any good meds out there?

[tschock]

So I just now came back from seeing a new shrink...they want to medicate me because right now I'm more ADHD than ADD. I always "come alive" in the spring.
They are telling me that the only way to control my anxiety/ADHD is to take pills.
I also have IBS...which is caused by anxiety and also causes anxiety...double whammy with that one. lol

I tried some med years ago for the ADD/ADHD and I didn't sleep for 6 weeks...I bounced off walls...literally.
Tried anxiety meds too...they made things way worse and I spent an entire summer in the hospital having one panic attack after another...I came very close to ending it all because of that.

So...are there any new and improved drugs out there that don't have nasty side effects?

[Sandman2]

   I don't know,  they may allow the strattera as a lot of the problems with Champix seems to be due to the sudden nicotine withdrawal (makes sense), and they both have different ways of working on the system.  Do read up on Strattera as it does take much longer to take effect, so don't expect any sudden changes that you would get with stimulants.
   I completely understand the gardening thing.  When both my wife and I were teaching, it was one of our main forms of relaxation, besides jogging.  Now that we are retired and have more time, its getting a bit out of control as I keep expanding the garden.  I am into pumpkins, and they seriously need room to grow.
    I do like the way your new doc sounds so far.  kind of realistic.
    Do realize that ADD can really add to ones stress/anxiety level.  Have you ever checked out the adult ADD sites?  They've got some pretty good stuff on dealing with it.   One site is totallyadd.com and is a bunch of really entertaining videos since the whole thing was a PBS special.  Its also got forums, etc.  The other site is,  http://jeffsaddmind.com/for-first-time-visitors       check them out.  Warning, you can easily lose yourself in them for a few hours.
    From what my friends have said and what I have read, I do think that the special lights will make a difference in the winter.  I know that personally, a good 5 mile jog does wonders for my stress/anxiety - but I live near the coast in southern california which makes it a year around stress reliever :)   Oh, and omega 3 pills - use wild salmon only - I think will also help.  

[tschock]

Not sure what the pills I tried last time were called. It was over 12 years ago if that helps.
As for the anxiety pills I've been on a long list...effexor, paxil, xanax, ativan ( which I call the demon pill...it's the one that kept me in hospital having one panic attack after another).

I've just looked up this Strattera...I figure if they won't give me champix to help quit smoking then they probably won't give me the Strattera either...Why? Because on the Strattera site it says that it can cause suicidal thoughts in patients that already suffer from depression and stuff...just like the champix.

I really don't want to take ANY pills...I have told them this and they won't listen.
The new "shrink" is a psychiatrist that deals with medicinal issues.  They are sending me to her because she specializes in knowing what pills and conditions interact with others...

She brought up the whole thing about the seasons and she figured that it could be that seasonal disorder thing...however she found it interesting that the reason that "I think" I get more excited in the Spring is because I can finally get out and do my favorite thing...gardening!
I told her that in the winter I can sit at the comp for hours...playing farming games...but when spring hits I'm outside and I stay there until the snow falls again.
It's the only thing that helps with my stress. When I'm out in the garden I don't think...well I do, but I think more pleasant thoughts...my stress/anxiety is held at bay when I'm in the garden.
In the winter, the farming games ( Harvest Moon, etc) help a bit...it's not as good as the real thing, but it helps all the same.
She said that playing games is ok to a degree, as long as I don't ignore my family/house.

My ADD/ADHD does NOT bother me, I just want to learn to deal with the anxiety/panic attacks/stress...which she says is all a part of this, and the IBS.

There has GOT to be a way to deal with this stuff aside from drugs.
Herbal? Diet?
I think I'll invest in some of those lights this year...thanks Sandman2, good idea.

[Sandman2]

   You have been around here long enough to know that its a trial and error game when it comes to meds.  Yes, there are some new ones out there that are more gentile!  I think that you will just have to try one and see what happens.  Don't wait 6 weeks of going hyper before you say something.  Strattera will take a while to take effect.  The stimulant meds will  work one way or the other almost immediately.  Ya, people can give their recommendations, but everybody is different and reacts differently.  Thats why why the doctor/patient communication is so important!  
   I don't like the fact that the meds made you bounce off the walls.  That should not happen.  If it happens again, I would rethink the ADHD diagnosis.  
   Is your new shrink a psychologist or a psychiatrist?
    If you don't mind, what kind of anxiety med did you try?
    And your comment about coming alive in the spring is interesting.  You are a wee bit north.  I've got good friends north of Seattle (nothing compared to you) who have replaced all of their kitchen lights with special lights to mimic the sun.  I certainly do think that they go a bit crazy when they finally get to go outside (especially this year - it been snowing nuts, how about up there?), so the seasons do make a huge difference!  If the major problem is only in the spring and early summer, there may be other things that you can do to deal with this!  hopefully :)

[Chreey]

have you tried strattera for the adhd. that is what my son is on its a non stimulant so it shouldn't affect your sleep as much as the stimulants do.

[CarolinaCarolina]

What have you tried before?