No meds for a few months. Symptoms coming back. Feeling awful.

[akko]

Back in September, I had to stop taking ritalin after 10 months because I suddenly developed panic attacks. There were a lot of contributing factors (looming deadline, moving to a new house with 3 roommates, being an idiot and smoking pot), but the ritalin was suddenly too much for me. Even off the Ritalin it has taken me a while to get the anxiety and panic attacks under control. To this day I can't drink a cup of coffee- green tea is about all the extra stimulation I can take. So now I'm a few months without medication and I'm noticing symptoms that I had all but forgotten coming back:

I'm impatient.
I'm forgetful.
I put things away in weird places without thinking about it(hadn't done that in ages!)
As soon as I get somewhere, I fidget and can't wait to leave.
I'm spacey.
I clam up around most people.
I harp on tiny little things that go wrong and get so annoyed that I can't let go.
I feel overwhelmed.
I feel depressed again.

I don't know what to do. My doctor brought up the possibility of pairing the ritalin with something against anxiety, but I'm worried about mixing meds like that- not to mention the cost. And another part of me is worried that this is somehow a confirmation that I never did have ADD. That I was just a regular lazy person who couldn't get her act together and who brought this (panic attacks) on herself because she tried to take a shortcut with medication. And that if I did try to take two meds, then I'd REALLY do some damage to myself. So yeah... I'm feeling pretty low right now.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?
Any thoughts or wisdom would be appreciated.

Thank you

akko

[Mincan]

Once anxiety and depression come into the picture, it's obviously not just ADHD you're dealing with anymore. It depends what you take with Ritalin whether or not that will indeed "do some damage to yourself."

Maybe you could get the depression or anxiety under control with or without drugs and then go back to smaller amounts of ritalin. Just a far-out-there idea for your consideration.

[akko]

Thanks Mincan. That's what I'm doing now- I haven't had any panic attacks per se in a while, but if I drink coffee or even if I get myself too excited by something, I can suddenly feel the anxiety building up to that point. I guess I'll give it more time.

[momtalkadd]

Have you looked into the things you are eating? Possibly something you are allergic too that is causing you to feel the way you do. Here is an article that might help. http://ezinearticles.com/?Anti-Depre...ods&id=3143947