ADHD drugs and affect on Bipolar and Anxiety

[Futurity]

Hi Everyone,

I have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder and have an unofficial ADHD diagnosis from my previous psychiatrist who is ADHD trained.

My Bipolar and Anxiety are almost under control now but it's clear that my ADHD symptoms are triggering my anxiety which in turn creates stress which destabilises my bipolar.

I spoke to my new psychiatrist about getting medication for my ADHD, but she said ADHD drugs can trigger Bipolar mania. She is not an ADHD expert though, as she works in the Mental Health Hospital and ADHD is handled by seperate clinics in a different location.

I was wondering if anyone has both Bipolar and ADHD (even Anxiety as well) and if they have experienced any problems taking ADHD medication?

I'm currently taking 400mg Lithium and 1000mg Depakote. I'm very susceptible to side effects which is why my Lithium dose is so low as it causes brain fog.

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide.

Futurity.

[Gettingittogether]

Hmmmmm ... here's an article that says ADHD meds are fine as long as the person is being treated with a mood stabilizer: psychiatryonline.org/doi/10....

This article has a section on treating people with ADHD and bipolar. If you want to research things yourself, the magical word is "comorbid" ... as in "comorbid adhd and bipolar" .....basically most people with adhd have another serious condition, such as depression or anxiety or bipolar. The psychologist at this link is pretty prominent in the field and he describes how he would treat people with adhd and bipolar conditions.

additudemag.com/treating-bi...

[Futurity in reply to Gettingittogether]

Thank you so much Gettingittogether that's very reassuring and a good starting point for further research.

Thank you

Futurity

[girlWs0ul]

I have ADHD, Bi-polar II and Anxiety. I don't take medication for the ADHD but ever since I started taking Vraylar my symptoms have mellowed out. I have tried strattra which is not a stimulate so maybe try that first if they let you.

[Futurity in reply to girlWs0ul]

Thank you girlWs0ul i didn't know there was medication other than stimulants. Very useful information thank you.

[Mamamichl in reply to Futurity]

I don’t have bipolar, but I tried each of the stimulants first. They raised my anxiety. I’m on stratera now, which is not a stimulant, and it calms my mood. If I take it in the morning, I get sleepy and triggered still, but I’m great if I take it at night.

Stimulants speed up our processing so it helps with some ADHD symptoms. It allows us to decide which thoughts to ignore. Nonstimulants seem to mellow my mood so that I don’t react out of emotion as much and respond instead of react out of emotion.

[Gettingittogether]

Basically here's my experience. You just need to get to an excellent psychiatrist (I have an excellent psychiatric nurse practitioner) and they are highly informed and will work hard and work creatively to figure out how to help you.

[AuDHD3245]

Just so you're aware, symptoms of bipolar, depression, anxiety can all overlap and are very similar to autism. ADHD is within the realms of the ASD, so it maybe handy to have a look at the symptoms of autism. If the medication for bipolar doesnt work, you may need an alternate diagnoses. Just saying from experience. I was diagnosed with depression/anxiety, emotionally unstable personality disorder, and it turns out to be ADHD and autism.

All the best

[AuDHD3245]

Autism and ADHD

There is a strong link between autism and ADHD, with both having high heritability and genetic overlap. Common traits shared in ADHD and autism include:

Sensory differences

Executive dysfunction

Hyperfocus and intense interests

Rejection sensitivity

Social challenges

Sleep disturbances

Differences in eye contact

Difficulties with interoception, such as noticing when you are hungry

Although there are many similarities, differences exist; ADHD individuals may crave novelty and exhibit impulsivity, while autistic people often seek routine and similarity. If someone is autistic and has ADHD, which some people refer to as AuDHD, they may experience an internal struggle between these contrasting traits. An AuDHD person is likely to experience a heightened version of the shared autism and ADHD characteristics, such as an intense focus on hobbies and interests, or experience challenges socialising with neurotypical people.

Overlapping symptoms

[emiL1234]

Also, mental health is a point of view and you will have new points of view every time you get tested by new professionals /

In the same subject, a lot of 40 years old females from Canada were diagnosed Borderline Personality disorder when they were teenagers, today, other editions of the DSM came out and these women are AUTISTIC and have never been borderline.

All the « conditions » and « troubles » are so close to other ones that absolute truth is impossible. The only truth every individual knows is what effect what medication has on them.