if your anxiety is because you are worrying about stuff that you can't get done because you have trouble focusing i would try it. my wife is dealing with the same thing, it's very frustrating because her pcp, gastroenterologist and psychiatrist seem to disagree about the cause. i wish medicine focused more on mind-body and didn't treat psychological health as something separate from medical health, i wish it was something they could work on together instead of separate often contradicting advice.

aren't you in CO or somewhere? talk to your doctor about trying CBD for your stomach/anxiety

10/3/2017 11:45:13 AM

^ speaking of which Maybe have your wife read

https://www.amazon.com/Unlearn-Your-Anxiety-Depression-self-guided-ebook/dp/B0743PT8FV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507077607&sr=8-1&keywords=unlearn+your+anxiety+and+depression

only $20. worth a shot. worst case it doesn't help. Multiple pts with great results

10/3/2017 8:40:46 PM

Quote :

"I guess my question is have y'all ever used ADD/ADHD meds to treat anxiety? Did it help?"

In my experience, ADD meds amplify anxiety like crazy. While they allow you to focus and have tunnel vision on a specific work-related task, stimulants also increase anxiety and paranoia, because if you already have a racing mind that doesn't quit, it adds fuel to the fire if you're not able to get all your work done and worry about it later.

I would wholeheartedly recommend AGAINST giving people with anxiety stimulants, but I'm not a doctor.

10/3/2017 9:00:58 PM

^yeah that's exactly what I'm afraid of. I was forced to take it as a kid and hated it. I never used adderall or anything to study in high school or college and I'm able to perform at a really high level (organized, never miss deadlines, basically straight-As in college, in doctoral program now) so I don't need it to stay focused on work. I can't even drink more than half a cup of coffee without getting really anxious and paranoid.

10/5/2017 11:30:31 AM

if you try it and it makes you anxious then stop taking it. it's not like a lot of antidepressants where it takes a while to start working and you have to wean off, you'll know real quick if it works for you

10/5/2017 12:44:03 PM

while that is true, even just taking it once can be a bit much for some people to handle if they are super anxious to begin with. When I was younger, I had a few panic attacks (haven't had one since I was in my early 20s though), and I wouldn't wish them on anyone, so I think people with severe anxiety should be extra fucking careful with stimulants.

TBH, I HATE taking stimulants, but my job pretty much depends on it, so I've figured out a "take as needed" approach with my doctor so that I try to minimize the undesirable side effects (muted personality, edgy, etc), while being able to get my work done.

The best way to counteract a lot of the negative side effects is to do a lot of cardio/exercise and make sure to eat.

Why people take them recreationally is beyond me, but they have the complete opposite effect for me as opposed to people who 'enjoy' uppers. They make me sedated, more introverted, irritable, and quiet.

[Edited on October 5, 2017 at 7:52 PM. Reason : .]

10/5/2017 7:49:58 PM

So I took it last Friday since my schedule was pretty open, no meetings, etc. Made me slightly nauseous in the morning (took with breakfast before work). It actually did a good job of reducing/eliminating my anxiety but it actually made me pretty hyper. Not sure it would have been fun to sit through a long meeting on it. I found that it helped me focus on work, but it also helped me focus intensely on whatever I was doing - productive or unproductive. I realized at the end of the day that I hadn't eaten or drank anything all day (Usually, lunch is my biggest meal and I drink a ton of water) yet I still had no desire to eat. I also stayed awake until about 4am (~21 hours awake). I see the doctor again this week so I may ask if there's a lower dosage I can try - it was too much but I see the potential. I also felt like it wasn't fully out of my system until today (Tuesday) - just felt a bit off.

[Edited on October 17, 2017 at 11:12 AM. Reason : .]

10/17/2017 11:11:01 AM

sounds like you need to drop the dosage or try something else. what drug did you get? i like regular not extended release ritalin instead of adderall, it seems to wear off quicker for me and i don't really have any of the anxiety or racing heart rate or anything that some people get with adderall (i also don't get the almost euphoria cocaine like feeling, but that is a plus IMO). in college i liked adderall for cramming, but i'm too old for that now.

Some people have the exact opposite reaction though, i'd see what your doctor thinks

(i've never had the hyperactive response though so my experience might not apply to you. if i take too much it's almost like i'm locked in my head just thinking about something or focusing on a task or topic)

10/18/2017 9:03:11 AM

^It was concerta. I went to the doctor today and she said the dosage she gave me is usually what they start kids on (it was like 36mg or something) and that they usually start adults in the 50s. She said that what I described was not supposed to happen and that I may have hyper-metabolism where drugs hit me really hard and then last past the normal duration. We ended up dropping down to like 17mg but still the extended release. She said if this doesn't work well she's gonna try me on Aderral.

Do y'all feel like you don't get any actual therapy? She's having me come in every two weeks for a 20 minute appointment, which feels like a "hey how's it going let's write some scripts" rather than and cognitive behavioral therapy or anything like that. Maybe it's just to get the initial meds right but I don't like the idea of taking time off work and paying a $40 copay for 20 minutes and I'd hate to have to go to somebody that's strictly a therapist and pay additional copays.

