from http://www.adhdhelp.org/concerta.htm

The most common side effects reported were headache (14%), upper respiratory tract infection (8%), stomach ache (7%), vomiting (4%), loss of appetite (4%), sleeplessness (4%), increased cough (4%), sore throat (4%), sinusitis (3%), and dizziness (2%). Other side effects are reduced stature, ticks, "zombie" demeanor, stomach aches, moodiness and death.

i'm not thinking my usual random and funny thoughts, i'm not hyperactive... i'm afraid people might notice my change of mood. right now i think i kinda have blunted affect... or so i think.. anyone else have that side effect?

My only side effect has been sleeplessness if I take it too late in the morning.

I started taking 54 mg a day two days ago. I have not gone to sleep yet. I do not believe this is a common side effect though.

My caffeine intake was pretty high yesterday and I am also taking some Tylenol Allergy medicine for a head cold. I was told to stay away from decongestants as well as caffeine and hopefully this will remedy the situation.

It will be difficult to cut out the coffee, as I am accustomed to drinking several pots a day. My doctor claims that this is typical of people with ADD, a kind of self-medicating thing, as caffeine stimulates the brain also, albeit in a much cruder, rudimentary fashion.

I did not see any warnings in my drug literature regarding caffeine, but I think it warrents research.

I'll let you know how I'm doing if you let me know how you're doing!

doing fine at the moment... finals week! :) wish me luck

Unless I am going out for the evening, I have to stop coffee intake by noon.

steveb:

why do you have to take coffee when you're on concerta? aren't you supposed to avoid coffee when you're on concerta?

I like coffee.

I have to stop drinking it by noon to sleep OK.
The going out comment was my only excuse to drink it after noon.

I quit coffee once, then my son was born.
I have been trying to quit again for 9 years now. lol.

hehe ok :)

Other side effects are reduced stature, ticks, "zombie" demeanor, stomach aches, moodiness and death.death?? :eek:

before it stopped working (uggh) the only side effects were problems waking and strange headaches in the evenings (they weren't so bad, though)

My son was started on 36 mg. The first day he had major pains in his chest. The med was stopped after one capsule.

I'm kinda glad someone brought this up. Maybe now I can find out if this has ever happened before.

I dunno how much the dosage is, my father keeps the pill bottle locked up. It's the little white ones.

Anyway, I take one pill, and for about two hours, it works well. I can concentrate, I don't open my mouth and say stuff I shouldn't, blah de blah de blah. But at about the end of my first period, sometimes halfway into the second (I have block scheduling), wierd stuff happens.

1) Sleepiness. I feel tired for no reason at all.
2) Mild intoxicating effect. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it feels like I'm there...but I'm watching myself from afar. I don't know how to explain it besides that.
3) Delayed reactions. Teacher calls on my name and about a minute later I realize she's talking to me.
4) Loss of conciousness. Granted this only happened once, but still. Worth mentioning.

But then, like an hour and a half to three hours later, it goes away and I feel fine. Bit of a stomach ache but still.

The white ones are 36 mg.

I haven't noticed anything like that, but I am an 180 lb. adult.

The one thing I can think of is your breakfast.

Stay away from muffins, bagles, toast and cereals.
Try to eat things rich in protien like eggs.

What may be happening is you are falling from the glucose high that the high carb foods cause.
Protien keeps you sugar levels much more stable.

We started giving my son (9yr old) more protien in the morning and have seen positive results.

Originally posted by Vermis
2) Mild intoxicating effect. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it feels like I'm there...but I'm watching myself from afar. I don't know how to explain it besides that.Sounds like the word you want is 'dissociation,' the feeling of the separation of mind from body.

4) Loss of conciousness. Granted this only happened once, but still. Worth mentioning.
No kidding it is! Are you talking about falling asleep, or like 'passing out?' I'd stop taking the pills and talk to your doctor for sure if it's the second. If it's the first, then, well, you probably don't want to be taking the Concerta then, either.

Personally, I just have sleeplessness, but I have always had wierd sleep patterns even before concerta. I've been on it for about a year and a half now, and the 36mg daily seems to work best for me. I tried 54mg once, but that made me start grinding and clenching my teeth, especially during sleep. So, back to 36 I went...and all is well. :D

I've always grinded (ground?) my teeth, even before I was on any drugs for ADD. My teeth are incredibly worn down, to the point where I have to watch what I eat or else experience excruciating pain. Chocolate and sticky things have to be eaten very carefully. A couple years back I got a nightguard to wear while sleeping--I wish my dentist told me I needed one before I managed to do all this damage (it was actually another dentist who finally suggested it). I think my dentist was crooked and wanted me to wreck my teeth--more repair work equals more money for him. :mad:

Hrm... I guess this is way off topic.

My son had a lot of anger and aggitation on Concerta alone, but most of it has disappeared since we added his Strattera back. He is now on 27 mgs of Concerta and 40 mgs Strattera and doing pretty good.

I don't know if this counts as a "stomach ache", but I started taking Concerta yesterday and my groin is killing me! I wouldn't go as far as to call it excruciating, but it is not pleasant. It almost feels like I need to sit down and go to the bathroom but that's not working out. Do you think this is something I should be overly concerned about? (it is,after all, only the second day I've been on it) Has anyone else had this problem? Do you know if it should go away after a little while? I haven't taken it yet today because I'm not sure if it will make things worse.

All gone. go figure. pain went away almost right after I posted, and hasn't been back since.
Maybe someone kicked me and I forgot about it!

carry on...

I had to cut out coffee, soda completely....oh how I miss them. I need decaf with whatever because I get really dehydrated. That seems to be my biggests side effect on a daily basis.....I need water, water and more water. My other one would be HEADACHES...really bad massive I can't think because my head is going to explode headaches. This usually gets taken care of with more sleep.

My side effects......

