I'm diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and informally diagnosed as the inattentive type of ADHD.

To deal with the social anxiety I have been taking Paxil 30mg for many years, and it is effective for this purpose, and I don't get many side effects (if any.)

I have tried classic ADHD meds and they make me a paranoid, speedy maniac (and euphoric), causing some dangerous side-effects, so that treatment line is out. I speculate it may be my anxiety disorder that causes such an unusual reaction for someone with ADHD.

But my question is more along the lines of "is caffeine with SSRIs wrong?" I have seen some writings that claim there's a subtle interaction between the two (leading to increased effects for either), and others that say there's no significant interaction. I have seen some writings say that diuretics (caffeine is a mild diuretic) are a bad idea with SSRIs. Others yet say that caffeine is bad for anyone taking SSRIs for anxiety, because it makes the underlying anxiety "reappear."

But I also have inattention, apathy, impulsiveness, sensation-seeking tendencies from ADHD. Caffeine helps with all of the above.

So my question is, if you have anxiety and you take an SSRI, is caffeine really a bad idea? Especially if you need it for attention problems?

I usually have between 300-350mgs per day, sometimes taken in a short span of time (the increase of focus is profound and longlasting this way..)

Caffeine can cause anxiety. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569285)

Its possible two methods could be used to reduce caffeine induced anxiety:

1. A time released tablet of some sort might provide a lower blood plasma level over a period of time rather than too much at ounce.

2. Green tea contains l-theanine. And L-theanine can counter the anxiety from caffeine. Drinking some now :)

The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18006208)

As a newbie, I'm really getting inundated with too many responses, you know? :P

Helpful forum.

Patience is never an ADDers strong suit.

Your first post was made at 0500, so give it a day or two, eh? <G>

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1. If someone has primarily anxiety, stimulants will general make their anxiety *worsen*. (NB Anxiety will cause attentional problems. It shuts down the frontal cortex.)

2. If a person's primary problem is moreso ADD [and the anxiety is secondary; untreated ADD causes a lot of failures, crises and anxiety], usually the stimulants will make their anxiety IMPROVE.

(What my Adult ADD Pdoc told me.)

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I used to have a Dx of GAD. (It was actually PTSD.) I was able to improve it vastly using a little known treatment called 'sensorimotor psychotherapy'.

Patience is never an ADDers strong suit.

Your first post was made at 0500, so give it a day or two, eh? <G>

--

1. If someone has primarily anxiety, stimulants will general make their anxiety *worsen*. (NB Anxiety will cause attentional problems. It shuts down the frontal cortex.)

2. If a person's primary problem is moreso ADD [and the anxiety is secondary; untreated ADD causes a lot of failures, crises and anxiety], usually the stimulants will make their anxiety IMPROVE.

(What my Adult ADD Pdoc told me.)

--

I used to have a Dx of GAD. (It was actually PTSD.) I was able to improve it vastly using a little known treatment called 'sensorimotor psychotherapy'.

Stimulants both make my anxiety worse, and better, at the same time--depending on the day. For the most part, though--they definitely help me get work done, and improve some things like processing speed and the ability to do boring work. Of course overall focusing ability is improved, as well.

As an example of the fickle effect I get from stimulants, caffeine increases confidence and socializing ability (I suffer from social anxiety) but then maybe an hour or two after dosing, I get more nervous. Other times it is the reverse.

Not sure if this comes into play, but I have also self-identified myself as having mild Asperger's. It's confusing.

I would add that of the typical ADHD meds I tried--Ritalin and Dexedrine--they made my anxiety a lot worse and I got a lot of heart pounding and racing thoughts, etc.

As far as anxiety caused by trauma or other environmental causes in my past, the only thing I can think of was some verbal abuse from my father, which caused a lot of distress and anger for me. But besides that I don't have many other traumatic experiences, AFAIK.

Despite that, I have always been an extremely sensitive person, criticism being a serious problem for me. I also display many oppositional defiant behaviors, and I always have.