Concerta | ADHD Information

Ok, this is our second day on this medication. The first thing I noticed is that my son cannot sit still. His hyperactivity is going. He is trying to watch a show on tv but keeps getting up, runnign out of the room and then again back in and jumping in place. He is talking non-stop and asking questions over and over. It is obvious that he needs the higher dose. I do not think I can take this for 2 weeks. I think I will let it go this week and call the dr on Friday to give him a progress report and get the higher dose of meds.

[QUOTE=longsally]Ok, this is our second day on this medication. The first thing I noticed is that my son cannot sit still. His hyperactivity is going. He is trying to watch a show on tv but keeps getting up, runnign out of the room and then again back in and jumping in place. He is talking non-stop and asking questions over and over. It is obvious that he needs the higher dose. I do not think I can take this for 2 weeks. I think I will let it go this week and call the dr on Friday to give him a progress report and get the higher dose of meds.[/QUOTE]

Hi there Longsally! My is on concerta. It NEVER made him hyper, even when it was too low. Was you son hyper before like this or is this the side effect for him on concerta?

I would NOT wait 1 week until you let the doctor know. Honestly Lsally, you should see results from your son within 30-60 minutes of taking the concerta. It is to calm them, help them make the right choices, be successful. It controls their hyperactivity and impulsiveness. It is NOT to make them hyperactive.

When we started the concerta, we lasted ONE day on 18mg. The doctor had me call him the day we started with the results. I drove to his office and picked up the prescription for the next dosage up. He even has mailed them to me!

Call his doctor first thing Monday morning and explain what is happening. It doesn't sound like Monday will be successful for you son in school if he is still so hyper that he cannot sit down and focus on the tv.

Also read the posts on guanfacine. My son takes that in addition to his concerta. It really helps add to his successful day!

Ok, I wrote it wrong, my fault. He was ALWAYS this hyper. It is one of the things that the medicine was supposed to help control. He was somewhat under control with the Foculin but with this, he is bouncing off the walls. I guess, I will call the dr on Tuesday, I want him to have atleast one day at school to see what the teacher thinks. I started my son on Metadate in the first grade and then after about a year switched to concerta.
We started with 36 and in a few months went up to 54. I weaned him of and went no meds over the summer. Added suppliments and changed his diet and started back drug free and... well it did not go well. Unfinshed work, his friends blaming him for everyone getting in trouble. We started back at 36 and it was too much, 27 seemed too much so we stopped at 18. Perfect for awhile.
Then unfinished work again and lack of focus. Now we are at 27 and I am seeing the signs again. His grades are all over the map. One day A and the next F. I think I will go up again on Sunday and see how he is.
My son is very small so I worry about weight gain or lack of it. I have heard Tenex can counter act the lack of appetite. I hate the idea of another med!!!!
well, we start in the morning. I am working all day but hubby will keep an eye on him. I am very nervous and excited at the same time!!!!!!!!

partyof3,

Concerta is a time release and then it is gone. I can tell a world of difference by what he eats that day (cokes & sugars vs. veggies). Thank goodness he is a salad freak. However it is hard to get good food at school.

The acid in the soft drinks quickly dissolves the pill therefore the child does not get the total affect of the meds. Also metabolism has a lot to do with how the meds work.

I am looking into the new patch for my son, anyone using it yet?

My son has been on Concerta for a little over a month and we are quite pleased with it. Only downside is that it aggrivates his tics. It doesn't last the full 12 hrs. but works long enough to get through the day. He was started on the 18mg and then raised to the next dose (I think 28 mg?).

I hope it works for him :)

In the original clinical studies for Concerta about 20% of the kids responded to an 18mg dose. The majority of kids required 36 or 54mg for effectiveness (they were not making the 27mg capsules at that time so they are not included in the statistics).

We have been on concerta for over 2 years now, and both very happy and successful with it's help.

I do agree with Chasesmom79 about the low dosage. We lasted on 18mgs for 1 day. My son was in 1st grade and still 6 at the time. He moved up to 36mg quite quickly. In 6 months time from starting concerta he leveled off at 72mgs, which is where he is today. He also takes guanfacine, which works great for HIM in combination with concerta.

I wish you much success!

Beth

csizemore,

My dd has always been very small for her... In the morning I give her 2 fried eggs with no yolks and plenty of butter. For lunch I give her anything she wants to eat... anything but junk food. She will take cheese with olive oil and tomatoes for lunch with a couple of slice of salami. Nutra grain bars. Almonds, and avacados. She will have snack and lunch at school then when she comes home she has what she calls a "healthy snack" cheese stick, yogurt. Then she has 2 dinners.. one with her brother and then she eats again with my husband and I later. Whenever she is hungry I let her eat. Her weight has not changed... kncok on wood. She also enjoys her icecream.

