I guess I am just curious if anyone experienced lower anxiety and turned into a social butterfly while taking Adderall?

Not so much. I suffer from ADHD, OCD & Panic Disorder. Before I started Adderall, I was quite the socialite. Now, I tend to get more anxious about social events on adderall.

Mostly the rebound/come-down is when my anxiety builds up.

Nope, didn't lower my anxiety. In fact, I'd say it actually increased my anxiety a bit.

Nope, didn't lower my anxiety. In fact, I'd say it actually increased my anxiety a bit.what are you diagnosed with? AD/HD or non-hyper InAttentive ADD?

Just curious.. :)

definitely lowered my anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed with everything I need to do, decisions to make and so on... I don't feel as chattery at all. Doc says that's good

what are you diagnosed with? AD/HD or non-hyper InAttentive ADD
I'm definitely non-hyper. And my brain isn't particularly hyper either. . . I like to say I have a low RAM, ask me to manipulate anything on the fly and I crash!

From my limited experience with Adderall, although did not make me a social butterfly, increased my attention when talking to people making my social interactions much smoother.

Not a bit...but dexedrine does. Go figure!

For me it has . Most of my anxiety was related to poor attentiveness and not completing work. But since the Adderall I have done more work than I have in many years. I actually out perform most of my colleagues. That has alleviated my anxiety and gave me quite alot of pride. :)

From my limited experience with Adderall, although did not make me a social butterfly, increased my attention when talking to people making my social interactions much smoother.aww.. now thats what I like to hear :D

For me it has . Most of my anxiety was related to poor attentiveness and not completing work. But since the Adderall I have done more work than I have in many years. I actually out perform most of my colleagues. That has alleviated my anxiety and gave me quite alot of pride. :)This is another thing I lack (pride) which I think partly causes my depression.

I too am working much better in my job. A lot of it is annoying detail and for some reason I'm able to deal with it... I avoided most of the detail before and I struggled. Now I can perform tedious things that I would usually ***** about and make tons of erros on.... AT THE SAME TIME I'm seeing the big picture and am able to improve processes to create efficiencies and less need for minute detail, with tons of revisions.

I get along with people a lot better due to better impulse control. I don't just respond with comments that aren't going to help situations. Maybe I was more defensive and didn't let anything go when I thought someone was insulting me. Now I am smooth and mature. Or something.

I am starting to beleive that maybe Adderall plus a Benzo such as valium or klonopin is gonna be the combo for me..

Just my 2C Jeremy, but what brings you to that conclusion if you have not even started a stimulant yet? And have you considered that this combination would consist of not one, but two, potentially addictive substances? Doctors might be quite resistant to this combo, not to mention that there are many meds to reduce anxiety other than benzos.

I myself take an antihistamine called Atarax for transient anxiety and it works quite well, with NO risk of dependence or addiction. Do you have an anxiety disorder in addition to ADHD?

Well who knows , I might not even need an ant-anxiety med, for all I know, the Adderall might take care of all my problems, including the depression...

why do I say this? Well after reading this "comparison of the characteristics of ADHD and ADD" article written my a Psychiatrist from the University of British Columbia, I am starting to feel alot of hope here.

Check this out, its how a person with "InAttentive ADD" brain works...

ADHD Subtype InAttentive (ME, to the last damn word,this is why I failed that ADHD test when I was in 3rd grade..)

1. A significant subset are hypoactive and sluggish and have slow response speeds.

2. Primary deficit in working memory, especially prominent in auditory processing because of the demands it places on working memory

3. Tend to be overely self-conscious

4. Social problems because too passive, shy, or withdrawn

5. More likely to be introverted

6. Internalizing disorders, such as anxiety or depression, are somewhat more common in children with ADD than those with ADHD. ADD children tend to be socially isolated or withdrawn. Reading and language deficits and problems with mental mathematical calculations are more commonly comorbid with ADD than with ADHD.

