u/Choice-Toe-8457

Hi everyone,

I’m a 27F diagnosed with ADHD (combined presentation) and generalized anxiety disorder, and I’m feeling really stuck trying to figure out what medication approach actually fits my brain and nervous system.

For context: I was first medicated around age 22 for anxiety and have trialed multiple SSRIs over the years. Most helped somewhat with anxiety/racing thoughts, but I often ended up emotionally flat, less creative, less motivated, and with significant sexual side effects. I’m currently on 75mg Venlafaxine (SNRI).

About a month ago, I started Vyvanse after finally being diagnosed with ADHD. The interesting thing is that the Vyvanse does help in some really meaningful ways:

- quieter mind / less racing thoughts
- better focus and executive function
- easier time sitting down and completing tasks
- less overwhelm in the mornings
- improved mood and confidence during the “working” phase of the medication

But then a few hours later, things seem to shift.

I start feeling overstimulated, hot, irritable, emotionally “ugh,” and kind of flat or depleted. I become much less social, don’t want to do anything, and sometimes feel like my nervous system is just fried. It’s almost like there’s a brief window where I feel like the version of myself I’ve been trying to access for years, and then it disappears halfway through the day.

I’m also experiencing a LOT of sweating and heat sensitivity — especially facial sweating — which is making everything worse. I already have rosacea, so my face gets hot/red easily, and once I start sweating I feel physically uncomfortable and overstimulated really quickly. It becomes hard to regulate myself and I just want to lie down in front of a fan and not interact with anyone. The sweating is honestly embarrassing and affecting my quality of life. Tbh I’ve always been a sweaty person, so I think these meds are just exacerbating an existing issue.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

- Does this sound like Vyvanse dose issues (too high? too low? wearing off too fast?)
- Could the Venlafaxine + Vyvanse combo be contributing to emotional blunting, sweating, irritability, or overstimulation?
- Has anyone had stimulants HELP anxiety initially, but then create sensory overstimulation later in the day?
- Did anyone find that a different stimulant worked better (less crash/less emotional flattening)?
- Has anyone moved from an SNRI/SSRI + stimulant combo to stimulant-only treatment and felt more “themselves”?
- Are there ADHD meds that feel smoother or more emotionally sustainable for people who are sensitive to stimulation/sensory overload?
- Could this indicate that anxiety/depression symptoms were actually secondary to untreated ADHD all along?

I’m honestly exhausted from years of medication trial-and-error. I don’t expect to feel euphoric or perfect, but I do want to feel functional without feeling emotionally muted, sweaty, overstimulated, or disconnected from myself.

I miss feeling creative, emotionally present, and naturally motivated. I’m trying to figure out whether I’m:

1. on the wrong stimulant,
2. on the wrong antidepressant,
3. overmedicated,
4. under-medicated,
   or just someone with a very sensitive nervous system.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s experienced similar patterns, especially women with ADHD/anxiety.