Frustrated on Concerta | ADHD Information

kellys3babes,

i feel the same way! its sooooo frustrating cuz i feel like i'm fighting a losing battle. i've only been on meds for 7 weeks and have only made 1 switch from 54 mgs concerta to 20 mg adderall xr. although the side effects are mild~ i still cant focus, i have no motivation, i'm still impulsive and i tend to hyper focus on unimportant things. the only change i see is i'm not as hyper but thats about it. i dunno if its cuz i need to increase my dose or what but i have to wait 2 more weeks to see my dr.

It can take time to titrate up to an effective dose. By increasing the meds in steps, the body has time to adjust and lessen side effects. If you are not seeing releif of symptoms and are not having side effects, it is probably time for the doc to increase the med. Also, ask those around you to give you feedback. Often the changes are more apparent to others earlier than to the person on the med. This might help you know when you are on the right med track but not up to the right dose yet.

For my youngest, the hyper went away at a lower dose, than the dose that was best for focus.

[QUOTE=Tori]

Thanks Diane & Vickie,

I will for sure stick it out and wait for these headaches to go away. I never had them with Adderall so I was a bit concerned. This RX is making me extremely thirsty so I am drinking lots of water which can only benefit me in many ways.My sleep has been a bit disrupted but not real bad. I will just hope for a few more days of adjustment and then be back to normal. If these meds were prescribed for me when I was a child/student in school I am sure I would have been a more productive student. So now I am 40 and doing what needs to be done but WOW what a difference when things are good. Thanks again.

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I am 40 as well & started taking Concerta XR 54mg. Can you really tell a difference? This is my 3rd type of med & I can't seem to notice anything!!! I am really wanting to be able to focus & stay on task. I still get real sidetracked & can't get things done I just wanted to know how long it was before you noticed a difference. Thanks!!

[QUOTE=tarisea]

I am going back tomorrow for a follow up. If he doesn't agree to switch me i will ask for the psychiatric referal. Now that I am back on the 18mg all of the add symptoms are back. I am distractable, it is hard for me to stay focused on any one thing, my OCD is back, I'm daydreaming again and I'm tired all of the time. Also when I first went on the meds I actually had a memmory for a while for the first time in my life but now that is slipping away too. On top of all of that I am having really bad side effects, I'm irratible, I have a rash all over my chest, my hands shake (sometimes), my heart races (sometimes), I clench my jaw most of the time and I feel like crying most of the time.

Someone mentioned headaches. I got them when I first went on the drugs, I got them when the dosage was upped and then I got them when it was adjusted and each time they only lasted a week or so.

I'm so frustrated and disheartened. Can I ask everyone one question? Is there anyone out there that has found the right meds? Is there anyone who has been on the same meds for years and is doing great? Or will it always be this roller coaster? I'm not sure whats worse not knowing about the add and gong through life thinking I'm stupid, or knowing about the add and knowing what I'm capable of and not being able to get there.

Thanks for all of your support, I really appreciate it.

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I am in the same boat!! I am getting so frustrated because I am on my 4th medication & still don't notice anything. It is still hard for me to focus, stay on task & get things done. I am very irritable myself & I take it out on my 3 young kids, poor things!! As of now, I have taking Concerta XR 54mg & Lexapro 30 mg. I hope this helps! Hang in there!

So here is my story and I'll try hard to make it short. I grew up thinking I was stupid with low self esteem. I was great at starting things but never finished them. Prone to daydreaming. I could read so long at it was a book I really wanted to read and was fiction but could not read anything non-fiction and I had the worst memmory for everything. I have tried suicide once, had problems with drugs and with drinking but stopped both at 17.

2 years ago my depression hit rock bottom once again and I finally sought help from my doctor. He put me on Citalipram. And my world changed. Life went from black and white to color, it was awesome. Unfortuneately after a while it also brought into very clear focus all of the other problems...inability to focus, get things done, the daydreaming and the difficulty learning. One day I was talking to a friend and I said that maybe I would get tested for a learning disorder, she suggested gettting tested for ADD. Turns out she was right. I'm not stupid, I have ADD. I am 35 years old.

So my doctor put me on 18mg of Concerta for a month and told me he would up me to 36mg at 1 month. Almost instantly my life changed. I could focus, I could get things done, my OCD was gone, the simplest things suddenly weren't so hard. It was amazing. It gave me a taste for what could be. It settled after a couple of weeks, still way better than ever before in my life, but not the great that I had for that week. So at 1 month my doc upped me to 36 mg. It took just a couple of days for my husband to notice something was wrong and 2 weeks for me to become disfunctional. I started crying for no reason and couldn't stop. Not only was my add back but it felt like I wasn't taking the citalipram any more.

