Concerta | ADHD Information
I definitely agree with floofthegoof...meds just take a little bit of the edge off, you still need to have the self discipline....About the whole concerta deal....one of the side effects is the loss of appetite, which it seems that you're succumbing to. Just because you don't feel hungry, doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat. By skipping meals early on, you don't jump-start your metabolism, which is really bad for your body and sets yourself up more for weight gain than for weight loss. Also, if you eat more throughout the day, you shouldn't find yourself quite as ravenous at night. Although, it is still probable that you will feel more hungry as the medication wears off. I have taken concerta, however I find that adderall xr works much better for me. Hopefully you can get things figured out!! Good luck and keep us posted!!
oh...one other thing....your body also needs food in order for it to function correctly.....perhaps if you ate a more balanced diet throughout the day you will have an easier time dealing with "things"....in order for the synapses to fire in your brain on the neurotransmitters, you need both sodium and potassium present
Thanks for your help, I went to the docs today and she upped it to 54 mlg to see if it would last longer. I did try eating some today but it made me more upset than anything else it felt like a struggle to swallow. I think tomorrow I will eat before I take it to see if it is any better. any other tips would be great...I dont want to become a blimp from eating at night only..hahaha I don't think you'll become a blimp, although you may feel really lethargic or scatter-brained and a lot of other things if you don't eat until night-time! Eating before meds is definitely a good idea....it will also jump-start your metabolism so you may actually get hungry part-way through the day. Upping the dose is typically what "happens" when meds seem to be wearing off more quickly than they're supposed to....If the new dose doesn't seem to work, then I would suggest trying another med that may work best with your body, etc. I currently take adderall xr and, for me, it works pretty well. Hopefully 54mgs will work better for ya!Well since this is so new to me, I have a lot to figure out. I love my mornings so much stuff can get done, but come afternoons I am back to being my orginal scatterbrain. Was just wondering how much Adderal do you take, is it once or twice a day. How is it with the weight, I was on paxil for 2 years and the weight gain once disgusting so I dont want anything else that has a carbohydrate in it. Sorry to be a pain in the butt, but I am new to this. I like the concerta right now, I just wish it would last longer, Thanks againOh I know how complicating it can be when first trying out meds and figuring out how much and when to take them can be!! I actually take different amounts of adderall each day...It just kind of depends one what I need to be doing. I have both Adderall xr and quick-release adderall. The adderall xr is a long-acting capsule filled with 2 different types of "beads." One type is quick-release, so you get an "immediate" dose and then the other type is wax-coated so it dissolves about 4 hours later. Adderall xr is supposed to last 12 hours, however, I don't find that it lasts quite that long for me. I am supposed to take 75 mg in the morning and then I have quick release for later in the day. However, I have learned how to "doctor my meds" or regulate them to how they work best....I normally get up and take 50mg then take another 25mg an hour or so afterwards and I kind of space things out so that meds work for the length of time that I need them to. As for the whole weight issue....many people find that they don't eat on Adderall, so they end up trying another drug. I am a huge eater and have an extremely fast metabolism, so I had to find a med that at least didn't make me sick thinking about food....for me, adderall works great. I find that when I take concerta, I am not in my usual happy-old-self type of mood and I don't seem to get much done either...I still haven't pin-pointed what exactly it was that didn't work with the Concerta, but I do know that I am much happier and efficient when I take the Adderall xr. Hopefully that will help a bit...if you have any other questions you can post them or pm me! I know it can be frustrating when first figuring the meds out, but if you stick with it, you should eventually find something that works pretty well with minimal side effects, etc!I am new here in the adult forum, though I have been in the med section for my 9 yr old. I also have been diagonosed with Adult ADD last month, though when I look back at my childhood, boy how I wish they knew then what they know now,,,,I started on 36 mlg of Concerta 3 weeks ago, was just wondering if anyone knew what I should be expecting. besides being able to read or write a little longer than usual and drink a ton of water for the dry mouth I am not seeing much change. I have a doc appt tomorrow and was wondering if I should up the dose some. I feel better in the morning and I take it around 9 but by 2 when the kids are all coming back home from school I feel like my old out of control impulsive self. I was also wondering with the weight side affects were, I am never hungry at all, though I dont seem to lose any weight, and I think I have had breakfast and lunch 3 times since starting and I am finding by 7 at night I am starving...it just seems all so weird to me. I was hoping this would make my life a little easier and more in control but it seems to only do that for a few hours. Any help before tomorrow would be greatI haven't taken Concerta, as Adderall seems to work for me when I need it, but these drugs really just take some of the edge off your impulsivity. It will help you get into a more disciplined mode, but you will still need self discipline. [QUOTE=lisadc3]Well since this is so new to me, I have a lot to figure out. I love my mornings so much stuff can get done, but come afternoons I am back to being my orginal scatterbrain. Was just wondering how much Adderal do you take, is it once or twice a day. How is it with the weight, I was on paxil for 2 years and the weight gain once disgusting so I dont want anything else that has a carbohydrate in it. Sorry to be a pain in the butt, but I am new to this. I like the concerta right now, I just wish it would last longer, Thanks again[/QUOTE]Hi, lisadc3,
As someone that is on 54mgs of Consertaxl for 3 months i find that while it has
caused a reduced urge to eat i have not had other side effects that would
stop me continuing. I find that it lasts a full 12 hours and i compensate for the
reduced urge to eat by having 3 set times that i eat during the day. This is now a
daily routine that i stick ridgidly too. It took a small bit of effort to get into this.
I fell down repeatedly in the first couple of weeks and got angry with myself for
this but i stopped beating myself up over it and just started off anew each day.
Hope things work out for you too.
Does it make you sick to eat. I feel like I am swallowing a whole cow when I am trying to eat during the day..It helps if I eat before taking them and then when they are starting to wear off....
Hi, lisadc3,
I am also on concerta. An I had a hard time even getting a spoonful of yogurt down in the first few months. I lost alot of weight but the Dr
said if I didn't make myself eat he would have to take me off. I do
remember feeling like I had a hard time swallowing. I made myself eat tiny amounts at first. Now I eat normal meals at a set time....Hungry or
not. Your body needs food