One thing about her ... she will try anything you put infront of her... i know I am very lucky. I give her whole milk... trying to add calories where I can.

I hope this helps... good luck to you.

I am also very lucky in the fact that I work parttime as a nurse at the pedi clinic my children go to. Abbymaker is correct on the fact that the dosage and weight of the child do not coincide with each other. Mainly it is the effect it has on the child, too small a dosage then symptoms still there too large a dosage then depending on the med aggression, depression, mood/personality extreme changes or even tics, anxiety and increased nervousness. It is a roller coaster ride, but when you finally get the right med and right dosage and your child is who you knew he/she could be all along then well worth the ride.

good luck

This post comes at a good time for me. I received a prescription from my dr fon Tuesday for Concerta 18 mg (my son is 5 1/2). I have not filled it yet as I'm not 100% that I want to give him stimulants. He has been on supplements (Taurine and GABA) for the past 6 weeks and it seems to calm him down but it does nothing for his focus issues (which is becoming increasingly difficult for him). The search function here hasn't been working for me so I've found it difficult to find other posts about Concerta and kids. Thanks for the message. It's made me a little more confident about the decision I'm about to make.

My 8 yr old son has been on Concerta for about 6 months now right now he is at 27mg and we are extremely happy with it. We had him on another med for about 9 months and he was very very agressive so we switched and haven't had the problems that we did and he says he feels alot better on it.

MY DD was on 18mg of Concerta for almost 4yrs, and just now moved up to the next dosage which is 27mg, she is 9yrs old now, but she is also bipolar so she cannot handle very large dosages of the stimulant,

the 18mg worked great for that time frame, they noticed a marked decrease in her ability to focus and pay attention and her goofyness in school very early in the day so we talked it over with her psychiatrist and she felt it was time to try the higher dosage, so far so good and that has been 2 months now,

Thanks to everyone for their information. I went to the school today and told my sons teacher what we were doing. She said she will give me a report on Thurdsay next week and we can adjust dosage from that. She is so great.

Leslie

We also started at 18 mg. Titrated up to 36 mg. She definitely was more focused. However, at 36 mg she was "flat", a symptom of too much med, and over time she became angry and depressed, even on a lower dosage (27 mg I believe). She didn't want to play with anybody or do fun things (like swimming) that she loves doing normally. She went on a field trip to the zoo, and cracked a smile once. We lasted about a month and a half before switching to Ritalin LA.

hello, My daughter has been on Concerta for a month now... what a world of difference. We like it because it lasts all day. At first she was having really bad "coming down" around 8pm. This lasted for a week and then it went away.

I am kinda of lucky... I am personal friends with my daughters Ped. and talk to her on a daily base. She and I watch her... she has told me that Concerta mg and the weight of the child do not conicide with one another.... she has a huge football player that takes 18mg and that is all he needs.. My daughter is only 40 pounds (on a good day) and takes 18mg. Mind you she has always been very very small for her age (8). So one of my biggest concerns was the weight loss. Knock on wood she has not had that problem.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Forgot to mention... for my DD it is very fast acting... in 15 minutes I see a change in her.We orginally started an 18mg dose and worked our way up. 54mg seemed to be the best for the hyperness and attention. But lately things seem to have changed. The anxiety and frustration seem more intense. I don't have these problems with him at home they occur just in school. I don't deny they occur. I am so afraid of switching meds because you never know what you are going to get. I wish there was a science to this.The only way to know is to try. I wouldn't be afraid of at least attempting something bc if it works out then everybody is more happy in the end. If something isnt working then change it.

We were placed on Foculin 10mg twice a day ladt July. Our dr. then retired and today was our first appointment with the new dr. He stated that the Foculin should have lasted all day, that the dosage of 20mg a day was too high for my 50lb 6 year old and that we were going on something new. He gave us a rx for Concerta 18mg to try for 2 weeks. I would like to know if others here have tried it and what they experienced.