* sleeplessness
* occasional shoulder jerking (right shoulder)
* hand flapping (right hand only)
* "barks" mostly when I'm trying to sleep
* jaw slamming into my upper front teeth

I lowered the concerta to 18 mg and adderall xr 20 mg was added.

the shoulder jerking went away, and the barks are less, and I don't jaw slam my teeth anymore; but now I keep sticking my tongue out and my room mate keeps laughing at me, she says that I make funny faces.

ugh.

Cyndi

Lets see.. I started on 54mg (or is it 56).. as my very first ADD med. So perhaps my intense side effects can be blamed on a too-high dosage.. (I'm only 5'2 and at a normal weight)

In the first 2 days:
- Extreme dizziniess, total loss of appetite, sleeplessness, stomach pain, jaw clenching, "zombie" demeanor, major weight loss (approx 10 lbs in 3-4 days I think)

After that until I stopped taking it:
- very little appetite, sleeplessness, weight loss slowed, jaw clenching continued, but not as intense

My doctor really ignored my opinions on the dosage, and just switched me to an entirely different medication (also the highest dose of that, but thats another story..)

I have been aggresive lately. (getting upset get me rreeaallyy upset)
I am not sure if it is the concerta (stimulant) or marital issues.

I have also notice more lower back skin blemishes than would be considered normal for me. isn't that a side effect of speed??

Well all I can say abot it is I went two day and forgot to eat and sometimes I dont sleep for a few days other than that it is ok

Does anyone have stomaches? my son has been on 18mg for a month now, and i just found out from daycare that he gets stomaches everytime he eats. I called the doc's office and the nurse said that medicine wouldn't give him stomaches. Well, then why does the doc ask if he has a stomache every time we go see him?

Sort of.. every time I would eat my stomach would just feel full, and I couldn't eat any more.. If I countinued to eat anyhow I would have a stomachache. Maybe the nurse was mistaken?

I've been taking concerta for about 2 weeks now. I've experienced side affects such as: dry mouth, irritability, and readiness to jump into any argument. I wouldn't say that I'm more Violent, but I can definitely feel myself working harder to make rational decisions. But the most frightening of them all happened within the last couple days. Right around the same time every night (7:45ish - 8:30ish) I've been having trouble with paranoia. Included in that I feel like I'm almost in a nightmare that I view as reality. I question my current state of reality, imagine "what if" scenario's, and then confuse them with what is realistic all in a matter of seconds. This has been causing severe headaches for a short period of time- I've noticed that if My eating habits are poor (loss of appetite all together or eating only one meal a day) and my hydration levels are low, this same thing occurs. I'm not sure if the eating habits have anything to do with it, but it's a common denominator along with the de-hydration of my body

The good news is it's only happened here and there. The first was really not all that intense, but more of a day dream. That happens more frequent and is just silly to even think that it’s any kind of reality from my Mind's point of view. The most recent one tonight caused me to really question what was real and what was not real- it went from knowing it was just a day dream to actually feeling like I was living in the dream, if that makes sense calling the indeed real reality fake and this so called "dream" the real thing. (anyone following?)
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However, after almost an hour of this escapade, it got to a point where I started to think about what was really going on. I quickly realized there was no way what I had made up was real. There wasn't anything real of what I was thinking or dramatizing out and I calmed down pretty dang fast. I felt like I just awoke from a nightmare with someone chasing me. I've never had any kind of experience such as this, and want to know what could be contributing factors to it- I'm still unsure. I have Dizziness, headaches, and sweat a good amount regardless of the temperature. My heart races, and I litterally feel like there are people breaking in my place all around me.

One thing I do notice is I do some things in repetition. Some over and over and over again, like walking back in forth in my living room or walking to the door for the sole purpose of locking it because I don't want an intruder; no matter how many times I've been to the door to lock it. I am continually checking my peep hole because I think there is someone out there. (which by the way i've never been afraid before, or even had a second thought of an intruder)At the same time my physical body does these "robot like" actions, I’m having a huge brain storm in my head, and I’m thinking about so many different things and unlike when I'm not using concerta I can and do focus on not just one but several thoughts going on at once. I think maybe the problem at hand could be that not only am I focusing on the realistic answer (none of these feelings and emotions are warranted by anything valid) but the simple fact that I’m also focusing on a large amount of other things. I feel like my mind is operating way over what it usually does, and in results this is what happens. Is this caused by stress? Is it eating habits? I don't know, but I’d like to; anyone?

Amazingly enough, Concerta Does work for me. I just need to learn how to master my thoughts well. I don't really see a problem with it aside from the loss of appetite and the constant need for liquids. I really feel in control of my mind and body when I'm using concerta, and it allows me to attack several tasks instead of doing one until I get bored and move to the next. I have noticed my memory is somewhat sharper this short into it and I have a better acknowledgement of what my surroundings are and what I'm supposed to-do because I can hold one train of thought. Heck, I can hold several trains of thoughts which that alone is amazing. I feel like this far into my trial it would be a waste if I stopped. I mean if my main concern can be fixed by a few simple dietary treatments or something along those lines if it is related.

For those of you who just read this and are thinking "whoa, crazy train", It's not like that at all ok. Like I said before this is the first time it's ever been this large scale. It's scary to me, but also extremely exciting/interesting because I feel like I'm actually utilizing a higher percent of my brain then I’m normally done. I'm contacting my Dr. Tomorrow to see if there are things I can do to lower my stress, increase my appetite, and remedy this exhausting Episode. I'd really hate to stop the pro's of Concerta because of something that continues on like this....which believe me I'd rather be off in space not paying attention verses thinking that someone is out to get me or that something bad is going to happen. I was on Strattera for about 6 months and it worked just fine, but that’s about it. I had some good old anxiety attacks pretty much everyday and didn't know what it was until I had described it to my Dr. Needless to say I was in the market or something new that wouldn't have such weird side affects. (Little background: This will be my first time to actually take a medication permanently. I was told I had the gift to annoy my teachers and students when I was really young but I was never put on the meds to counter that lovely skill of mine. Thank God, because my mother and father just taught me how to make sure i controlled it on my own; and if I couldn't, oh boy they sure could. I'm just at a point now as a young professional where I know it might be more beneficial to see whats availible for me.....So far I haven't really had a good experience and everything from side effects to anything else really worries me. What would really help is if anyone else has experienced anything along these same lines, I'd like to know and hear what kind of things are going on in their heads- (my panic attack or what you want to call it)

Of course unless I’m the only crazy out there, which could be possible-?

