concerta vs adderall | ADHD Information

Hello,

My son was on Concerta for a while, with little results.  The only thing I could count on was the explosive mad fits he would have over minor things.  I took him off Concerta and put him on Adderall.  The anger has really subsided.  As for the weight issue, in the begining he really didn't want to eat much at one time, but he would sometimes eat small amounts through out the day.  But after a while he began to eat more.  He never lost a great deal of weight, maybe five pounds, but he put it back on.  The medication game has been going on since he was eight and he's now 11.  Strattera was no help at all.  I was reading "The ADD Answer" by Dr Frank Lawlis and he offered some alternatives that worked for many of his pts.  Has anyone read this or tried other alternatives?  I may try some over the summer break.     

My daughter has been on the Concerta 18 mg. for several weeks now and I have noticed only a small decrease in her appetite. The first week she had some difficulty getting to sleep, too. But, otoh, I don't think the Concerta is working at all for her right now. Her mood swings, impulsive behavior and oppositional behavior is right back in full glory. She might be slightly less inattentive but it's not helping what it was meant to help.

I hope the Concerta works better for you. Don't give up if it doesn't. I'm beginning to realize how much research it takes for you to tell the doctor what to prescribe your child.

Kathy

Hello to all. I am new to the board but not at all new to adhd. I have been reading alot of posts the last few days and I have learned alot. Here is my story

I have a 9 year old son with adhd. He has been on meds since he was 5. We had alot of trouble when he started kindergarten(they were going to send him to an alternative school if not medicated) and I knew for awhile that he most likely had adhd I just refused to give him meds. He started on ritalin that didn't work, then adderall. He is currently taking adderall xr 20mg once a day and strattera 10 mg once a day. He has lost alot of weight. He is a little over 4 ft tall and he weighs 50 lbs and he has very very bad mood swings. It is almost like he is bi-polar. One minute happy the next screaming mad then crying. But he is doing really well in school. So I talked to the doctor today about his wieght and mood swings and the fact that he is really hard to get to go to bed and get up in the morning for school.The doctor changed his medicine to concerta 18 mg one a day and strattera 10mg - 2 at night before bed. One of my questions since researching concerta on here is concerta the same medicine as ritalin? Do they eat more when they take concerta? On adderall he would hardly eat anything at all.Any suggestions on how to help with the mood swings?

I also have another son who just turned 6 and we are going threw the same things with him that we did our now nine year old and  and they are constantly fighting. I welcome any advise and suggestions. I need all the help I can get

 

 

 

Hello,

BREN742005....you have come to the right place for advice.  I'm new here and have lots of great ideas and support.  You will probably find it best to deal with a pediatric phsyciatrist who specializes in ADD.  That has been my experience anyway, pediatricians can prescribe the drugs, but really know little about ADD.  My son had little results from Concerta.  The only thing we could count on was explosive tantrums over nothing!  He didn't even know what he was doing...once he was done he would realize what had happened and be very ashamed and appologetic.  It was very sad....what was worse we didn't realize it was the concerta.  Once he was off concerta they stopped.  We went back to the Adderall XR and he is so much better.  It will be a lot of trial and error.  I hope this has been a help.  Good luck!

We just started adderal 10mgs in the morning yesterday.  He only needs meds to bring his reading level up.  I noticed some grumpyness last night and this morning and he didn't eat very much last night.  What else can I expect?  I really didn't want to put him on drugs but his teachers said after one day there was already a big difference, like night and day.  That made me feel better, but I still worry about his weight and mood.  And your'e right "mom" I think this is the best place to get advice.  Thanks...

Hello,

I wouldn't worry too much about eating right now, unless he loses a lot of weight.  My son lost his appetite in the begining, but it came back.  It took several months, but he eats now.  As for the grumpyness, that is part of this too.  It could be he is not sleeping very well.  But 10 mg is a low dose and I wouldn't think it would last him long throughout the day.  But that is where they start you.  My son is on 40mg of the extended release.  Once his body adjusts to the meds his grumpyness should subside too.  He may do better on something different.  Unfortunately it is a wait and see game...trial and error.  And lordy that can be tough when your talking about your kid.  If all he needs help with is his reading, I'd get him a tutor.  My son has a tutor to help with reading and it has really made a huge difference.  Just a thought.  Reading is one thing you don't want kids to be behind in, it is so hard to catch up.   Much luck to you and your child! 

Thanks "mom!"  That's helpful.  Hi my 11 year old is on 72 mg of concerta, this has been the only medication that works for him, and he has been on alot since the age of five. The main thing with concerta is if he loses or gains weight thne the meds. need to be adjusted. He also has to take boost plus to hel pwith his weight.My one son now 12 was on concerta 56mg about 3 and a half years ago and he lost a lot of weight and still had other problems. He now takes focalin twice a day and he has gained weight.  My 9 year old is also on focalin 5mg twice daily during the week and he is doing very well on it. They have been on all of the other medications and this seems to work the best for them.

