Concerta Anyone? | ADHD Information

hey there! i just found your thread sitting down at the bottom of the page all alone and unanswered!

i just started concerta 18 mgs 3 days ago. today is day three. first day was great! had a slight rebound headache that evening..day 2 not as good, didn't notice the benefits as well as the first day but no rebound anything!

didnt sleep last night though but then again i didnt sleep on adderall xr either so who knows.

today, day 3, am having a really rotten day yet have been very productive! did my deliever route and took my puppies with me, and did a few errands along the way that i would of put off once again otherwise.

am soooo tired though and feeling stressed out! maybe from lack of sleep? when i was on adderall xr i could be tired in the a.m. then take the pill and go and go all day long!

adderall xr caused too much insomnia and not enough benefits, though i had a bundle of eneregy was not focusing and really accomplishing much during the day.

i am hoping beyond hope that today was just some fluke and tomorrow will be much better and that i can sleep tonight and that i know that 18 is a started dose and maybe i just need that higher dose already.

pharmacist said i should not be feeling this way that it peaks in 8 hours then levels off, unless i metabolise too fast then that could be my problem.

ok so please tell me how your experience so far has been...you can even email me if you'd like!

Thanks Jamie! I thought I was going to have to reply to my own post just to get it back up on the page.

So far, my first day, today, I haven't really accomplished much, as I thought I would. However, I do feel a little more focused. I'm not anxious like I normally am...and that's an accomplishment in itself. I don't keep thinking I need to be somewhere else (I don't work), or be doing something else. And that's a relief. I'm on 18 mg, and dr. wants me to increase to 36 in two weeks. I may ask if I can start sooner, though.

Now, do you drink coffee? And are you drinking lots of water? I keep thinking with the coffee (only one cup so far today!) and water, that I'm peeing out the medicine? I knew someone on Lithium who did that, on purpose. I don't want to lose it!

I'm sick of not getting more than 3-4 hrs sleep a night (sometimes 0). I'll let you know how I sleep tonight.

Thanks for responding! Sweet dreams zzzzzzzzz
More later, 'k?Tomorrow I start on Concerta after finally being diagnosed ADHD. And I'm quite excited. It only took 50 years...what took so long? I can't wait to meet the new me, or at least clean my home! And to get feedback from my friends.

Looks like several others on this forum began taking Concerta today or this week. It will be interesting to hear how we're all doing in days to come.

I wasn't sure I wanted to take Concerta, because of some side effects, but I'll give it a try. I've been on Paxil for a couple years and high blood pressure meds, so hopefully side effects I've read about with Concerta will be compensated with those. Incidentally, I can't take Adderall because I'm on Medicaid, and the State won't pay for it.

I do have two major concerns...First, will I be able to sleep well? All I want is a good 8-hour sleep! The pharmacist said if I keep myself busy, which he said I probably will do on Concerta, I most likely will have no trouble getting to sleep and getting rest. Hope so! Will I have to give up my several cups of java?? (with which I'd been self medicating until dx'd)

Or will I be able to handle bouncing off the walls?

Second, I have Tourettes, and I understand Concerta (as with most of the stimulants--and Wellbutrin, too) can cause tics...something I most certainly don't need more of!

I've learned from you great people on this forum that everyone reacts differently to different meds, so I can only hope for the best. Good luck to all of us!

GypsyWomyn38387.3562962963[QUOTE]As an ADHDer I could be very upfront with people and that, as anyone who frequents the real world of People, can get some undesirable responses. ( Extreme Impulsiveness). I still stuggle to rebuild my self-esteme, but even that will come about too. My overall experience of Concerta has been positive and I will warn that use of alcohol is not possible, The effect of alcohol is intensified significantly by Concerta, for me...[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Ryan, for the positive feedback on Concerta! I was leary to take it, but am feeling more positive now, which should be helpful in me getting the most out of it, not being sceptical.

I'm especially looking forward to being less impulsive with others. It's something I've been working on even before taking ADHD med. Perhaps it will be a bit easier now. Scary, changing a negative aspect(s) of me after 50+ years. Will I like the new me? I know everyone else will.

I don't have to worry about the effect of alcohol, because I have been "clean and sober" for 12 years and 6 months!!!

Ryan, what's your thought on this: drinking lots of water with Concerta, peeing alot. What are the chances of peeing the meds right out of system????

Jamie! I slept like a baby last night (1st night on Concerta). Only got up once to pee. Went right back to sleep. Woke up at 8am with alarm, could have kept sleeping and dreaming. lol

Am looking forward to my 2nd day!!
[QUOTE=GypsyWomyn]Tomorrow I start on Concerta after finally being diagnosed ADHD. And I'm quite excited. It only took 50 years...what took so long?

