Medications For ADHD and Anxiety
The same drugs that treat ADHD can also be used to treat anxiety. The stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamine boost levels of certain neurotransmitters in your brain. Nonstimulants like atomoxetine and antidepressants can also aid.
In certain instances, stimulant medications can worsen anxiety symptoms. If this is the case your doctor may prescribe another medication or even switch your medications completely.
Stimulants
Stimulants are often the medication of choice for those with ADHD who also suffer from anxiety. These medications are believed to help with both ADHD and anxiety because they increase brain's production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that improves concentration and decreases impulsivity. It also aids in memory and motivation.
Stimulant drugs like methylphenidate and amphetamines are effective in preventing the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine, which keeps them at higher levels in the brain. This improves concentration and decreases impulse-driven behavior which makes it easier to control anger and other emotions that can cause anxiety.
Stimulants can also have an unintended side effect which is that they occasionally increase anxiety symptoms. They can also trigger sleep problems, so you or your child may have trouble getting enough restful sleep. They can also cause a decrease in appetite, which could hinder in eating enough to maintain healthy growth. Many sufferers also experience tics, which are sudden movements or sound like eye blinks and throat clearing. Although these side effects are common they can be mitigated or eliminated by a few simple strategies.
It is important to keep in mind that everyone responds differently to stimulants or non-stimulant ADHD medication. It could take a bit of trial and error to determine the best combination of medications, dosages, and schedules for your children or yourself.
Your healthcare provider will consider your individual issues and lifestyle when creating an appropriate treatment plan. They'll likely suggest a therapy to manage anxiety and observe your response to medications to determine which options are best for you.
Certain ADHD medications may interact with medications for treating anxiety. For instance, Adderall can make anxiety more severe in children with the comorbidity of ADHD and anxiety. This is because psychostimulants can affect the way the brain processes information about possible threats within the external and internal environments and it's possible they may interfere with this normal process.
This doesn't mean that ADHD and anxiety cannot be treated in conjunction. It's possible that treating ADHD symptoms can also reduce anxiety. This is because they could reduce the frequency and intensity of anxiety-provoking situations that children with ADHD face.
Psychostimulants have proven to be effective in treating both ADHD and anxiety, based on several studies. medication for autism and adhd tend to be more effective for both disorders than traditional antianxiety medications. It's possible that the decrease of anxiety with psychostimulants was an outcome of the improvement in ADHD symptoms rather than the medication itself.