Sad with Concerta & Adderal | ADHD Information

I'm looking for some information from other parents with the same experience.  There is nothing like hearing from another parent compared to a Doctor that has not care and love a child that has the challenges that ADHD present.

My son has been on Concerta for the last two years.  His teachers tell us that he seems very unhappy at school.  That he walks around with a drawn face and seems very sad.  At home, we don't see much of this behavior.  At moments he seems sad, but overall the moment passes and he seems like his normal happy self.

Recently we changed his medication to Adderall and he seems a bit happier.  We even received a call from his teacher indicating that she too saw a difference.  Though they still report that he is not smiling much at school.

When I have discussed this issue with the doctor, his solution is to put him on a mood booster.  I don't want him on more medication than necessary.

Has anyone had the same experience on these meds?

Oh dear... I guess it would help to expound on that one above.  The voices and visions... are gifts... not psychosis.  Psychics run in my family.  These gifts often form durring puberty.  We are sensitive to the environment around us, and the emotions of someone in the room...even if they are concealing it.  But untrained, it's frightning and confusing.   On Concerta, it was mixed with Depression and Rage... 

Update:  She's off her Concerta, and hasn't felt angry since.  Blue only when she's bored.  :)

My 12yr daughter has been on Concerta since last October.  She was slowly raised up to 27mg, by February.  After a few weeks at that dossage, I noticed that she was really broody... and some of her writings were really dark and depressing.  After several incidents of her coming home crying, and not knowing why she was crying, and why she was sad and angry at the same time...  she had an episode where she took a sharp rock to her arms and legs...and scratched them all up.  I took her to the Dr, who asked a bunch of questions and didn't seem to think it was the medicine.  Instead of changing or taking her off of Concerta.   He refered us to a psychyatrist... who can't get us in for a while (lotta good that will do).  and seems to be emphasising on the fact that she see's and hears things like she's psycho. 

To my point......Why don't these Dr's read all the side effects of the medicine they perscribe???  On the list of side effects on the site..  www.concerta.net  it lists, Saddness, Irritability, and Psychosis. 

ADDdaughter, your doctor has done the right thing in referring you to a psychiatrist.  Do you have any bipolar disorder in your family?  The stimulant medicines do not usually cause psychosis unless there is something else going on or the drugs are being badly abused.  Having hallucinations, hearing voices, and the cutting incidence are all indicators of something more serious going on like bipolar or a schizoaffective disorder.  A good psychiatrist knows how to detect and treat these things.  If you do not treat the psychosis, chances are very good that she will end up attempting suicide.  Unfortunately, it can take a while to get into a psychiatrist, but it is worth the wait.  Meanwhile, should she become out of control or try to hurt herself, you should take her to the ER. 

Please do not be afraid of mood stabilizers if that is what your child needs.  They can literally be life savers.  You need to know that the treatment of these disorders is not cut and dried.  It can take a long time and many medication adjustments to achieve stability.  They usually start with one and then add, as needed, one at a time. 

Good Luck to Both of You. 

I'm not a child, but I have been on Concerta for a few weeks now and I will tell you that I feel very sad.  I don't know what to do, I feel hopeless and I know it's the meds,yet  while feeling like this I don't know if anything else is going to work.  I guess what I'm saying is, if he seems sad, and he's been on it for two years, maybe "uppers" arent for him.  HTH, best of luck!