Im starting Concerta 36mg tomorrow, ive finally decided to try out medication. :)

I hope it helps me as ive tried changing my diet and loads of strategies for school and home but that only helps a little bit. I just hope the meds will help me with school which is most needed!





I just felt like telling everyone :D

May I ask why your doctor has you starting on 36mg? Usually, people start with the lowest dose (18mg) and work thier way up, unless they are being converted from another form of methylphenidate. Keep us informed on how you do. I hope you find the results you are looking for. My daughter is doing well on concerta.

I have no idea why my doctor decided to start me on 36mg, im not worried about it though because if it feels like too much then I will just ask for a lower dose.

I hope I do well on concerta too, tomorrow I will post on how my first day went.

I was switched from Adderall XR to concerta/wellbutrin because of my insurance plan. I went to the forum to find more info on this med. I'm on 54 mgs of concerta, 36mg a.m and 18 around 1 p.m. So far I like the results. My focus is good. I wish it would help me get computer literate. I've come along way. How would you know if the doseage is too high if you haven't been on it before?

Honda asked: "How would you know if the doseage is too high if you haven't been on it before?"
The question was more on the starting dose (not the effective dose). The package insert recommends starting at 18mg and working your way up to the effective dose. This is because if you have side effects, they are less at the lower doses. If you are going to have rebound, working your way up can lessen the rebound effects while you get used to the med. The flip side is if you start low, you end up waiting for positive effects and can get discouraged (and end up with all those partial bottles of different dose meds).:p

Then again Vickie, an experienced doc may be able to guage severity of symptoms and move accordingly. 18 mgs and titrate up was such a drag for me (severe) and I still have booster Ritalin added! I am not sure I even know a single person who can manage on one 18 mg dose a day?

36 is only 2 tabs, not too horrible IMHO. Keep us posted Boone! :)

Yes my dr started me gradually. I don't take a whopping 54mgs at once. She first started me with 27mg am and the other around 1 pm. I don't think I could handle all that at one time; however, by 1 I am more than ready to take my second dose and don't have the problem of forgetting to take my pill. I am glad that I haven't had any side effects, but its too early to say since I've only been on the this mix for almost a month. I guess they'll increase the dose if I start giving them some feedback if I start feeling the way I use to. Is that correct?

I am glad concerta is working for you Honda. You are correct that if they seem to lose effectiveness you can talk to the doctor and get the dose adjusted.

Boone, I hope you get good results as well.

I was a bit disapointed today, I didn't feel like I could concentrate any better I couldn't focus on anything as usual. I just couldn't get motivated enough to get much work done.

The only thing that really happend was that I felt a bit calmer, like I didn't need to be walking around all the time and tapping my fingers on the table.

Might my concentration get better after a few more days? Or does this medication just not work for me?

How many days is the doc requiring until you can titrate up to a higher dose, Boone? Your response to 36 mgs sounds very much like mine :o some of us just need a higher dose is all.

Bear in mind no medication is going to give you motivation, only the clarity to follow through on what we choose to begin.

Then again Vickie, an experienced doc may be able to guage severity of symptoms and move accordingly. 18 mgs and titrate up was such a drag for me (severe) and I still have booster Ritalin added! I am not sure I even know a single person who can manage on one 18 mg dose a day?

36 is only 2 tabs, not too horrible IMHO. Keep us posted Boone! :)
Actually I do great on 18 mg at day -- so you know one!:)


Boone, sorry you're disappointed. Taking it longer isn't likely to make much difference. When you get the right med and the right dose with stimulents you often know that day. Dr. Dodson an MD who spoke at ADDA said that he will titrate his patient's doses ever couple of days, because you just know so quickly for most folks. I knew within 30 minutes. I was one of the lucky ones who needed the same dose I started on. The thing is that according to Hallowell and Ratey (Driven to Distraction), there is a small window of effectiveness. Too much is ineffective just like to little. Sounds like you and your doctor are going to have to experiment a bit with the dosing -- maybe more, maybe less, maybe a different medication. Hang in there -- a good match is worth working to find!

Keep us updated.

Scattered

How many days is the doc requiring until you can titrate up to a higher dose, Boone? Your response to 36 mgs sounds very much like mine :o some of us just need a higher dose is all.

Bear in mind no medication is going to give you motivation, only the clarity to follow through on what we choose to begin.

My doctor has given me a week but he said if I needed to I could call him earlier.
I might give him a call soon and see what he thinks.

Actually I do great on 18 mg at day -- so you know one!:)


ScatteredWow, thanks for reminding me Scatt. Now to file that someplace so I can quote it repeatedly :D.

My doctor has given me a week but he said if I needed to I could call him earlier.
I might give him a call soon and see what he thinks.I had 3 days between titrations, but my doc has ADD himself and trusts me a great deal. Maybe call in 3 days? What you eat or drink or how much sleep you get can impact on the results of Concerta.

I know citric acid effects Adderall, does it also effect COncerta?

Orange Juice effects Concerta some, but in my expereince not that dramatically.

Scattered

Today was a better I think, I didn't notice any difference myself but I had great comments from teachers all day (they don't know that I am on meds).

Just a quick question :) : On concerta I keep getting nauseous, will this side affect eventually get better? It's not really much of a problem though.

Oh and I had a coke today and it made me feel really weird, so im not going to drink coke while on concerta now because I didn't like it very much lol.
Is it the caffeine in the coke? Does that affect concerta?

I can't comment on the Coke thing since I hate the taste of pop and never drink it. As for nausea, I had slight nausea for the first few days. In the morning when I was brushing my teeth and went to brush my tongue, my gag reflex went off and that never happens when I do that but I didn't throw up. This has since passed though :p

Today was a better I think, I didn't notice any difference myself but I had great comments from teachers all day (they don't know that I am on meds).

Just a quick question :) : On concerta I keep getting nauseous, will this side affect eventually get better? It's not really much of a problem though.

Oh and I had a coke today and it made me feel really weird, so im not going to drink coke while on concerta now because I didn't like it very much lol.
Is it the caffeine in the coke? Does that affect concerta?I've read that it's not unusual for others to notice the changes on medication before the person taking the medication. Sometimes the changes are subtle but important.

I had a lot of stomach troubles when I first started Concerta but that passed pretty quickly (3 - 5 days if memory serves). It sometimes is easier if you don't take it on an empty stomach.

Scattered

I agree; I had some pretty severe heartburn when I began Concerta, but it did pass in less than a week. Hang in there Boone! :cool:

Oh and I had a coke today and it made me feel really weird, so im not going to drink coke while on concerta now because I didn't like it very much lol.
Is it the caffeine in the coke? Does that affect concerta?Caffeine is just adds to the stimulent effect of Concerta. Before I went to two Concerta a day, I used to drink caffeine late in the afternoon to extend the effect of the medication. From what I've read though, in the long run caffeine use is suppose to make your Concerta less effective. Concerta is more specifically targeted -- caffeine raises several neurotransmitters.

Scattered