I can't wait to meet the new me, or at least clean my home! And to get feedback from my friends.

Looks like several others on this forum began taking Concerta today or this week. It will be interesting to hear how we're all doing in days to come.

I wasn't sure I wanted to take Concerta, because of some side effects, but I'll give it a try. I've been on Paxil for a couple years and high blood pressure meds, so hopefully side effects I've read about with Concerta will be compensated with those. Incidentally, I can't take Adderall because I'm on Medicaid, and the State won't pay for it.

I do have two major concerns...First, will I be able to sleep well? All I want is a good 8-hour sleep! The pharmacist said if I keep myself busy, which he said I probably will do on Concerta, I most likely will have no trouble getting to sleep and getting rest. Hope so! Will I have to give up my several cups of java?? (with which I'd been self medicating until dx'd)

Or will I be able to handle bouncing off the walls?

[/QUOTE]
Hi Gypsywomyn,
On 54mgs Concerta since last October. Wow! for me, more aware of a lot of things, focus on the most
mundane tasks that i would not engage in before and complete. Within days of starting meds i noticed" how i walked" more aware of fact i have other "Individual" little mannerisms, like moving head sideways when chatting, leaning forward or back when laughing, half bowing and stepping back
as a conversation ender. For me as a man my male urges are now sharper in focus and the fun of
finding New management responses is part of getting to know me Again. As an ADHDer I could be
very upfront with people and that, as anyone who frequents the real world of People, can get some
undesirable responses. ( Extreme Impulsiveness). I still stuggle to rebuild my self-esteme, but even
that will come about too. My overall experience of Concerta has been positive and I will warn that
use of alcohol is not possible, The effect of alcohol is intensified significantly by Concerta, for me,
Use of wine with food is okey when limited to 1or 2 glasses. Everyone is different in the way they
respond and I only mention my experience for record purposes. Please do not use this as an excuse
to use alcohol if your Dr. advises you against using it.
Good Luck Gypsywomyn. regards, Ryan.

Im 44 and just went thru testing for ADHD mild case of reading comprehension, test anxiety, focusing in college so she first put me on concerta for a month and did absoultey nothing for me and I had refilled my meds again before going back for a check up and told her nothing at all.

So after just refilling them she switched me over to addreall xr and still nothing here so both of those full brand new bottles went down the toliet other night. Now I just started on focalin and this is day 2 and just dont notice anything.. she told me to kind of try a few differnt deals each day and see if we could get one to work. so otherday I tool 10/10/20 and nothing and today I took 20/10/10 and nothing so tommrow will try 20/20/20 the max you can take in a day. Down side to this is 3 times a day and have to take them around the 3rd hour each time as they only last 2 to 4 hours... so will see otherwise back to something else..

She did say once we do find the right one that you will know when it gets into your system... it is all interesting.... nothing wants to work with my system it seems...

Luv2farmnd...hope you come up with something that helps with your reading comp and anxiety. Is Dr sure it's ADHD? If meds are doing "nothing," perhaps that's not what you need, ADHD meds. Have you ever been on ADHD meds before? Are you getting enough sleep? That can certainly affect you. Do you remember having symptoms of ADHD since childhood? Just curious, cuz if something other than ADHD meds could help...more power to you. Has dr considered Wellbutrin, not a stimulant, but worth a try. Would probably help with the anxiety, which in turn....
Good luck. Keep us posted.GypsyWomyn38387.7928935185Sedatrius (what a beautiful name!) I know what you mean about Medicaid. I know mine is going to end soon, and am scared what I'm going to do about all the meds I take. Eeek!

54 mg is probably what they would have kept you on. And obviously it was working at that dose. Damn that President!

I was self-medicating with coffee, and it seemed to work pretty good, but not as well as Concerta. Again, today, I only had 2 cups of java.

Good luck to ya!Folks-

I am new to the group, but wondering if anyone has ever tried (or been
prescribed) Adderall and Concerta. My pyschiatrist suggested that it
shouldn't have any adverse interaction, but my pharmacist suggested
otherwise (indicating that not only has he never seen both used together,
but that they essentially stimulate the brain in different ways). Does
anyone know of a study on the interaction between the two? The idea of
using both came from the feeling that Adderall was better at impulse
control (36mg) than Concerta has been (54mg), but that I am a lot less
edgy using Concerta than Adderall (Concerta feels less like speed).Firstly can I say that I am blown away with all the different kinds of medication available for ADD. I live in Australia and we are still in the dark ages when it comes to ADD. The only drugs prescribed here are Ritalin (for kids) and Dexamphitamine (for Adults). BUT in Australia there is a strong belief that ADD does not exist. Let alone for Adults. They still believe that children GROW OUT OF IT. There is so much stigma attached to ADD here and so much non acceptance. Am I living in the wrong Country?

