Concerta and depression? | ADHD Information

I'm not sure about my son's reaction, but I will say it was later in the day, conceivably when it was wearing off .....

jman - I have found through the forum and other places that adderall (dexedrine for me) is BEST for many with inattentive.  It gives the added energy we desparately need.

Also - for your depression of course you should talk to your doctor.  If it's a legit depression or a come-down either way get some advice.

Dexedrine also has a semi "euphoric" side-effect.  I found the first couple months I was annoyingly happy.  Ask all here - I can be almost pollyanna-ish!! lol!!

Seriously though - it does tend to lift the spirits - right into the night for me.  It's damn hard to come down from the happy place I'm in - usually only find it during my med vacation week and even then only the last couple of days.

Hope you get some advice soon!

I think if you had an episode in your life that created a lot of stress and things went bad, you might have picked up the depression from that. It might help to seek counceling and talk with someone about it and how it effected you. Drugs alone is not the answer but talking it out. We get stuck sometimes and don't know how to get out! hm...the only way to find out if it works for you is to try it. But it seems
that the concerta is working so far, I suggest you keep on it a little longer
and see how it works out.

Also, the depression you mentioned from not taking the pill the next day
may just be some form of withdrawal kind of like a hangover from too
much alcohol. You're not allowing your body to get used to the
medication if you're constantly cutting off the supply. So that's why you
might be feeling the "low" on the next day. From my experience, ADHD
medications work better with less/no side effects on a regular dosing
scheldule.

Try to take it daily and see if the depression or other side effects improve.
And answering your question above, it seems that both concerta and
Adderall XR and generally effective for ADDers. I've been on three different meds so far: (from an ADD standpoint)

1) Straterra: Helped with focus a little bit, but this one actually made me
super drowsy and energyless. I think it actually made me depressed too
and slightly more emotional. Raised my bp a lot too. This just did not
work for me.

2) Concerta: Good, but it made me irritable sometimes. I liked it because
I couldn't actually really "feel" it working and it was subtle. More like a I
just got out of the shower feeling. I knew it worked when I got
assignments finished on time and stayed awake during class or long
speeches. I'm also in a good mood most of the time on this med. Didn't
experience any great side effects of depression though I may be
extremely tired when it *finally* wears off. Made me a little irritable
during and more so after it weared off. Because of that, I could imagine
that depression for this med isn't so far away.

3) Adderall XR: I changed to this in hopes of it being cheaper and the fact
that when I get back onto my insurance, it'll be covered. It also has some
pretty good reviews by ADDers. Just started on it and it's been heaps of
help for my inattentiveness. It also puts me in a good mood as well
which is a little strange because I should be stressed and irritable as it is
finals week. So far, I've been taking it on time and it works much
smoother than the concerta did. I'm also not extremely tired when it
wears off which is something I like. Out of all three, this one takes the
cake. This med feels the most natural to me.

Jman05, I replied to the other post a little earlier but now that I think
about it, depression is not something that's desirable with a med. But are
you sure that what you're feeling isn't just you coming off the "happy"
state of the concerta? Stay on the concerta as shakespeare said and only
change it if this episode continues. Side effects do get better over time in
some cases. Taking your meds exactly on time everyday is important. It
will also help the medication feel more "even", so that you're body has a
decent supply at all times. From my experience, and everyone is different
but, if something doesn't work, it just doesn't work. If in your case, you
can't put up with the depression, change it.

That was just my two pennies. I hope what I wrote helps in some form.
Keep us posted. Did your son feel down while on it or after if wore off at the end of the day.  I tried straterra and had absolutly no depression but I felt it raised my bp a lot and I just didnt feel right on it.   Is adderall or concerta suppose to be better for the innatentative form because thats what I have to.

I think it just depends on the individual. I am on metadate which is the same active ingredient as concerta but different delivery system.  ( I liked concerta but insurance wouldnt pay for it.)  I am also primarily inattentive although I was diagnosed combined type.

My mind stays in the real world pretty well on methylphenidate ( thats the active ingredient in both meds.)  I don't know if it would be any different on the adderall since I have never tried it. But I know that what I am on seems to be working for me pretty well.

Sherry

The insomnia should get better. Concerta is time released for 10-12 hours of coverage, so it may be running into the evening a little longer than you want it to. If the insomnia doesn't go away, you may want to try Ritalin LA. It's formulated to last 6-8 hours, so it should let you wind down naturally. They're both methylphenidate.

Now for the depression... I can't say for certain whether or not it will get better. It could be a rebound since methylphenidate can have a relatively harsh comedown. On the other hand, methylphenidate can cause depression. It doesn't usually, and in fact it's often used in the elderly to treat depression, but it is a fairly rare but well documented side effect. Amphetamines tend to not have that effect, but as I recall you already said you had been on Adderall (I tend to remember everyone's meds... occupational hazard, I guess, and I think you had mentioned Adderall before... something about switching from XR to regular due to college time constraints... am I getting warm?...)

The best bet is always to give it a little time. If side effects don't abate over 2-4 weeks you probably need to look at a different drug. Talk to your doc...

shakespeare38697.5154282407jman05 -- another data point here ... my son with ADHD tried Concerta and this is what happened with him. Just made him down, down, down.  The doctor can't explain this, as Concerta contains methylphenidate just like the Ritalin LA that is not a problem for my son.  Something about the method and/or timing of delivery, I am guessing.

Doc still doesn't believe me, I think, but I will never use Concerta with my son again because it was really terrible to see him feel that bad.

Have you tried other options?
I started taking concerta 2 days ago and it seems to me that while I take it during the day I am in a good mood and then when I get home and the day after if I don't take the pill I feel really down and almost depressed.  This really suprises me because I am naturally a very resilient person and have always been able to overcome the most low parts of my life without getting depressed.  I also have nothing to be depressed about.  A month ago things were going terriable for me and now I just found a new job and new friends in my new city I moved to.  But I never hear about concerta and depression.

Also I have insomnia.  Will this eventually wear off?