I have some questions about Concerta. My DS has been taking Concerta 54 mg and also Lamictal for approx 1 1/2 years. Since just before Christmas he has been having major meltdowns in the classroom. There was a very bad one yesterday. This meltdowns seem to come from frustration but they come on so quickly the teacher doesn't even have time to calm him. The assignment that frustrated him we all knew he was very easy for him. Once it is full swing it just needs to run its cycle. This is happening about 1-2 a week at this point. Now today I got a note saying he did wonderdul in all areas of concern. I am not sure should I consider talking to the dr and switching to a new med. I am nervous about this because concerta is the med he has taken the longest because the others did not work well. I am afraid switching may back fire on me. But if I don't will this only continue to get worse.Maybe his dose is too high? Concerta can cause mood swings similar to Ritalin rebound. See if backing up his dose down to 36mg or 45mg - 1, 27mg and 1, 18mg pill- helps. If it doesnt help then possibly switching to Focalin or Daytrana will.

mommievic

I am new to the alternate meds given with ADHD med, what is Lamictal for?

[QUOTE=Jo-D]

mommievic

I am new to the alternate meds given with ADHD med, what is Lamictal for?

[/QUOTE]

Lamictal is an anticonvulsant medication that is mostly used for type 4 add, often paired with a stimulant. Its an anti seizure medication but when used in low doses, it stabilizes temporal lobe activity and helps with agression, mood swings, sometimes comorbid learning disorders, and coincidently enough, headaches

[QUOTE=mommievic]We orginally started an 18mg dose and worked our way up. 54mg seemed to be the best for the hyperness and attention. But lately things seem to have changed. The anxiety and frustration seem more intense. I don't have these problems with him at home they occur just in school. I don't deny they occur. I am so afraid of switching meds because you never know what you are going to get. I wish there was a science to this.[/QUOTE]

Is this the medication that an adult is taking or your child? I just know that my son, who is 9, is taking 72mgs. and also takes guanfacine. He does have some anxiety, but I think that is part of him, not part of the medication. Is the anxiety you mention being brought on by the medication or do you think it is just part of the one taking it?

MOMMIEVIC,I just read your previous post. It is for your son!

As I mentioned, my son also takes guanfacine, which helps control overstimulation, calms him down. Maybe ask your doctor about it, or research it on line.

I hope this is of some help! It sure has made a big difference in my son's life!

Regards,

Beth

It is for my 7 year old son. I would say in general he is a happy child. He has been taking concerta for about a year and a half. These problems seemed to have started around November. We originally thought it might be over excitement for the holidays. But it hasn't resolved. The meltdowns are now more intense and happening more frequently. He teacher asked if there was a med change because she thought it was strange for him. Now this all happen the later part of last week. Friday and today he did perfect in school. I get a report home everyday rating 6 areas (attention, work completion etc...). A 3 is great, 2 satisfactory and a 1 is unsatisfactory. Both Friday and Monday he got 3's in all 6 areas. But about twice a week he his getting 1's in at least 3 or 4 areas. I have been called at work a couple times in the past few weeks. I don't understand! I figure we will just go in and see the doc and take it from there. Maybe he can make sense of it all.

If the meds are not quite right, the stress of keeping up can cause anxiety which in kids can be expressed as anger or misbehavior. Also co-morbids can creep into the ADHD picture and complicate things.

My daughter has been on guanfacine alone (trial without the concerta) and we thought she was doing good (the spelling tests are still coming back As and Bs). Then the teacher reports of tiredness, lost assignments, stuborness and defiance came up at the last IEP meeting (the teachers were unaware of any med change and thought she was not sleeping well). We are adding back a stimulant to get her back on track (but are trying focalin rather than concerta to see if it is easier to keep weight on her).

It is worth a discussion with the doc, as you are planning, to see what can be done.

[QUOTE=amiller]

Just wondering if anyone has to pay for Concerta out of pocket? I do and I need a way to get it cheaper!!

[/QUOTE]

Yes we have. My husband went self employed so I went back to work. There was a 2 month span and boy it was tough. I now work overnight for the health insurance, as well as other things, but it is so worth it when I pick up our son's medications.

I called Costco, Walmart, CVS, etc. and found the lowest price. It turned out for me that Costco at the time was the cheapest.

Have you tried the website for the medications? I believe that some offer discounts to those who need it.

Also, talk to your pediatrician or prescribing doctor, they may have some information.

I am currently checking into finding out whether our psychopharmacologist, who I pay out of pocket, is a tax deduction for our son. I read and printed out some information from Wrights Law's website!

Regards

Beth

Hello partyof3,
I too have a son on concerta and it has really worked well. We did try adderall xr, but that hated our son.

I do know that everyone is different and what works for one, may not work for someone else, including siblings.

I would go back to your prescribing doctor and try another medication so that your younger daughter can be as successful as her older sister is.

