Yesterday was my 9 year old son's first day on Concerta (36mg) and while a dream for the teacher, it was a sleeping parents nightmare. I don't mean the falling asleep - I mean the waking up at 2am with a stomach ache and never going back to sleep. I was up at 4:00, 5:00 and then finally got up. It's now after 9pm the next on Saturday, after the next dose this morning at 7am, which I decided to tough out and be consistent with and he shows no sign of being tired. Maybe I'm wrong - he doesn't normally announce exhaustion.
Today, he didn't have this mouth stretching he had when I picked him up from daycare. He was playing Pac Man and I couldn't tell if he was trying to eat the dots personally or what. We left and he couldn't control his facial movements. I've never seen him like that. He said he got hit by a basketball at school really hard and his mouth hurt. All I could think was...tics..tourette's?Fluke? Where did this come from? Side effects from meds? Basketball in teeth and lips? Oh, what have I done?
Today, no twitching, mouth stretching...is this pure luck or do tics come and go? He is so concerned with fitting in and blending with his classmates. This would definitely bring some attention his way. He also has become Chatty Patty Boy. And it's like he became a Mensa candidate overnight. Don't get me wrong, he's always been quite smart and has read above grade level, but not been performing at it. But all of a sudden in one day, he wants books like their snacks. He wants to solve math word problems in the car. He hates Math. He tells me he hates it more than anything.
I think I'm more overwhelmed than he is. He said, "Mom, thanks for the medicine. My life is going to be so much simpler. I can FEEL it."
Whoa. Will his brain slow down?
[QUOTE=jarredsmom]Today was my 6 year old son's first day on Conerta 36 mg. I was stunned when I read your post about mouth stretching. I have searched and searched all night and called the doctor today concerned about the exact same thing! I'd be interested in hearing more about your son progresses on the Concerta and if the mouthing stops or continues to stay away.
As an update, my son has been doing pretty well this entire week. His sleep has been a roller coaster, but I have extended his bedtime by an hour and having him read to calm down and started waking him earlier, giving him his medicine long before 7am. He's usually up by 6:30. The mouth stretching has subsided at this time. He has been sleeping, but he is more wakeful during the night, I did think at first the dosage was kind of high seeing that he only weighs 64 pounds. He's pretty lean. What has helped is having him go to his Tae Kwon Do classes at night to burn off stress and energy from the day that he can't seem to let go of.
I had searched the internet as well unsuccessfully and then found this forum hoping to find some answers or suggestions. I have been real careful with his diet, stimulus, etc. He is a much deeper thinker at times which can be overwhelming with a 9 year old.
I hope that you have found some success. It may be that playing a high stimulus game brings out the tic symptoms or he may adjust. Good luck.
Hi! My name is Kelley. I have a 12 year old son with ADHD and ODD. He was diagnosed within the last year and prescribed 36mg of Concerta. My son was better able to concentrate in class and his grades improved, BUT, he experienced severe weight loss, nightmares, stomach aches, inability to sleep, headaches,etc. Even more serious, he threatened suicide. We discontinued use without consulting the doctor, even though he had mentioned not doing so. I have decided to try to investigate natural remedies. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know. Parents of children using Concerta: Watch them closely and listen to what they are saying.
Hi
My 8 yr old is also on concerta, just 18mg, he is 8 in jan.... when he first went on he went off his food, couldn't sleep, cried very easily and saw flashes .. this is all part of the side affect, I found after 6 mths his appetite has come back, the emotional rollercoaster has evened out but with his growth spurt I have noticed and so have the school that the meds do not really have an affect on him.... his sleeping pattern however stayed the same, he would be wide awake still at 10pm... I spoke to a natropath.. she recommended giving him magnesium half hour before bed, it is a natural mineral that relaxed .. known as the "destress mineral" and I have to say it works.... I sometimes keep him off the meds if it is after 8am when he takes it on the weekend, it is a 12 hrs pill and being just 7 I like him in bed by 9.... used to be 8 but I have made allowances with this pill. I also try to keep him active with exercises to tire him out.
I hope this helps.
ps. what country are you in ?
Give his body time to adjust. But it sounds like overall, the medication is having an effect.
36 mg of Concerta is a pretty big dose to start off on, but I don't know how large your son is. My daughter started on 18mg at age 9, and only now at age 13 is she up to 36mg. For a year or so, she was stuck on 27 mg. She loved the focus the 36mg gave her, but couldn't handle the stomach side effects. Interestingly these have decreased as she has grown and she is not having a problem at all this year. Note that my daughter is quite petite. But maybe your son needs a slightly smaller dose or to work his way up slowly.
Being concerned about fitting in could be a positive development. Alot of ADHD kids are rejected by their peers because they have no sense of how their behavior affects other kids. The ability to focus on school work, including a less preferred subject like math, sounds like a positive effect.
Continue to monitor him for stomach side effects. My daughter would every once in a while notice some tic like effects, but nothing sustained. In your son's case, the main thing I would say is maybe he needs a lower dose if side effects continue.
hi everyone..
i too was surprised when you mentioned the dosage, 36mg...my son is 13 and takes 36mg...all is well...he's not eating much but that could be the new braces...we give him a melatonin pill at night 1 hour before bedtime...just a 3 mg one..and it helps him sleep....
hey i was on concerta for my freshman year in highschool last year.Today was my 6 year old son's first day on Conerta 36 mg. I was stunned when I read your post about mouth stretching. I have searched and searched all night and called the doctor today concerned about the exact same thing! I could not believe I finally found someone else who is or has expereinced this.
The doctor's office told me when I called that they have seen it before and is should or "may" subside in a few days. My son was on Adderall previously and developed tics such as studdering or having trouble speaking, but this mouth stretching thing really scared me to death! When I picked him up from school today he was talking normally, but his mouth had extreme movement, almost exactly as you described your son doing while playing Pac Man and looking like Pac Man. Jarred also had a very dry mouth.
I'd be interested in hearing more about your son progresses on the Concerta and if the mouthing stops or continues to stay away.
Rebekah K
Our 16 years old son terrorised the whole family. He was not a typical “hyperactive” child, but he received Ritalin first from the physician, and concerta a year later (because of the reduced costs!). Ritalin allowed us to live almost as a normal family. The boy showed no side effect. The beneficial effect was really clear.
The physician changed to concerta. Two months later, he began to loss weight. First, we though that this was because of an exaggerated physical training (home bicycle) and lower calorie intake. Soon, we must return to the physician because of oedema in the feet. From 90 kg two months before, he had only 75 kg. Liver enzymes were increased and he was sent to the hospital for control. The diagnosis was an eating disorder ! However, we controlled his food intake… he eats as much as we do, sometime even much more. He goes to a nutritionist and received a menu plan. One month later, he had 49 kg only (at his 17th birthday) ! Two weeks after, concerta was stopped… he had 51 kg (because he eat a lot of chocolate !). Immediately, he gained weight, 60 kg two weeks later, now 80 kg three months after stopping this drug.