Well I've went from ritalin when i was younger, to strattera when I was 18 for 2 years. Then I tried Adderall xr 20 mg 2 times daily for 2 months and it seemed to stop working ( maybe i just needed a "holiday"?), ritalin 10 mg 2 times daily for a month didn't really seem to do much so I went to my doctor again and he started me on 54 mg of Concerta. I have been taking it for almost 2 weeks now. It seems to work really good I can concentrate more and I'm not so spaced out and I can focus more when I'm at work.

The only problem I'm having is it makes my heart beat really fast! And its not all the time its only certain times. I'm guessing when its being released is when this happens since its an extended release ritalin. I feel a lot better when I'm on it but its just this increased heart rate that kind of bothers me. My heart beats really fast... I can put my hand on my chest and then figure out my heart rate for a minute, and feel it beating. I know this isn't a good thing. But is it just my body adjusting to the concerta? SHould I try a smaller dose? I took my heart rate about 20 min ago and it was 112 which is somewhat high.

What are your thoughts and opionins on this? SHould I get a smaller dose? I'm just worried a smaller dose won't produce as good of results. The only bad thing is this increased heart rate. I have been drinking more which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I' m just so confused! :confused:

Speaking just for me, I did experience a bit of accelerated heart rate until I adjusted to my higher dose and that passed in time.

If this remains a problem, please consult your doctor.

Crazy

Would being on a smaller dose of concerta and taking it two times a day if needed produce the same positive effects as the 54 mg is producing... minus the increased heart rate?

Speaking just for me, I did experience a bit of accelerated heart rate until I adjusted to my higher dose and that passed in time.

If this remains a problem, please consult your doctor.

Crazy

How long did it last for you? Maybe I just need to be on a lower dose. Its weird tho... I only notice the increased heart rate when I am at home and doing nothing. When I'm at work, I don't notice it at all. I feel more focused, and concentrated and organized. I am kind of fast at doing things, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. I work as a nurse extern right now ... and when I know I have to get people up for therapy I want to do it NOW and before they're late. I just like to be on top of things. This is definitely not the case when I'm off the meds.

Hmmm I dunno LOL...it stopped being an issue and I never took note of it? Maybe a week or a bit more?

I did have to stagger doses at one point to avoid that though, taking 54mgs AM then another 27mgs later. After a period of that I was able to take the full 81mgs AM with no problems.


Keep us posted and let us know how things work out!

Crazy :)

You should talk to your doctor about this, it could be a little high dose for you. I am currently and have been for seven years on 54mg of Concerta and about two or three months ago I took my Concerta twice in one day (I went to take Tylenol for a headache and for some reason grabbed the Concerta). Anyway I freaked out because of possibly overdosing and called the poison control then they had me call the hospital and then they called a doctor that was on call. I talked to him and he said that I would be fine (and I was) and that the only thing that would happen would be an increased heart rate and he told me not to drink any caffeine for the rest of the night. I think that maybe your dose might be too high for you because when I took the double dose my heart started beating pretty fast. I am definately not a doctor but this is my suggestion, hope it helps.

PS: you are the only person I have talked to that is on the same medication and dose as me, I think thats pretty cool. :D

Forgot to ask what you are drinking more of?

Crazy

Water usually.

OK thanks! I believe citrus can make the meds process out of the system faster and milk can exaggerate the stim affects, but I am not totally sure?

I was having a bad reaction to Metadate when I got that info and may have gotten it wrong. Both are methylphenidate though...maybe thats something to check into?

Crazy

PS how is it going for you now?

I'm not really sure... Its hard to tell because I'm not at school and I'm not doing things that require a lot of focus, concentration, and motivation like when I'm at school or studying. Right now I'm on my summer break and I find myself wanting to be lazy. But thats just normal I think, because I've been in nursing school for a year and studying non stop and never having any time to do things that I want.

I'm finding that I have trouble with motiviation. I want to do something, but I just don't do it. Its hard to explain. Like, I know that I have to go to the bank and post office but I"ll put it off until the next day or I"ll just go lay out and do something else. Maybe its just that I don't have enough time to get the things done that I want to get done. I don' tknow what it is but hopefully it goes away.

I was laying out today and my heart wasn't beating noticeably fast where I could feel it and it made me short of breath or anything... But I was reading a book and I had it laying on my stomach, like right below my chest at the bottom of my ribs in the middle where they join, and I could feel my heart beating. I'm not sure if this means its excessive or what. I'm also pretty thin so that may have something to do with it. I weigh 135 lbs so im not anorexic or anything but you get the idea.

I went to work last night 3-11 and I wasn't really sure if I took my dose of concerta in the morning. I had it sitting beside me at my desk and I thought I took it but I wasn't positive. Well when I got to work I was so confused, couldn't get organized and I felt like I knew NOTHING! So I assumed I must not have taken my meds. I went and bought a bottle of the VAULT energy drink by coca cola which has about 2x the caffiene than in Mountain Dew and I noticed a difference immediately. I was able to concentrate and get all my work done. So I'm not sure if I was just having an off day with my meds or what? Usually when I drink caffeiene while on concerta my heart starts beating really fast and I feel like I have a ton of energy, I guess its from having 2 stimulants in your system.

Is a side effect of Concerta depression? I think it may be making me depressed. Its kind of hard to describe the feeling that I get when I'm on it. I Just don't feel like going anywhere or doing anything except going to work or just relaxing at home. I know its my summer break and I can and should be relaxing but I dunno.I Just think oh its such a pain to get a shower then dry my hair, then straighten it, and then waste gas to get somewhere and bla bla blah. I just thnk its a lot easier to relax at home and do nothing. Is this depression? I'm not sad or anything like that. But then again I"m not extremely happy or excited eitehr. I dunno its weird to explain.

Ive also noticed that I zone out when watching movies or tv. For example... I went to see you me and dupree last weekend and there was something that Owen Wilson was given a badge with a design on it for being the best man in a wedding. Then at the end that same design was on a tshirt and I had no idea what it was., I just wasn't paying attention I guess. And I was watching Friends tonight and I was just zoning out and thinking about everything else and then I realized that Friends was over already.

I used to watch TV and movies a lot but now they just seem boring to me and I start zoning out when I'm watching them. And this is while I'm on Concerta. Is this right? Is my dose possibly too high? Should I try a lower dose?

Also right now I'm feeling really groggy and tired. I guess its a combination of the come down and the fact that I worked till 12 last night and came home and went to be dthen got up at 8. I probably should have slept a little longer but I oculdn't get back to sleep.

I'm really confuuuuused and I think my doctor thinks I'm a nutcase because i've been on 4 different meds in the past 4 months.