Weight Loss on Concerta | ADHD Information

I had and have the same problem with both my boys. My son is 9 at 65 pounds. We changed the way we eat as a family. We eat dinner around 7:30-8 pm (when the meds have worn off) and we'll often give a little snack after school. My 9 year old eats his lunch sometimes. My 7 year old (who has a terrible appetite w/o meds) never touched his food. He is only 45 pounds and we had reached the max of concerta for his weight so the doctor changed him to vyvanse.

He also put the boys on high-fat diets. I buy whole milk, cook with butter, and replace milk for cream in recipes. They both gained a couple of pounds and I gained 10 ;). The thought is to increase the calories and protein in the little foods that they eat.
Appetite suppression is a die effect of all meds, to a degree. have you tried adding fats and protein to his diet? Carnation instant Brakfast is a good way to do that. it is all about balancing the symptom relief and the side effects. There's no way to know how he will react until you try a med. My daughter had signifiant appeteite suppression on  ALL stimulants, but some worse than others. For her Concerta was one of the worst, but really she didnt do well on any of the, You need his total health to be good. When they have a growth spurt they look very thin anyway and my daughter was always the same way that she looked emaciated during a growth spurt on stims. We eneded up going off stimulants and are using Strattera now. Her appeteit is completely normal on it and school is going great. So, for now, this is the med for us......................

Hi.  I know I have read a lot of posts on the topic of weight loss, but I still need to share my concern.  My 8 year old has been on COncerta since May of this year.   It worked ok, to a point.  He was still haiving issues so the doc has steadily increased the dose to see what is right.  He did not have any side effects on any dosage, until this month when he went to 54 mgs.  Since he started the 54 mg, he has had a dramatic loss of appetitie.  He eats a good breakfast, and thats it for the rest of the day.  Its a fight to get him to eat a pb&j sandwich in the evenings.  I guess my question is this....what amount of weight loss is considered too much?  He is 8 and weighs 67 pounds.  He has lost a total of 10 pounds since March, which I didn't think was too awful bad, but over the holidays family members started saying how bad he looked. I had noticed it by then as well, but thought it more of a growth spurt than anything else. But since he has been out of school for the holiday, I have really noticed the loss of appetite.  How do we balance the plus of the good behaviour and good grades (yeah!) and no phone calls from school with the negative of the weight loss?  I still don;t even think the 54 works 100% for him, but I won't know the teacher's thoughts until school starts back after the new year.  Doc said if he had nto approved from last med check, he would switch him to Vyvance.  Is weight loss a big side effect of that med as well?

Sorry the post is so long, I guess I'm just rambling this afternoon.

Thanks for any insight/help.   

 

     

weight loss is typical, you can try protien powder mixed in with a smoothie, or yogurt or pudding, there is no taste to it, It will help too. my son is on Concerta 18mg he has lost 3 lbs since the end of september and the doc is worried. He eats a high protien breakfast cereal, yogurt, juice, ( about 10 -13 grams total)he also takes fish oil. fruit for snack at school, maybe 1/2 of his lunch if that. then he will eat a good dinner. I have now added protien bars and ensure plus for an afternoon snack when he comes home.  to add some weight. he takes his meds typically about 6:30 in the morning and comes down about 5 in the evening.

My granddaughter just started  on 18mg. of concerta, also .....I have noticed the loss of appetite.  But with her it is okay for she is on the chubby side....Almost 9 and weight is 102 lbs.....

I also make sure she has breakfast at home....before going to school...Don't know if her eating habits have changed in school....

Plus make sure she eats dinner.....She is on an orange and carrot kick right now...

Which she never liked before???????   She comes home and will eat 2 oranges for a snack...

Can someone tell me of the other side effects from concerta besides the loss of

appetite.   Is headaches on of them?????   Today for the first time she complain

of one when she got home from school.

 

 

my daughter has complained of headaches on different meds, most of the time this subsided or was infrequent. It was worst the first two weeks on Daytrana.