Meds for ADHD Predominantly Inattentive type (and Anxiety)

[TwinMumCH]

Twin 8yr old boys here both with ADHD. One boy, diagnosed with ADHD Predominantely Inattentive Presentation plus signs of Anxiety (at this time, not certain if a result of ADHD or stand alone), is not at all responding well to stimulants (tried Vyvance and Methylphenadite, different doses) resulting in almost manic episodes and severe crashes when meds wear off (Vyvance) and dull, depressed state of mind on Methylphenadite. Has anyone here had similar experiences for Predominantly Inattentive type with anxiety and did a different approach help you? I am not not sure if using stiumlants will work for him. Thank you.

[Jallysono]

Hi, my 8 yr old son has the same diagnosis and is on Guanfacine. It isn’t a stimulant and he doesn’t get any crashes. Not perfect but it definitely helps. Also magnesium and daily chia seeds are helpful with his anxiety. I hope this helps!

[anirush]

We can't do stimulants for either of my grandsons. One is on Welbutrin and Intuniv, the other is on Straterra and intuniv.

Both struggle with anxiety, one more than the other. Getting meds right is hard

[Elijah1]

Ask about treating the anxiety since Vyvanse appeared to aggravate it.

[kaf2022]

My son takes Paxil for anxiety and Vyvanse for ADHD (inattentive). He’s a teen, been on this for a couple of years and it appears to help. No miraculous transformation, but he noticed the Paxil helping very soon. He was on Paxil for almost a year first. His anxiety is predominant.

[ADHD_DAD]

Try brand name Concerta (if you have not) rather than generic Methylphenidate. Very expensive, though. The time release "technology" is different than the generic. Shouldn't cause dull, depressed state at proper dose. Give it a week at least before stopping (and give everyday.. no med breaks). Only real side effect is loss of appetite. Easy to bump up calories with ice cream! Good luck.

[Eclecticentric77]

Hi there, I myself have Inattentive ADHD and got diagnosed in my mid 20s. I started taking low dose stimulant medication and supplements and was thankfully able to turn my life around and pursue my career in Psych. in order to help give back to the community. From my research, and also from looking through forums on other sites, it seems that the stimulant medication adderall seems to suit a good amount of inattentive types. Most stimulant medications work with the neurotransmitters Dopamine and Norepinephrine, once stimulant medication wears off, these two neurotransmitters are temporarily lower and can cause irritability, sadness, apathy etc. This is what is know as the crash. In order to diminish and or avoid the crash, people can take a supplement that helps the brain with Dopamine and Norepinephrine an hour to 30min prior to their medication wearing off. A supplement I take for this is N-Acetyl Tyrosine. Having ADHD entails having issues with multiple other neurotransmitters as well. I myself take a supplement to help out with each of the neurotransmitters mentioned below.

Neurotransmitters in the brain that people with ADHD lack:

Dopamine : A neurotransmitter in the brain that affects your levels of concentration, motivation, pleasure senses, and sense of pain.

Norepinephrine : A neurotransmitter and stress hormone that deals with attentiveness, emotions, impulse control, planning ahead, sleep, and interpreting actions of others.

Serotonin : A neurotransmitter that deals with mood regulation, sleep, nervousness, level of anxiety, empathy, appetite, digestion.

Acetylcholine : A neurotransmitter that deals with muscle contraction, pain responses, Mood regulation, REM sleep, and coordination.

I'm glad to hear you're helping your children at an early age. I struggled throughout elementary school, did quite bad grade wise in middle school, and felt down quite often. If you're interested, click my pic and it will take you to my profile where there is a link in my biography of a google word-doc I made of every supplement I take, along with information about each of the supplements and how they help out people with ADHD. I also have a link to my youtube channel where I have a series of videos on Inattentive ADHD throughout the lifespan, along with a book I published on Inattentive ADHD. Hope some of this helps.