ADD and anxiety

[Dempsy]

I have had severe ADD all my life and it has taken its toll. For the last 4 years I have had bad anxiety and panic attacks and my ADD is out of control so I want to try stimulants to help with the ADD and see if it helps my anxiety also but have never taken meds for it. Has anyone had the same problem? Did the meds help with their anxiety too?.

[XavierQ]

Don't take stimulants...they increase anxiety. hey won't help at all, but make it worse.

[supaaa]

esspecially adderall

[The Absent Mind]

I had anxiety too. I've found that a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor works for me. Like XavierQ said, taking a stimulant on top of anxiety probably isn't a good idea.

I take Lexapro and it works very well for anxiety. Celexa works too and there is a generic for that one. There are a host of others. Wellbutrin might help too, and there's a generic for that as well... though to be very honest I have found that the generic Wellbutrin is garbage. Your doc will know best.

To answer your question, a stimulant probably will not alleviate your anxiety. I guess maybe if all of your anxiety is caused just because of the symptoms of ADHD, then there might be a chance that it would help, but I wouldn't want to try that myself, because anxiety sucks, and stimulated anxiety sucks even worse.

And even if all of the anxiety was caused by the ADHD, you are likely in the habit of feeling anxious anyway, so just relieving the ADHD symptoms probably wouldn't be enough to shake it.

I'd just be very forthcoming with your doc and explain your anxiety symptoms. I wouldn't suggest a stimulant to him either, for several reasons. Just my 2¢ :-)

[CptNemo]

Disclaimer...devil's advocate here....

I have a similar situation,and my anxiety is much worse now than its been in the past.I have always hed the adhd symptoms.I really hope that the anxiety is a result of the adhd causing me problems.

I have read many a tale here,where people have had soothing,calming effects with the *right* stimulant.Many adhders seem to have opposite effects with stims than 'normal' folks.

See what your doc thinks.You didn't mention what you are taking now,if anything.If it is a non-stim,your doc may decide to give you a stim with something to combat the anxiety,if only for short term.
That's what I'm doing.

Absent Minded has a good point about *asking* for stims though...depends on your history and rapport with your doc.

Originally Posted by Dempsy

I have had severe ADD all my life and it has taken its toll. For the last 4 years I have had bad anxiety and panic attacks and my ADD is out of control so I want to try stimulants to help with the ADD and see if it helps my anxiety also but have never taken meds for it. Has anyone had the same problem? Did the meds help with their anxiety too?.

[Vickie]

It is worth exploring the options with the doc. If a stimulant trial is warranted, it can be started very low and cautiously to watch for increase in anxiety.

Everyone is different so this is just one example of another different person's experience...

My youngest had anxiety that came out as defiance and violence. In her case, school and social issues due to untreated ADHD caused the anxiety (easier to see on hindsight). Treating the ADHD, allowed the anxiety to subside. The treatment was with a stimulant (Concerta), and when she needed more effectivity but the doc was not comfortable increasing the dose, he added guanfacine to augment the concerta. Later when there were conflicts in the school yard and the anxiety resurfaced, he added risperdal. As the school issues resolved, the risperdal was stopped, then later the guanfacine was stopped and now she is trying school unmedicated.

[jacinta]

I guess it all depends on what is causing your anxiety. It could be your ad(h)d which is causing or adding to the anxiety in which case taking stimulants might work. If prescribed and taken properly stimulants can be very useful for ad(h)d. Finding a medication that works for you is going to be trial and error.

[Dempsy]

I am unmedicated right now but was on heavy meds for my anxiety for a few years but have never tried stimulants. I do not react well to most anti-depressants. I have spent thousands of dollars on naturopaths trying to do it naturally but with little success. I just would like the racing thoughts to stop so I can concentrate. I cant stop thinking about everything and my mind bounces around like a ball jumping from one idea to the next and it has screwed my life up drastically cause I cant make any sort of decision on anything. Going to the Doc today.

[NoReally]

I have found that taking Adderall has helped a lot with anxiety. A lot of the anxiety I have felt in life is due to the fears of things falling apart, getting found out for all the things I didn't get done, bills paid late & charges piling up, work piling up and feeling too overwhelmed to handle it. Even just the fear of not being able to keep track of stuff, like by the time I get to my desk not remembering what my boss asked for. Always feeling like there's some disaster about to happen that I have caused by neglect, but I can't quite remember what it is.

(Worst nightmare of my life was years ago, before I had kids. I had a nightmare about finding the body of a baby in my closet and suddenly realizing I had a baby I'd forgotten to take care of. That wouldn't actually happen! But that's the level of fear I always had that something terrible was going to happen as the result of my laziness, forgetfulness, neglect, etc.)

Definitely taking Adderall helps with that. I feel a lot more confidence at work that I am able to get things done effectively -- still not 100%, but much less feeling of stuff slipping out of control. I am able to keep up better at least some of the time with housework and some of the general nuisance chores of life. Not perfect by any stretch, but much less fodder for anxiety.

I have a couple of other anxiety issues that haven't been helped by the Adderall, but not hurt either that I can tell. I still get nervous in cars, especially in the rain, at night, all those shiny lights reflecting on the road making everything confusing. Or stuck in a lane that's been narrowed for construction, next to a line of big giant semis. But that's not exactly a debilitating level of anxiety -- just stuff I avoid if at all possible.

I still have a certain level of social anxiety too. Or almost, by this point in my life, I don't have anxiety so much as just a numbed feeling of doom when I am in an uncomfortable social situation? (And way too many of them are uncomfortable.) But that's not any worse now on Adderall in the last year or so than it was before. Maybe slightly better, because even in a social situation it seems to help me feel less overwhelmed and track conversations better?

So anyway I think it just depends on the sources and nature of your anxiety. Maybe just try stimulants, a little bit in a controlled environment to see how you react? And if it's not good, don't take them again?

[Dempsy]

You sound exactly like me, cause I have social anxiety all the time especially around the ladies for some reason and with confrontation cause i go blank and cant think and then I panic and hafto get out of there. Its all in the confidence cause I have non cause i just have never been able to get my life together and feel worthless and then the doom and gloom hits me. I want to do everything all the time lol and cant stick to one thing but with that, I am able to do almost anything cause I have done everything so I am very diverse and resourceful, atleast thats what I like to think so I can see some possitive in all this. thanks for your post, I am of to the doc now to see what he says so wish me luck......

Driven to Distraction.

[ADHDTigger]

Dempsy, let us know what your doc decides to do.

What I have found is that there is no magic bullet. The key for me has been to combine a number of different things at once. It has really helped.

Many naturopaths don't understand the function of ADHD and what is happening neurologically. That can really mess up your perception of supplements because you at taking them properly- but according to some misunderstanding of your real needs.

Having said all that, I will also say that what works well for me may not work at all for you.

There are some really great discussions here about the various things- both medication and non medication- that have worked well for folks.

[sarey]

i have OCD, GAD & ADHD.
Stimulants make it worse it says it on the leaflet.
i suffer sevrely & i hate it.
guess you gotta live with it though.=/
could ask your doc about options.