Just started Concerta and have ??? | ADHD Information

My son was just recently (11-13-09) diagnosed/evaluated and has ADHD.  The Dr. put him on Concerta 18mg.  1st day after taking the medicine oddly enough was really into cleaning.  2nd day not so much but is overly emotional when he wants something and meaner to people when he gets aggravated and yells.  Of course before the meds when he wanted something and did not get his way he would cry BUT would not go on and on about it for an hour he would just accept that the answer was no!!!  Has anyone ever had this happen to them or is it just me noticing these things because I am keeping such a close eye on him for side effects.  I am really nervous about these medicines and was very hesitant in the beginning even starting him on them until the school mentioned it to me to get him evaluated. I always told myself that when and if it affected him in school I would look further into it, always just thought I had a boy who was acting a like a little boy!!!!  My question is every day he is on this medicine will things change with him, can the issue with being over emotional go away and him being mean go away or could this just not be the medicine for him?  Or is it to soon to tell???  Any comments would help..I feel lost and this is only the 2nd day with a long road ahead of me!!! 

For a child his age, those sympotns at the beginning can be perfectly natural. Im so you are highly worried, as a good parent would be, but it is entirely possible that in a little more time things will even out (hopefully), and things could work out very well. Perhaps a different med may have all the benefits of this one, and not so harsh side effects. either way, it does look like time will tell at this point. Once again, Tenex, or I believe it's called CLonidine in my area, does definitely seem to help alot of kids who are having these issues, as is heavily evidenced by the many posers in this very forum who have posted many positive thigns about it while dealing with situations very similar to yours. hope everythings turns out alright, i know you are worried about your child but somethign tells me everything will turn out alright. Yes it will probably be a long road trying to pin down the right combination and doses of meds, but it will be worth it, as they really can make so much of a difference in their lives, and the parents as well. It really can make all the difference, and that especially goes out to you as well Swamperjmb, don't feel guilty, you really are taking steps to improve your childs life through medication. They have a disorder that causes them a great deal of frustration and emotion suffering as well, and tehy can't help it. But you can! I wish my parents had inttroduced me to medication when i was young. My life really could've gone so much differently had I known at a young age what i do know about these meds and how much tehy have helped me. You're not one of those kids just doping up their child ot shut them up, you are obviously concerened about their wellfare and are just trying to give them a happy life. You should give yourself a kudos! Hope things turn out well for the both of you, please keep posting so we can know how things are going with you.

My DD is in her third year of schooling after starting medication. It has made a world of difference. She has done so much better. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster but well worth the effort.

Thank you sheltron 5000 for sharing your own personal experiences with ad/hd medication treatment. The rest of  us have to guess sometimes on behalf of our young children as to how the medications are really working. My daughter is 11 yr. old and starting to be able to articulate her self awareness regarding how well her medications are working. She knows the drawbacks of the stimulant she is on-- Daytrana patch , loss of appetite, rare trouble getting to sleep etc.--- but she also sees the great benifit it is to her. Your posts (welcome, by the way!)  here  on this forum are a great help to all of us. It's like when a teacher responds to issues in the school forum-- that extra perspective is very much appreciated.

My DD briefly took concerta, then medadate but we switched to the patch becauce she had/has trouble taking pills. As it turns out, we all like the patch-- for now.
thanks all for you postings.

swamperjmb,

I'm 24 now, and I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 4 or 5. I can tell
you this from my own experience: kids are happier with the drugs.

Nobody likes taking meds, but we all hear all the same stuff: if only he
could live up to his potential, he's not trying hard enough, he can't
control himself... I mean, you know I'm sure you've heard it all (and
probably said it all too). The truth is, kids hate it too.

I remember elementery (and middle and highschool and college for that
matter) I KNEW I could do better if I could just focus on the work. I
WANTED to do well, but couldn't. When kids are on the right medication,
they feel more in control of themselves, like they can take power over
their own lives, and the medication can help them do it.

Just make sure you listen to him about how he's feeling, whether he's
happy etc. There are lots of meds out there now (not like when I was
little) so if one doesn't work or the side effects are too awful, try
something else.

Just don't get into the fights with him over the meds, and try not to put
any stigma on the meds with him, or he might start to feel bad about it.

Make it a partnership, he wants to be in control of himself, so make sure
he's in control of the meds, they can be VERY empowering for people
with ADD.

I stopped taking my meds in high school because I got used to them, and
I was dealing with some very inhibitory side effects. I look back on it now
with a lot of regret. I could be in a very different place in my life now if I
hadn't developed such a stigma about taking meds.

I'm back on meds now and working with my doctors to get what I want
out of it. And I'm so happy. The feeling of being able to actually do what I
WANT to do, and not feel like my environment is controlling me is
fantastic.My son was just diagnosed yesterday, and I am starting him on his Concerta 27mg today. I am nervous about side effects also. I sent his teacher a note telling her to keep an eye on him. In a way, I feel horrible medicating my child, but I want him to make it through school, so I feel like this might help him.I am in the same boat as you just started the 27mg yesterday...I also hate to have to medicate but when they suffer in school and don't achieve academically that is where we draw the line....I always told myself when it starts to affect him in school that is when I will take that step and get him evaluated and take it from there.  This message board has helped me a lot there is a lot of people on here that have been doing this for years and have helped me when I had questions!!! Good luck and let me know how it goes for you!!