anti depressents with adhd

[coonsanders]

hi
i may have to take anti depressents for my adhd..ive heard there might be some bad side effects with them...can you  post your problems with taking anti depressents for your adhd here?

coonsanders

[tschock]

Sorry it's taken so long to respond, but I've been out of town.

I don't use anything anymore.
I met some wonderful people on here who directed me to several different sites related to ADHD, and anxiety... and I learned a lot.
I started doing some of the things mentioned on various sites...and ( by taking baby steps) learned to help myself ( where doctors failed to do so with medications ).
I started off by doing a little bit each day...sorting socks, putting pens, pencils, etc in ONE drawer...and then putting a sticky note on that drawer to let me know what was in it. The next day I would pick another area that needed attention, and would work on that.
Now, after several months, I'm in the habit of spending a little time each day doing "something"...whether it's cleaning a whole room, writing in a journal, or watering the plants. Working on my ADHD has helped calm the anxiety.
For the rest of my anxiety I started reading self-help books and started to think positive thoughts...or at least learned how to control my thinking about negative things.
There is no doubt that ADD/ADHD contributes to anxiety/depression.
When you start messing up at work, or in your personal affairs because you can't focus...that makes life miserable, which brings about the anxiety/depression.
So what helps the most? I tell myself that if other people can't understand or handle my ADD...then that's THEIR problem. I don't mind having it...and I love me. It's who I am...and it will always be a part of me.

Try heading over to either the anxiety or depression forums too...you'll find much help at those two places.
If it wasn't for this wonderful site, I don't know where I would be now.

Have a wonderful journey!

[coonsanders]

hi
what did you finally use that helped you now?

coonsanders

[tschock]

I'm one of those rare people to begin with...all pills either do the exact opposite of what they are meant to do, or do double what they are meant to do.
When I tried Effexor, I walked around looking and acting as if I were drunk or high. My kids were taken away from me until I could be weaned off of them safely.
Paxil drove me through the roof...started getting very bad anxiety attacks which led to even worse panic attacks.
There were a few other pills they tried on me...all of them being the smallest dosage possible...no luck with any of them.
The pills they gave me to "control" the ADHD made me worse...I literally bounced off the walls. I didn't sleep for weeks. It was like I was one of those drug addicts on meth.
I had facial ticks, trembling, sweating, memory issues, and a whole lot of other symptoms on the Effexor. Paxil gave me the same symptoms but my whole body would twitch and tick.
The only one I had "some success" with was Lithium...but I had to go in for blood testing all the time. The Lithium by itself seemed to be ok...but when they added the Effexor it went from bad to horrific.
I can't remember what ( if anything ) happened to me on the Lithium...I was 24 then...almost 45 now...so it's been awhile. Sorry.

BUT...just because those pills did that to me, does NOT mean that it will happen to you.
I know of many others who have had wonderful success on different combos of meds.
I hope you find the right one for you.