ADHD... & anxiety?!

[hyperfocusaficionado]

What ADHD meds DON'T make anxiety worse?

Tried Venlafaxine with Elvanse so far.. they initially worked great... but anxiety is tooo high for this to be sustainable

[STEM_Dad]

Elvanse is lisdexamfetamine (same as Vyvanse contains), which is a stimulant. Anxiety is a possible side effect of stimulant medications.

Venlafaxine is a non-stimulant SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor), classed as an antidepressant and is sometimes used to treat anxiety. (I think it is sometimes used off label to treat ADHD.)

My ADHD medication is atomoxetine, known by the brand name Strattera. It's an SSNRI (*selective* serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor). It's an ADHD medication, but it helps a little bit with my anxiety...but I do mean a little.

• Not very helpful for that lately, but thanks to advice from my accountability group, I got a better sleep last night, and I feel my anxiety a lot lower today ... but I'm definitely still feeling it.

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Your best bet is to talk to your doctor. You might also try talking to your pharmacist to see what they recommend, because they are knowledgeable about how medications can interact with each other.

Each of us has different responses to medication. Some people actually experience a relief from anxiety by taking a stimulant medication. Many people on stimulants might not experience any change in anxiety level (up or down). And then there are those that experience the side effect of increased anxiety.

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How much of the anxiety might be from other things like stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, or other health conditions?

Do you need therapy to help?

(e.g. talk therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/ACT, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing/EMDR)

Some people find that meditation helps, but it can take several months to see the benefits.

[El-Eektrified]

like STEM_Dad said, you are looking into the non-stim options. I also think venlafaxine has a downside in terms of half-life. My brother has been on it and he switched because of the side-effects he encountered when he was “late” or forgot to take his meds.

I’ve been on vyvanse and had the same reaction (like you described in your other post). I was feeling awesome, depression lifted and then it ceased.. back to normal, but also with its mood swings and if I didn’t take Vyvanse I felt depressed. The introduction of Sertraline helped in terms of anxiety, a low dose of aripiprazole stabilized my mood. I still feel my heart pounding at times, but I know it’s the meds causing this feeling, raising my BP and heart rate. My psychiatrist was helpful in finding the right medication combination, and it took about 3 years to get to this point.

[khekhe]

For me, methylphenidate (Medikinet, Ritalin) triggered anxiety, which I don't normally have, whereas Elvanse doesn't. It might be worth asking your doctor to try a different stimulant, as they are the first line for ADHD. And if that doesn't work or isn't an option, there are a number of medications without stimulants.

[Mamamichl]

it depends on your genetics. I request you take a gene site test. It’s like a paternity test where they do a swab of your cheek. They then mix it with different meds to see what ones do adverse reactions to your genetics. My psychiatrist wanted to treat my anxiety before giving me any adhd meds. Not sure why, but some docs want to work on one mental health situation before another. If adhd meds are messing with anxiety, maybe start with anxiety meds.?