I just started today (18 mg at 8 in the morning). It's my first attempt at medicating my ADD since a mediocre experience with Straterra a year ago. I'm a 41 year old female, by the way, and this is my first post on the board.

I know it's a small dose, and while I think I concentrated better when I was reading, I also forgot to send music with the kids to orchestra camp, I left my tennis racquet at the club after I played today, and was generally my normal forgetful, disorganized self. I didn't feel like eating but ate anyway. I drank a TON of water because I was thirsty.

But now I am really spun up. It's long after this stuff should have worn off, and it was a tiny dose anyway. I often can't sleep, but this is more "spun up" feeling. I'm at real loose ends. I finally went upstairs to read through some work material and coming back down the stairs (in the dark, which I never do because i almost have a phobia about that) I slammed into a wall and busted open my eyebrow. Two hours later, it's mostly stopped bleeding, but I feel like crying. I honestly think I was almost running when I hit that wall. Normally when I can't sleep at night, I am still calm - I just read or something. I feel like I'm sort of out of my body, if that makes sense.

Could this really be caused by such a small dose of Concerta 15 hour ago? Should I stop taking it? Try to get through this? Do people react this way and then settle into it? My husband slept through all of this. I think if he knew he would insist I stop taking it, but I really really want to address some of my ADD related problems.

18mg of Concerta can cause all of what you mention. I started out on 18 and raised to 27. My reactions to the initial week on were mixed. Its a very strange experience to articulate to people so they would understand. It is a strange mix of contradictions. I can feel like my chaotic energy is channeled. I feel energized, sometimes too much where it makes me uncomfortable. I can concentrate well, sometimes too much where I get consumed. My mood can be elevated, but sometimes where it doesn't match up with the situation I am in. I understand the 'spun up 'feeling very well. It borders nervousness for me.

I needed to 'stay the course' for a bit before I made the decision that the benefits are worth any downside. In fact, I even raised it as I said. When it wears off, I feel easily angered and agitated.

Everyone has different experiences, but if it doesn't cause major issues (you need to decide what that means) use it for a week or 2 and make a judgment based on a longer sample.

Hope that helps.

I needed to 'stay the course' for a bit before I made the decision that the benefits are worth any downside. In fact, I even raised it as I said. When it wears off, I feel easily angered and agitated.



Thank you for your response. I am going to stay the course. The downside really hasn't been bad at all except between about 12 - 3 in the morning:) Hopefully tonight will be better!

I found if you take theanine serene by source naturals 2 tabs when you first take it and two tabs within four hours it will take some of the edge off.

yeah i mean at the end of the day you're taking a powerful CNS stimulant and if you're not used to this, especially if you're not a coffee drinker or smoker or anything, and even if you are, it takes a little bit of adjustment.

honestly a lot of docs prescribe half or quarter doses the first few days for this reason.

good thing you didn't take adderall XR your first go, you wouldn't have slept a wink.

the first dose is always the strongest. after 2-3 days you should have a noticeably milder reaction, then after about 2-3 weeks you should be able to mentally "cooperate" with the medication, it gives you a little bit more control over your mental focus, but it's still something that you have to engage... it doesn't "fix" you. and yeah there are tons of side effects, it's a compromise for sure, you'll probably play around with dosages, try out different medications for a while until you find what works for you for the long term.

for inattentive types which it sounds like you are, stimulant medications are less effective, you're still going to forget things, i'm the inattentive type as well, but even though i FEEL like i'm being just as ADHD with meds, i'm really not, i'll double check things a lot more often and eventually i start forming patterns of remembering things better.

the important thing is to get feedback from outside observers, your husband, family members, friends, coworkers, will point out to you that your normal ADHD ways are improving if the medicine is helping you.