For the past little while I've been using my Concerta medication to help me wake up in the morning -- I'll set my alarm 30 minutes before I have to get up, roll over, take my pill, reset my alarm to a half hour later and go back to sleep. It's been working really well for me, but I thought I'd see if anyone here knows of any reasons why I shouldn't do this? I can't imagine it's particularly harmful, but perhaps y'all know something I don't :)

I mentioned it to my doctor, but she admits to knowing very little about ADHD and the medications for it (I'm in Canada, so that's not too surprising). Any insights you offer will be appreciated :)

I have been doing the exact same thing myself! I'm a first year University student and waking up seems to be a task in itself. By taking my Concerta 30 mins prior to waking up for class, I roll out of bed quite easily without struggling to keep my eyes open...

The only reason it could be considered harmful is because you are using the medication for something other than its intended purpose. As a stimulant, it does have the effect of waking you up, but it is not intended to be taken for that reason. The only physical risk I can think of is the development of a chemical dependence upon the drug in order to wake up: if you use it to wake up regularly, your body may grow to need a stimulant in order to wake up.

As a University student who has no problems with sleep, I recommend ensuring you get a good night's sleep and waking up promptly at the natural time. Also, I recommend turning on lights, etc. after waking up; our bodies are designed to become more awake when exposed to light.

Using Concerta to wake up is not going to kill you, but it does technically constitute "abuse" of the medicine. Though you're not technically "abusing" it per se, you are using it for a purpose other than that for which it was prescribed (even though the intended purpose is still being served).

Like I said, the only thing to worry about is becoming physically dependent on the drug to wake up...which isn't too terrible, millions of Americans are physically dependent on Caffeine to wake up in the mornings...it's the same thing, ultimately.

I have heard this reccomended by many professionals who treat AD/HD. The medication is supposed to help with AD/HD symptoms and having trouble waking up is a problem associated with AD/HD. I totally disagree with Keith about this being abuse of the medication.

I take my medication 30-60 minutes before I want to get out of bed and it does help me. Sometimes I forget to have something on my night stand to take it with so I don't always take it. I can still wake up with out I just wake-up better and can function better in the AM when I do take it.

I have actually taken my Concerta after being up for about 30 minutes or so then laid back down maybe 60-90 minutes later and fallen back to sleep for a few hours. I have actually heard of some people with ADD who take it in the evening and it actually helps them to sleep.

Trouble waking up is a depression symptom. Instead try zoloft or paxil, and youll be waking up great every morning

:eyebrow:
I've been on Concerta for 4 days now and because i'm just starting on it, i'm at a low dose of 36mg a day, to be taken in the morning...

I'm glad, that i read this thread, as i have great difficulty, getting out of bed since i've started taking Concerta...
Concerta, may well be, the reason for my lack of enthusiam and bleery eyes, on waking?
Tomorrow i'm going to take my Concerta, whilst still in bed and doze off to sleep again for half an hour, as it seems to work for other ADDers.

I can't see anything wrong with doing this, as i would be taking a Concerta tablet anyhow.
I wont be using it as a 'Wake-Up' medication, but if it helps me to get motivated into getting out of bed... then i really can't see the harm... all i see, is another Bonus of taking the Medication.

I realize, that, one of the reasons, for not being able to 'Get-up' out of bed, maybe due to Depression...

As i have suffered with Chronic Depression for the last 10 years and take sertraline 100mg a day and i totally agree, that Depression does cause the symptons of difficulty getting up out of bed... I've been there.. read the books and got the sweatshirt...

But getting out of bed, hasn't been a problem for me, since the last major depression dip, over 3 years ago, as my anti-depressants do their job well!

But.... Since being on Concerta, for the last 4 days, i've noticed, I'm bleery eyed and lacking the motivation to get up out of bed.

Tomorrow will be a good tester and i hope it works!
If not, i can't say i haven't tried, to make my life a tad easier!! and what's the harm in doing that?

Karen :)

I take my first Concerta (54mg) usually 1-2 hours before getting up and the second (36mg) about seven hours later. It takes 30-45 mins to start taking effect. I just go back to sleep, sometimes for up to three hours. I wake up with a clear head and not anxious or depressed.

It is interesting to notice that the second dosage does not make me want to sleep, while the first does.

I will tell my pdoc, just in case. I am pretty sure he will be ok with that- getting up is one of my greatest challenges! :faint:

My daughter often takes her meds and then snoozes for a short time before getting up, but her doctor syas this is fine. She barely functions without her meds. The 20-30 minutes before her Concerta kicks in are horrible if sh has to try to get dressed. For her age she takes a high dosage 108 Mg.

that is a high dosage for anybody. is that all at once or twice a day. once she gets used to it were will she go. if i took that much i would be unable to eat or sleep for a week,

I've been waking up via an alarm, 1/2 hour-1 hour before i need to get out of bed ; I'm taking my 36mg Concerta tablet, which is right next to my bed, along side a bottle of water(well organised there!) and then, i'm dropping back off to sleep, to be awoken by the second alarm... i'm waking, NOT bleery eyed anymore and i can get out of bed, without too much trouble.

The unfortunate fact, is ; I need to wake at the awful time of approx' 6:00am to take a Concerta tablet, to enable me, to get out of bed easier at approx' 6:30am...
The Concerta, although a small dose, gives me, only a couple of hours of benefit....
I'm looking forward to my next Psychiatrist appointment, with the hope of getting my Concerta dosage raised, as it does very little now, after only the 6 days, that i've been taking it.
I certainly feel a difference, but not to the extent, i felt on the first and second day!(those two days, were calmer, than pre-med's and my mind was less cluttered with thoughts, than i can ever remember!!).

I'm going to wake at 6:00am tomorrow to take my Med's, as i've been doing, so no wonder, i'm sooooooo verrrrry tired!!!!!

Karen :)