It took us 6 months to find BOTH the medication and the dosage. Then it took the addition of guanfacine to the mix to really get it "just right!"

regards,

Beth

[QUOTE=longsally]Does Concerta build up in your system? I am asking because after the day I wrote about where my DS pulled all 5 tickets, the next day I went in and the teacher said he was an angel and that it was like night and day with his behavior. If he was like that all the time, she said, he will do great. Could the meds only work intermittently?[/QUOTE]

no, concerta does NOT build up in your system. As soon as it wears off 8-12 hours, depending on the person, it is GONE until they take another pill.

He may have had other things going on to cause the bad day.

The only med. that stays in your system for adhd, I believe, is strattera. You build up the dosage over a time frame and it is always in the blood system. Then you need to wean off it.

Regards,

Beth

hi i'm new here my son is 12 and he was put concerta 36mg and said it starts to ware off about 7th period at school and has started pulling his hair and twisting it out anymore had a side effect like that he has a bald spot on his head .we have app.with the phych.. wed. morning .it worries me the meds sometimes i feel like does he need to be on them is there something else wrong w/ him the dr's in my town don't listen too me .i have taken him too phyc.neurlogists you name it .for the longest time he has been on 20mg on meds they never want to give him any higher doses .i heard of younger ones on 72mg why he does only weigh about 70 ibs but i know another adhd kids thats 8 and only weighs 40ibs he on 54mg of concerta i thought maybe he was'nt on a high enough dose we just changed him too 36 mg a few months ago because he had been on 20mg for 4 years .his nerologist said that he needed to be only on ritalin no generics at all then my insurance refused to pay for ritalin la after that i just had them put ritalin generic maybe he really needs to be on just ritalin have you ever heard that before add or adhd kids only need ritalin nothing else would work on them .i heard everything from tonsils removal too using vitamins

My son is 9, 10 in June, and is on 72 mg of concerta. The dose is not weight restricted, but by the level where the person is most successful with the least amount of side effects. My son also takes guanfacine for over stimulation. My son is very hyperactive and this helps calm his impulsiveness.

If your son's meds are wearing off by 2pm, then his dose needs to be increased, or the medication is not the best one for him.

There are so many different meds, used in combination with so many others, that there is a med out there that is meant for your son. It took us 6 months to find the right med and dosage before we leveled off to where we are today and have been at the current dose for over 2 years!

hang in there, but keep trying!

Regards!

Beth

Well you have a lot going on! Did the meds, your insurance company would not pay for, work well for your son?
Have you tried any diet modifications?
The twisting hair sounds to me like nerves or stress. Unfortunately the "upper" meds that are helpful for ADHD also increase angst.
Magnesium is very calming and there is a thread on Tyrosine that might be helpful. 36 mg of concerta just might be enough with some other support.

Reply to Abbymaker:

I was curious about the Concerta and the guanfacine. My little girl will be 4 in 3 months. She is currently on mg of adderall. The last 3 months we have been having problems with her behavior again. I told the doctor that the meds don't seem to be working any longer. He told me that the meds that she is on is in combination with her age and weight. So I am curious about this medication that doesn't go on the weight. She weighs 38lbs on a good day and 36 most others. She is also on clonidine to help her sleep at night. Before meds she can go on 4 hours of sleep and no day time nap. Even with the clonidine she still wakes up at night if not 1 time mostly 2 and 3 times a night. So anyhow I thought this med was something that I would want to look into. I just have a hard time getting my little girl to eat. I worry about the weight loss. Any help would be great.

Thanks

Kristi

On day 3 of increased 36mg dose....have heart flutters, arm and hand tingling and a weird pressure in my ears.

Is this likely to pass or is it worth calling my doc and/or discontinuing? It's not unbearable, but I don't think I could feel this way every day, especially considering I don't feel like it's doing anything else/positive/productive.
stainedandlit39131.5667361111[QUOTE=amiller]

Just wondering if anyone has to pay for Concerta out of pocket? I do and I need a way to get it cheaper!!

Just some info for you. Most pediatricians have drug reps that are always at their offices pushing meds. I know our pedi doc have a drug rep for concerta, most companies have financial assistance programs for people who pay out of pocket. Some require that the doctor start to paperwork. Call your pedi doc and find out if they have a concerta rep or any info from the manufacturer for financial assistance. They should be able to give the info to you. If you have any questions you can pm me. I work prn at a pedi office so I can call up there and get info. I just don't know how it works state to state. I am in TX where are you?

[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Jo-D][QUOTE=amiller]

Just wondering if anyone has to pay for Concerta out of pocket? I do and I need a way to get it cheaper!!

