stimulants and anxiety

[Seripd]

I'm trying to get some information about simulants for ADD and anxiety.  I've got a severe panic disorder that is currently being managed by remeron, xanax and therapy, but i've been fighting a secondary diagnosis of ADD for ~3 years now.  Mainly I lie to my pdoc so that he doesn't know how bad everythign is. 

I'm petrified about going on stimulants, because they might undo all the progress i've made managing my panic disorder the last few years. 

Does anyone have any experience with the effects of stimulents on anxiety (GAD and PD)?  Help!!!

[Velvet Elvis]

I don't know about PD. 

They won't undo all the progress you have made for years.  They are short acting and kick in about an hour after you take them.  You'll know right away if you'll be able to handle them.  They should be totally out of your system by the end of the day. 

I don't have PD, but do have OCD and touches of GAD and social anxiety.  Seroquel, Tegretal and Cymbalta combined have been able to let me take a fairly large dose of dexidrine and treat my depression and assorted anxiety problems at the same time.  I'm able to drink coffee again too.  Yay for that.

In your case it might make sense to try Strattera first.  Do start on a low dose and work your way up SLOWLY.

[Penny Century]

Seripd,

my personal experience with adding stimulants was that they (oddly) helped my anxiety.

for me, a large part of my anxiety came in the form of scattered/racing thoughts, noticing every thing going on in the room... inability to concentrate on the issue at hand because OMG! someone is looking at me! gasp!

stimulants helped me to focus on the issue at hand, be it reading, grocery shopping or walking down the street. 

this lessened my anxiety because i was no longer under a barrage of scattered thoughts.  i could go to the store and just look at my list, fill my basket, and go without distracting thoughts about the 900 things i should be doing when i get home.

many people have told me that they think this is bizzare.  but it was only with the addition of stimulants that i was able to read on a subway without having a panic attack come on because of all the other stimuli distracting me and worrying me.

of course, this is just my personal experience.

as far as dx's... i have ADD, GAD, social anxiety and am a BPD in "remission" (i say that b/c many people think you never fully recover as it's an ongoing struggle, but i no longer dx borderline according to several shrinks.)  i did start stims while dx'd with a PD, though.

best of luck.  i hope you keep us updated.

best,

penny

[Seripd]

elvis : thx for the info and suggestions

penny: thats a perspective that hadn't even occured to me, but makes some sense.  I have no real idea how my body will react to stimulants, but of course my initial (often unreasonable)reaction is to think that adding something new will lead to disaster.  Your story helped put a new, optamistic perspective on things.

Does anyone know if there are any drug interactions I should look out for?  Are thier particular stimulants I should avoid because I'm on Remeron.  The Xanax is as needed so it should be less of a problem.

[Seripd]

Pdoc is reluctant to try any stimulants so for now it's off the remeron and onto buspar.  He thinks the remeron in contributing to my inability to focus by making my brain continually fuzzy.  We shall see.  I'll ask him about it again in a month or so.

[civicmon]

Pdoc is reluctant to try any stimulants so for now it's off the remeron and onto buspar.  He thinks the remeron in contributing to my inability to focus by making my brain continually fuzzy.  We shall see.  I'll ask him about it again in a month or so.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It helps my anxiety too... it's sorta weird, but i'm more confident than i've ever been.

most psych meds have ZERO effect on the part of thebrain that creates/controls focus ability. Once mania symptoms are under control and ADD is present, then it should be addressed.

FYI, taking a stimulant as a trial shouldn't undue everything. Ritalin lasts 4 hrs or so, so it would come and go pretty quickly, and if stuff hit the fan in those 4 hrs, just strap in and sit it out.... it'll pass.

[Cerberus]

I'm trying to get some information about simulants for ADD and anxiety.

I've been reading on Adderall since I started it lately, and the conventional wisdom seems to be that it doesn't promote anxiety... unless you don't suffer from it.  I have had an anxious twinge or two, but no more than Wellbutrin caused, and I don't have an anxiety dx.

Mainly I lie to my pdoc so that he doesn't know how bad everythign is.

This is, frankly, foolish.  Your pdoc can't possibly give you a proper dx or rx if you withhold information.  At your next visit, tell all.  Otherwise you're defeating your own treatment.

Cerberus

[pigsaflyin]

Now that I've adjusted to the adderall, I've added ..25 mg klonopin prn for the uncomfortable physical-type anxity,b ut I think even the .25 may be too much, as I've gotten way slowed down. I'll have to start quartering them and see what happen. Funny, the more addreall I take, the slower I get in mental terms (maybe too slow for my taste right now).

I've lost my desire to drink alcohol, although it soes not seem to affect me more or less when I do. One glass will do, however, instead of 3-4-5. I'm even entertaining giving up smoking (maybe).

The only anxiety-type symptoms I'm experienceing seem to be purely physical jitteriness stuff.

And my Dlamn Otypos seem to be getting worse.

pigs

[Dweii]

I had some increased anxiety my first couple of days on Concerta, but then it mellowed out. I do have very fast heart beats at times though, something I at first thought was the beginning of a panic attack but turned out to be just a side effect. So watch out for that one.