Hi All!

We started my son who has ODD and ADD on Concerta 6 days ago. On the 5th day he had a terrible time. He threw several tantrums, threatening to kill himself. At one point he tried to jump off of our second story deck! Since he started on it we were having a lot of trouble getting him to sleep at night so he was sleep deprived after 4 nights of 2-3 hours less sleep then usual. We didn't give him the meds yesterday or today so he could at least get some sleep! I've read a coupld of posts where you have talked about the anger increasing with concerta. Has anyone else had lots of trouble with the sleeping too? I just don't see the point in giving him a drug that will increase his anger when the ODD and anger are our major concerns regarding his behaviour.

AndreaM

My little girl has been on concerta for a few years and she does the same when they decrease the dose.It could either be not a high enough dose or it could just be not the right med for your little one.

I wish you the best with this,I know this can be a struggle.

have you had trouble with the sleeping?

Trouble sleeping can be common with all stimulants. Did they start him out on the lowest dose?

Anger issues can increase with stimulants. Not from the stimulant itself, but from the stimulant exacerbating other disorders. I would call your doctor immediately and tell them the response he is having. It's not really an acceptable side effect. If he has this reaction to all stimulants, then I would question the diagnosis, as sometimes AD/HD and ODD together, can very much mimic early onset Bipolar. Stimulants can easily destabilize a person with Bipolar and make them much much worse.

It could very well be that he just need a different stimulant. I would definitely call his doctor though. His behavior on the last day of meds, was really just to much. Medication should always help, and should never make things worse. It's a risk vs. need thing. For example, if a child is 90% better on meds, but stays up a few hours later, well that's an okay trade. What you are seeing though is worse all the way around, and that's not good.

Hope that helps.

AndreaM

I agree call the doctor asap, the reaction your son had was not healthy and sounds unsafe.
Everyone is different and concerta may be the wrong med for your son. My daughter took it for a 1 1/2 years before we noticed an increase of aggressive behavoirs.
I also agree that lack of sleep can cause children to behave very strange. But if his behavior is causeing you more concern then normal call the doctor.

It may be that the stimulant is causing depression which is very common. A combination of an anti-depressant and a stimulant may work. That is what helped my daughter (14). She is on Focalin XR and Zoloft. She did not have depression issues prior to ADD meds, but did as a side effect. The combination works for her - no depression, sleep issues nor eating issues.

Initially she was on Adderall, which was terrible for her - anger, depression,hunger loss, not sleeping. Then we tried Strattera which just made her ill. The doctor thought based on how the Adderall effected her, Focalin with an anti-drepressant would work. Focalin is known not to cause hunger issues or sleeplessness. It worked - she is happy and able to focus through the day.

Hope this helps - no child should live with the side effects you described. My daughter was like that on Adderall and it was very scary! Who knows when the anger and depression will make them do something harmful to themselves. That was my fear, and so we took her off the Adderall right away. It was dangerously affecting my daughter.

I spoke to our councilor and he's reffering us to a Child Psychologist. He is also very concerned about his outbursts and thinks there may be something else going on. He has been back to his "normal" self since we stopped the meds. Still very difficult but at least I know what I'm dealing with! He threw a fit yesterday over seemingly nothing and was crying, screaming, calling me names, for 20 minutes. He said he's confused and doesn't know why he's angry. I just kept asking him what I could do to help and telling him that I love him and want to help him. He kept yelling at me and calling me names but I stayed calm and loving and he eventually came around. The rest of the day was pretty good.

Thanks for all your comments!

AndreaM