My 8 year old daughter just started Concerta this past Friday. She's on 27mg.

I know already it's not going to work out.


She was up till 4 AM last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She has NEVER not been able to sleep. She was on Ritilan prior to the Concerta with no sleep problems.

She can't go to school on just a couple of hours of sleep a night.

I'm waiting for the doctor to call back and have her go back to the 8 hour Ritilan.

Denise

Sort of.. every time I would eat my stomach would just feel full, and I couldn't eat any more.. If I countinued to eat anyhow I would have a stomachache. Maybe the nurse was mistaken?
heh. That COULD be whats causing my stomach problems...I have been eating before it gets into my system and then after I take it I feel sick...maybe because it makes you lose your appetite I feel sick because I'm really full? I dont know....I've only been on it for two days...but side effects have sucked. I do know that sometimes when I don't eat (or forget to) I get a headache but I had a headache and food in my stomach...

I am on 18 mg of concerta and attivan for anxiety. I have found lately that if I drink even one cup of coffee...I am a basket case!! I'm all over the place with no direction ..very hyperactive! Does this happen normally with the caffeine when you are on concerta. It is almost like I am high!! very weird!! Christine

I have been taking 54 mg concerta for about 2 weeks and I only eat about 1 meal a day because i dont relly feel hungry I also sweat alot just at room temperature. Sometimes I dont take concerta on the weekends and it gives me a really bad headache the days I dont take it, but once i take one im fine. I also get dissociation sometimes in the morning about an hour after I take it. I also dont feel tired until about 11 which isnt really normal for me. Thats about it.

HEADACHES are the worst thing for me they get soooooo severe but not very often it was bad when i started i think it might have something to do with the time release thingy as amphetamines dont give me headaches at all, ive never tried methylphenidate in a ir form so i dont know.

Starting concerta....things got suddenly very depressing, but not in a "soft" way....things seemed irritatingly clear, as if reality had been hidden...thank god this passes in about a week and is bearable. But then I got really tough acne that's bad enough it's sent me to the dermatologist 3 times for 3 different medications, none of which worked.

Some people list "aggravation reaction" as a side effect...anyone know what this means? I don't know if they're talking about the aggravation of ADD symptoms, or just plain old irritability....can't find the term in any clinical dictionaries...anyway, if anyone's familiar with it, I'd appreciate a head's up. Thanks....Helene...

I'm 19 years old & so far since i have been on concerta i have experience fast heart-rate while i'm working out. Typically i used to work out for 2hrs. 5 days a week. As soon as i got on concerta i had to reduce it to 1hr. a day. Otherwise my heart beats soo fast i feel as if i'm going to pass out. Other than that, that's all that i have encountered.

heather

Depending on when you work out, Methylin ER or Metadate CD might be better suited to your needs, they have about a 6-8 hour duration of effect, respectively. Methylin ER has the advantage of being very, very cheap. Both use methylphenidate is the active drug in each.

I have also noted this effect while working out, while using amphetamine or methylphenidate. On work-out days, I take only short-acting stimulant, and certainly at least six hours prior to work-out.

I'm 19 years old & so far since i have been on concerta i have experience fast heart-rate while i'm working out. Typically i used to work out for 2hrs. 5 days a week. As soon as i got on concerta i had to reduce it to 1hr. a day. Otherwise my heart beats soo fast i feel as if i'm going to pass out. Other than that, that's all that i have encountered.

heather

I'm on 54 and the jury is still out. I'm hypertensive, so we're watching it closely. Heart rate seems faster, first day on 54, I thought it was going to jump out of my chest. Dry mouth and jittery.

I have noticed it seems to have improved my mental processes, I think faster. In meetings, I am able to think and respond interactively and articulately, instead thinking of something later that I should have said. Lately, I've been flitting around like a hummingbird, some symptoms seem worse. I'm right on the border between 54 & 72, so doc says we're going to try the latter.

It has had some positive side effects which I'm hesitant to post, but let's say my wife will be upset if I'm taken off of it:rolleyes: .

I started 18mg last month and I have allergies so I was taking a really good decongestant with it, but I forget what its called. I got both scripts at the same time. last month was really good, but I was still drinking some coffee in the mornings. So when I went in to see the doctor I moved up to 27 mg. I switched to Claritin OTC as well because my Copay is $40. I live near canada and the strategy was to cross the border and grab a bunch of Claritin in bulk which was non-prescription over there. All last month I was running about 6 miles a day 5 times a week. I started the 27mg and took the Claritin samples I got from the doctor for 2 days. I stopped the decongestants because they were making my stomach sour. I have not had a good run since the new tabs. I get about 2 miles and I just cant resolve to continue. Contrast with last month when I was a powerhouse. I thought that I might have a lack of energy because I was not eating enough. So today I made sure that I had finished eating and digested 1800 calories by the time I was ready to run. But I still feel spaced out and have a mild sort of headache. Reading this thread makes me think I am on too strong a dose, except that I stopped by my house on an errand for work and grabbed a coke to wash down one of the claritin I got from the doctor. I felt really good and normal for about two hours after that, although it made me suddenly feel like I had eaten too much. I feel a bit spaced at the moment, except that everything I write and say to people is perfectly fine. I asked my GF if she thought that I was acting wierd. She said aside from the questiion, no. I used to drink a ton of coffee and the Concerta killed my taste for it.
So I dont know if I am withdrawing from caffeine or dehydrated or dose is too strong or not eating enough haha
I decided that life would be better if I addressed this ADD issue and I have opened up a big can of worms for myself. have a bazillion questions and things I need to get sorted out. Im going to have a diet coke and see if that changes me at all. I guess I am going to have to do some expirimentation with all of these variables. I also think that I need to give myself time to tolerate this new dose.

