Hi Heide! Welcome to the Board, and to Concerta, too. Prepare yourself for my long post.

I started at 18mg (Feb 3, 2005), then increased to 36mg, then to 54mg, and next week I'll increase to 72mg. The first two days on Concerta, I also felt things were in slow-motion, but that passed.

You may lose your appetite, so it's important to eat breakfast before taking (with a full glass of water) and eat several small meals during the day, even if you're not hungry, as recommended by my pharmacist. I do this, and have actually lost weight! Yeah. I've also cut back on my several cups of java. One cup in AM, and sometimes one in afternoon. But I sometimes don't even remember to make it. I used to self-medicate with my coffee, but even tho Concerta is a mild stimulant, it's recommended not to drink coffee, or at least too much. It could interfer with the effect of the meds.

It's also important to drink LOTS of water. You will be thirsty (and cotton-mouth), but it's one way to get the recommened drinks of water, right?

About sleeping, I was quite concerned since I had read how many had difficulty going to sleep. But on 36mg, I actually got tired in the evening...if I didn't drink any coffee after 12 noon or eat any DARK CHOCOLATE which I love so much.    Even on 54mg, I've actually been able to get to sleep and have a good night's sleep, something I haven't had in almost two years. I have wierd, vivid dreams, but I always had those.

The side effects of anxiousness should go away, but I suggest you talk with your doctor. Also talk to your your pharmacist (who actually usually has more information about meds than a doctor)...they should have answers about side-effects, etc.

If you have a problem getting to sleep or sleeping, and it doesn't go away in a week or two, your doctor may want to cut you back to 18mg for a couple weeks, and then after your body has acclimated, return you to 36mg.

Everyone is different and how they react to meds. Often it takes trial and error, but I believe the important thing is to hang in there for a while with each med, to give it a chance. Some people give up too soon, jumping from med to med, and end up with nothing working for them.

Good luck, Heide. You'll find very nice, informative people on this Board.

Thanks for the information especially giving me the heads up on the sleeping issue. Also the anxiousness, I hope it goes away I actually feel hyper. But again Thanks for the information.

You sound exactly like me!  But there is hope, hang in there.  Although everybody is different and reacts differently to different doses, meds etc.  Your case may be that you need some "adjusting time" since you have just started.  I've posted about this before but I will again,lolabout how my grades were really bad this semester due to the amounts of studying involved.  I had to take classes prior to(nursing 101 btw) and in order for me to do well, I was only taking two classes at a time!  I didn't think an 8 credit course was going to be so accelerated but HOLY COW!!  Anyhow, I was diagnosed with add over a year ago, went on meds, then quit because I was having a difficult time accepting my "diagnosis."  I kept saying, "Yah right, I don't have this ADD!"  Well, as time went on and the more I read about it the more I knew.  I always kinda new but it was just hard to beleive.  Like, I didn't even think a thing like ADD existed!  Well, I've been on meds for a month now and just took a test and got a 90%!!  The first test I took I got a 76% and the second one was a 62% and I studied my BUTT off!!  But wouldn't you know that these darn meds really work!!  I think, lol.  Sometimes I doubt the meds and think that it was a placebo effect or something but the truth is, I think I have a chemical imbalance.  But there is hope, so don't give up and hang in there.  Oh, and about studying real hard and getting the exam and looking at it like it was written in german is ONE OF MY BIGGEST PROBLEMS!

[QUOTE=heide]hello there daniel's mom I actually went to a workshop that was offered at my school called "I Cant Remember What I Just Read". Those techniques that you mentioned as well as others were told to me. I was even told to play a jepordy game with the questions and answers from my text book. Basically the more senses you involve in your study the more you can retain. Believe me I tried the jepordy game, the reading out loud, the study guide, the outline, I tried everything. And I studied really hard for that test, and as for the jepordy game I got all the answers right. The small quizes I made up for myself I passed them all. I went in to take the test with such high confidence that I knew the answers I beleived I would get a 100% or at least a 75%. And I ended up getting a 58% 2 points from a passing grade a D. It really does not have anything to do with how I study or what techniques I used or how many senses I got involved. Basically I would just blank out on the test. I mean I know the information and if asked I would give the correct answer. But when placed with the test in front of me I just blanked out. I even tried relaxation techniques, breathing, relaxing, and it did not help. That is why I was placed on this medication and hopefully it will work for me like it did for ditzychick. But Thanks anyways   [/QUOTE]

I just wanted to say that I also tried relaxation tecniques such as meditation and yoga and it didn't help with squat. I wish you luck, I can just imagine med school.