Concerta not working for me... | ADHD Information

I was recently put on 18 mg of Concerta. My doctor told me that we would most likely be upping the dosage but he wanted to get me adjusted to it. It sounded reasonable to me.

It did nothing to help me whatsoever. My next appointment I told him that, so he prescribed 36 mg. I've been finishing off my 18 mg bottle by taking two instead of one per his instructions, but still I notice absolutely nothing. My mind is in it's own little world and I have not been able to focus any better or learn any better. I am still insanely talkative and bouncy and just all over the place. My attention is still non-existent. I have a feeling that upping the dosage won't help by much either, since he doubled my last prescription and I have only felt slightly calmer on the 36 mg, but not to the point that my behavior reflects it or benefits from it.

The only thing I actually notice with this medicine is the irritability at the end of the day. I don't want to have to pay 0 a month to be pissed off at everything.

SO let me get to the point. My doc told me that most peeps respond positively to Concerta or Ritalin based meds, and only a few switch to the Adderall kind, and that I should respond to Concerta as well if we have the correct diagnosis.

Now this is the part that freaked me out a little...I'm afraid to say it's not doing anything for me because he said that I should respond to the Ritalin kind of medicine if the diagnosis is correct. I don't know that much about ADD medications, so I don't know what to say to him. Are there different kinds of Ritalin medicines I could try that might be more effective? I'm a little apprehensive about Adderall meds because I've seen how it can hurt someone and I'm pretty sure my doctor was hinting that Adderall wasn't something he would consider when he was saying that most people respond to Concerta and if I am ADD, I most likely will as well. I kinda got the idea that if Concerta doesn't do it, then that is it with medication. Then again I have a bad habit of letting my imagination go wild.

So I don't really want to mention it, because even thinking I'm more calm is better than nothing. Maybe I'm just being silly about it. At first I was really unsure about trying different medications, but I want to get my money's worth and I don't know how to be frank with him about it. But gosh. If I wanted to get aggravated I would just talk to my mom. No need to shell out a fourth of my paycheck for that. :|

Well I dunno, maybe my brain is just dysfunctional and I'm neither ADD or normal. Maybe my brain just doesn't have an "on" switch for attention and focus and calmliness and other normal-people things. :

MissFuzzy, I know a supplement that can help. It's krill oil. I take 15-20 capsules a day (together with other stimulants). The krill oil has an additional effect next to the stimulants.

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.