7. A significant percentage are not helped by methylphenidate.

8. Those who are helped by methylphenidate often do best at low doses.

9. A significant subset are helped by amphetamines (Adderall) rather than methylphenidate. Amphetamines affect both the reuptake and release of catecholamines. A marked deficit in the release of DA and NE might cause sluggishness and underarousal.

10. People with ADD are not so much easily distracted as easily bored. Their problem lies more in motivation than in inhibition.

11. Challenge or risk, something to literally get their adrenaline pumping, can be key to keeping their attention and to eliciting optimum performance. Individuals with ADD, although typically shy, may engage in risk-taking and thrill-seeking activities as ways to experience a level of engagement they have difficulty sustaining in their daily lives.

12. A primary disturbance in prefrontal cortex is implicated.

13. The primary neural circuit that is affected may be a frontal–parietal one.

14. The 7-repeat allele polymorphism of the DRD4 gene is more strongly linked to ADD than to ADHD. This is consistent with the centrality of prefrontal cortex in ADD because the D4 DA receptor is present in prefrontal cortex but not in the striatum in humans.

------------------

Now tell me I am not crazy? I have waited 24 yrs for these answers.

oh yea, here you can view the comparisons between hyper and Inattentive yourself.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1474811&rendertype=table&id=T1

Well who knows , I might not even need an ant-anxiety med, for all I know, the Adderall might take care of all my problems, including the depression...Right. :)

oh yea, here you can view the comparisons between hyper and Inattentive yourself.
I would prefer not to. I am completely convinced that any information offered here is opinion only, that is all any of us are permitted to give. Nobody here is qualified to diagnose or prescribe medications in any way. For my information? I defer to my own doctor, a professional psychiatrist, and not the members of this forum. I do my own research at times and present it to my doctor, and we make the decision together, but in the long run what he says, goes.

I happen to be familiar with the subtypes that Dr. Amen classifies ADHD according to...are you familiar with them? I assure you that I am, and I am also certain that Dr. Amen is one of the few doctors to do so. He has quite a bit of research to support his claims, but because it is not common practice? I do not accept it as fact. One can uncover much information on the internet, and nearly any opinion can be supported by something that way. I will stick to what I believe to be true and you do the same, as it is your right.

Now tell me I am not crazy?
I am sorry if you got the impression that I was claiming you were crazy. I assure you that was not my intent...and I also assure you that I myself am not, in fact, crazy. What I offer you is my own personal experience, nothing more. I have been in the mental health system for a very long time, recovered from some truly devastating disorders through my own determination to be free of them, and I have met a lot of doctors. I happen to believe that has great bearing upon the opinion that I offer here

I have waited 24 yrs for these answers.For the answers to what would be best for my own personal cluster of disorders as of this date, including PI Inattentive ADHD, I myself waited over 40 years. That speaks for itself. It speaks to my determination to uncover every answer that I possibly could...and proves to me that I am capable of making decisions that are best for me personally.

Right. :)
You dont think its possible to take care of all symptoms with one medication? (Hit 2 birds with 1 stone) I hate to say this but for some people that might be all that it takes..

Looking at the characteristics of my disorder such as...

- Social problems (Social Anxiety) because too passive, shy, or withdrawn

- More likely to be introverted

- Internalizing disorders, such as anxiety or depression, are somewhat more common in children with ADD than those with ADHD.

I would not have my doubts that it aint possible.

You dont think its possible to take care of all symptoms with one medication? (Hit 2 birds with 1 stone) I hate to say this but for some people that might be all that it takes..
I never said that...you did. :)


I am starting to beleive that maybe Adderall plus a Benzo such as valium or klonopin is gonna be the combo for me..

Yes, because I am not 100% sure because I have yet to try the Adderall, After I do that I will be sure to let you know.

I'd certainly be glad to hear how things work out for you, since making an effort to guide new members along the way is part of my job here as a staff member.