[/QUOTE] [/QUOTE]

OK remembered what one of our reps said last time he was there and went online to concerta.net. If you click on the healthcare professionals link on the left side in the orange boxes then click on patient assistance program link on left side of page. There you will find two links to two different papers to print out and fill out. The top one is the paper releasing medical information so that the company can actually contact your doctor for the diagnosis, medication and dosage or any other info pertaining to the ADHD diagnosis. The other form is two pages of income info from you, and also somei nfo you may need to get from your doctor.

When these are completed you mail them yourself to the address on them and I believe if you qualify then they send you a card that pays for the meds.

Hope this helps

[QUOTE=stainedandlit] On day 3 of increased 36mg dose....have heart flutters, arm and hand tingling and a weird pressure in my ears.

Is this likely to pass or is it worth calling my doc and/or discontinuing? It's not unbearable, but I don't think I could feel this way every day, especially considering I don't feel like it's doing anything else/positive/productive.
[/QUOTE]

I would call your prescribing doctor immediately. Tell them of what you are feeling. It may be the dosage, but it may also be the medication and a side effect for you.

My son is only 9 and is on 72mgs. He is not a complainer about ANYTHING, but I do know that he is not feeling anything like what you described.

Are heart flutters, arms ,hand tinglings signs of heart attacks? I would call the doctor immediately, don't wait!

Well, we start the Concerta tomorrow. My son was on Aderall XR for 3 weeks and became very depressed with ADHD symtoms even worse due to the rubber-band affect.

Since being off the last week he has been sent to the principals office 3 times. He can not seem to stop touching other kids, eventhough to him he's just playing. Anyway, he's been so depressed becuase he feels that he's not as "good" as the other kids.

We saw a psych, and she advised us to wait until she spent some time with him but that will take over a month and my son is loosing ground quickly. We called the Ped. today and asked him to try another med. So here we go with the Concerta.

I so want this to work...I read on here about parents having to try different drugs and different amounts on a weekly basis and that scares me...what path are we headed down? Obviously I want what is absolutely best for my son, but I'm scared at age 6 what type of long road we have ahead of us.

Just felt I needed to share my anxiousness.

[QUOTE=stainedandlit] Here's another question...

My heart fluttering, agitation, crawling-out-of-my-skin feeling really gets worse as the Concerta is wearing off (about 8 hours after i take it)....quite the opposite of the "crash" I read a lot about!!!

Anyone else experience this??
[/QUOTE]

this got worse and turned into an almost all-day thing for the last few days. i'm giving up on concerta and not taking it tomorrow. this stuff absolutely ruined me this week, to the point where i don't want to "stick it out" to see if it's going to get any better.

perhaps my doc adding some kind of anti-depressant next week will help with the anxiety, but until then, i can't deal with this.
stainedandlit39135.671724537

When i was on Concerta, i titrated weekly up to 72mg. I was there for about 7 months or so and then my doc upped it to 108mg since all the 72 did was let me notice that I still couldnt focus. Kinda like a battle with myself. Well i can focus on 108mg but that dose makes me uninterested in persuing my guitar hobby any further. So I tried Focalin which did'nt work since my response dose for it is 50-55mg and i was on 30. Im on the patch now which also isnt working. This is frustrating and im not even allowed to give Adderall a trial run.

well, as I started this post, I am about to add to it again. We are done with the 2 weeks of Concerta 18mg. We start Concerta 27mg on Saturday. The dr. gave us a one month dosage which I questioned as he stated we were doing this for 2 weeks. I relayed my concern to the nurse who told me to try it for 2 weeks and if it did not work, call again and we would up the dosage again. I am waiting to see what happens.

Stainedandlit,

Sorry to hear you've had such a bad experience. Just a few days ago, I quit Adderall XR. I did my time of two weeks. Before that, I tried Concerta. I can't even remember if either one worked because I was so distracted by the side effects. I was paranoid, agoraphobic (which is quite unusual for me), jittery, etc...

It took a few days to get over the Adderall effects. I flushed them down the toilet out of frustration but they didn't go down. They didn't dissolve for almost two days so the insolubity of the capsule might explain why the ill effects after stopping the med still lingered.

I'm also Bipolar I. The bipolar meds have been successful in treating it. The Concerta and Adderall side effects were the same effects of untreated bipolar. They were so bad that I started hallucinating again. All in the same day, I went from inconsolably depressed to manic.

I'm back to the bipolar extreme; back to where I was two years ago and having to use the extreme meds I was using two years ago to get me out of the hallucinations.

Anyway, I'd rather deal with being bipolar than ADHD. I don't even want to take another chance on any more meds.

Aside:
On one thread, I asked if anyone was misdiagnosed with ADHD. It sounded silly that anyone who was misdiagnosed would continue with this forum.

To rephrase the question: does anyone feel or question their diagnosis?