Having said all that I got set up with an appointment with an ADD specialist who I want to help me find an ADD friendly GP because I dont like the attitude of my GP. He gave me Concerta but he told me he does not want to see me for 6 months. I asked him to refer me to a counselor and he blew me off. All of this is frustrating, but I will get it sorted out.

VERY BAD HEADACHES! I wanted so much to get my ADD cleared up that I was going to try and stick them out but it was more imparing then ADD because I couldn't stand. I didn't want to tell my doc because I had such a terrible time getting diagnosed (previously diagnosed bi-polar, I thought he might put me on that s**t again) but with the encouragement of people on the boards I told him. Sure enough he switched me to adderall and I could not be more happy! I had headaches at first but they have gone away! Adderall also is taking care of my ADD symptoms where as concerta did not.

I just started Concerta yesterday (36 mg/per day) and I feel like I am on speed. For the first two hours I talk incessantly to anyone listening - often repeating the same words. Over the phone today, a girlfriend of mine could tell I was "on something" (had to explain the meds). I have to take deep breaths a lot and sometimes feel calm only when walking around the house. Yesterday, I took the pill at 8 am and could not sleep last night. I had a headache and had to take ibuprofen. Today I took the pill at 7 am - we'll see about sleeping...
I don't feel more focused or organized, just more awake. Will the side effects subside?

i feel high after takeing it, it was weird, the funny thing is i was put on it, and was never officially diagnosed with with adhd funny huh?

My only side effect has been insomnia but if I take it early enough in the morning, I am fine.
Unlike the side effects I got on Stratterra which were horrible and made me switch, I barely even know I am on Concerta.

hello i just wanted to let everyone knoe that my son was on concerta for 2 months and all of a sudden he had this huge fear of insects. It got to the point where he was hallucinating. He would say that there were bugs in him and on him. He finally got pulled off that med and is now on straterra which he has been on for 3 months but we have not seen any change from before he started meds (hyperness, aggressivness, lacck of attetion, etc) This side effect may noy happen with everyone but i do know that if i wouldve known that that could of happened i would of never put my son through that it was the scariest thing ever. I would just sit there and cry while telling him there was nothing crawling on him he wouldnt even wear his clothes anymore. Just a thought to give those who are thinking about starting it.

Maybe your son has something like OCD that's being aggrivated by Concerta?

I am on 36 mg of concerta. I was taking 54 mgs at one point and my doc and I decided to reduce it because of side effects such as inability to think and talk in mid morning. Felt like I was reved up.
On the lower dose I feel tired in the morning. Legs feel heavy. I feel aggitated, irritable, fatigued. I feel better in the evening around 9 to bedtime. Seem to feel more relaxed not so tired. What gives:confused:

I'm 20 and started Concerta last October at 36mg. When I first took it I felt like I was on speed, but my grades improved greatly. Just a few days ago I saw the doctor and he bumped me up to 54mg because I felt like the focus wasn't as great as it used to be. Now on 54mg I feel jittery, but the worst side effect is I feel like a zombie. I feel really disconnected sometimes. Also, I feel like I may be getting a sinus cold. I sleep fine and everything else is ok (mild loss of appetite and headache), but the "zombie" like feeling is worse now than it ever was on 36mg. I'm hoping as my body adjusts, I'll feel normal again just like when I was taking the 36mg. The one really good thing is my focus came back the first day I started the 54mg.

Anyone experience lengthy unconsciousness?

After her 2nd dose of 18mgs of Concerta, my daughter was unconscious for 1 to 1.5 hours. It was approximately 2 hours before she was verbal and totally conscious. This was accompanied by shaking & hyperventilation. Later, we were told that she had chest pain at the onset. All labwork and CT scans were normal, so she was diagnosed as having a Panic Attack. No one, even us, thought that it was caused by the Concerta until the same thing happened 24 hours later. She had forgotten to take the 3rd dose of Concerta (thank goodness!) so her unconsciousness "only" lasted 30 minutes. So in 24 hrs, two different ER Drs. diagnosed her with Panic Attacks, but only the 2nd one attributed it to the Concerta. She's always been very prone to dehydration during sporting events, but never panic attacks.

Anyone experience lengthy unconsciousness?

After her 2nd dose of 18mgs of Concerta, my daughter was unconscious for 1 to 1.5 hours. It was approximately 2 hours before she was verbal and totally conscious. This was accompanied by shaking & hyperventilation. Later, we were told that she had chest pain at the onset. All labwork and CT scans were normal, so she was diagnosed as having a Panic Attack. No one, even us, thought that it was caused by the Concerta until the same thing happened 24 hours later. She had forgotten to take the 3rd dose of Concerta (thank goodness!) so her unconsciousness "only" lasted 30 minutes. So in 24 hrs, two different ER Drs. diagnosed her with Panic Attacks, but only the 2nd one attributed it to the Concerta. She's always been very prone to dehydration during sporting events, but never panic attacks.

That sounds very much like she could have had absence seizures - you really should get her checked for seizures.

I started taking 36 mg of Concerta yesterday, at 5pm (bad idea!) I was up until about 5am. I felt it kick in about 45 minutes after I took it. I felt energized, jittery, clear headed...like I would imagine speed to feel like. I had absolutely NO appetite, chain smoked like crazy, and drank about 5 17 oz bottles of Propel water. I also obsessively listened to the same cd about 10 times in a row, and was online all night looking up everything i could think of lol. I also noticed this weird tongue-thrust thing i was doing a lot. This morning, after only 3 hours of sleep, I felt awake and refreshed without my normal 4 or so cups of coffee. I noticed that the inside of my lower lip was puffy and irritated, so i must have been chewing on it a lot.
I took it again about an hour and a half ago, and I feel jittery and kind of foggy. Still chain smoking and drinking the water like crazy, and I can't imagine eating anything.
The effect is still much more pleasant then the lack of motivation and lethargy that I am used to feeling all day, mornings being the worst.
So, we'll see how it goes.

Anyone experience lengthy unconsciousness?