Incidentally? I asked whether you had an anxiety disorder in addition to ADHD for a very good reason. The area I moderate here at ADDF happens to be Co-Existing Conditions. If in fact you had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I would have then offered you the support and information that Co-Ex has to offer, nothing more. I do this for every member that I come across who has or may have a co-morbid condition. This is also a part of my job.

Sorry for getting all testy with you last night. I again slept most of my day away yesterday and then spent the rest of the time trying to read about myself online and I guess I started getting a little fustrated. ;)

I happen to be familiar with the subtypes that Dr. Amen classifies ADHD according to...are you familiar with them?
No. I am not familiar with Dr. Amens subtypes.

But I do know the writer of this article has a pretty darn good track record. She has practiced at University of British Columbia, Yale University School of Medicine, Harvard University, Swarthmore College and London School of Economics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_Diamond
http://www.devcogneuro.com/People/AdeleDiamond.html#Ed

I would say she is more than just a Professional Psychiatrist.

No. I am not familiar with Dr. Amens subtypes.

http://www.amenclinic.com/

Info on the doctor, his research and available programs.

http://www.aqeta.qc.ca/english/general/types/20.htm

Types according to Dr. Amen.


Sorry for getting all testy with you last night. I again slept most of my day away yesterday and then spent the rest of the time trying to read about myself online and I guess I started getting a little fustrated. ;)
No offense taken. :)

How to Avoid ADHD InfoCrush (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26251&highlight=avoid+overload)

Listen to Crazy~Feet Jeremy - she's a mod for a reason - she's great at what she does.

I can help you out (take you under my wing I suppose;)) with SCT/ADHD-PI stuff and stimulant medications (particularly amphetamines). That's kind of my 'specialty' if I were to have one:D

You're new to it and are obviously reading up a lot;) and thats good. But we've been here longer and we've seen nearly everything and we know what's opinion and what's real and what's 'official' (i.e. DSM opinion), etc. so we appreciate the fact that you have an opinion but we DON'T appreciate the overload and posting like 10+ threads on SCT and whatever else - cluttering up the forums:(. A lot of those topics have been beaten to death:p around here. Use the search function to find archived threads about stuff and if you have specific questions, feel free to PM me or any of the site staff or mods. We're here to help you;)

Listen to Crazy~Feet Jeremy - she's a mod for a reason - she's great at what she does. :eek: I am?? And here all this time I thought it was because the name Crazy~Feet looked really good in green. :p

Thanks for that, Ben, everybody needs a pat on the back now and again. That felt good to me, today. It means even more when, like now, it comes from someone who has clearly grown and changed due to a few tiny comments I have made to them. You rock!

And it is good to read up on things! As someone who practically worships information, and can become absorbed by research until she seems to have reached the end of the www. :o I'd have to say that:

-Infocrush is a hard thing to avoid, at least in the beginning of your path to recovery.

-It might be prudent to leave options open, and to avoid accepting the first thing that you stumble aross as absolute truth...because in the end, most of us discover that there really are no absolutes when it comes to ADHD, and along with that, the co-morbid conditions that are known to occur along with it.

I didn't read all the posts because I'm busy, but just to post a response:

Adderall has lowered my anxiety and has more significantly decreased my depression.

I didn't read all the posts because I'm busy, but just to post a response:

Adderall has lowered my anxiety and has more significantly decreased my depression.There we go. Another success story. hmmm

I have no doubt that your a good mod crazy_feet, but you need to realize just because a med did not work for you, does not mean its not going to work for other people.

Anyways, I am done posting. I am just gonna sit back and read for now on since my new threads are so annoying.

I have no doubt that your a good mod crazy_feet, but you need to realize just because a med did not work for you, does not mean its not going to work for other people.I am not at all sure how you arrived at the idea that I was saying anything of the sort, but I would appreciate it very much if you took the time to let me know where it was that my communication skills failed :confused:. Its not always as easy to understand the typewritten word as it is to understand what is spoken and heard.

