could i have ADHD and misdiagnosed as anxiety

[d826]

Hi,

I also was searching weight gain and lexapro and stumbled onto this sight.  I thought I was nuts because my doctor said it would ABSOLUTELY not cause weight gain. I went on it (started at 10 and then went to 20 mg) because I am a constant worrier and I show signs of anxiety like restless etc, and I also have IBS and my dr informed me that that could ease my stomach some.  It did seem to help my stomach but I was often sooo tired and lethargic-and my brain felt foggy.  I also went from 158 pounds to 180 lbs. in 1 year! I think I feel worse off because of the weight gain (anxious, depressed).  So I quit it cold turkey---with no side effects 2 months ago---and my weight is still rising! I am so upset about this---I don't know what to do.  I eat the same and I am just as active as before when I was a size 8---now I'm a size 13-15.  Not sure what I should do about it!!! HELP
I actually think that I might have been missed diagnosed as having anxiety---and have ADHD.  I can be very hyper and not able to sit still, or lethargic and depressed the next hour?  I can over organize my stuff for hours because I can't sit still.  I work full time as a teacher and work a night part time job just so I am busy! I also wake up all hours of the night and my body is restless.  I am very forgetful and often will talk to someone and be lost in my thoughts and drift away and not hear a word. Does this sound like anyone's feelings?  What should I do about this? How does one get diagnosed.  I would appreciate anyones advice!

Thanks  

[Geoqueen]

NO WAY!!

you do not have ADHD, trust me, I have had ADHD since I was a kid ( I am 23).  there is no depression involved in ADHD, perhaps frustration and some anxiety but does not cause IBS.  I think what you are experiencing might be Bi-polar disorder or even Mania.  I have researched ADHD for a long time, am on medication and know what I am talking about! Plus, if you did have ADHD the worse thing you can possibly do is take ADHD medication while having a mood disorder, it actually aggravates it. You should go to a psychiatrist for an extensive evaluation, where you are not diagnosed right away...it might take a few sessions even a couple of months! Good luck.

[ings81]

Hey there i fully believe zoloft and a stimulant, zoloft for the anxiety and the stimulant for the add. I am so sorry that wellbutrin isn't working. Make sure you go back to the doc. I was taking lithium to try controlling my moods but it ended up making me really sick i probably should have gone to the hospital but i am ok i start taking lamictal in the next few days so hopefully this med is right for me.
Let me know how you go I am here if you need to talk Love Ingridxxxxxxxxx

[d826]

Hi,

My doctor put me on 200 mg of wellbutrin to see if that helped with the anxiety, and then to determine if I still was having the issues with concentration and focus (as then she will have to add something for ADD as well).  Well its been a week and I go back and see her on Monday.  The wellbutrin has definately done nothing for me at all!! Hopefully she will figure out what to do and give me something to help the ADD symptoms.  I hope they straightnen out your medicine as well-because it has to be soooo hard to be depressed and and moody when you have twins!!! I mean, I feel really bad for my fiance (eventhough sometimes he deserves it!) but not little babies.  And its very hard to pretend like nothings wrong--like we have all tried!!

Talk to you soon,
Donna

[ings81]

Hey how are you going? Have you started taking any meds yet? dexamphetamine and zoloft worked really well for me until i fell pregnant with my twins who are now 15mths I was on the zoloft which was helping the ocd and anxiety. After having the twins my body and brain chemicals were different and the meds weren't helping me the way were before the twins so i stopped taking zoloft and swithched to effexor and stayed with the stimulants for the add now I am in the process of adding a mood stabelizer as well and then hopefully i will start getting better my mood swings are the big problem because I am having severe depressive episodes. I am really glad your getting help and that you got a second opinion. Good luck and please let me know how you go and i am here if you need to talk I totally understand what your going through.
hang in there ok please write back when you can
love Ingrid xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[d826]

Hi again,

I went to the doctors yesterday and the pschiatrists confirmed my idea of having ADD, but also moderate anxiety as well.  I am definately not going back on LExapro, so now I am up to deciding what meds I feel comfortable to go on.  I really don't know what I should try out.  The doctor felt we would talk about treatment the next sessios, and she said to give it some thought.  I know that all meds effect people differently, but do you have any suggestions of what has helped you?  

Thanks,
d

[ings81]

Hey i really think you have adhd and sorry it taken so long to reply i went on holidays. after seeing numerous gp's pyschologists and pschiatrists all just saying it was depression i finally went to my gp who is fantastic and who i hadn't been seeing long sent me to this pyschitrist who straight away said no it's not just depression she diagnosed me with adult adhd depressive mood disorder ocd and anxiety and this was when i was 22 or 23 and i was going great until i fell pregnant unexpectadly with twins after the birth in april of 2007 the medication wasn't working and i have had a pretty traumatic yr so far and have recently had a breakdown I am now taking lithium and will start taking my adhd meds in a month or two. Do some research into pyschiatrists who specialise in adhd and go see one I honestly believe you have adhd/add and ocd doctors aren't always right i saw 7 different one while growing up and if i had been treated earlier i might not be so unstable now at 26. get a 2nd or 3rd opinion you know your body better than anyone. And my husband knows how frustrated your fiance may get withyou sometimes but without us life would be boring :-) take care love Ingrid