After her 2nd dose of 18mgs of Concerta, my daughter was unconscious for 1 to 1.5 hours. It was approximately 2 hours before she was verbal and totally conscious. This was accompanied by shaking & hyperventilation. Later, we were told that she had chest pain at the onset. All labwork and CT scans were normal, so she was diagnosed as having a Panic Attack. No one, even us, thought that it was caused by the Concerta until the same thing happened 24 hours later. She had forgotten to take the 3rd dose of Concerta (thank goodness!) so her unconsciousness "only" lasted 30 minutes. So in 24 hrs, two different ER Drs. diagnosed her with Panic Attacks, but only the 2nd one attributed it to the Concerta. She's always been very prone to dehydration during sporting events, but never panic attacks.
I'm not a doctor but that doesn't sound right. Is it common to lose consciousness during a panic attack?

No, unconsciousness isn't common during Panic Attacks and, from my reading, it's not common from Concerta. It's been a week since the last episode and no problems. We're relieved but not convinced that it's over. We finally convinced her physician to do an Echocardiogram due to her twin's valve problem. After that I'm pushing for an EEG. Neither Dr. (Ped. or Psych.) seems very concerned about the unconsciousness. I'm one very frustrated mom. We've got to get her back on something soon...hopefully, something that works for her.

concerta sucked for me i took it almost a year i am 30 was about 28 27 then my anxiety got worse and sleeplessness and never ate as i was suppost to cause it killed my appetite i need something now i realize after all these years i need help i cannot deal with this alone but concerta isnt were it is at for me that is my opinion / expierience

as well iwas on 36 mgs and i was kinda like not with it all day untill the evening i was on the 12 hour time release are they all like that any how i know how yah feel it sucked very very bad expeierience here with me plus i had a quack doctor

-sleepy
-depression
-irritated at little things that no one else would think to get irritated at
-loss of appeitite
as for the good things:
my concentration and focus are so much better then they were on the riddilin.

Do the side effects go away, and if so, approx how long?

I ask as I tried 18mg and felt no change. Upped to 36mg and definately feel a change, mostly positive. The first day is pretty good, the second day isn't bad but I feel more sleepy, and the third day I seem to have to fight to stay awake. The second night has me not sleeping well, and if I stay on for three straight days I can sleep for 13 hours straight if given the chance.

So I am wondering if I can get through the side effects (mostly at least) or is I should just ask for something different.

Thanks for any insights-

Craig

That sounds very much like she could have had absence seizures - you really should get her checked for seizures.
You were on the money with the seizure comment! We pushed and pushed until the pediatrician checked her Pulmonary Function and did a simple Echo. All was normal. She said that we could make the neurology appt. "if we wanted" (we did). The neurologist was great! First physician who agreed that unconsciousness was not normal. She did further cardiac studies, thinking that it might be an undetected hole, but this was negative. Next was the EEG, which showed a seizure disorder. She said that this could cause the short term memory loss AND mimic symptoms of ADD. After months of frustration, dealing with a pediatrician, fighting insurance companies refusing to pay for a Panic Attack diagnosis, we feel that she's on the road to having a near normal life.

She's now off Concerta and is trying an anti-seizure medication.

Thanks for the suggestion!

1-sleeplessness
2-decreased appetite
3-dehydration ?
4-nasty interactions with alcohol

------------------------------------------

1-increased concentration/focus
2-better outlook on life
3-better attitude
4-laugh more
5-plan better
6-more organized
7-more "there" ( hard to describe )
8-reading textbooks doesn't take as long
9-can keep up with listening to professors
10-losing weight (this is good thing-could stand to lose lots)

----------------------------

guess it's a keeper !!!!!

I took my concerta 54 mg yesterday morning and I have yet to fall asleep, its almost been a complete 24 hours since ive taken it. I hate this.

i tend to feel mildly disoriented during the first few hours after i wake up. i dunno what that's about.

Generally, I am very positive about concerta. I have many reasons. Side effects? almost none except some anxiety.

I 've been on 36 mgs for the past month. I get nauseated (sour/unsettled stomach) and have reduced appetite off and on. I have a hard time eating a good breakfast, but I bet that would help. Occasional mild headache that goes away if I have eaten enough.

Sometimes I have a hard time getting my brain intro high gear, like when I need to write a big document. I can't just rattle off a bunch of stuff in quick succession like I could before.

But the good thing is I am more aware,and calmer. I am responsive, not reactive. Alot more balanced in general. Zero desire for caffeine. Sleep is generally unaffected.

May go up to 54 mgs for a short bit to see if I get my range of thinking back, but at this time I hardly notice I am on it. It's like it's me, but more together, relaxed and present.

I take 36 mgs in AM and 18 mg about 3 hours later... my only side effect so far is gas... I am not sure what that's about. Oh, and I am not so interested in food either (good thing!). I have to make sure not to take my 2nd dose after 10 am or I never go to sleep... ever! :)

Has anybody gotten severe dry eyes from using Concerta? If so, please describe. Thanks...

My hair started falling out in clumps. I stopped taking the concerta (18 mg), along with the lithium I was taking. The hair loss stopped (after a couple weeks), and my Dr. and I decided the lithium probably caused it. I started the concerta again and after 2 days my hair started falling out again. Of course I stopped immediately and it is falling out less now. I'm pretty fair (blonde) and have very thin hair.. Has anyone else had this problem?

I've combed (no pun intended) the internet for an explantion of hair loss and stimulants and it happens. At least with Concerta (Ritalin) the PDR acknowledges it. With Adderall, I don't see that warning. My scalp hair has thinned considerably after 3 months on Adderall. Taken vitamins, etc. Doesn't stop the thinning. I may quit the medication completely because of it. I've heard that lithium definitely causes hair loss too although I've only read this on the web. There is some theory about vasoconstriction and the scalp, blah, blah. I just want it to stop falling out. If you find any more info on hair loss, please share, I'm 90% confident that the same mechanism that causes hair loss with ritalin causes it for adderall too. I've even looked at Wellbutrin threads (I don't take this) but I want to find a link because Wellbutrin is known to cause shedding of hair too.

