ADHD and Elvanse

[loobylou44]

18 year old with ADHD is struggling with anxiety, stomach upsets (think anxiety related) and sometimes eating. They’re on Elvanse and not sure whether to try without for a while to see if it’s making things worse. Has anyone had similar?
It’s so hard to know if medication is the right thing for them or not.

Hi,
Sorry no one has replied. Anxiety, loss of appetite, stomach pains are all side effects of Elvanse. Everyone responds differently but there are many many side effects to lisdex. Some get tonnes of them, some get none - its pot luck on your physiological response to them. Sometimes they settle as you adapt to the drug. If they don't then try a different one? I was anxious, tearful, dizzy on Concerta (methylphenidate) and now on Elvanse which other than a mildly tight jaw, a dip in appetite and occasional spinny moments at first, and some broken sleep (and fogginess in the first hour of taking them) doesn't have any real side effects and the benefits are outweighing those side effects. Some days I don't have any side effects at all. I've only been on it for around five weeks. But others can have a terrible time on Elvanse and a better time on Concerta or find they make no difference or that both make them feel awful. There's a lot to try - slow release, instant release. Non Stimulants etc.

@FMLpassthegin @loobylou44 I was going to ask if there is any relief from anxiety on elvanse. My Dr has me on the waiting list for an assessment for adhd and I'm on duloxetine and it's doing nothing.

I'm now on 60mg Elvanse and so far so good. No increased anxiety for me - ie no more anxiety than if I was on nothing. And if anything I would say less because what I'm not experiencing is nearly so much 'overwhelm'. I'm more productive and that helps. My mood is more even I think too. This isn't purely the meds, I'm also exercising, practising mindfulness every morning and eating better. And I've given up caffeine other than my first cup in the morning at 6.45am when I take the Elvanse otherwise I do feel odd and anxious. I am chugging it alongside Kefir for the protein to help max its effectiveness. All in all I'm feeling good. Sleep has settled, less waking which was an issue at the start. All in all it is nothing but beneficial so far so I'm hoping this is it for me.

@FMLpassthegin I'm frustrated I can't get assessed sooner as I think the adhd and anxiety are definitely linked. Anxiety has robbed me of so much of my life.
I'm glad it's working for you x