I HAVE A 12 YEAR OLD SON WHOM WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD.WE HAVE CHOSEN THE CONCERTA AND AT FIRST THE 27MG WAS PRESCRIBED AND  THAT SEEMED TO QUIT WORKING SO WE TOOK HIM BACK TO THE PEDIATRICIAN AND HE IS NOW ON THE 36MG.THE THING IM FINDNG WITH THIS IS THAT HE IS VERY MOODY DOESNT WANT TO EAT SNAPS EASILY AND IT SEEMS TO NOT HELPWITH  WHAT IT IS PRESCRIBED FOR.IM NOT SURE WHAT ELSE TO DO AND NOW MY SON HAS TO BE TAKEN FOR A  PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION FOR SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS .HAS ANYONE ELSE BEEN THROUGH THIS AND IF SO WHAT DID YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD ,AND WHAT CAN WE AS PARENTS DOTO  COPE WITH THESE THINGS.

BREN74200538388.077349537Anyone notice any major differences in the way that Adderall and Ritalin work?

Hello all,

I am new to the board.I am 25 years old with ADD.I have just recently put back on medication due to the lack of concentration in college.My dr switched me over to 54mg of Concerta (but I was on Dexedrine).I have found my attention span has gotten better and my grades are also much better.I really don't have much of an appetite until my medication wears off at night.I do notice that I am extremley moody  when my medication is wearing off. Very frustrating to me and my fiance. But it works well for me. I haven't noticed a lot of weight loss but I am noticing my clothes are loose fitting.I didn't know they had a 72mg dosage, I thought 54mg was the highest. I love Concerta! Haven't had a side effects except for the anorexia and some headaches.Thanks a lot. Liz

Well most of the time I notice the moodiness.I don't always have it.It is really frustrating .I need to take a benedryl so I can get to sleep at night.I'm not sure what I would suggest when coming "down" off the concerta.Have you tried giving like a small caffinated beverage like pepsi or coke?That might help with the edginess a bit.I did notice the other night when I had a coke later in the evening I wasn't nearly as moody as I have been.It's worth a shot.I hope this helps.

Liz

Hi everyone

I am the sister/guardian to a child that has ADHD.  He will be 13 in March and has had many types of problems over the years.  He was put on 10mg of Adderall back in early December and then switched to 20 mg in early January.

Our experience with Adderall was not good.  My Brother became aggressive, moody, and lethargic most of the time.  He was still getting in trouble at school and was put in a self contained class. .

We had his meds changed to Concertta and have seen a difference in his behavior.  He is currently taking 27mg of the Concertta and doing much better in school and work.

 

lizzygrl79:

Thank you for posting this. I think the same thing is happening with my daughter. She comes home from school crying at the drop of a hat. It makes homework particularly difficult. She's on 27 mgs. Once it wears off I notice an increase in the hyperness of her behavior but she doesn't seem quite so emotional. I wonder if there is a way to combat it. I guess we either need a medication that lasts longer (by about 2 hours) or something to help soothe the edges.

Does this always happen to you? Or is it something that comes and goes?

Thanks for your input! It's good to hear it from the side of someone who is taking medication and experiencing the symptoms and side effects. My daughter doesn't notice any difference in the way her body or mind feels when she is taking the drug.

Kathy

Sometimes the grumpyness and bad moods due to the coming down off the meds..is because it is frustratring to your ADD brain back again....make the transition easy by cutting down of stimulus..and having him invoved in an activity that is easy and comes naturally for him off the meds...

Hi everyone.  This is my first time ever on a message board or "chat room". Reading what other moms have to say has almost brought me to tears.  I struggle dailly with the the thoughts that I hope I am doing what is best for my son.   My son is almost 7 and has been on AdderallXR since November.  I am a wreck over the announcement of deaths in children using adderall.  My husband and I do not know what to do.  Adderall has really help him both at home and at school.  I just asked the Neurologist last week about it causing trouble with the heart and he was not concerned.  Does anyone else know what they will do as far as continuing using adderall.  Thank you all for your time.  I think my friends and family try to understand as best as they can, but sometimes I feel they are tired of hearing my concerns.

Hello Another Mom:  My son was recently put on Adderal last week (as you can see from my previous post ;-), and the Canadian ban scared the crap out of me!  I have been asking around and looking at other messages posted and it seems like the adderal effect is dangerous for patients with previous heart problems. (correct me if I'm wrong.)  Any information I got from other parents could only be taken into partial consideration due to the fact that I did not know the other adhd patients history.  I have to Pray and trust our Dr.  she has been his Dr. since he was 10 months old.  I really felt for you because I was devastated about the whold adhd concept.  We are on day 7 now and he has made extrordinary (sp?) leaps and bounds.  His reading level has "hit the charts," when he never "hit the charts" before.  His appetite still isn't what it's supposed to be, so I stuff him when He will eat.  For your sake, ours and everyone who's on Adderall I pray that we all have a happy ending.  I typed Adderall into the web search engine and there is also a Canadian ban message board here.  Check them out and  voice your concerns to your Dr.  Your family loves you, I'm sure they will always support you.  Best of luck to you and the entire adhd world.