I just got diagnosed with ADD and prescribed adderall IR 2x daily in the beginning of April. I was diagnosed by a nueropsych and then referred to a physician for the actual prescription. I had no prior contact with the doctor, but he did evaluate me physically before prescribing me anything.

So I took the adderall for a month and filled my second prescription last week, but here's the problem. Last week was finals week and I couldn't sleep on Tuesday night, but had a final so I had to take the adderall on Wednesday. That night I had trouble sleeping again and also felt like I had trouble breathing. I ended up panicking and going to the hospital, where they said I was totally fine. It was pretty much just an anxiety attack, I think. It hasn't happened since because I think I've caught up on sleep and I know that I'm physically fine, so I have no reason for anxiety.

Anyway, this is getting long and I'm sorry, but here's my main concern. I'm worried that the doctor, who doesn't know me very well, will see that I went to the hospital, get worried and I'll lose my presciption. I don't know how valid a concern this is, but it's kind of bothering me since I have some important summer classes starting in a few weeks and I don't think the medicine had much to do with it (except of course the trouble sleeping). If any of you guys have any knowledge that would help me out or, better yet, put my worries to rest, I'd be happy to hear it. Thanks.

Welcome to the forum.

First, relax. Strange things like that can happen when starting these meds. Talk to your doctor since the majority of us ADD folks have a comorbid disorder too (depression, anxiety disorder, mood disorder). Spend a little time here and you will quickly see that many of us also are on some type of antidepressant and/or other meds for anxiety and/or mood disorders.

I for one take lexapro with an occasional Klonopin if and when I have a full on anxiety meltdown (rare) plus I take vyvnase.

Just talk to your doctor and don't worry about having the Adderall taken away.

J

I'm on adderrall for ADHD and valium as needed for anxiety.
....tell him you have anxiety....but the meds are working, and you don't wanna quit.

Sounds like you had a panic attack out of the blue. Same thing happened to me and I had been on adderall for 3 years. I actually thought I was having a heart attack. Panic attacks can happen anytime without any warning and can be completely unrelated to meds (or anything else for that matter--I don't even feel consciously anxious when mine hit).

I agree with what others have said. Tell him the meds are working and you don't want to be taken off. He should be versed enough to realize that the anxiety attack had nothing to do with the meds and just occurred on its own.

You can chill. You did nothing wrong!

Doctors know a lot of us adhd'ers have other problems, such as depressions and panic attacks, anxiety. So if you ended up in hospital, that won't freak him out ... So what you ended up in hospital?

if you ended up in hospital with medication overdose, that would get their attention.

There's nothing to be embarrassed about; you had trouble sleeping and had a panic attack. You can tell that to the doc if it comes up. Nothing shameful there.

In fact, if this has been a pattern, I would definitely consider sharing the details of this episode as the doc may be able to augment your treatment plan to deal with situations like this. That's my 2 cents. Anyway, you can chill. Good luck.

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, my mom had a bunch of chores for me to do today.

Thanks a lot for the replies, I'm feeling a lot more at ease about this now. If the doc mentions it I think I'll be able to handle it a lot better than I would have without the advice you guys posted. As for the anxiety, I've actually been a lot less anxious about stuff that normally gets me worked up like school and social situations now that I take adderall. I'm pretty sure I was just freaking out about possibly going two nights in a row without sleep with a final at 9:45 the next morning. But I'm definitely gonna keep an eye on this because I've always had problems with anxiety.

Thanks again for the replies, it really is a weight off my shoulders.

your doc has probably seen it all, this episode wont raise any flags at all dont worry dude

Hi Malex!

First of all, I congratulate you for going to the ER. That was a smart thing to do in order to make sure you were safe!

Doctors want to hear about these things so they can make adjustments and help you by making sure the meds work correctly. It may sound scary, but please consider telling your doctor about what happened. Don't assume the ER will tell him/her that you were there. Telling about it shows you are trying, and in my opinion you showed excellent judgement.

In my job, I work with adults who have to see psychiatrists a lot. I work with them on talking to their doctors. They have your same fear: if I report this thing, the doc will take away this med, and I like this med!

One thing that works well: walk in with a list. First, read the list of "This is why I like this med. This is what works." Then read the "This is what bugs me/scares me." Finally, tell them "This is what helped the scary thing. This is when the med was not so effective." It's important to tell them what you noticed might help, and if you did it, and if it helped.

So, for example "I can focus so much better on this med! It really helped me study and get my work done. One day I had chest pains, and I got scared. I went to the ER, and they said I was fine. On the day I had the panic attack, I was very stressed about school and had not slept well for two nights. I have been trying to make sure I get 6-8 hours of sleep since then. Since then I have been fine. I still get anxious about things, but I have not had any more panic attacks."

Trust me, docs love this. It tells them how to help you. And it's good for us to do as patients, because we get to take responsibility in our treatment and advocate for ourselves. Docs don't want to take away from patients, they want to help them. If you tell them you know the risks and what you aree willing to accept, it helps them. Then, if they really think it's unsafe and they have to switch you, you both know you have tried.

Please let us know how it goes, okay? Whatever you do, I am sure you will be fine. Good luck to you!

Take care,
Emmie