Okay, here is the deal...I saw my Pdoc Friday and now we are trying to figure out if I am truly ADD. I definitely have the majority of symptoms (innattentive type), but she also "re" diagnosed me bipolar (I was diagnosed years ago a couple of times but never wanted to accept it). She thinks my hypnomania symptoms may actually be what we were thinking was ADD. I am mildly BP for the most part except for a couple bad expisodes here and there and I do have a "good week" once in awhile, usually the week after my period (hormonal?? that appt is next week). She put me on lamictal and told me to keep my AdderallXL at 10mg twice a day until we see how I do on the lamictal. Anywho (sorry for the rambling), my question is, I havent had much improvement from the Adderall (maybe a tiny TINY bit, more in the motivation area) and I also get "caffeine nervouseness type feeling" from it maybe twice a week. I thought I read somewhere that if it affects you like that, that you arent truly ADD, is this true or is that just the "energetic" feeling many of you talk about? I am very sensitive to any caffeine too so I guess I am not suprised that a stimulate would do that to me, but now I am wondering if it does it because I am not truely ADD! Idealy I wanted to play around with Adderall more first and find out if higher doses worked for me or if Adderall just really isnt my drug, but my Pdoc wanted me to start Lamictal so that is what we did. On a good note, I am on day 5 of my Lamictal (starter pack, lowest dose) and I am telling you I felt a little better after the 2nd pill. I think it may "vamp" me up a little too so maybe it has been the combination of the 2, but I have had some good 5 days (and I am even PMSing!!) I dont feel quite as tired and am more motivated, but my concentration is just as bad as always!! I guess what I am getting at and the point of this thread is I am wondering if the nervous side affects mean that I may not ADD or if I am just dreaming that I read that? After a few more months into the lamictal and ADD I am going to possibly start a low dose birth control to see how that plays a role, but that really isnt an option right now so this is where I am now. Any thoughts or advice would help! Thanks everyone!

Anxiety is a pretty common side effect of stimulant medication as noted in their respective prescribing information, though some people don't have that reaction.

If you are taking both caffeine and Adderall... I'd try gradually dropping the caffeine. Personally, I found C+A to be a bad combination, and one that greatly potentiated the anxiety-causing effects of Adderall, and many others here have reported the same thing. Not to say it's true for you, but you can see what happens for yourself.

Also, some people don't respond to Adderall that well. You can try different doses, and if they don't work, you can try a methylphenidate (ie Ritalin) based product as well, which statistically are less anxiogenic than amphetamine-based medication.

AFAIK, you can be both bipolar and ADD. Further, ADD medication can initially cause hypomanic-type symptoms for a couple weeks after it's started or a dosage increase.

In general, the mood-stabilizing medication tends to prevent neurons from being overexcited via drug or natural means.

The menstrual cycle certainly can have an effect on mood and cognitive abilities, as can birth control medication. To what degree in you, I don't know.

I guess I was a little confusing in my rambling...I dont drink caffeine...just the nervousness I feel from it is like caffeine nervousness!! I drank a diet mtn dew once a few hours after a dose and I will not make that mistake again, it messed me up!!

I feel like on adderall I get more anxious and more confident at the same time.