SSRI and ADHD

[Anonymous]

Our child struggles with anxiety and moodiness and benefits from a pretty low dose of an SSRI. That said, it seems to make his ADHD worse (impulse control and hyperactivity). Any thoughts on what has worked for your child with a similar profile?

[Anonymous]

Recommend trying Wellbutrin instead

[Anonymous]

Which SSRI? We didn’t experience this with our our daughter, but I know ADHD can present differently in boys and girls. That being said, she recently started a very low-dose of Ritalin, which seems to have helped a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recommend trying Wellbutrin instead

Wellbutrin is known to spike anxiety. Be careful with wellbutrin if your child has anxiety.

[Anonymous]

My DC takes both an SSRi and a stimulant. It takes some balancing on dosage but it is working well.

[Anonymous]

We had a similar experience with DC with OCD/ADHD - Zoloft helped with OCD but then impulsivity and emotional dysregulation became more pronounced. We added guanfacine which has helped with ADHD symptoms, along with all the other things — ERP therapy, CBT therapy, healthy diet, sleep, exercise.

[Anonymous]

Anecdotal but I have ADHD and anxiety and hated Wellbutrin. I had severe withdrawal going off of it after a few years and it took me 18 months of tapered doses to get off of it. Discontinuation syndrome is real and is horrible.

[Anonymous]

Atomoxetine (a non-stimulant adhd med) really helped my mood. I take it together with a stimulant. The combo is very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Our doctor said Zoloft can actually increase impulsivity in kids with adhd. She suggests trying prozac if an SSRI is needed.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. Any other adhd patients have better luck with Prozac? I do think Zoloft winds up my adhd child.

[Anonymous]

We had the same problem with SSRIs -- it's called overactivation. An SNRI worked for my child (cymbalta in particular).

[Anonymous]

SSRIs are not for adhd. They can treat anxiety - but you’re still going to see problems with focus. If you don’t want a stimulant, try Guanfacine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience with DC with OCD/ADHD - Zoloft helped with OCD but then impulsivity and emotional dysregulation became more pronounced. We added guanfacine which has helped with ADHD symptoms, along with all the other things — ERP therapy, CBT therapy, healthy diet, sleep, exercise.

Can I ask for the dosing that was used for both meds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. Any other adhd patients have better luck with Prozac? I do think Zoloft winds up my adhd child.

Is there a reason why a psychiatrist would prefer Zoloft over Prozac? Are there symptoms that one med treats better than others? DD has OCD/Anxiety and I am pretty sure also has ADHD (inattentive). We are about to embark on meds but wanted to line up a psychologist first and it's been hard to find a good one (everyone seems to have a waiting list).

[Anonymous]

Zoloft was terrible for my teen with inattentive ADHD. Significant apathy. Turns out apathy can be a side effect of SSRIs. When you already struggle with concentration (even with meds), apathy is awful on top.