Welcome MissFuzzy  Response to medication is very individual and a specialist in ADHD and medication management would not spout such misinformation claiming that most people respond well to Concerta or Ritalin. All people respond differently to ADHD med's and that is why patients must go through a trial of medication until the best fit is found for the individual.

Patients starting a trial of medication are started on the lowest dose possible and for most, 18 mg of Concerta and very little or no effect.

Unfortunately, misinformation by a doctor or anyone who claims to be well versed on the subject of ADHD or the medications for it can cause the patient to be confused and frustrated. Your not being silly at all and your doctor should be able to convince you that he or she is well versed on ADHD and the medications for it, not the other way around. There are several different medications for ADHD and sometimes a few must be tried at different doses before the right one is found for the individual.

You should feel very comfortable mentioning anything to your doctor and in this case, I highly recommend that you find another doctor who, through their expertise can lead you to victory in terms of experiencing quality of life. I have provided more information below about ADHD med's for the CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficiet Disorder) website.

 

A health professional cannot tell at first which medication will help which patient the most. You may have to try several medications before you find the one -- or the combination -- that works best for you.

Stimulants

Stimulants is the word for a group of drugs that changes the way the brain's chemical "messages" gets from some brain cells to others. They are the first kind of medication a doctor usually tries when treating AD/HD in both children and adults.

The two stimulants most commonly used are called methylphenidate (MPH) and amphetamines (AMP). The government controls them because people could abuse them if they are not used the way a doctor prescribes them.

Several things cause the way a person reacts to stimulant medication: how much medication is taken, how much medication gets into the bloodstream, and how the amount of medication changes the blood levels.

There is no reason to choose one kind of stimulant over the other for someone who has not yet tried either. Both forms of medications -- MPH and AMP -- affect the brain somewhat differently, so they probably affect people differently.

If you don't do well on one kind of stimulant, you and your doctor will most likely try the other. The medication and the amount taken must match each person's individual needs.

Talk to your doctor about what side effects you might have with the stimulant drug he or she prescribes. Side effects of stimulants in adults are generally not serious. They may include one or more of the following: trouble sleeping, headaches, anxiety, loss of appetite and weight loss. Sometimes there are heart rate or blood pressure side effects.