Good luck.

It might just have been bad weeks for me, but my migraine has doubled. Further I feel like my reactions (both physical and menthal) might be slower than usual. I have a dry mouth and at first I couldn't sleep at night. Now it's just that I'm awake longer than before, but when I go to bed, I do fall asleep.
Because I generally don't respond well to medications, I started on 18 mg a day, I'm considering switching to 36mg a day, but only if it doesn't effect my migraine.

I just started taking Concerta at the 36mg dosage a few days ago. I've experienced a lot of what may be side effects, but may not. I just kind of would like to document them for feedback and also just for myself so I can keep track:

The first day: I took it in the morning and within 2 hours found myself in the bathroom with a very upset stomach. The rest of the day went well, with no other strange symptoms.

The second day: The day started out fine. I did not feel hungry, but I was pretty ok with that. I did notice some weird sensations in my hands and arms, but nothing major and that could very well have been just form being anxious about being on a new medication. Then, in the evening, I suddenly became extremely nauseated. Then I got very lightheaded and sort of dizzy. Then I felt as if I had a fever, very flushed, with occasional chills. I began to feel in a perpetual state of being in the verge of fainting. It was almost like vertigo without the heights. Then, after about an hour and a half, it all subsided.

Yesterday: The day started out well. Throughout the day I noticed strange sensations in my limbs again, mostly the arms, but sometimes the feet. It's as if I sensed my hand was about to twitch, but it didn't actually twitch, if that makes any sense. Other than that, smooth sailing through the afternoon and evening and then later at night, the same nausea, flushed, fever-like spell fell upon me for about 2 hours, then completely subsided.

Today: Again, pretty decent start in the morning. Still no substantial hunger. I felt a moderate amount of pain on my right side in my shoulder and at the base of my neck that would shoot down through my arm and that persisted throughout the day. That could very well have been form my sleeping funny or something. Throughout the day I also noticed tingling sensations in my right hand and sometimes I would think I would lose feeling in my fingers or hand and would have to touch something to make sure. While, this does not happen to me regularly, it's also iffy because I do have nerve damage in that hand. Each day, though, I have had strong thoughts that something might be wrong and questioned whether it were due to the medicine or not. I can't tell if it is normal-just-trying-to-be-observant paranoia or if I am actually feeling paranoid more because of the medicine. Then this evening, instead of the nausea, I got a horrible storm of stomach cramps that lasted for a comparable amount of time as the other evening symptoms in previous days.

Other things I have noticed are that my eyes seem red and a bit dry and occasionally shift out of focus very quickly. Also, more-than-usual weird thoughts pop into my head that I sort of have to force myself to stop thinking about. Nothing grotesque or disturbing, but unprovoked and generally not pleasant.

Sorry to run on so long, but I wanted to get all out in writing so I can remember everything when I next speak with my doctor and also to know if any of you have had similar problems.

I've read through most of the previous posts and it doesn't seem that most of those who have posted experience any of the symptoms at night, when i assume the medicine is wearing off, other than intense headaches. So, perhaps my evening troubles are related to something else, but it seems such a strange coincidence. The other potential symptoms could go either way, but the sickness at night is what I am most concerned about and what has most frequently and consistently occurred, so if anyone else has experienced that, I'd appreciate your comments. Thanks.

I just started Concerta yesterday. I took it around noon since that's when I got the prescription (36mg). As of about an hour later I felt mildly "coked up" all afternoon and evening. Not a focused buzz, just a distracted buzz that felt like I was doing a very small line at regular intervals. (I'm sorry, I can't think of any other way to describe it.)
I also got a slightly "choked" feeling. Not like my throat was closing up but like it was slightly tensed. This was followed by a dry throat and a bit of coughing/throat clearing that got worse as the day wore on.
Slightly elevated heart rate.
By mid evening I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. I got sore, achey, and kind of itchy all over. My cough got worse and started bringing phlegm up with it. I laid down around 10:30 because I was worn out but still had the racing heart. About 1am that finally let up but by that time I felt horrible. Hot then cold then hot. Woke up all night (all four hours of it) taking the covers off, putting them back on, hacking stuff up, trying to get hydrated, and feeling horribly nauseous. I also began burping a lot and became rather gassy and loose stooled.
I ate a burger right after I took the Concerta at noon yesterday. It's 6am now and I've only managed to get down a little peanut butter, some soy milk and two bites of a banana.
My temperature usually runs a tad low (96.8-97.5) and is now elevated (99.8).
I just took some naproxen, phenergran, and guaffinisen to hopefully break the fever, ease my tummy and get the crud out of my chest.

I spent the whole night thinking "oh great, I have the flu" but I'm thinking it does have more to do with the Concerta than not.

I should add that I had a wisdom tooth removed a week ago so I'm feeling a bit puny in the first place but I was ok with everything except slight jaw pain until I took the Concerta.

I'm not going near that stuff again today. Luckily my day is clear so I'm planning to try to recover and call the doc as soon as they open.

Even without the flu-like sympoms, I'm not impressed. I don't feel my concentration was improved at all, my tummy can't go that long without eating, and 12hrs is just way too long for me.

I'm planning to talk to my doc about Adderall today. I doubt I'll be trying anything else until next week though. I really hope I get over this today because I feel like poo and I have a birthday get together tomorrow evening I was looking forward to as well.

Well, back to the Powerade and peanut butter. :(

It caused anxiety in me. However my blood pressure was lower.

I've been switched around on lots of different stimulants and got the same side effects, which is why i'm changing meds. I've gotten sleeplessness/trouble sleeping, dry mouth, I've been the same weight for about a year or two and when I take a week off the meds I gain about 15 lbs, drowsiness/zombie-like demeanor, shallow breathing, increase in heart rate and blood pressure somewhat, twitches on higher doses, confusion, being unable to relax, stomach aches, and moodiness. I've tried playing around with the doses, but the problem seems to be my sensitivity towards stimulants.

cons
sleep? I seem to remember what it was like. Even ambien isn't really working [sleep has been a problem for pretty much all my life]. I can now take an ambien, notice a little dip and if I stay up past that, I can still stay up pretty much all night long. I need some sleep.
appetite - gone
I wasn't eating well before, now I eat a very light lunch and that is about it. I have lost 5 pounds in the past month

pros
I can think again. Kind of makes the cons a moot point.

