Medications For ADHD and Anxiety
The same drugs that treat ADHD can also be used to treat anxiety. The stimulants methylphenidate and amphetamine increase the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Antidepressants and nonstimulants like atomoxetine may also help.
In some cases stimulant medications may cause an increase in anxiety symptoms. If this is the case, your doctor might prescribe a different medication or switch medications altogether.
Stimulants
Stimulants are usually the drug of choice for people with ADHD who also suffer from anxiety. These drugs are believed to aid both ADHD and anxiety because they increase the brain's production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps to improve concentration and reduces the impulsivity. It also supports motivation and memory.
Stimulant drugs such as methylphenidate or amphetamines block the reuptake norepinephrine, which keeps dopamine and norepinephrine at higher levels in your brain. This improves concentration and decreases the tendency to be impulsive which makes it easier for you to manage anger and other emotions that can make anxiety worse.
However, stimulants can have unexpected side effects as they can cause an increase in symptoms of anxiety. They can also trigger sleep problems, meaning that you or your child could struggle to get enough restful sleep. In addition, they could decrease appetite, which could interfere with eating enough for healthy growth. Many sufferers also experience tics, which are sudden movements or sound such as eye blinking and throat clearing. These side effects, although normal, can be controlled or eliminated by a few simple techniques.
It is important to keep in mind that each person responds differently stimulants or non-stimulant ADHD medication. uk adhd medication might take a bit of trial and error to determine the right combination of medications, dosages, and schedules for your child or yourself.
Your doctor will take into consideration your specific conditions and lifestyle when determining an appropriate treatment plan. They may suggest an approach to lessen anxiety and will monitor your response to medication to determine the best solutions for you.
Certain ADHD medications may interact with medications for treating anxiety. Adderall, for example can cause anxiety in children who suffer from both ADHD and anxiety. This is because psychostimulants affect the way the brain processes information about possible threats within the external and internal environment, and it's possible that they may affect the normal process of processing.
This doesn't mean that ADHD and anxiety cannot be treated together. It's also possible that reducing ADHD symptoms can help reduce anxiety, too, since they might reduce the number of anxiety-provoking situations and conflicts that children with untreated ADHD face.
In general, psychostimulants appear to be effective for improving both ADHD and anxiety in a number of studies. They're usually more effective than traditional antianxiety medications for both disorders. It's possible that the improvement of anxiety with psychostimulants was due to the improvement in ADHD symptoms rather than the drug itself.