Adderall & Xanax

[adderallboy]

I have long since been on Adderall for ADHD and it has helped greatly. Unfortunately in the past months I have started developing anxiety, and its gotten so severe that it has made me physical ill at times. So I went to my psych, and we collectively agreed that adderall potentates anxiety, but that I still needed it. We tried various SSRI's and SSNRI's to help with the anxiety, but it actually made it worse and finally went to Xanax.

As a personal side note….For you senior members, you may recall my first posting that questioned if adderall caused heart problems. I started having massive tachycardia attacks and couldn’t even take my adderall. It was later discovered I had suffered from serotonin syndrome from the concurrent use of Adderall with the SSNRI & SSRI's. We swapped from Welbutrin, Zoloft, Cymbalta and Lexapro. My personal advice is DO NOT TAKE ADDERALL WITH SSRI's or SSNRI’s. That's where my heart problems came in and I've actually found others that have had the same complications. The anti-depressants intensified the stimulatory affect of amphetamine to dangerous levels, such that I was even hospitalized. Sorry, just had to through in that tid bit of info because it was the most horrible experience in my life.

Now my question at hand. My doc has since prescribed Xanax 0.5 to take as needed along with Adderall 10 mg bid. The experience has been totally awesome. I still take the adderall as prescribed, but at times I take the xanax to calm me down. Yes, I don’t get the old “rush” with adderall now, but I now feel on top of the world. I finally feel like a normal person. I have mental clarity coupled with an eerie calmness that I have never before had. Scholastically, the results have been outstanding.

However, my concern is the concurrent mixing of uppers and downers. It just doesn't seem healthy or natural. Perhaps I'm just being a hypochondriac, but I can't help but feel uneasy that with taking xanax and adderall that my brain is receiving mixed signals. I’m scared of the long-term affects. I don’t take the xanax that often. Maybe 3-4 times a week.

So here’s my question…has anyone been prescribed a benzo concurrently with a stimulant? Have there been any negative side affects aside from the chemical dependency of the benzo?

[hummingbirdkiss]

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[flintrock]

Get off the Xanax...nothing good about it....ther's too much other out there that works without being addictive!!!!!!!!!

[Sylvia224]

I agree with the others. I'm not a doctor, but benzos are a misery to withdraw from. In fact it is my understanding that they should not even be prescribed on a long term basis. Have you asked your doctor about the non-stimulant Straterra?

[adderallboy]

Strattera was my first approach to treating ADHD. I took it for several months and quickly maxed out at 100mg with little theraputic effect. Bluntly said, the only thing it did was make me impotent. The adderall works great, but I think it and all other stimulants meds can aggrivate anxiety.

I did express my concern with addiction to benzo's, and the doc agreed. However, seemed to think the chance of addiction would be lessened when taken prn. She dispensed 14 tabs, and suggested taking no more than three a week. So, I'm not terribly concerned with chronic addiction. I've been doing this for two weeks now, and I'm fine on the days when I don't take xanax.

As for other non benzo anti-anxiety meds, they all fit the group of SSRI's and SSNRI's and they DO NOT mix with stimulants. I learned that the hard way.

My question still is if there is anyone who has taken benzo's with stimuants concurrently, and what has thier experience been? As for me, the combination works great, but it just doesn't logical to mix uppers and downers.