My live-in boyfriend, who is very careful not to interfere with my doctor's opinions, suggested that I mention to her that I keep my house clean and organized (except for the piles of bills that eventually get dealt with). Other than that, my house is that of a minimalist; which I imagine an ADHD person wouldn't have. It seems the ADHD symptoms are not so much as short-term attention spans but show up in uncompleted projects and loss of interest in hobbies I used to feel passionate about.

OK, so much for rambling.

Stainedandlit, I hope you find the solutions you're looking for.
I dont question my diagnosis. I was diagnosed as a baby or young child so i dont remember when it happened. All i know is i go to waste and am extremely hyper when not on meds. I cant get anything done now that im not on a working dose anymore. Forgetting things is also an issue now, so im sure I have classic adhd with no comorbid disorders.I Think that is you have that feeling that the medicine may not be right for you. My son, and two neohews , 13, 14, and 20 all take concerta wiht no side effects, or complaints. It does take a long time to find out what works best for each person.

Hi Stacy101,

There are some good threads on the Daytrana patch.

M y son has been on concerta for many many years now. He started out at a very small dose, and has had his ups and downs. At the end of sixth grade his concerta stopped working, due to a small weight gain, and he ended sixth grade on the down slide. Once he started jr. high his concerta level was raised he now takes 90 mg. a day he is 13, and for the first time in his life he is an honor roll student. This is from a boy who never got a good grade in his life. Concerta like all meds. are different for each kid, but for mine it's the only one that has worked, and since the age of five he has been on many! Here's another question...

My heart fluttering, agitation, crawling-out-of-my-skin feeling really gets worse as the Concerta is wearing off (about 8 hours after i take it)....quite the opposite of the "crash" I read a lot about!!!

Anyone else experience this??
stainedandlit39132.6697916667Thank you so much for bringinig this up!

I've posted a similar question somewhere in this forum (I'm lost--ADHD symptom?) about the fluttering, crawling-out-of-my-skin feeling. The skin crawling is really scaring me because I was afraid to take any meds for anything at all.

In fact, even after stopping the Adderall I still had those terrible side effects. The same thing happened with Concerta.

I'm in limbo know. I haven't found a med I could tolerate so I quit altogether. I've tried meds for five months now so I know I gave it my all. The next doctor's appointment is next week. I'm trying to detox until then. These meds are really scaring me.

Hoping someone will shed someone light on this...
samslamb, i think you should try giving Daytrana a shot it seems to be pretty well tolerated.

Guanfacine is longer acting than clonidine but is less sedating. It might keep her mind calm longer to allow for longer sleep, but wont make her as sleepy. It is hard to explain the difference. My daughter's doc also gives it to help with weight issues. It stabilized her weight (stopped the weight loss) on the concerta but did not allow her to gain weight. We are now trying focalin and guanfacine because the focalin can (in some people) be used without the weight loss issue. It is methylphenidate like concerta but is only the centrally active component of the med, so may have less side effects. You use 1/2 the dose of focalin as compared to concerta.

Talk to the doc about different options and the treatment goals.

I recieved a call from my sons teacher today. She called and said the medicine is not working. "bless his heart" she said, "he is trying so hard and he even told me that the medicine isnt helping him"

I immediately called his dr up and his response was to tell me that we had to stay at his current dosage for the full 2 weeks after which we will raise him from the 18mg to the 27mg. We will have to do that he said for another 2 weeks and then probably raise him up again. He stated that he would not go any faster than that as he did not want to shock my sons system.

I could live with that but I am afraid of what will happen in the meantime. The other kids are noticing something is wrong and my son is near tears everyday that I pick him up as he is pulling "tickets" at school and cannot control himself. He told me today that he was standing in line to get breakfast and was talking to an older child when that kid pushed him really hard and he fell. He reported it to the head of the cafeteria and she did nothing about it. I am going to talk to his teacher in the AM and get her to intervene. That kid was a 4th or 5 grader and twice my sons size.

The doctor is just taking it slow to keep any side effects to the absolute minimum. Unfortunately, this is hard on you and your son. Sending a hug

, and wishes for this time to pass quickly.I was wondering what other meds did you try prior to trying Guanfacine. From everything I read it is a second line of defense. I have been through several of the stimulants. I read Guanfacine is good ODD would you agree. My son is very defiant.I asked my pharmacist about Tenex/Guanfacine for my son. He has not lost weight but is not gaining either. She was pretty alarmed by the possible side effects. I threw away the sheet she gave me, now I wish I had saved it.

