Anxiety AND ADHD?

[roadrunner26Participant]

As a child, I dealt with severe panic attacks, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder. After a few years in therapy and a brief stint with some SSRIs, I managed to successfully overcome my panic attacks (although I’m still just generally an anxious person). I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and have since been put on Adderall XR. I feel as though my anxiety has been worse in the past year and a half or so, and I’m having trouble determining if it is simply my normal “baseline” levels of anxiety or if somehow the Adderall may be contributing to it. Does anyone have any experience with this? If so, did you see differences in your anxiety when using different medications?

Thank you all for your help!

[quietlylostParticipant]

ADHD meds can have an impact on anxiety. It’s probably worth asking your prescribing provider if there are alternatives to try, or maybe dose adjustments. Are you still taking an SSRI with the stimulant? That may be another option.

[Aaron LewisParticipant]

My advice would be to not take your Adderall XR for a period of time, and if the anxiety is still there, then’s it’s not the medication. It could be you need another medication, or your dosage needs to be lowered.

[Penny WilliamsKeymaster]

Stimulants can increase anxiety. There isn’t scientific evidence to support it, but I’ve seen many people say that the amphetamines increase anxiety more than the methylphenidates. It might be time to try a different type of stimulant.

A Patient’s Primer on the Stimulant Medications Used to Treat ADHD

Penny
ADDitude Community Moderator, Parenting ADHD Trainer & Author, Mom to teen w/ ADHD, LDs, and autism

[Aaron LewisParticipant]

I dealt with a really bad case of anxiety earlier this year. I was having the anxiety when I was both on and off my medication (I take generic Concerta), so that’s when I knew it wasn’t caused by the medication. That’s why in my previous comment I recommended going some time without taking the Adderall XR and see if you have the anxiety when you are off your medication. I was prescribed clonazepam for anxiety, and my anxiety levels are at a normal level now since I started taking clonazepam.

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