Hey Gypsywomyn,

I am 31 and have just started getting treatment for ADD. I was diagnosed at 17, but my mom disagreed because every bad kid back then was considered ADD and so I went without meds. Then at 27 diagnosed Bipolar 2 and took Depakote for my moods. That went fine. Took Strattera couple months...nothing. Took Concerta 54mg for 3 weeks and was on the road to becoming a new woman...then Medicaid cut me off! I's an free sample of Metadate, which is same as Concerta, but only have 30 day supply. I hate Medicaid. I honestly blame the President. I need the Concerta and I didn't even get a chance to find the right dose for me. I can't focus, concentrate, remember nothing, and I'm so inattentive. I usually dring one cup of coffee, but now maybe I have to self-medicate myself. This sucks.

I'm participating in a clinical trial: so starting today, I'm taking 36 mg of either a placebo or Concerta, and I don't know which.

I've always been hesitant about meds, so this is ideal as far as I'm concerned because I KNOW I may be taking nothing, which in my mind elevates the integrity of any benefits I feel like I get--I have to be doubtful, right?

I think I have the real stuff. Either that, or I'm a bit woozy and my brain feels slightly intense and heavy for some other reason. No thoughts regarding benefits or side effects yet, however.

Interestingly, though, next week I go to 72 mg. Seems to me that doctors aren't yet sure what appropriate dosages are, but mine is starting higher than that of most people.

[QUOTE=jamesp]

...I've really never had a great deal of trouble sleeping--wake often, but go to sleep easily--so I hope that doesn't start now.

[/QUOTE]

That's true, you would be monitored closely. Good.

I'm only asking about sleeping because I've heard of others having insomnia because of the Concerta. I'm actually sleeping better than before. I used to get only 3-4 hours (sometimes none), now I sleep a good 6-9! And don't even get up during the night anymore...well, occasionally, but get back to sleep. I thank my feline roommate for NOT waking me in the morning.

Also, I weigh considerably more than you, and really do feel I should be on a higher dosage to see an affect.

I used to live in Boston...still have cousins there. I kind of miss the ole Bean Town. Grew up in Syracuse, NY. I'm now in the Seattle area.

Thanks for the fast reply, Jamie. And still hope to hear how you're doing during the trial.

Ronna
Jamie, I would say you certainly are starting at a higher dosage than usual. Well, 36 isn't too bad, but increasing to 72mg in a week is high. I started on 18 mg...which worked for about two days in focusing and keeping my mouth before sticking my foot in it, then I was back to my old self. My dr won't increase me to 36mg until March 1. Then after a month on 36, to 54 mg. That seems to be the most satisfying increases to most people I've heard from, most topping out at 54mg. I would probably have increased my dosage sooner, but I'm on Medicaid, and they won't fill and Rx in middle of a months supply

I'm quite curious on how it goes for you, Jamie. I assume you're taking it the same time each morning, and eating breakfast before. You will probably lose your appetite, but it's important to eat several small meals during the day, as recommended by my pharmacist. And drink LOTS of water.

Please let me know if you're able to sleep well at night.

May I ask your age and gender and where you live that they have this clinical trial?

Good luck! Hope to hear from you.

I'm 39, female, and live in Boston. I weigh about 130--of course, that affects dosages. I was told that much of the purpose of the trial is to determine effective dosages for adults, since that's been tested very little so far. Maybe they have reason to believe that higher dosages work better? I've really never had a great deal of trouble sleeping--wake often, but go to sleep easily--so I hope that doesn't start now.

And to be clear, I'm highly monitored, with weekly visits--which obviously wouldn't be the case outside the study--so if I go back next week and report problems with this dosage, I'm sure they wouldn't increase: I just know that's the intention at this point.

jamesp38408.567650463yeah, i am definitely more focused and motivated with the concerta...i
actually finish things, which is a nice change of pace

. Thanks, Julie. That was good information. So you are more focused and able to be motivated to accomplish things you couldn't before?

The hormonal fluxes I don't have to worry about since I'm way post-meno.