Guanfacine is good for ODD, and hyperactivity, impulsivity, and some for focus. Others have said that it also helps the transition from stims in the system to stimulant leaving the system and avoids rebound.

We started on concerta and got good results but not quite enough. The doctor was not comfortable increasing the concerta any further because my 59lb, 10year old had lost 4lbs over a 6 week period. She has always been skinny and weight loss was not something she could afford. He then added the guanfacine to help with defiance, impulsivity, hyperactivity (not fully handled with the concerta) and to stop the weight loss. It was not needed for sleep because on the concerta, she actually started going to sleep earlier for the first time in her life. The addition of guanfacine helped her gain back the lost weight but she stayed at 59-60lbs for the next 5 months, so we decided to try the guanfacine alone. It was pretty good but not good enough without the stimulant, although she is now up to 63lbs. We are now trying focalin with the guanfacine in hopes that it will have less effect on the weight than the concerta did.

I really like the combination of guanfacine and stimulant for my daughter. The doc she sees, uses it a lot in ADHD, mostly to augment the stims or to get 24/7 coverage for social and family interactions. This med needs to be started slowly to avoid or minimize side effects.

vickie39140.7309259259

Just for you BL (including the posible side effects in the first one):

http://www.depression-guide.com/guanfacine.htm

http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/ drug/acf2fd1.cfm&pub_id=8&article_id=113

http://www.askdrjones.com/search/tenex

http://www.shire.com/shire/NewsAndMedia/PressReleases/showSh irePress.jsp?ref=600&tn=&m1=&m2

Thank-you this sounded like something that would work for my son. Concerta works well but at higher doses he is less available. Sort of hyper focused on something besides his family life. Reminds me of a teenager and he is only 9. On lower doses it is pretty good but still has a hard time sitting still. Strattera was out because he is highly anxious and has a quick temper. He is not gaining weight and he is small. I thought guanfacine over the summer would be great!

I will look at those sites. I am remembering hysteria as a side effect. I am the only one allowed hysterics!!!!

It may just be the 'wrong' med for your daughter. Even though it works for one of your children, that is not to say it will for the other...

Call the doctor and see if you can try a different med. My son did well on concerta 54mg for about 7 months, then we noticed that he was struggling again in school, we switched to Ritalin LA and we like it better than we ever did the concerta. There is also focalin, adderall, datrana, metadate, and dexedrine.....probably more stimulants...and strattera for non stim med.....

She should not be a zombie and that is a sign that the med is not right for her or the dosage is too high...since you have tried all the dosages of concerta...I think I would move on to another med

A counselor is never a bad idea even when the meds are working well.

Does Concerta build up in your system? I am asking because after the day I wrote about where my DS pulled all 5 tickets, the next day I went in and the teacher said he was an angel and that it was like night and day with his behavior. If he was like that all the time, she said, he will do great. Could the meds only work intermittently?Hello everyone, I'm new here. I'm a mom of 2 ADHD girls (ages 7 & 12). My oldest daughter has been on Concerta for many years and does wonderfully with it. My youngest daughter finally got diagnosed with ADHD at the end of this year.

Her Dr. put her on Concerta (18 mg), she weighs about 47 pounds or so. At first her teacher told me it made a world of difference, she was focusing and her school work improved. Then in January her teacher started sending me notes that she wasn't focusing in class again. I ended up calling her Dr. and he increased her med's to 27 mg. I gave it a week and still she wasn't focusing. Her teacher called me and told me she was having a very difficult time controlling my daughter. She'd "fall" out of her chair, drop papers, pencils and stuff on the floor, and then she started stealing the teachers' and other students belongings. So I called her doctor again and he increased her meds to 36mg and suggested I find some kind of mental counseling for her. She has been on 36kmg for 2 weeks now and I thought she was doing better because I didn't hear anything from her teacher. So I called her teacher today and she told me she is acting like a zombie. She stars into space and just sits in her chair. I also found out she is wetting her pants at school now. Her teacher said she is still not doing well focusing on her school work (she has to hold my daughters hand when reading a book to help calm her down) and purposely writing sloppy on her dictation sentence test only to get 2 sentences out of 14 written (her penmanship is awful).

I'm not sure what to do, and I'm very concerned. How can a medication turn her into a zombie yet not help her concentrate? And what is with the wetting of the pants lately? Do you think it's from the increase in her medication? I'm concerned switching medications so much this past month is effecting my daughter. I haven't taken her to a counselor yet as I was waiting to see how she did on the increase of meds. To me it sounds like Concerta isn't helping her. Do I call her doctor AGAIN and ask him to change the meds or should I just contact a counselor?

Anyone with suggestions?

