Ritalin side effects. Need advice please. | ADHD Information
Hello to all. I am new to this forum. This is my first post. I am so happy to have found such a wonderful resource to help people that are affected by ADHD one way or another.
I'm looking for advice regarding the following...... My 7 yr old son currently takes 5mg of Ritalin per day. He hates taking it becuase he says he doesn't like the way it makes him feel. He says it makes him "not hungry" and "bored" those are his cheif complaints. When he takes it I notice that he doesn't "play" as much and many times I find him lying in his bed in the middle of the day. He says he's not tired, just that he doesn't know what to do. I've tried other meds...Strattera and Adderall, but they did not help him with his focus where school is concerned. His teacher could tell when his meds changed because of how it affected is schoolwork. Eventually I went back to the Ritalin (5mg per day) I've seen many posts that mention Concerta, which I know is a longer acting version of Ritalin, and I'm wondering if it has the same side effects. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me out with this situation.
What dosage do you take?
Hey Carrie,
Yes I find that Concerta lasts the full 12 hours.I find I get a huge burst in the morning, then calms down a bit.I love it!
Liz
Falling star- From what I know, Concerta will have the same effect on your son as Ritalin, just for a longer period of time. Has the doc said to give it some time? Maybe this is just not the drug that fits him. Are you positive of his diagnosis? I know my son was at first thought to be ODD then I saw a specialist in 0-3 (developmental disorders from birth to three) and he diagnosed my son with Asperger's Syndrome. The drug he is now taking is different than the drug another doc was going to give him with the ODD diagnosis. ...Just a thought. Good luck. I hope you find something that works.
Harley,
May I suggest you not give your daughter the meds. ? Weening her off and getting a second opinion might be better than what's happening right now to you. She's not happy, you're not happy and nothing's working AND she's not sleeping to top it off. I know that story all too well. My son is on Luvox (he's 10) and takes Remeron at night. Knocks him out completely. He wasn't growing properly without the right amount of sleep and he couldn't control his temper to save himself. The other thing I tried although it bothered his sensitive stomach was Melatonin. It worked. 150 mg. at a time then increased to 200mg. Hope you find the answer soon.
My Granddaughter is on 40 mg of ritalin and 5 mg folcan and 5 mg resperial
and she is running crazy. she is driving my crazy also. she was a-b honor roll student and now she is a c-d student and i am at my wits end. so I had to take her and put her in the hospital as a out patient i am really worried about her because i have tried every med that i could think of. could you please tell me what to do i can believe that your son only takes 5 mg and laids around and is doing good in school. my granddaughter is having a problem sleeping she is up all night. if you can help me i am all ears
Hi Fallingstar,
I'm on Concerta now.I'm 25 and in college so I needed my medicine.I have posted my experience with Concerta because I used to be on Dexedrine in high school.This medicine is a lifesaver to me.I failed my last semester and told my dr I HAVE to go back on medicine because I was doing terrible in school.I am now a B+ student from a F.I am losing weight and notice some definate mood swings when the medicine is wearing off.It really drives me crazy because I am not a mean person.It can be trying but it's worth it to me right now.I drink a little soda about the time the medicine is wearing off just to take the edge off.I am a nursing student and know that with Ritalin the child gets a burst of the medicine, with concerta it's time released, so maybe the Concerta would be beneficial.Let me know how things go.
Liz
Just to note *fallingstar* - I took ritalin once for maybe two or three weeks and I was experiencing the same thing as your son. I am 21 and had been on adderall but got tired of not being able to sleep etc. so my doc switched me. Ritalin made me like a zombie, I wasnt tired but I didnt want to do anything - I found myself eating even though I didnt want to because I was just bored. It was almost as if someone flipped the switch and shut all of my thoughts off. I know some people have great success with ritalin but I think you are being smart by talking with your doc again b/c I imagine I sort of know how he is feeling.
Best of Luck - oh and I am much better now that I am back on adderall...
Lizzy, I am on Ritalin LA and wanting to switch to Concerta because of the horrible rebound at 4:30 pm because it is an 8 hour drug. Do you find Concerta lasts for the full 10-14 hours that is says it does?I don't know what to say to you, fallingstar. I'm reading between the lines as it were. So here goes. There are more important things in life then fitting in at school. His teacher is paid to teach, teachers tend to be bitter and anal retentive - everyone must fit into my little box. They put on a good front but I doubt the teacher loves your child as much as she loves her image of a perfect classroom.
As a 7 year old he is so desperate to fit in and you are desperate that he gets along and is normal. But Ritalin can be the worst drug in the world or the best - it really depends on the child. If he is truly unhappy it's probably best to take him off it.
I do use Ritalin. But it's an exchange, I exchange personality and joy for a sort of robotic concentration that allows me to learn things. The thought of being forced to take Ritalin sends shivers up my spine, kind of a "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." thing. It's hard to know if the child is experiencing rebound or he doesn't get along on the meds. One 5mg Ritalin per day is a strange dose. It only lasts a few hours and then he will feel like crap the rest of the day. It's better to keep then on it all day. Concerta will do this but it makes me so sleepy and drugged feeling.
If he is new to medication, it must be a real switch for him having so much noise in his head, unable to focus etc. I would think it would be hard to get used to, and confusing for a child to suddenly be able to focus and have time to complete a thought. Maybe he's needs time to adjust and learn to find things to do. Spend more fun time with him, or make a list of to do activities. Watch to see if he is unhappy or just quiet.
It was a big adjustment for us when we first put our son on medication, because he was so different. It was the first time I could have a conversation with him, and he was able to play for longer periods. We didn't like the way he was so quiet and we worried too. Because he was always in so much trouble, we had no choice but to help him with medication. We tried everything first. Unfortunately there's no magic answers for any of us. Good Luck
To shinsetu_hito:
Just to clarify... I don't have any problem whatsoever with my sons teacher. She is wonderful... an excellent teacher; very supportive and understanding when it comes to my sons education. She is not the kind of teacher that expects any of her students to fit into her "little box" She is considerate and works with parents to let them know how their children are doing based on any meds they may be taking, or otherwise. Especially since I'm not there during the day to witness the effects of the meds. I know she does not love my child as much as I do, (no one does) but she is very compassionate and an awesome teacher.
I appreciate your input regarding my son. I have since made an appoitment with his Doc to talk about other options, including maybe trying Concerta since I understand it's a longer acting form of Ritalin. Once again, thanks for your advice.
Falingstar 