Jackson, perhaps Concerta is not the right med for you. Seeing your doctor soon? How many hours do you actually sleep? I wake up and am rearing to go. GypsyWomyn38429.9749884259i find that before i take my meds i cant get myself to move, i cant work out what needs doing and if i do do something, i cant finish it and would forget what i was doing, as soon as my meds kick in 72mg of concerta i can do everything and finish it, i find i can focus and im really happy, i dont get the feeling of not being able to catch up with myself. i also sleep well. my dr did say that some adults dont need as much meds as children do but i do need more. i was put on 18mg at first and it did nothing for me, then i was put on 36mg and still nothing so they put me on 72mg. my dr noticed that im alot happier i started on 36 mg of concerta about 8 months ago. it was great for 2
weeks then nothing...so i was increased to 54mg....that was toooo much
for me, i felt i couldn't catch up with myself . now i take an 18 and a
27 in the mornings to get 45mg. it has worked like a charm. i've been
taking this dosage for 3-4 months now. i know i am helped by drinking
lots of water, i also think that hormonal fluxes in women can sometimes
affect the effect of concerta...it seems every month there are a few days
that it seems to stop working but then everything is ok. over all i am
having a positive experience with concerta but i have not tried other add
meds. i do not believe that weight plays a role in dosing with this med. i
know children that take 54 or 72 mgs that are a lot smaller than me!
obviously you should try to take the lowest dose that works for you.Hello,

Just about 3 hours into my first dose of 54mg Concerta. This after 3 days without any Ritalin. (I ran out after my first 30 days of 10mg/dose x 3).

I feel a mild amphetamine type of anxiety (mostly a physical sensation... baby buzz), a strong sense of focus and organization, and just a tiny bit 'hyper'. I am also REALLY hungry. Not sure what that's about...

I really do not want to go through the rest of my life taking meds. But it works. Both my marriage and my work are aided by the effects this stimulant has on me. I follow through, I track what is being said, I remember, I organize, I don't get irritated when my wife is irritated at my disorganization... I don't lose track when I'm interrupted.

I'm 43 yo Male. Took Ritalin for about a year at 11yo and then thought that ADD was something that is outgrown or not medicated in adults.

Hello Gypsywoman

Concrta is worth a try! Don't get discouraged though, if you do not have great luck at first. It may take some time to find the right meds, and amount for you. I am on 18 mg of Concerta,,, and it is worthless. Not enough for me I am sure. I have virtually no side effects either,,, except being a little thirsty. I meet with the doc in another week, he wanted to try that amount for a month. Judging by all the other posts,,, my doc is VERY concervative on the amount. He is an old timer.

But the meds have changed peoples lives. From what I have heard from most, the benifits outweigh the side effects. Try them,, you can always stop!

i feel like a totally different person, and there was me thinking the way i was b4 was normal, im glad that ive been dignosed with adhd, thankgod for concerta aye? lol

hi all

sorry i havnt been about in awhile but ive now had my dose put up to 72mgs of concerta, omg i have never felt so happy and i can do loads and finish it all, everything is more slower for me and i can actually take more in now, i have to take 2x 36mg tabs in the morning.

for those whom dont know me im maggie and im 28yrs old and have been dignosed since jan 2005, ive got 5 kids and 2 of them have d.a.m.p/dyspraxia/adhd and my eldest has adhd/odd

I hear so much about crashing on several meds, including Concerta, at end of day....however, I never have, thank goodness. I'm now on 36mg since March 3rd. I'm not so sure this is the correct med for me, tho. It doesn't seem to make my tics worse, tho, except when I'm anxious about something. But no worse than before starting Concerta. My motivation hasn't improved either. But I am sleeping well and longer than before meds. I'll be seeing dr beginning of April, and we'll talk about it.

Christal, I do notice I'm not as clear in my posts as I used to be, before Concerta. Although that could be just getting bored with it. Golly, I hope not, cuz I love this forum!

hey Gypsywoman-

so yeah...i'm on 18mg concerta, and it's done wonders (i can read my school books)!

just be aware that the first week or two you go through what i call a "concerta crash" when it wears off at the end of the day....it's great now though...i don't get that anymore...

I don't have any side effects with it, and a friend of mine has some tics and she's doing just fine on concerta as well...so hopefully everything will work out well for you too

good luck! email me if you want or have any questions christal@ku.edu

I am glad to know that a dose higher than 56mg is an option. I just got back on 56mg and after 3 weeks notice some improvement but nothing to brag about. Hopefully I can take more. I thought 56mg was as much as you could take. I do experience the crash I think. In the a.m. before i take Concerta I can't move out the bed or function at all. I am so tired!