ADD/ANXIETY SUPPLEMENTS: WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS AFTER 25 YEARS OF TRIAL AND ERROR
I’ve been managing ADD naturally for over 20 years – supplements, diet changes, and physical practices.
It has only been in the past couple of years that I’ve made the connection between my ADD and anxiety, and learned about panic attacks. I didn’t know I was having panic attacks. I just called them “episodes”. They were a mystery illness to me. In the past few years, my panic attacks seemed to increase in frequency and intensity and I sought help from some specialists.
The last straw was when I crashed a Tesla during a severe attack that included tachycardia and migraine-like symptoms. The light sensitivity got so intense that I passed out behind the wheel and went off the road into the guard rail. Tesla totaled.
After going to doctors and being diagnosed with general anxiety and panic disorder, I did try a prescription but I aborted it after a couple of months and went back to using supplementation and other practices.
Here’s what I’ve learned works After extensive self-experimentation And tracking results.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. This is my personal experience experimenting on myself.
My ADD Journey
I was diagnosed with ADD 25 years ago. I’ve known about it, read books, tried various approaches to manage it with varying levels of success.
In the last 2 years, I’ve been intensively working on managing the anxiety that can accompany ADD – especially the panic attack piece.
After extensive testing, I’ve landed on a lean supplement stack that actually works. Here’s what I take, what I dropped, and why.
My Current Stack
Morning:
- L-theanine
- Inositol
- Rhodiola rosea
Evening:
- Inositol (second dose)
- Magnesium Glycinate (Often reported to improve sleep quality and muscle tension, which can lower baseline anxiety).
Also taking (not ADD-specific):
- Fish oil
- Vitamin D
- Multivitamin (Thorne)
L-Theanine
Helps with calm focus without sedation. When I pair it with inositol, I notice lower baseline anxiety and better mental clarity.
I went a few days without it when I ran out, but not long enough to really say what the difference is. I just know the combination of L-theanine and inositol made a noticeable difference when I started taking them together.
Inositol (The MVP)
This is the best, most effective supplement I’ve found for ADD overall.
It significantly lowered my baseline anxiety. Before, I’d have to stop and do breathwork or take a walk in the woods because my anxiety was elevated. Now my baseline is much lower.
I take it morning and evening.
Rhodiola Rosea
Helps with mental clarity and focus, especially before work in the morning. It’s not essential to my stack, but I think it helps. Kind of pinch-hits for tyrosine (which I stopped taking).
I take this occasionally:
Kava
Mixed reviews on kava. There’s concern about addiction and liver damage in some studies.
I use it occasionally now, the traditional way:
- Pulverize kava powder in a magic bullet
- Strain through a kava bag
- I do a shot when anxiety feels elevated once in a while.
Problems with kava:
- You develop tolerance (need more over time)
- Need to take breaks
Not something I’d use full-time. I use it as a stopgap, not a daily supplement.
What I Dropped and Why
Phosphatidylserine (PS)
I used this to help with cortisol reduction. It’s supposed to blunt your stress response.
But since my baseline anxiety dropped with inositol and L-theanine, I didn’t think I needed it anymore. Ran out, didn’t reorder, haven’t missed it so far.
I think it really helped me, though, when I was experiencing high stress every day with my real estate investing business and other life stressors.
Tyrosine
Tyrosine is good for focus and mental clarity. It worked well for a while.
But I stopped because:
- Quality is inconsistent (not well-regulated)
- Dosing is tricky
- At higher doses, I noticed increased anxiety
I wasn’t willing to trade mental clarity for more anxiety while trying to overcome panic disorder.
Rhodiola fills this role now without the anxiety spike.
Ashwagandha (The Nipple Swelling Incident)
Everyone recommends ashwagandha for calm and anxiety relief.
My experience: My nipples swelled up, turned red and sore, and hurt when they rubbed against my shirt.
I couldn’t figure out why for a while. Then I found other people on Reddit who had the same experience with ashwagandha.
I stopped taking it. It took 4-6 weeks for my nipples to normalize.
