Concerta hunger and weight loss | ADHD Information

I started Concerta a few months ago and had to keep upping the dose until I got to 54 mg that I am on now.  The lower doses didn't have much of an effect.  But the first week on 54 I lost 8 pounds and was not hungry - my body is used to it now and I am back into my old eating patterns.  I am not excessively hungry though!!!

Did you have a good, average, bad, or what appetite prior to using it?  How often do you see your Doctor, he should notice these changes and talk to you about them.  It took me about 6 weeks to adjust to some of the effects of the drug, I am still figuring out the whole rebound thing at the end of the day though.

How long does you dose last??  I get about 7 hours outta mine!!!

I am on 54 now. 27 didnt seem to do much for me either. I could feel the "buzz" of the drug but nothing else.

I get about a good 10 hours out of it. My appetite before was always average. I didnt eat a ton nor did I eat too little.

I am going to see how I do this next week and see if this hunger thing or weight loss continues.

Thanks for your quick reply.

Hi! I am just starting to try concerta. I actually started a month ago but not regularly. It didnt do much so the doctor suggested to try taking it everyday without a "vacation" day.

Well, third day into it I can really tell a difference. However, I noticed that I lost weight in the last couple days... just a couple pounds, but then today I am STARVING... all the time. I just have to stop and eat and it is not usually like me to be like this. Its like I dont "fill up" or at least not for long.

Not sure if its a side effect of the meds or if its because today I have just been so busy. I normally dont sit down all day because I am busy with my four kids but today I was more "productive" busy as in... I actually got stuff done. I can actually see the outcome of my work.

I was just curious if anyone else had this hunger/weightloss, thing.

ANNIESIMS38913.5924537037

I've been taking Concerta for about a year now.  I have lost 30 pounds in that time.  Originally when I began taking it I lost 10 pounds pretty quickly.  Once my body caught up with the changes, my hunger increased, but it was still considerably lower than pre-med. 

Since I had been wanting to lose weight for years anyway, I decided to use the natural metabolic, hunger, and focus effects of the medicine to my advantage and was able to go from 215 to 185 and I've maintained the weight for several months.

I do notice an increase in water craving.  I typically take it every day since I have pretty severe symptoms (I take 72mg), but whenever I forget to take it or forget to refill before its too late and don't take it that day I develop an insatiable appetite.  I feel hungry all day, no matter how much I eat.  It's odd.

Good luck and let me know how it goes - I like to compare to other folks taking concerta.

Did you notice an increase in the amount of water you drink???  I always drink a lot of water, since I am outside a lot, but I now crave it all the time.  I also crave popsicles?  I have never really been a popsicle addict before, but now feel like one. 

My doctor told me 8 pounds was not a big deal to lose in that one week.  I guess it depends on if you can afford to lose weight or not - you don't want to put your body in a wierd cycle. 

Maybe you just have to find things that are appealing to your taste buds.  Let us know how it goes?

i started concerta a month ago,it is doing great for my headaches(used to have them daily)and i am less impulsive and more energy but i don't see any difference with the inattentive side yet.i am now on 54mg.

i have lost 9 pounds in 6 weeks which is not that much considering i have breakfast and then don't eat anything all day at all.just looking at food give me nausea.

Hey scotsmama,

Concerta also helped me get rid of daily headaches!!!  Cool huh?  I have seen it help with the innattentive side in the way that I still have to make myself sit down and get ready for tasks like paying bills, writing, reading, etc.....  But - once I sit down at the maximum effect period of my meds - I can whip these things out fast!!!  Once I focus it helps.  The meds are not going to cure it all - the just act as a catalyst to get you going once you start!!!  

I am also the same way about food.  eat a healthy small breakfast and not hardly anything until the meds wear off. 

I think ADHD meds should be the next diet medication. it works doesn't it!! I was on Strattera for about 3 months (until it suddenly stopped working for me) and lost a total of 35 pounds in that amount of time. I was happy at first because I needed to loose some chub but then I started to loose more then intended. While I was loosing the weight I read a book called "for a better brain" which taught me a great deal about the brain and how nutrition really effects your brain which was great but I followed the book to religiously and wouldn't eat unless it was extremely healthy for me. I finally started to eat normal, yet healthy, food. The trick to maintaining weight for me was to eat many small meals though out the day. Even if I wasn't hungry I would still take the time to eat something. For those of you are loosing weight because of your ADHD drugs make sure you don't skip meals. I lost most of my weight by never eating a dinner. At least twice a week I would totally crash after work when my meds would wear off an I would just go to sleep for like 12 hours or so. It felt great until I got too lean. I started to feel very Ill and sick because my body didn't have the nutrients to keep me going though out the day.

scotmama,

I have the same issues.  Someone last night was talking with me about something that happened last week and was amazed I did not remember it!!!

My response was, once it is over my mind seems to purge certain information.  I have people come up to me all the time and start talking and I don't seem to know who they are??? 

Do you think it is forgetfulness or something particular to the adhd mind??    Often times I file things or put them away in my house and they mysteriously dissappear forever - things like my car title and tax reciepts?  My house is not a mess - so where do they go??? 

I am with you on the school paperwork and school stuff - it is one of my worst nightmares!!!

 

it is more the forgetfullness that is a problem,like i put something down and 5 mns after i forgot where i put it,appts,paperwork from the school ect are a nightmare.don't ask me the names of people,i am terrible.

i had a lady at the door and when i opened she just smiled and looked at me expectandly,i had no idea who she was,then she said hi it is (can't remember her name)still nothing,then she said it is kyle's mumfrom 2 doors down,i have lived here a year,i would not recognise her still

I've been taking concerta since December and have lost some weight myself. unfortunatly, I was underwieght to begin with, and I have had to work hard to stay in a healthy balance. My normal weight would be 104 lbs(I'm 5'3") and at my lowest I was at 92 lbs.

What's anoying for me is that I feel hungry, but the sight/smell of food is sickening. and it seems that I have only small openings during the day where I can eat without gagging. (this is not helpful when following a school schedule, and having to enter the grease infested Caf )

The thirst thing was also annoying. I think it must have something to do with the fact that I sweat more on the concerta.