The doc put me back to 18mg but it doesn't work anymore. The add is back. I can read still but not for long before I get restless and bored. I'm daydreaming again and walking past things instead of picking them up. On top of that I'm anxious and easily iritated. I clench my jaw most of the time and I don't know if my heart beat is actually faster or it just feels like it. Also I still feel like I want to cry.

I want great back. In the middle of my break down when I went to see the doc he said that if the drug wasn't working for me i would be getting twitches and stuff which I'm not getting. I'm scared he won't switch me. I want great back. Can I have it?

probably not with the Concerta.

Who is prescribing? I am wondering about the comment if it wasnt working you'd be twitching? The wrong med or med dose can cause increased anxiety, the jaw clenching and rapid heartrate and irritability. It sounds to me like you need a different med.

My family doctor is the one doing the prescribing. From what he has told me, he has some experience with ADD drugs but it may be more with kids. I am so scared to loose faith in him. He was the one that caught the depression when no one else did and actually did something about it. I also don't know what to do if I do loose faith in him, where do I go then?You're not losing faith in him, but I'd request a psychiatry referral. Ideally a psychopharmocologist, but at least a psychiatrist with ADHD experience. sounds like my recent experience w/ concerta...minus the part u said about it working. i was on 18 mgs for 1 wk, 36 the next week and then up to 54 mgs by the 3rd week and stayed on that dose for a lil over 3 wks and nothing helped me. plus i had all the unpleasant side effects that u and diane v mentioned. never did i get the twitching that your dr was talking about and i know concerta wasnt the right medication for me cuz it made my adhd worse. i'd switch meds. Hello, I'm a newbie to this forum but not to ADHD. I have a question about concerta for those of you who have taken it . Does the headaches associated with Concerta eventually go away? I had used Adderall 20mg for 2 years, started to get a bit of memory loss. Not major issues but enough to make me say something to my DR & so he switched me to C. I just began taking Concerta (3 days) and have this annoying headache that is always there.

My daughter got headaches on Concerta both times she took it. It did go away. I'd give it a little time if you can. Is everything else ok? Side effects and symptom relief I mean.

You might also make sure you are drinking plenyt of water and keeping fully hydrated. Sometimes the stims can increase dehydration; add to that summer heat and possibly caffinated or sugar containing drinks that add tot he dehydration.

Thanks Diane & Vickie,

Good luck hang in. If the headaches persist for 2 weeks, I'd call the doctor. As for sleep maybe you can try to take it a bit earlier in the morning. tori, my son has been on concerta since october and he still gets headaches on a daily basis. i mentioned it to his pediatrician and she said that he needs to eat b4 taking his pill. it has helped in a sense that the headaches arent as bad but he still gets one every day regardless.

I don't think I could deal with this annoying headache for that long. It is more of an annoyance thing than pain. But I will try to eat before I take my pill & see what happens. I have been taking it pretty early 5:30-6:00 am. I feal for your son.... I think there must have to be a RX out there that will work for him without prolonged headaches. Poor kid! Thanks for the suggestion.

thanx vickie! u gave me some hope in recovery.

you said at 1st ppl will be able to see a difference b4 i can, is that always how it'll be? will i ever be able to see an imporovement?

is occasional stomach ache, constant dry mouth, loss of appetite and maybe a lil insomnia (not sure if its from adderall cuz ive always had sleep problems) considered to be few side effects?

it just sux that i have to wait for an increase when i know its not working yet. u definately put my mind at ease though.... so i will patiently wait this out

diane only you can decide which side effects (if any) you can live with. I cant imagine it worth living with ANY if you are not seeing the benefit. The positives certainly have to outweigh the negatives. Ideally you wont have any negatives, or they will be minimal.

Someone mentioned headaches. I got them when I first went on the drugs, I got them when the dosage was upped and then I got them when it was adjusted and each time they only lasted a week or so.

Thanks for all of your support, I really appreciate it.

tarisea39295.2488310185

Thre are many, many people doing GREAT on meds. You're not hearing about/from them as they are not complaining .

Hang in there it is very frustrating and many people suffer through this initial rollercoaster, but you'll find something, just keep trying.

I would call her again. He should not have to live with daily headaches. Ask for something else.