10/19/2017 11:37:51 AM

there are probably doctors that also do CBT, but you may need to find a seperate therapist. don't be afraid to go to a different doctor to find one that fits better. also if you are seeing someone and doing CBT or something your primary care physician might be comfortable writing the prescriptions if you find something that works.

10/19/2017 12:06:58 PM

yeah honestly the person I'm seeing is a nurse practitioner or something and she's younger than me and super condescending, like she has to prove she's the expert and in control. I'll give it another couple of visits but may end up switching. thanks for the feedback, it's been helpful.

10/19/2017 3:13:52 PM

Get a new doctor. 36 mgs of Concerta isn't a kiddie dose at all. You should have started with at least half of that dose or even a quarter and worked your way up. She sounds like a pill pusher and someone that isn't really interested in helping you. FWIW, I've taken Concerta, Dexadrine, short acting Ritalin, and Adderall (AVOID) off and on since I was 12, and 36 mgs was the highest I ever went on Concerta. As dtownral said, short acting ritalin works better than extended release and it doesn't have as many side effects and it wears off much faster. I would start with a 2.5 mg or 5 mg tablet and go from there.

As far as therapy, that's a whole other issue, but I generally recommend it as part of a holistic approach to dealing with anxiety/ADD. Try to see someone who has an MD or is a psychiatrist so you can tackle the physical components, but looking at some of the possible root causes of your anxiety. For a lot of people, anxiety stems from early forms of trauma and it manifests itself in weird ways in adulthood.

10/19/2017 4:18:14 PM

^thanks, yeah she seems like a pill pusher for sure. I took a bunch of different stimulants as a kid and hated it - made me quiet, not eat, etc. but I guess my parents liked it for that purpose (the quietness) and once I got to an age where I could refuse it, I did, so I don't really have a clear picture of what worked or what didn't. I know that if I had taken that pill on any other day than a Friday, I would have been calling out of work the next day because I didn't sleep til 4am and had a weird hangover from it for a day or so after.

10/19/2017 5:30:23 PM

so they weren't even a psychiatrist? i think you should see a psychiatrist to get your medication figured out, you may even find one that also does CBT.

10/20/2017 8:13:34 AM

^

10/20/2017 12:59:03 PM

I have never found a MD that did anything other than just gave out pills. you will need to see two people.

[Edited on October 20, 2017 at 1:54 PM. Reason : ]

10/20/2017 1:53:33 PM

she's just a nurse practitioner or something. their office also tries to push herbal remedies and shit like that. they were literally the quickest people I could see that were a reasonable driving distance from work. all of the psychiatrist offices that I called basically said they write prescriptions and refer you out to a therapist. I'm gonna keep looking.

10/30/2017 10:16:06 AM

Just saw this thread after forever not being on here, so bttt. Mobile phone so I’m not quoting.

I take Vyvanse. 50 mg a day, and often I feel like it’s not enough. I’m in the zone for about 5-6 hours, and then it wears off. But truthfully it’s still been a big help. I honestly think I would likely have a difficult time holding a job otherwise.

I’m in a weekly therapy group, and I have monthly individual appointments with the psychologist who heads the group. I also see a prescribing psychiatrist, though most of my visits are with her nurse practitioner. The prescribing practice is what I would probably classify as a “therapy mill” of the type in most insurance networks, and its primary use is for medication purposes.

The ADD medications do actually help a great deal with my anxiety. I think that being able to concentrate and focus more clearly definitely helps with the anxiety that comes from perpetually feeling behind the 8 ball.

2/14/2018 11:11:49 PM

Quote :

"short acting ritalin works better than extended release and it doesn't have as many side effects and it wears off much faster"

I took short-acting ritalin for a few years, but I always felt like I was anticipating my next dose. Now I'm on Concerta but it doesn't do the job as well and wears out a little too soon. Really want to get off the stuff altogether at some point.

2/15/2018 4:40:30 PM

Do what I do and take both. I take an XR first thing in the morning, and around lunchtime I sometimes take a 5mg tab, depending on if I actually need it or not. I hear you about wanting to not have to take the stuff period (side effects just suck and are always there), but I try my best to only take it on days where I actually need it, since I teach 4 days a week, but the number of classes I teach varies each day. I won't take it on days where I absolutely don't need it (weekends, on vacation, light days, etc), so it allows me to still feel like a human in most aspects of my life where I dislike feeling like an irritated stress ball.



[Edited on February 16, 2018 at 6:22 PM. Reason : .]

2/16/2018 6:18:40 PM

That might work for me...maybe I'll give it a shot.

2/16/2018 6:28:00 PM

I'd try Bronkaid, Caffeine, and Aspirin if I was a few of you.

It works and suppresses appetite much the same way some meds do.

2/16/2018 7:23:50 PM