Does Adderall Help With Anxiety In Kids With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Comorbid disorders are prevalent among people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These include mental health conditions like anxiety. Anxiety symptoms consume a great deal of mental energy and have continuous adverse effects on a person's life. If your child has ADHD and anxiety, you may notice that prescription medication for ADHD positively impacts their anxiety symptoms in addition to reducing ADHD-related challenges. 

However, ADHD drugs like Adderall impact everyone differently, and this isn't always the case. Some people even experience increased anxiety with Adderall.

So, does Adderall help with anxiety, or does it worsen anxiety symptoms? In this article, we'll talk about how Adderall can help with anxiety in those with ADHD, what Adderall is, and what side effects parents should know about. Then, we'll discuss ways to parents can help manage anxiety in kids and how Joon can help children with ADHD.

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Can Adderall Be Used For Anxiety?

Adderall is not a standalone treatment for anxiety disorders. However, it can help with anxiety in those with ADHD and anxiety.

While it is true that around 7.4% of kids in the general population have an anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders are even more common in those with ADHD. In fact, around 3 in 10 kids with an ADHD diagnosis also have an anxiety disorder. Mood disorders like depression are more prevalent in people with ADHD, too. Proper treatment for ADHD supports overall well-being. So, it makes sense that other mental health symptoms tend to improve when ADHD is addressed.

There are times when ADHD symptoms themselves can lead to feelings of anxiety. Difficulties with focus can lead to feeling flustered, as can forgetfulness and other symptoms. This is one possible reason why Adderall might help with anxiety symptoms in kids with ADHD. When ADHD symptoms contribute to anxious feelings, the right treatment can make a world of difference. 

While it may seem odd, there's extensive research on how ADHD medication can help with anxiety and other frequently co-occurring disorders in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

How Adderall Can Help Anxiety Symptoms

What exactly does the research say about Adderall and anxiety? Surprisingly, quite a bit. For those with ADHD, taking prescription stimulants can play a role in addressing anxiety.

One meta-analysis of 23 studies on kids with ADHD found that higher doses of psychostimulants were linked to a reduced measured risk of anxiety when compared to a placebo. These findings don't rule out the potential increase in anxiety some kids experience when taking psychostimulants like Adderall. 

Instead, it proves that many people with ADHD experience anxiety relief when taking Adderall. Research also suggests that the number of children with ADHD who experience improvement in anxiety symptoms from stimulant drugs is higher than the number of children who face increased anxiety from ADHD medication. 

For some people with ADHD, Adderall can cause side effects like nervousness. Every ADHD medication will work differently from person to person, with some experiencing more positive or negative effects than others. This is why it can take trial and error to find the right ADHD drugs.

What Is Adderall?

Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant medication that contains a blend of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine salts. Although the medication has been around for a lot longer, Adderall was approved to treat ADHD by the FDA in 1996. Currently, Adderall is used to treat ADHD and Narcolepsy. 

Adderall is one of the most common ADHD medications on the market, alongside other drugs like Ritalin. Central nervous system stimulants like Adderall are effective in 70-80% of children with ADHD. They're also effective for the majority of those with "adult ADHD" (ADHD that persists into adulthood). 

Adderall is typically regarded as safe when taken as prescribed, but as with any medication, there are possible side effects and risks.

Side Effects

Adderall and various other ADHD drugs have similar side effects. Here are some potential side effects an individual might experience while taking Adderall:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Changes in mood
• Blurred vision 
• Sleep problems
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dry mouth
• Irritability or agitation 
• Increased blood pressure
• Lightheadedness 
• Heart palpitations 
• Stomach pain 
• Fever 
• Nervousness

Abuse of stimulants is a common fear for parents with kids prescribed ADHD medication. Despite common misconceptions, stimulant drugs like Adderall don't increase the risk of a substance use disorder in people with ADHD. In reality, treating concerns like ADHD and anxiety early on can protect a child's mental health in more than one way. Taking medication for ADHD can not only lead to anxiety relief in kids; it can also reduce the risk of self-medicating later in life. Similarly, ADHD medication is connected to a lower likelihood of conduct disorder in pediatric patients with ADHD.