If you got the impression I was contending that a medication would not work for anyone because it failed to work for me, clearly I have not conveyed what I actually believe, which is what I told you in your first post...

There is no way to tell ahead of time what exactly will work for anybody, all anybody can do is to try meds and find out what works for them, personally.

And actually? I did luck out, you know. The first med I tried worked great for my ADHD! The reasons I no longer take it make a geat deal of sense, and my dexedrine works fine, too...but if I had nothing else in my personal equation to worry about? I would go back to my Concerta/Ritalin combo in a heartbeat. And I decided to go with Concerta as a first try due to my own research and perhaps that will happen for you, too.

Hey Jeremynd,

Sorry, I'm back again. Was trying to nap, but I can't. :(

I will admit upfront I did not read every word of every post in this thread, but I still am addressing your original concern from all of your most recent threads, which is you seem to be looking for information about whether Adderall is going to be able to hit all of your needs at once.

I'm not diagnosed SCT, just ADHD-PI, and in fact I'd never heard of SCT till I came across it on this board. I identify greatly with it, though, and I identify with you very much in a lot of your posts.

But I just want to reiterate what I said on another post of yours, because you sound so much like me, and perhaps I'm projecting too much, but I don't want to see you get disappointed if Adderall does not work for you, or does not work as well as you want it to.

I read and read and read before I took my first dose, and I put a lot of faith in reading where people said, "It worked great," "It gave me energy," "It was good for depression," or whatever.

And it's great to read that stuff. It's great to hear that it's been successful for others and how it's helped. Because it might do that for you. But there are so many other factors.

I didn't know that. I thought their experience would be my experience.

After 2 months, the ONLY thing Adderall has done for me is increase my ability to focus. Now, for you it may be everything you hope for and more, but it also may not. Just proceed with caution. For every success story there is a story of it not working, and probably a lot of stories like mine, where it's not a success or a failure, but just something that has left me wondering what to do next.

You're definitely doing the right thing by trying to get as much infomration on Adderall as you can before you take it. So long as you remember that nobody's personal story of how Adderall worked for them can be considered evidence that it will work for you too. You just have to give it a go and see how you do personally.

I do wish you luck and look forward to you checking in once you're taking it to let us know how you do with it!

There we go. Another success story. hmmm

I have no doubt that your a good mod crazy_feet, but you need to realize just because a med did not work for you, does not mean its not going to work for other people.

Anyways, I am done posting. I am just gonna sit back and read for now on since my new threads are so annoying.Jeremy you're preaching to the choir. Slow down man.;)

We've seen it all, heard it all, been there done that and I got the t-shirt to prove it:D

I'm sure that Crazy~Feet would never suggest something as ludicrous as what you're insinuating.:rolleyes:

Different drugs work for different people. Some do great on amphetamine stimultants, some do great on Methylphenidate stimulants, some do great on NRI's like Strattera and Wellbutrin, etc. Everyone is different - YMMV.

Adderall works for a lot of people. But it doesn't work for everyone. Some people are better with other amphetamines (i.e. dexedrine) and some people are better with other stimulants like methylphenidate (i.e. Ritalin, Concerta, etc.)

Just sit back, relax, read a couple of threads and get into the swing of things man;) You can't come in here disrupting how we do things and bringing in lots of opinion-based 'facts' and theories and such and not expect to have us question your methods;). I'm sure it's been layed out by somebody else, but I'll repeat it for good measure:

1 - Search before you post - chances are we've already covered it.
2 - Try to not be suggestive or hostile. We're not here to belittle you or judge you or anything like that - we're here to help. But if you start questioning people's backgrounds or misreading what they've said or insinuating things about them....that just doens't fly around here man. We have a code of conduct and guidelines here that everyone is expected to follow - it keeps thing nice and civil.;)
3 - PM us if you have any questions about anything - whether it be something pertaining to the disorder or to the forums or to whatever. We WILL answer. FYI - to send a PM look for the "Private Messages" link in the top right of the page - it should be in a blue box along with your username.:D

ETA: I'm sure I've posted this elsewhere, but regarding SCT let me clear things up:

Whether it exists or not is debatable. But 'officially' (that is, according to the DSM) it is not important enough to get it's own classification, nor is it different enough from ADHD-PI (that is, the way it is treated mainly) to differentiate it. It is, at best, a sub-group of ADHD-PI.

