u/CautiouslySatisfied

I've been taking Vyvanse for a few weeks now following my mid-30s ADHD diagnosis. I went up from 30-40mgs a day about two weeks ago. for the past week and a half (ie, not immediately after the dosage increase but a few days later) I've been having a lot of anxiety.

It feels like the title says. I feel like there's a horrible black hand holding onto my heart and squeezing a little each time it beats. essentially this makes me super aware of my heart beating even though it is not beating an irregular rhythm, not beating particularly hard and not beating particularly fast. I'm just constantly aware of it.

it feels like I'm on the precipice of disaster.

the problem is, I'm not sure if it's the Vyvanse or the anxiety just shining through now that the ADHD is being treated.

has anyone felt similarly? does anyone have any advice?

I was diagnosed with ADHD this year after years of thinking I just had a really severe anxiety disorder and maybe some depression. I started seeing a therapist for the first time recently and she clocked pretty quickly that I was exhibiting the signs of ADHD burnout and had been feeling burnt out for years. I got tested and I have ADHD and I started the medication and it was life changing.

but recently I've been struggling with what feels like intense feelings of anxiety.

especially for the past couple weeks I just feel this pressure on my heart which is a common way for my anxiety to manifest. but I don't know if it's because of the Vyvanse (40mg, up from 30mg a few weeks ago) actually causing the issue or if it is just because of the general awareness of the anxiety and my now increased ability to focus on it.

Man. I dunno. Maybe it is the pills. But the anxiety in my chest is like an overly obvious heartbeat. I don't feel like my heart is actually beating more or faster or anything really. Or irregularly at all as far as I can tell. I just can't ignore that it's beating and I can feel it beat. I feel like a black ichorous hand is clutching down around my heart and holding it there on the precipice of disaster. I'm constantly tense as if every second something awful is going to happen. But the problem is I seem to be feeling it even on days when I don't take the pills.

any advice? I have tried the box breathing. I've tried tensing all my muscle groups and releasing them. I've tried holding a cold icecube or plunging my face in water. all maybe help for a moment, but nothing actually seems to fix it.