I am going thru a very tough time right now especially dealing with financial disaster from years of compulsive shopping (I discussed more in the Bipolar forum), but I find that after taking Adderall, I feel extremely jittery and anxious a few hours later. Seems like it worsens ADHD & anxiety when it wears off. Everyday feels like a mix of anxiety, bipolar disorder (mixed cycles), and ADHD.

I was prescribed Xanax and find that I need to take 2 pills at night (1MG) in order to get some sleep. The other night, I thought I was hallucinating hearing voices, seeing the walls move and felt pretty bad the next day.

I have no experience with this as i am yet to start taking anything (i got diagnosed with anxiety and adhd combined type last week) but my psychologist made a point of saying that they treat the anxiety first and when they have that under control they start on the adhd. Perhaps thats why?

My pdoc said she would not prescribe me any kind of stimulant for ADHD because I have some pretty severe anxiety and agitation already, and she felt it would make me worse. I'm on Celexa and Klonopin to try to get the depression/anxiety under control before looking at the ADHD. Makes sense to me. I find that I can think and function a little better as my anxiety decreases anyways. Definitely talk to your dr about the reactions you're having. Could be the Adderall just isn't the answer for you - you certainly don't want something that's making you feel worse!

My doctor cautioned me about anxiety in regards to my Adderall.

I don't know if she meant adderall CAUSED anxiety, or exasperated any anxiety I already have... ??

Perhaps a non-stimulant would be worth looking into. Discuss with your doctor of course.

My doctor cautioned me about anxiety in regards to my Adderall.

I don't know if she meant adderall CAUSED anxiety, or exasperated any anxiety I already have... ??

Perhaps a non-stimulant would be worth looking into. Discuss with your doctor of course.

I was cautioned the same thing.... It would seem to me from the way I've behaved since going on Adderall is that it tends to exasperate any anxiety I already have when it wears off....

But that might be because my anxiety tends to be directly linked to some of my ADHD symptoms.... like my inability to focus.

If my meds wear off, and I need to do something that requires focus and organization skills, I tend to be a horrible horrible mess. (Think adult trying not to tantrum like a child and sorta not doing very well to conceal it). I guess I just don't handle that transition back to normal well.

I was treated for the anxiety half a year ago and they are now getting to the adult ADHD. I started taking strattera and went back and asked for adderall. I am definitely ADHD because the adderall makes me focus and I have no agitation. I'm a 42 year old male and have suffered for years from this crap. For the first time I feel like there could be some normalcy in my life.

With warmest regards,

Tigger

re: #1 (hearing voices on stimulants)

Hearing voices on Adderall is not normal.

Stimulants can be 'psychotogenic'.

Talk to your Doctor.

some people find that the mixture of Strattera and Adderall actually help treat the anxiety or depression and ADHD better. Strattera works well for many to help level off mood swings and anxiety (did for me) In my case the Strattera wasn't as effective in the area of focus but it did help somewhat to alleviate the anxiety. Of course that in itself did allow me to think more clearly. I had to stop taking it because it brought on severe insomnia.

Adderall helps tremendously in stopping my social anxiety/avoidant personality disorder-linked panic attacks but it probably makes my ability to focus on normal tasks worse. All of my thought goes into meditating/preparing/calming myself so that I can be 'successful' with my next social interaction, and also doing my best to keep from having a look of extreme, mind numbing, exhausted, depression on my face (which I always feel) because of how much judgment and negative attention that draws from people.

In regards to the post above, while everyone is different, Strattera made me more angry and moody than I have ever been in my entire life. I suppose it did help my depression a bit because I didn't even feel the slightest bit bad about spitting on my father and packing up and leaving after the one argument I had with him while on strattera for the third day. In any previous arguments, I would simply be in tears for hours after the first couple of attempts of trying to explain my feelings to him and him degrading or invalidating any emotions I displayed in some passive aggressive manor. However on strattera, without even feeling the slightest bit emotional myself, I saw my father come very near the point of hitting me, which I had never seen before, all because I didn't submit to him emotionally and threw his out of line insults right back in his face. This really infuriated him.
This in itself might not sound so bad as it was just me sticking up for myself, however after I calmed down and saw the argument in hind sight, I really did see how the strattera made me careless, and unnecessarily over aggressive and hurtful in the argument with my dad. I stopped it the next day because of this.
I had an argument with a girlfriend while she was on strattera for like one day (I didnt know she was on it until a few days after the argument) and she was incredibly emotionally callous, carelessly provocative, and just generally completely lacking in empathy. It was easily the worst, and most hurtful argument (for me) we had ever had, just like the one between my dad and I.
Everyones reaction will be different however and you shouldnt screw yourself out of the chance of finding the perfect med for you by not at least giving Strattera a chance to see how it effects you.

I've noticed my anxiety (and I was having a lot of it...for a long time) has been DRAMATICALLY reduced by taking Adderall!!! For me, it helps stop the "mind chatter," which allows me to focus on the task on hand...it is also stimulating (naturally) but I don't feel hyper, just not so much in a constant daze...

My 50mg Zoloft and 30mg XR (AM)/ 15mg IR (PM) Adderall cocktail definitely helps alleviate my anxiety symptoms. I was suffering terribly with my anxiety before taking meds.

I take 25mg of Seroquel at bedtime to get 8 hours of good sleep. I was taking 10mg of Ambien for sleep but, it would only give me 4-5 hours of sleep. I was waking up periodically during this 4-5 hours. I took Ambien for 5 months. I had no problems stopping the Ambien though.

My Adderall aggravates my anxiety, but Zoloft takes care of that. I do not think that the Adderall is the cause though. Just an amplifier.