hi- my nine year old son, weight 55 lbs, just started concerta. 54 mg was way too much, he complained how funny he felt, started crying, not eating, etc. Dr. put him on 36 mg.- also not eating, feeling funny, etc. Anyone have same experiences?
Stims supress the appetite. Yes, it doesn't sound right that the doc started him on 54 mg straight away. Also, it takes a little time to acclimate to the new meds. Maybe you should go to the Concerta web site and get more info on it.Why on earth did the doc start him on 54 mg? The rule with stimulants is that you always start with the lowest dose -- 18 mg in the case of Concerta -- and work up as needed. Stimulant dosing is NOT based on weight; it is based on clinical reaction to the med. In your son's case, 36 mg might be too much as well. Are you seeing a psychiatrist for med management? I would definitely find one to help you out. Your current doc is doing you no favors.sjbmom, you may want to ask about adderall, this is a stimulant but it is in a different family of meds. My son took concerta, ritalin, focain, and while they did slow him down his appetitie was shot and his focus and school work was not that great. The Adderal seemed to do the trick and he was actually focused and completing his school work he also eats his lunch ( not alot but he does eat) and then has a snack after school.
my pyschologist did start him at the lowest, 18, then we went up to 36, and finally 54. 54mg was definately too much. We were on Metadate CD last year, 20mg, which didn't have side effects for him, yet it didn't last long enough and he really didn't see much improvement in his impulsivity. So, we switched to Concerta. I am really uncmpfortable with the side effects. He ate a little breakfast, and then nothing until about 7:00 pm- is that normal?? also, he is saying that he feels funny- he can't explain exactly how- i will call the psychologist today- oh, the school is saying he is being really good- the year just started and the teachers really can't compare his past behavior with now because they don't know him yet. I'm so confused, should i try him on no meds and see how it goes, or should i keep him on something that takes his appetite away and makes him feel wierd??