Medications For ADHD and Anxiety
Medications that treat ADHD generally work well for anxiety too. adhd medication and pregnancy and amphetamine increase the levels of certain neurotransmitters that are present in the brain. Antidepressants as well as nonstimulants like atomoxetine can also aid.
In certain instances, stimulant medications can worsen anxiety symptoms. If that's the case, your doctor could prescribe a different medication or even switch your medications completely.
Stimulants
Stimulants are often the medication of choice for people suffering from ADHD who also suffer from anxiety. These drugs are believed to aid in the treatment of ADHD and anxiety by boosting the brain's natural production of dopamine. an neurotransmitter that improves concentration, reduces impulsivity, and improves motivation and memory.
The stimulant drugs such as methylphenidate and amphetamines block the reuptake of norepinephrine as well as dopamine, thereby keeping their levels higher in the brain. This improves concentration and decreases impulsive behavior, making it easier to manage anger and other emotions that could cause anxiety.
They can also cause unintended side effects for instance, they can occasionally increase anxiety symptoms. Your child or you could also be struggling to get enough sleep. They can also reduce appetite, which could hinder in eating enough food to ensure healthy growth. Some people suffer from the tics, which are sudden sound or movement like blinking of the eyes or clearing of the throat. While these effects are common they can be controlled or eliminated by some simple strategies.
It's important to remember that each person responds differently to stimulants and non-stimulant ADHD medications. It might take a bit of trial and error to discover the appropriate combination of medication, dosages, and schedules for your child or yourself.
When creating an appropriate treatment plan, your physician will consider your specific symptoms and life style. They'll likely recommend a therapy to manage anxiety and observe the response of your medication to determine which treatment options are best for you.
The medications used to treat anxiety may interact with some ADHD medications. Adderall, for example can cause anxiety in children who have both ADHD and anxiety. This is because psychostimulants alter the way that the brain process information about possible threats within the external and internal environments and it's possible they can affect the normal process of processing.
However, this doesn't mean that ADHD and anxiety can't be treated together. It's possible that treating ADHD symptoms can help to reduce anxiety. This is because they can decrease the number and severity of anxiety-inducing situations that children with ADHD have to deal with.
Psychostimulants are generally found to be effective for improving both ADHD and anxiety in a number of studies. They are generally more effective in treating both disorders than traditional antianxiety medications. It's also possible that the improvement in anxiety that psychostimulants provide is directly related to the improvement of ADHD symptoms, not a direct interaction with the drug.
