attacks I've ever had, about four or five days into treatment (maybe 6). Since then, however, I've noticed a dramatic reduction in anxiety.

I should mention that, because I was diagnosed with severe anxiety, my psychiatrist gave me lexapro three weeks in advance to allow it time to create a 'pillow' for my anxiety, as stimulants may bring on severe anxiety attacks.

I do know that some people on lexapro can start to feel theeffects in one week. But with any antidepressant it can take up to 4 weeks to feel the full therapeutic effects.

1. First and foremost are the panic attacks anything to worry about? I did have attacks prior to starting the Adderall but before starting the Adderall the last one I had was at least 2 years ago.I'm going through an eight anxiety course through my HMO. One point the psychologist hammered home is that panic attacks are not harmful. He hit that point home again and again. The feelings, however bad they feel, are just that, feelings. He said there is no documental evidence of anyone suffering a panic attack hurting themselves or others; whether driving or out in public. In fact, he says evidence suggests that people who experience panic attacks while driving actually drive better despite the feelings. He said that all the physiological mechanisms of the panic attack: i.e., increased heart rate, tightness in the chest, sweat, breathing, fight-or-flight feelings, etc.; are all normal bodily reactions which happen to be out of place under the circumstance. He advocates recognizing that the bodily mechanisms are normal and NOT dangerous and to face the attack much like a surfer dives under the approaching wave. Face it, don't resist it, and this could minimize the affects.

2. Do you think my dosage is too high? I can't tell if my side effects are due to the fact I'm over dosing or that I'm just experiencing common side effects.Always talk to your doc, but you have to build up from low to high. I started with 5 mg Adderall (generic actually) twice a day and now take around 10 mg twice a day but not XR. My sister tried XR and hated it. It made her edgy and angry so she switched to IR. She's never mentioned panic attacks though which she's had. I've never hade one.

3. As I mentioned I'm a smoker. Seeing that smoking was probably a way of self medicating do you think I should quit cold turkey to let the adderall do it's work rather than in a sense doubling up on adderall and nicotine?As recently quit smoker (~6 months ago) and before meds, I'd wait. I loved smoking (~ pack a day) and coffee (8+ cups a day), which was my way of self medicating. Despite the Adderall, I still drink coffee by the pot, but I don't miss the smoking. I miss the "breaks" especially after a stressful event, but the cig itself. I used the patch which really helped me. I think quiting smoking now will only exaserbate things. But I know how hard it is to quit.

As to your blood pressure: as your doctor about a beta blocker such as Propranolol. It could even help with future panic attacks.

Good luck,

SL