Hi Sharon, my daughter also has ADHD with co-existing anxiety. When we first used 2 meds I really didnt want to, but it helped so much I was glad I did. If possible try to get a pediatric psychopharmocologist. They are not easy to find, but are a godsend especially when you start combining meds. Our doc is great about knowing what reacts with what and how. He will say ok the pharmacist is going to tell you these will interact....but....such and such....he is wonderful. It is very, very common for stims to increase anxiety. We did ok on the Ritalin LA, one of the better for us also. We finally just took her off, but she is 12 and we've got middle school and hormones adding to our anxiety mix these days so it was just time to do something different. We have gone with Desipramine now alone, it is helping with her ADHD, her anxiety and tics (also exacerbated by the stims). My daughter took Ritalin LA and Zoloft together and did pretty well, the only thing is Zoloft increases the blood level of the methyphedinate so her "nervousness" went up with the increase. Another good combination was Wellbutrin with a small amount of stimulant. There are lots of combinations, all trial and error. Keep reading!!!
Good luck, keep us updated, would love to know how you make out
It is all about finding the best med regimen for the individual. Any time ADHD is accompanied by a coexisting condition treatment gets more complecated. My youngest also has anxiety and we recently had to add a 3rd med for her. It is really hard to add another med, but she is doing so much better that I am glad we did.
These meds work on different neurotransmitters (or combos of neurotransmitters) and even different parts of the brain, so getting the right combo is quite a process and based on symptoms. Maybe someday there will be a test that can better pinpoint where to start.