Throughout the day I also noticed tingling sensations in my right hand and sometimes I would think I would lose feeling in my fingers or hand and would have to touch something to make sure. [...]
Throughout the day I noticed strange sensations in my limbs again, mostly the arms, but sometimes the feet. It's as if I sensed my hand was about to twitch, but it didn't actually twitch [...]
I did notice some weird sensations in my hands and arms, but nothing major and that could very well have been just form being anxious about being on a new medication. Then, in the evening, I suddenly became extremely nauseated. Then I got very lightheaded and sort of dizzy. Then I felt as if I had a fever, very flushed, with occasional chills. I began to feel in a perpetual state of being in the verge of fainting. I get the same tingling sensations in my glimbs (arms and legs) when on methylphenidate/Concerta !

Does anyone know the reason for that ?

Could the vasoconstriction (caused by methylphenidate/amphetamines) be the reason for that?

Did anyone experienced similar feelings?
And did they go away? If so, after what time?

Have you read any studies that refer to that tingling feelings in the glimbs respectively vasoconstriction when taking methylphenidate/amphetamines?


Thanks for any info/help,
Katy


PS:I've also Raynaud syndrom, maybe that could also influence (not cause!!) these sensations?

The "Zombie" effect... That is ME, to a T. I just talked to one of my friends a day or two ago. After I stopped taking concerta, I am goin on a drug vacation. Anyway, the last time I talked to her was about a month ago, which is unusual for me, she said she was worried about me, the last time we talked she said I was "cold" and not my normal chipper self. She said , and I quote," you were like a zombie, you were you, but not." LOL, kinda detached and unemotional. Everyone that I have come in contact with has said the same thing to me too. My poor family.... My friends saw me for brief encounters, my family is always around me.
So far, the only drug that didn't sedate me emotionally was ritalin.

I am off Concerta not because it did not work, it worked great but I could not stand the stomach pains that would show up around 4 hrs after taking concerta. Eating just made the problem worst. I really liked Concerta concentration was better but I am now just started on Adderall and the stomach pains have stopped but does not seem to work as well as concerta[

Side effects can be good and bad, or good or bad.

Mine-focused thoughts, able to stay on topic in conversation, brain feels like it works smoothly. Finally an ADD med that has no noticeable unwanted negative side effects! It took two years to find a doc who could get it right!

Just a few thoughts of mine. I have taken so many meds with bad side effects, this made me think that side effects can be good too, that is why I take Concerta.

I hope you all can find a stim or other ADD med that will have minimal negative effects and maximum benefit for you! It can and will happen!

RADD

My positive effects are that I get the same level of concentration all day versus the explosion of a stimulant hitting and then tapering off.

I was on regular methylphenidate prior to the more cost prohibitive concerta, I found that I started to like that "explosion" a little too much and it almost became a drug abuse.

Now with concerta it is more metered and controlled.

I am off Concerta not because it did not work, it worked great but I could not stand the stomach pains that would show up around 4 hrs after taking concerta. Eating just made the problem worst. I really liked Concerta concentration was better but I am now just started on Adderall and the stomach pains have stopped but does not seem to work as well as concerta[I had some pretty nasty stomach pains when I first titrated up to my optimum dose of Concerta, but they did pass, in time. I had to drink a LOT of water, and stay far, far away from anything with citric acid for a while...and it paid off. Its well worth what I went through now :) I no longer have any stomach pains at all.

I've only been on 36 mg. for a week, but here are mine. A feeling of being "normal" - not hyperfocused, but being able to concentrate and focus at what you assume people without ADHD are able to. In general, a more positive outlook on life. More relaxed. Performing better in social situations. Going out of your way to help people. Dry mouth. Constipation. Decrease in appetite. When it wears off, I become very depressed, but this is probably attributable to something else.

Not necessarily, Selby ;) see my reply to your other thread.

In regards to that - I forgot taking Paxil - for a week. I also had PMS! I'm taking Paxil now and I feel better. So, one of the two I believe.

Here is another dumb side effect. For as long as I can remember, when I hear a sentence I have to divide it into syllables. The number of syllables must be even. If they aren't, I try adding and removing words until it is. I obsess over it and do it with EVERY sentence, and I can't forget the sentence until it's done. I've only done this occasionally throughout my life, but on Concerta I find myself doing it constantly. So maybe it intensifies OCD? But, I'm not annoyed by it enough to bring it up with a doctor or anything. Yet.

So maybe it intensifies OCD?
I know Dexedrine does, so it makes sense that Concerta might as well. My wife has OCD and takes Luvox for it. She added Dexedrine for ADD and found that it causes her to over-focus on any obsessive thought or compulsive activity. It's as though the two meds are competing, even though they work on separate things. It can be mitigated with the proper dosages, though, so work with your doctor if you find the OCD getting worse on Concerta. There is probably a solution so you don't have to deal with the thoughts.

Yeah, I'm not bothered enough by it yet. I'll bring it up when I am.

Another side effect- I went up from 36 mg. to 54 mg. this morning. When it kicked in, I instantly felt intense fear and paranoia. I was afraid to move, it was crazy! But it passed in under a minute.. weird. Also, sweating from my hands and feet a LOT. And I can't stop shaking my legs/feet around, mostly my feet. But I've had restless legs sometimes, seems to make it a little worse.

When I first started Concerta in March of 2005, I had stomach pains which passed pretty quickly and a few mild headaches. The most difficult side effect was feelings of rage that I had, especially as the medication was wearing off. That took about two months to abate -- I'm not sure if it was adjusting dosing and scheduling or just getting used to it, but that stopped too and is no longer a problem (my daughter had the same reaction). I didn't have any other side effects until I began taking Prozac with Concerta -- that messed everything up with tics and even a couple of pseudo visual hallucinations. I'm off the Prozac, but since being on it the Concerta now triggers facial tics ("chewing the cud" kind of motion), so I only take it when I really need to instead of every day.


