Taking Concerta only on schooldays | ADHD Information

Hi.  I am new to this list.  My son is 12 and has Asperger's Syndrome & ADHD.  He started trying meds about 18 months ago, started with Straterra--made him angry and not helping at school, Ritalin- no change.  Concerta seems to be helping him focus in school. He is on 54 mg.  He has also been taking 100 mg zoloft for anxiety.  I took him off Zoloft a week ago after reading too many articles about children on anti-depressant meds and increased suicide rate.  Scared the heck out of my husband and I.  Anyway, his grades are good A's and B's, but he is a non-eater, never eats and has trouble sleeping.  He also is obsessed with nothing but video games. When we go a day without concerta (usually on the weekends) he is so much happier, yes, he is pretty hyper, but he eats and eats and is generally more pleasant to be around and doesn't zombie out on the playstation. I question is---has anyone ever tried just using Concerta only on the weekdays and not on weekends?  DOes it stay in your system anyway?  If I take him completely off to see how he does in school, does he have to be weaned off gradually using smaller doses?Not with Concerta (Ritalin) you should not have any problems using it as you need. I used regular ritalin during school days and used the weekends as a drug holiday. Other then some annoying rebound I had no problem.   My son likes to cook so I try to involve him whenever possible; he will usually eat what he helps to make.  Perhaps you can sit down with your son and create a menu for the week together and have him help prepare some of the meals.  Does he like smoothies?  I know you can pack alot of nutrition into each serving.  I wish you the best of luck.  Just a quick note about video games and children w/ADHD; my son was also obsessed w/playstation, he would play for hours and we thought that was just dandy because then we didn't have to deal with his behavior.  His therapist told us that so much playing inhibits a certain chemical from reaching the frontal lobe of the brain that ADHD kids need to help with impulse contol among other things.  My husband and I made a decision to limit video games to just weekends, which he has to earn by being good at school.  I have noticed that he is more creative, he can sit for hours and build with legos.  When he has marothon sessions on the weekends he is quite irritible and wired afterward, which proves to me that video games does have a negative impact on him.  Just thought I would share this bit of info.  nineyrsofstress38285.3806365741This is an interesting question to for me also I have wondered about taking him off of it on the weekends only myself lately my son who is 5 with ADHD/ODD is not wanting to eat at all and that really worries me I really hate these meds -- normally he takes his meds on a school day at about 7:30 but on the weekends it can be at 10:00 or later and i have to ask myself why give it to him he's ok but i have always been afraid to go the whole day so i give it to him anyway and he is addicted to his playstation and game boy also but it keeps him concentrated on something so i really dont mind my sone is on 36mg Concerta 25mg Strattera and Clonidine i wish i could cut one or the other out if not all i did buy a bottle of B'Calmed but havent tried it yet ( im sure i wasted my money ) but you just about try anything when your at the point we are at.......I also hate to sound like im owning the bored -- but in reference to this i am extremely worried about my sons loss of appetite --- anyone else going thru there child not eating i worry that i will end up at the hospital with a feeding tube in him and when i do make him something like mac and cheese he complains that it is spiral and not regular ( noodle shape ) so he refuses to eat it