That said, if medication increases your child's anxiety, take the side effect seriously. Managing anxiety caused by medication is often done by changing a child's medication routine. If your child experiences nervousness or other adverse effects while taking Adderall, their prescriber may opt to switch to another ADHD medication. Make sure to talk with your child's doctor if you feel that Adderall is the cause of your child's symptoms.

If anxiety symptoms are unexplained by medication or are better attributed to an anxiety disorder, it's important to seek an evaluation and treatment. 

Note: If your child has ADHD, try Joon. Joon helps kids with ADHD build and maintain healthy routines that support overall physical and mental well-being. Many parents say that Joon improves the relationship they have with their children. The Joon app has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 in the app store, with a total of over 3.6k reviews. 

Click here to try Joon for free. 

Managing An Anxiety Disorder In Kids

It is possible to treat ADHD and anxiety at the same time. Professionals generally diagnose a mental health disorder or mental illness like an anxiety disorder by reviewing common symptoms and asking questions about when symptoms started to rule out other potential causes. 

Anxiety disorders include but aren't limited to generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. There are various treatment options* for anxiety disorders, such as:

• Anti-anxiety medications.
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
• Tricyclic antidepressants.
• Mental health therapy.

Many treatments used for anxiety disorders are the same. Sometimes, a medical professional will favor one treatment over another based on an individual's symptoms. For example, panic attacks seen in those with panic disorder might be addressed differently than social anxiety or separation anxiety would be. In children, therapy is usually recommended first for symptoms of anxiety. If mental health therapy alone is not enough, a combined approach with therapy and anxiety medications can be used.  You can also try Joon app as a way to manage anxiety disorder in an ADHD child.

How Joon Can Help Your Child With ADHD Symptoms

Joon is a new game designed exclusively for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Geared toward kids aged 6-12, Joon increases motivation, independence, and self-esteem. 

In the app, parents assign kids a list of real-life tasks (called quests) to complete. Once kids finish their quests, they get rewards that allow them to care for a virtual pet in the game. 90% of kids who use Joon complete all of their tasks. Even better, the app is backed by teachers, occupational therapists, and child psychologists. 

Kids can connect to Joon from Amazon, Android, or Apple devices. However, parents must register with an Apple device. 

Click here to download Joon for free.

What do kids get prescribed for anxiety?

Children with anxiety disorders will most often get a prescription for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Frequently prescribed SSRIs include but aren’t limited to:

• Zoloft
• Lexapro
• Prozac
• Celexa
• Luvox

Frequently prescribed SNRIs include but aren’t limited to:

• Cymbalta

Some medications that may be used for adults can’t be used for pediatric patients. Every medication has a different list of potential side effects that you should go over with your child’s doctor.

Mental health therapists can help kids with anxiety understand their emotions, pinpoint and discuss how they feel healthily, and self-soothe with techniques known to calm anxiety. Therapy can also aid in relief from general negative feelings, regardless of a diagnosed anxiety or mood disorder. 

*Some prescription drugs used to treat depression and anxiety disorders can be dangerous when taken alongside central nervous system stimulants like Adderall. Make sure that you talk with the medical professional who manages your child's medication before they add a new drug to your child's routine. Supplements should also be discussed with your child's prescriber, as they can interfere with treatment or increase the risk of serious complications like serotonin syndrome. Serotonin syndrome is potentially fatal and can also lead to seizures, high fever, or loss of consciousness. 

When you tell your child's prescriber about other medications and supplements your child takes, they'll check for any potential medication or supplement interactions.

Takeaway 

Various mental health disorders are more common in children with ADHD. Adderall is not an anti-anxiety medication, and it isn't used to treat anxiety on its own. However, treating ADHD can improve overall mental health. Research shows that for those with ADHD and anxiety, Adderall can help relieve anxiety symptoms. If symptoms of anxiety persist or negatively affect your child's life or well-being, make sure to seek professional medical advice. It is possible to manage ADHD and anxiety and live a fulfilling life with both disorders. Professionals may treat symptoms of anxiety with a range of different treatments, including but not limited to therapy and anxiety medication.