ADHD Questions
ADHD Treatment Questions
Can ADHD medication help mood swings?
July 8, 2023
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ADHD has been linked to mood swings and difficulties with regulating emotions.
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Some studies have shown that medications have a small but significant effect on improving emotional symptoms in ADHD.
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Strattera has been specifically tested and shown to improve emotional control. There is evidence that stimulants may be more effective than Strattera in improving mood swings in ADHD.
The link between mood swings and ADHD
Mood swings have been increasingly recognized as a key effect of ADHD. According to the study below, emotional difficulties, in general, are associated with ADHD. Among the different emotional difficulties studied, mood swings were the most strongly linked.
One study found that those with ADHD have trouble regulating their emotions. ADHD was strongly linked with mood swings.
Can ADHD treatment help mood swings?
Fortunately, some evidence shows that treating ADHD might help with mood swings.
One study found that, in general, those who take ADHD medication report having fewer mood swings after taking the medication.
ADHD treatments can potentially help with emotional regulation, though to a lesser degree than ADHD symptoms.
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Our findings
suggest that medications used to treat ADHD also have a significant effect on EL, although the effect appears to be more modest on EL compared to the effect on the core ADHD symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.
However, the effect on mood swings was not as strong as on core ADHD symptoms. Those who take ADHD medication may be more likely to notice improvements in their focus than their emotional control.
If you have ADHD and mood swings, treating the underlying ADHD might be able to help mood swings in some cases, though the improvements might not be too dramatic.
Are there medications that are better for mood swings?
There is evidence that some medications might be better than others when it comes to mood swings.
Strattera, generically known as atomoxetine, is a non-stimulant medication used for ADHD. The study below showed that Strattera could significantly improve a person’s ability to regulate their emotions.
While this trial did not directly compare ADHD medications, it does provide evidence that Strattera specifically can significantly help.
ADHD often comes with challenges in regulating emotions. Atomoxetine, a treatment for ADHD can potentially reduce emotional dysregulation symptoms. Additionally, it can help with focus for patients with ADHD and emotional dysregulation.
Another study found evidence that stimulants might be more effective than Strattera in helping mood swings.
While more research is needed to confirm this effect, this finding is consistent with some studies that suggest that stimulants may be more effective in reducing ADHD symptoms.
A meta-analysis found that stimulants may be more effective in improving emotional symptoms in ADHD.
This finding was part of a larger meta-analysis examining the effect of ADHD treatments on emotional symptoms. More research may be needed to confirm this finding.
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Subgroup analyses also indicated that stimulants might have a stronger effect on reducing EL symptoms than atomoxetine. The greater effects of stimulants compared to atomoxetine on EL is in line with independent findings from meta-analyses of these medication on core ADHD symptoms