Jen

Just wondering if anyone has to pay for Concerta out of pocket? I do and I need a way to get it cheaper!!

I do not think that the stims are dosed by weight...but I am not a doctor. My son was on Concerta 54 mg for over 6 months and he did well focus wise, but got more aggressive and moody and then the focus went too...

He is only 58 pounds at 10 years old.....and that is AFTER a 3 pound weight gain last month!

18 mg is a very low dose, probably the lowest dose for Concerta, Chase did not experience any negative side effects until he was on 54mg,

Hope this helps.

My son is 15 yrs old (83 lbs) in the 9th grade and in grade level classes. Since he was 6 yrs old, we have tried Adderal XR, Focalin, Stratera, you name it we have tried it.

He has been on 56 mg in the morning (6:00 am) and takes a smaller dose 27 mg after lunch (10:50 am).

We also participate in family therapy weekly and he is in the HS ROTC (which takes concentration and the ability to stand still for long periods of time). I have never seen my son do this well. His grades are good, not perfect, but good. His attitude is GREAT.

We have found that his metabolism works very fast, which makes the other meds not last as long.

Give Concerta a chance, when you find the right dosage for your child, you will be amazed.

Hi all, Update for you

My ds pulled 4 of 5 tickets today and bless his heart, thank god he has such nice teachers. 1 ticket is a warning, 2 is time out at recess for 5 minutes, 3 is the same for 15 minutes, 4 is miss recess and 5 is principals office and a note home. The teacher told me though that she knows it is not his fault ( the inability to sit still, the constant talking etc) and so while he pulls tickets, she does not make him sit out at recess and is not punishing him. We looked at eachother today and said " one more week to go" until we increase the dosage. I only hope that when we do increase it, something happens!!!!

Any suggestions on how to get my son to swallow the pill? We have been practising with M&M minis and then as we tried to get him to take it this morning, suddenly he was unable to swallow anything, including the m&ms. He became quite dramatic and we ended up throwing away 2 pills b/c the coating had started to come off after several unsuccessful attempts. Any tips??

HI Gdaymom... this might sound horrible... my daughter has the same problem... can't swallow the pills.... what we do.. and this is her idea and she has told me that is ok.... I have her stand right infront of me with her head tilted all the way back with her mouth open and her tongue out as far as it will go... I tell her to say "ahh" and when the the throat is wide open I drop it in. she does a little gag reflex and she drinks and all it well. We do this every morning for the last 2 months. The first couple of days we went thru 2 to 3 pills because unsuccessful attempts.

Again it sounds horrible but she has told me it does not hurt and she prefers this way.

Good luck

We put our sons pill on a teaspoon with a big helping of apple sauce. He just swallows the whole thing down!!!!We tried for a month with my oldest daughter and finally switched meds to something that could be sprinkled on pudding. She would actually keep the concerta in her mouth (trying to swallow) until the outer coating was disolved, so she was getting the immediate release med for the morning and we got to see improvement during that time at least. We are trying focalin now (because the doctor had a coupon for a free month) while I find out what our insurance formulary covers (other than concerta).I used to do the same as longsally, except with pudding or yogurt....worked like a charm! Then Chase learned how to swallow pills....

I am new to this group and so happy to have found it. My daughter will be 9 next month. She has been on Concerta for 4 months now. We just moved up to the 27mg last month. Seems to be doing a little better job. She is still all over the map with grades. One week all A's, next week D's and F's. I guess the hardest thing is we are still basically coping alone. We have told nobody about her DX of ADHD. We tell her she is taking a "vitamin" to keep her healty for sports. I know we have done nothing wrong as parents, but I'm still not ready to hear the lectures of " you are raising her wrong, she is just spoiled etc, etc."

Sorry for the long post, but boy, does it feel better to have gotten that off my chest and not worry about being judged. Hope to be around more. Thanks for reading.

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The other kids are noticing something is wrong and my son is near tears everyday that I pick him up as he is pulling "tickets" at school and cannot control himself. He told me today that he was standing in line to get breakfast and was talking to an older child when that kid pushed him really hard and he fell. He reported it to the head of the cafeteria and she did nothing about it. I am going to talk to his teacher in the AM and get her to intervene. That kid was a 4th or 5 grader and twice my sons size.

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That is unacceptable for the older student to do that to your son or any one! Call the principal first thing, the older child needs to be spoken to.

My son has had things like that happen and it usually is because his meds. are working so he acts impulsively or says something to the other kid, then the kid reacts. But schools do NOT allow the children to put their hands on anyone else. And this kid being older makes it that much worse. You may even want to refer to the older kid as a bully!