I say this mainly because it's important to maintain standards. If you go to your average doc and say, "I have SCT, treat me!" he's going to give you a blank stare and say "What is SCT?:confused:". That's why you say "Doc, I have ADHD-PI and I need to be treated for it." He can go to his DSM book, look it up and say "A-ha, I'll go ahead and prescribe xxx for you then":D. There's a place for SCT discussions (such as in the scientific/research subforum) but it's not good for you to come in here requesting an SCT subforum or questioning our knowledge and backgrounds.

no it made my anxiety worse, I get nervous to perform now I was always scared to do solos but now I withdraw from practicing my trumpet and saxophone at home when my parents are home. I used to love performing I take prozac for it but it doesn't really help.

I have Inattentive ADHD and Adderall XR elevates my mood, increases my energy levels, ability to focus and be productive, and reduces my anxiety. I'm also a lot more social, or to be more accurate, less anti-social! A lot of my anxiety is caused by wanting to do things and knowing that I need to do them- but the brain fog gets in the way. It's like driving somewhere, knowing you need to stay on a certain road to get there, but driving through fog so think you can't see the pavement in front of you!

In my admittedly non-expert opinion, it seems like many of us diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD suffer from overall low energy levels, lack of motivation, general under arousal, etc. My treating p-doc specializes in treating adults w/ Asperger's (which I have) and ADHD. I thought for a long time I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), but my p-doc told me that one of the biggest complaints of adults with ADHD-PI is low energy/"being tired all the time". That's me, without the meds. It seems like there is a continuum of energy levels (or lack thereof) among those of us with an ADHD-PI diagnosis- and my p-doc definitely thinks there is ample evidence to support the existence of an SCT subtype within the ADHD-PI population. I actually first heard SCT mentioned by my treating p-doc of several years.

As I've said before, if only I were HYPER-active! Low energy, motivation, and 'brain fog', are very frustrating (and actually downright debilitating) if left untreated.

I never had any anxiety issues until I started taking Adderall. It has become very intense since taking Adderall IR (generic). I never recall having any problems with anxiety from Adderall XR.

I guess I am just curious if anyone experienced lower anxiety and turned into a social butterfly while taking Adderall?I started Adderall XR several weeks ago and my anxiety immediately dropped. I could feel the change in my body as it relaxed. I've been having some problems with facial tic and was afraid the Adderall would make them worse, but in fact the opposite has happened -- it's been great! I'm guess it's because it lowered my anxiety level so much. In the morning before I take my medication, I notice it's much easier to start getting anxious about all the things I have to do that day -- after my medication has kicked in, it's a lot easier to face.

I was already a pretty social gal, so not much change there -- maybe I think a bit more before openning my mouth!:p

I started Adderall XR several weeks ago and my anxiety immediately dropped. I could feel the change in my body as it relaxed. I've been having some problems with facial tic and was afraid the Adderall would make them worse, but in fact the opposite has happened -- it's been great! I'm guess it's because it lowered my anxiety level so much. In the morning before I take my medication, I notice it's much easier to start getting anxious about all the things I have to do that day -- after my medication has kicked in, it's a lot easier to face.

I was already a pretty social gal, so not much change there -- maybe I think a bit more before openning my mouth!:p

That's what all that dopamine will do for ya;)

As for the people who experience anxiety with Adderall, dexedrine/Vyvanse is certainly an alternative I'd look into