need help plz! going crazy - ADD / ADHD Message Board

blurayne · 11-03-2004, 06:25 PM

I have been currently been put on adderal for add and I have been having very bad anxiety! It's only been about a week so I am hoping/wondering if this will subside over time? I keep reading how people on this stuff feel a great sense of well being and are suddenly very social and like to talk alot ect. I want to run in my room and hide! I won't even answer the phone nor do I want to see or talk to anyone! I have a bad anxious feeling. I don't want to throw in the towel on the med just yet because it has givin me great clarity and focus! Also energy and ambition to get things done (just alone on the computer, lol). I am also on lexapro 20mgs and tramidol, neurontin and have been a heavy coffee drinker (not so much lately) I also read something about serotonin syndrome and that maybe the lexapro and tramidon mixed with the adderall is doing it since they all work on the serotonin?? Will these side effects go away? When I first started lexapro I felt like I had smoked crack for about 2 weeks I was soooo speedy and that went away. I just cut my lexapro in 1/2 today and took 10 mgs instead of 20 (hope thats not too much of a drop) with my 10 mgs of adderall and I'm trying to cut down the tramidol. any info what so ever would be soooo appreciated. thank you all, kim

MafiaKiddo · 11-03-2004, 07:43 PM

First thing I would say is you should check with your doctor before stopping or changing any of your meds. This is especially true with anti-depressants because they need to build up in your body to work properly. Of course the problem with that is since they need to build up over time they also take time to leave your system so cutting your dose in half will most likely leave you with withdrawal symptoms.

Glad to here you cut down on the coffee, too much caffiene definately doesn't help anxiety. But on the same line Adderall is also a stimulant so if you had any anxiety problems before that medication would just multiply it. I'm surprised the lexapro doesn't help the anxiety besides being a depression drug it's also used for anxiety very often. If anything I would not lower the dose on that since it is the med that will help the anxiety.

The hopeful plus I can offer is as long as the side effect (anxiety) isn't horrible you might want to wait it out. Your body need time to adjust to the medication in a lot of cases people experience side effects the first month but then they disappear completely. I know I had stomach problems for the first 2 weeks I was on Adderall. After that initial adjustment period I never had another side effect and the med has been a life saver for me.

If the adderall gives you alot of problems with anxiety you might want to try a lower dose or switch to another med that works similarly (since you have reported great clarity and focus). Ritalin might be a better option since it is not quite as strong as adderall but works the same way. Then again stimulants might not be the answer for you so don't get discouraged can't tell you how many meds I tried before finding the right one.