Medications For ADHD and Anxiety
Medications that treat ADHD often work well for anxiety, too. The stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamine can boost the levels of certain brain neurotransmitters. Nonstimulants like atomoxetine or antidepressants could also be helpful.
In some cases stimulant medications can cause anxiety to worsen. If this is the case your doctor may prescribe another medication or switch medications altogether.
Stimulants
People with ADHD and anxiety are typically prescribed stimulants. They are believed to help both ADHD and anxiety as they increase brain's production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that improves concentration and decreases the impulsivity. It also helps with motivation and memory.
The stimulant drugs like amphetamines or methylphenidate block the reuptake norepinephrine, which keeps dopamine and norepinephrine in higher levels in your brain. This improves focus and decreases the tendency to be impulsive making it easier to manage anger and other emotions that make anxiety worse.
The stimulants can also cause unintended effects which is that they can sometimes cause anxiety-related symptoms to increase. Your child or you may also be struggling to get enough sleep. In addition, they can decrease appetite, which could cause problems with eating enough food for healthy growth. Some sufferers also experience tics, which are sudden sounds or movements such as eye blinking or throat clearing. These effects, though common, can be reduced or eliminated using certain techniques.
It is important to keep in mind that each person reacts differently to stimulants and non-stimulant ADHD medications. It could take some trial and error with different medications, dosages and schedules to find a combination that works for you or your child.
Your doctor will take into consideration your specific issues and lifestyle when creating a treatment plan. They'll likely recommend a therapy to reduce anxiety and track the response of your medication to determine which treatment options are the best for you.
Medications used to treat anxiety may interact with some ADHD medications. Adderall for instance can cause anxiety in children who suffer from both ADHD and anxiety. This is because psychostimulants can affect how the brain processes information about potential threats in the external and internal environments It is possible that they can affect the normal process of processing.
However, this doesn't mean that ADHD and anxiety can't be treated in tandem. It's possible that treating ADHD symptoms can also reduce anxiety. This is because they may decrease the number and severity of anxiety-inducing situations that children with ADHD confront.
Psychostimulants have been shown to be effective for improving both ADHD and anxiety in a variety of studies. They are usually more effective for both disorders than conventional antianxiety medication. adhd medications that the reduction of anxiety with psychostimulants was due to the improvement in ADHD symptoms, rather than the medication itself.