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  

[Sandman2]

   Hi, and welcome.  A very good (and true) point you made.  Unfortunately, on posts this old we don't always get much feedback.  But thank you for trying.  Feel free to check out more recent posts to see if there is anywhere you can help!

[Ty83]

Depression is actually very common in adults with untreated ADHD. When a person doesn't know they have ADHD they often go through their life not being able to complete goals they have set, constantly changing goals, failing to live up to their potential with no way to explain why. They can blame society or blame them self, generally it is the later. Being dissatisfied with what you've done with your life and constantly thinking you're a lazy worthless failure seems like something that could easily cause someone to become depressed.

[ings81]

Yes you can have adhd and depression bipolar and adhd are very similar.
To Geoqueen i also know what iam talking about i have had brain scans to back up the clinical diagnoses of adhd,depressive mood disorder, anxiety and ocd. Not everyone has the same symptoms as everyone is different. yes d826 you should go see a psychiatrist.
back to Geoqueen everyone has a right to their opinions i have taken your post personally and as an attack. I too am medicated for adhd and my mood disorder and have lived with this all my life and done research but that does not make me an expert.
d826 take what advice you want from all this sorry if you are now really confused.Please let me know how you go and i am here for you.
Take care Love Ingrid xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[shaz71]

Sorry the comment above it to you. Sharon x

[shaz71]

Hi have you ever had your hormones checked as any hormone at all out of sequence can cause all them symptoms you describe. My thyroid was under but not by much and i wanted to commit suicide, the depression was awful, i also spoke to myself with anxious thoughts constantly going through my head and the weight gain, you can tell it wasn't normal as i went on a diet and nothing shifted at all. To me it definately sounds like hormonal problem. I had to fight with my doc to check mine as he said i had postnatal depression, if he had his way he would have put me on antidepressants without finding the route cause, which wouldn't have helped one bit. Hope you get down to the bottom of it. Good luck. Sharon x

[randysmojo]

It is possible to have ADHD and have signs of depression.  Not saying they go together but that they can both happen to someone.  I have been diagnosed ADHD for several years but have had problems keeping insurance due to job changes, so I have had long periods of being on meds and periods of being off meds because I can't afford them.  Unfortunately, having the problems that ADHD can cause can be depressing in itself.  When I was on my meds, I was taking 20mg of Lexapro and 80 mg of Strattera.  I was on the Lexapro when I was originally diagnosed and had a little help from it so the psychiatrist told me they would leave me on it and add the Strattera for ADHD.  As far as the wellbutrin, I know other depression and ADHD type medications take more than a week to notice any differences.  Sometimes more than a month even, so don't count it out yet.

[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

[d826]

Hi and thanks for replying!

I am actually quite terrible with money management--I tend to spend too much and impulse buy, becuase it makes me feel good for the moment to shop, I guess?  Also I am chronically late---and this has gotten me in much hot water as I have a professional job.  Its hard to explain because I try so hard to be on time---but I just scramble around the house getting ready (and often lose my train of thought on what I am doing)--so I am late for work, parties, etc.  I also lack organization.  I am getting married in October and I still have so many things to straighten out that I am more stressed.  I often don't sleep well at night as things race through my mind!  I don't think I've ever had a manic episode (I think I def would know). I do feel like all of my anxious behavior occured from a episode with a serious boyfriend that I lived with (chronic cheating and verbal abuse).  I can be moody at times but I really don't have much of a temper.  As being content--I am the most content when I have things to do--as I am often bored and feel like I can't relax (this makes my fiance crazy).  I am 28 years old and I have no children of my own---and have no clue what is going on with the weight gain (its devastating to my self esteem).  I am going to my doctor on thursday for blood tests (thyroid) and maybe about the possible misdiagnosis or another diagnosis.  Any idea how to bring up the adult ADHD thing? Did your regular practictioner diagnose you as having these disorders?  

Thank-you soooooo much for your good advice.
D

[ings81]

Hi yes i think you have probably been miss diagnosed. How are you with money, time management and organisation? I am 26 and I have adhd depressive mood disorder obsessive compulsive disorder & anxiety. Reading what you have written I would get a 2nd opinion i would be looking into bipolar add and obsessive compulsive. Bipolar and add/adhd are very similar and add can be diagnosed when in actual fact its bipolar. I believe my mood disorder is bipolar because i had a short manic episode followed by the most depressed episode of my life which is what i am going through now. Do you have a short fuse/Bad temper do you follow things through. Do you feel content? In regards to your weight how old are you? I would look at possible Poly cystic ovarian syndrome one of the main side effects with that is weight gain or there is your thyroid gland an under active thyroid will cause weight gain. I would get to your doctor soon and have a lot of test done.Your weight is bothering you and I think it is a sign there is something going on but try not to stress to much i know it's hard. Hang in there ok I totally understand how you feel and iam here if you need anything. I hope i helped.

Take care love ings81