Be careful with ashwagandha. It’s potent and messes with hormones.
Strattera (Atomoxetine) – Prescription
In the 25 years since I’ve been diagnosed, I had never taken a prescription to manage ADD or any other mental health issue. Never taken a prescription for anything in my life. I have always been a natural heal myself type person.
In 2023, in 2024, the panic attacks got to a point where I was willing to try anything, even a prescription. It went against my grain, but if it could get me relief and return me to some baseline of calm with my nervous system, I was willing to try it.
My psychiatrist and I tried treating anxiety by treating the ADD. The theory: ADD brains work hard to upregulate dopamine and serotonin, which creates anxiety.
Strattera worked pretty well at calming me down and improving focus.
Why I stopped:
- Dosage was tricky (too high = anxious, too low = no effect)
- I was chopping up pills to find the right dose
- Sexual side effects I wasn’t willing to accept.
When I started Atomoxetine I was single, so I didn’t realize there would be sexual side effects (because I had no sex life:D). After meeting my girlfriend and becoming intimate, I dropped it immediately and went full supplements.
I wasn’t willing to trade off some inconsistent calm that relied on a prescription for a diminished sex life.
How I Test Supplements
I cycle on and off.
When I add something new, I pay attention:
- Is anything changing?
- Am I noticing side effects (listed or unlisted)?
- How does my body feel?
When I drop something (like phosphatidylserine recently), I watch for a week to see if I notice any difference.
It’s anecdotal, but it’s about being in tune with my body – GI, mental clarity, anxiety levels, etc.
Beyond Supplements: What Else Works
Keto Diet
Switching to keto really helps. More calm, more mental clarity.
Running on ketones instead of glucose = no ups and downs from glucose spikes, which can contribute to anxiety.
I used a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) for a little while to try and track concurrent anxiety attacks with blood sugar spikes or drops. Once I switched over to keto, my spikes and drops were minimized, and it became much easier to manage anxiety.
Physical Practices
Cold showers/cold exposure – Conditions the blood vessels and arteries. Develops vagal tone.
Breathwork – Helps with calming and centering, especially when you focus more on exhale than inhale while experiencing anxiety.
Workouts – Regular exertion increases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, and overall creates a calmer body and nervous system.
Managing sleep quality – Sleep is a cornerstone of health and well-being. I track the quality of my sleep using my Apple Watch and focus on getting as much deep sleep as possible. Really cleaning up sleep hygiene and getting to bed early makes a huge difference for me. I’ve got another post on sleep hygiene here.
Long walks in the woods – Forest bathing is a proven therapy. Promotes calm and well-being.
Yoga – It’s a system of conditioning the mind and body that’s been proven for millennia. Helps me with calm. Keeps me grounded. Keeps my energy flowing in a positive way. I recommend the Down Dog app. I have been using it for 10-15 years and I love its diversity and ease of use.
Meditation – There’s plenty of science around meditation being an excellent practice for managing emotions and nervous system. The cool thing is you could do 11 minutes a day and get a great effect.
The Dalai Lama said “everyone should meditate 20 minutes a day. If you don’t have time to meditate for 20 minutes, you should meditate for an hour”.
If You’re Starting Out
If you’re dealing with ADD or anxiety and want a lean, effective stack:
Start with inositol. That’s been the game-changer for me after trying everything for 10+ years.
Pair it with L-theanine if you want additional calm focus.
Consider keto if you’re open to diet changes – it’s made a huge difference for me.
Let’s Talk
Drop a comment and let me know:
- What’s working for you?
- What’s not working?
- What have you tried?
I’d love to know what other people are doing around ADD and anxiety management.
Book a call with me.
We can jump on a Zoom and discuss managing ADD, anxiety, panic attacks, panic disorder, mental health, well-being. ADD strategies for productivity and coping with life. I’ve got a lifetime of experience and 25 years or so of intentional management and practice. I’ve tried just about every supplement and diet and technique under the sun.
One-on-one sessions are $199 an hour. Book it here