Scattered

my 8 year old son at the time took it for 1 1/2 . no appitite. bad teeth,stomach aches and most of all tics in throat and eyes.. after took him off..no tics.. oh and could never sleep!

OK, SOrry to jump in far into the thread, but 4 days after takeing concerta I had a mood swing, (this is really abnormal for me, I have never..err..."swong" that many times in just one day, I havent even had one in allmost a year)

During one part of the day my eyes were dialiated, and I felt dizzy, and when I got up from my desk after 2nd hour I allmost fell down lol...

I still feel more aggraviated then normal, This mourning i woke up and was contimplateing what would happen if I just walked up to my friends and said "F___K you guys!" and walked off. During the day I have a urge to hit something, Im more agressive, and I' dont know, I just feel kinda diffrent. My friends are noticeing it too, I havent told them about the medication, and two of them asked me if I was on a new allergey medicine or something...So I guess they think Im diffrent to somehow ==shrug==

BTW, does it matter if you eat during the day when on concerta? I normally dont eat breakfast or lunch, just dinner.


here is the post I was writeing on before thsi one, it goes a little more in-detail
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33684&page=1&pp=15

latetly,I've bin getting headaches and sometimes "the runs"

new to concerta for my ADD.(my docter switched from Adderal(only problem with Adderal was when I had breakfast or lunch,I'd be sweating bullets and making me feel like I was going to throw up.

so far,no problems,only minor I did talk to my doctor at Mass general about it though.

What do you mean by "the runs"?

upset stomach,feeling like have to take a beep,but I really don't.

Hello, new member and I did not read the entire thread (typical for me). Anyway, my son was diagnosed appr. 6 years ago and he is now 15. Ritalin and Adderol were tried with negative results.

About three years ago, he was put on Concerta and the results have been great! Consistant A's and B's in school and much improved ability to focus.
The only side effect seems to be weight loss so I put him on weight gain shakes.
He does not take it on the weekends and quits for most of summer without missing it, the only problem with that is dealing with his occasional outbursts and hyperactivity. If we are attending a social event or such, we make sure that he takes it regardless.
The Concerta 36 mg is working wonders for him.

Concerta 36 mg made me have bad body odor and low self esteem. Just so I would not smell around co-workers and others, I stopped taking my meds regularly, until I would get the withdrawal symptoms.

Method I tried to not smell...

mult-vitiams ( they worked for a little)

changed deorderants

bath 3x a day w/ added baking soda

carried baby wipes

Took up to 6 chlorophy pills (helped a little)

Does anyone have this problem or have any suggestions?

Generally, I am very positive about concerta. I have many reasons. Side effects? almost none except some anxiety.I definitely get a LOT of anxiety while im taking the concerta. Once i take it regularly instead of on and off again i feel less anxiety but theres definitely cringing in my stomach like christmas is tommorrow.

Hair loss-- I had it with focalin in just 3 weeks-- I've been on concerta for almost a week now- intially the hair loss slowed down but not it is picking back up-- so I'm going to head back to the office-- I have a pretty mild case and these adhd meds helped more overall attitude than my focus- ugh who knows!

Have you found any adhd med that doesn't cause you to loose hair- I've had it with both focalin and concerta-- coming off the meds is possible- I'll just be back to my usual crabby self! Luckily I started out with very thick hair- I'm hoping it does come back when I stop! Right?

Anxiety, appetite loss, bit of sweating, slight increase in acne, and skin picking (not excessive, but I really hate it).

To combat the anxiety I take a beta blocker which helps a lot. And for the acne I use neutrogena on the spot.

Concerta was not a stimulant in the way Adderall was at all. It felt more like a prolonged adrenaline rush. I felt anxious and nervous. I also experienced sleepiness after a few hours and could not stop yawning. I felt "dazed and confused." I am currently trying out other alternative medications.

hey my son was just put on this pill 2 days agp i give him one every moring well the first day his heart was about to beat out his chest and we had to force him to go to bed at 3am hes useally asleep by 8pm also hes been straching alot is this normal

Sounds like his dose is to high but I'd call the doctor right away, those side effects are pretty severe.

I get headachs, and a geneal tense feeling in my body. Ohh and it makes me sleepy... I forget to take my meds alot, and I never take them on the weekends, probably becuase I sleep till 10am or so so I dont want to be kept up, I like sleep.

Anyone else get insomnia?

When I was on 108ml (or something around that) I couldn't sleep for an entire week. And yeah, my doctor is a bit crazy putting me on such a high dosage. But, it worked...But it made me into what everyone discribed as zombie-like.

I lose my appetite, which seems like it might be a good side effect, but not in terms of keeping your metabolism going!

also, I have to take it in the morning or I can't sleep

I think that's it, I used to have more, but they've gone away now!

I started my son on 18mg concerta about 20days ago. Not much effects on him...positive or side effects. He will be 16 in June,1.66m and 50kg now.Spoke to the Doctor on the phone and we agreed to give him 2 x 18mg over the weekend. Which i did yesterday...36mg at 8.30am...by 10.30am...he got stomach ache which lasted 3 hrs. At 12 noon..he reported that he feels lousy and out of sorts. He also got headache at about noon too and lasted about 2 hrs.
So today, being Sunday, I give him one 18mg at 8am and another at 9am...
he is feeling better compare to yesterday...only got the stomach ache at 11am which he said is bearable. No headache and feeling out of sorts as of now....3 hrs after the second 18mg.
Think i will give him two 18mg spread over 1 hrs during school day and seen if the stomach ache go away and see if he get any benefits of the medication.

I tried Concerta after taking Ritalin for two months, only because it was SR. But it made me agressive, my eyes felt tired and blurry all the time and I felt like I had flu for about two weeks. The straw was waking up in the middle of the night, my heart pounding in my chest like a jackhammer.