![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rainbowlight on November 17, 2003, at 1:50:33
I am wondering if others with ADD experience anxiety issues and are these issues helped by stimulants? I am on day one of Strattera, tried the other stims and didn't like my mood changes and the ups and downs. I am wondering if others with ADD also have anxiety. In other words, is anxiety part of ADD?
Posted by Alexander on November 17, 2003, at 5:44:46
In reply to Is anxiety part of having ADD?, posted by rainbowlight on November 17, 2003, at 1:50:33
> I am wondering if others with ADD experience anxiety issues and are these issues helped by stimulants? I am on day one of Strattera, tried the other stims and didn't like my mood changes and the ups and downs. I am wondering if others with ADD also have anxiety. In other words, is anxiety part of ADD?
I have ADD, too.
am taking 120 mg Dexedrine - 20 mg q3h. Some doctor once actually suggested that my anxiety, primarily "social phobia" was merely a result of the stimulants. But this is crap. At least in my situation, because I had that already long before taking Dex.If you read books about ADD, u'd learn about primary and secondary symptoms of ADD. Anxiety being a secondary one that has been "learned" from continuous "patting onto your shoulder for what a good boy u r" (that this was ironically meant ought to not be mentioned, I believe)
In my case it is that bad that it has held me back in years.
The Dex got me onto the Dean's List in college for 4 semesters straight, but then, when it came to letters of reference, someone who has been told by his parents primarily what a rosy future he/she will have, one will get stuck.
...next year...
...next year...
= before you realize it u r in a state of apathy and it takes u another year to get that it is more something like "learned helplessness (Seligman).Ya, I have been through all the SSRI's, benzos, except Xanax, against which my MD has voiced his concerns very clearly (while admitting that he may be biased - at which point it is thanks to this board that I will omit Xanax)
...and I will now proceed with opioids. And I am less concerned if my MD will Rx them to me, because this will happen and this is because I have a right to quality of life, at least here in Canada, ...and thank God an MD, who is extraordinarily..., well let me put it this way, one who knows his stuff, while implying that over 99% do not (who then replace that with an attitude).P.S.: This is my personal opinion (out of experience) to which I am entitled to by the 1st amendment. And in case someone considers it offensive. Well, I am very sorry. It is not my intention to offend. On the other hand there are 1000 x more that are saddened by that (incompetence), whilst it ought to be the MD's intention to not make that happen.
Cheers and heads up.
Posted by Marlin on November 17, 2003, at 19:17:38
In reply to Is anxiety part of having ADD?, posted by rainbowlight on November 17, 2003, at 1:50:33
> I am wondering if others with ADD experience anxiety issues and are these issues helped by stimulants? I am on day one of Strattera, tried the other stims and didn't like my mood changes and the ups and downs. I am wondering if others with ADD also have anxiety. In other words, is anxiety part of ADD?
Good question. I was diagnosed with classic ADD when I was 27, now 30. I started having horrible panic/anxiety at 22... long before I started taking ADD meds. I currently take 72mg. Concerta daily. Is there a connection between ADD and anxiety? Probably. Is ADD medication making the anxiety worse? Probably not. I still have the same panic when I don't take Concerta, as when I do.
Posted by Kacy on November 18, 2003, at 17:49:30
In reply to Re: Is anxiety part of having ADD?, posted by Marlin on November 17, 2003, at 19:17:38
I'm never sure what 'anxiety' means to other people. It took me a year with a therapist to come to any understanding of what it was. That was before I took Strattera.
I'm add/inattentive. Anxiety was a constant companion. (I didn't know I had it because it was such a constant state.) It's still around sometimes. Strattera knocks anxiety back for me. I've read Psycho-Babble posts by others who got the same anxiety-quelling effect from it. As a non-disruptive 'hypo' (daydreamer) instead of 'hyper', I never had the "you're a good girl" comments to create it. I've never had panic experiences like Marlin.
I'll look for that book, Alexander. Does he write about the hypo-active types?
Posted by marip on November 18, 2003, at 20:41:50
In reply to Re: Is anxiety part of having ADD?, posted by Alexander on November 17, 2003, at 5:44:46
Hi. I've had anxiety and depression for over 5 years now. AFter taking a grad. school course about learning differences I suddenly realize that I definitely have ADD and have had it since I was little. Ive been on Prozac, Celexa,Wellbutrin, Effexor. Besides the Effexor which I hated, the other three worked well for a while for both the depression and anxiety but peetered out.
My MD is recommending Zoloft for the Dep./Anx. Does anyone have experience with Zoloft being hlepful for ADD symptoms too? Are some of the traditional ADD-only drugs also helpful for DEp/Anx such as Strattera, ADderall, etc.?
THis dual-diagnosis stuff is tricky but I wonder if being ADD is partly why the other antidepressents stopped working for me. ANy ideas or personal experience welcome.
Thanks
Marip
Posted by Alexander on November 20, 2003, at 9:59:59
In reply to Re: Is anxiety part of having ADD?, posted by Kacy on November 18, 2003, at 17:49:30
> I'm never sure what 'anxiety' means to other people. It took me a year with a therapist to come to any understanding of what it was. That was before I took Strattera.
>
> I'm add/inattentive. Anxiety was a constant companion. (I didn't know I had it because it was such a constant state.) It's still around sometimes. Strattera knocks anxiety back for me. I've read Psycho-Babble posts by others who got the same anxiety-quelling effect from it. As a non-disruptive 'hypo' (daydreamer) instead of 'hyper', I never had the "you're a good girl" comments to create it. I've never had panic experiences like Marlin.
>
> I'll look for that book, Alexander. Does he write about the hypo-active types?
They call it "inattentive type"
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.