Best Way to Get Full Day Coverage from Concerta

[AnneElliot]

Hi all,
My DS13 is newly diagnosed. He's been on Concerta ER 18mg dosage for about 10 days with success. He is starting high school next month and I am worried about what to do to get full day coverage. He has an IQ in the highly gifted range and did well in middle school (but it took way more time and effort than it should have due to his inability to focus) High school will be completely different with 4 Honors classes plus two others. It was clear this past year that he needs the meds to keep his brain and actions in check so that he can perform the way he wants to without his thoughts going in a million directions.

We started the meds so that we could see how it worked for him while he was doing his summer get ahead classes. The Concerta works for about 8-9 hours. He's lost his usually hearty appetite but I make sure he eats a big breakfast and late dinner.
When school starts, he will need to take the meds at about 7:30 am, which will last until he gets home from school but before he does homework, which will probably be another 2-3 hours per night.
He tried a IR Ritalin at the lowest dosage but that made him feel poorly and all shaky.
Are there other options for evening coverage?
Thank you.

[Caco3girl]

Okay, you have hit one of my hot buttons so please read, but understand that I'm coming from a place that you obviously aren't in yet.

You don't want to dose your kid AGAIN. He needs to be able to sleep, he won't do that with another stimulant dose. Homework may take 5 hours if it takes 3 on meds, or he may need to drop 3 out of the 4 honors classes because that is what suits HIM!

I really hope you are accepting that your son is human and has a serious condition. Your child has a condition that makes it harder for him to remain still or focus or both. It is unfair to ask him to be on meds every waking moment, and it can also lead to psychosis which then lands you in the emergency room at midnight wondering what on earth is wrong with your kid. Happened to us last year, "people" were talking to him in the hallway..there were no people, he was violently shaking, it was terrifying and it was all from a build up of the meds.

I truly hope you read this and accept who he is, because my son's father sure doesn't and they have almost no relationship any more because of it.

Again, hot button issue, I tried to phrase it as gentle as possible, sorry if it came across as yelling, it's something I'm very passionate about.

[LyrinMeow]

Helpful post. No. Really.

I would look into a "regular" (not extended release) lower dosage to add in. Possibly a bit before the other dosage wears off so that he doesn't get wired before bedtime. Always use the least possible meds with the best results.

Personally my meds relax me and I can sleep on them so it will depend on his own personal body chemistry so I definitely agree about trying to get it right over the summer.

I was on 72mg concerta with 20mg ritalin in the late afternoon for a while. I think the regular ritalin lasts about 4 hours.

My son is also twice gifted. Well 3 times I suppose with autism and ADHD. He's been in honors class all middle school. He starts high school (all honors) next year. We are working on swallowing pills (he had a speech delay and also seems to have motor skill problems with his mouth so it's really rough going. No success yet).

He was doing well on medication (the capsules which I need to try to find again if we don't succeed in pills soon.) but I took him off when he was younger and he did well enough. Then I was diagnosed and saw the difference between me medicated and me unmediated and I felt horrible for what I had probably done to him. I decided well enough wasn't good enough for my son. He could be doing better on the meds again so he's going back on them. Your child deserves the best possible education and to get the most out of life. And if that means medication then that's what it means.

[Lunacie]

My granddaughter never got 8 hours from Concerta. It worked very well,
but it didn't work nearly long enough.

I wanted the doctor to add a booster of Ritalin, but she decided to switch
her to Vyvanse. Ugh. Horrible reactions to that. Made her not want any meds.

Eventually she tried Adderall, very low dose. Somewhat helpful, but she didn't
want to try a bigger dose.

She has a very tough inner core and managed to finish high school without any
meds. She had to ask to be allowed to switch to online school in her junior year.
Too much bullying. The stuff from the teachers was most hurtful.

[sarahsweets]

As an adult with different responsibilities I can see the need for more than 9 hours of coverage from meds but I look at school for my kids as their "job" They are on the clock for the hours they are there and maybe 2 max after that and the rest of the time they get to be kids whatever the age is that they are. My youngest is 14 now and she is spent after school. Its bad enough she has to be there at 710 (I think they have proven that teens do better with a later start time and little kids with an earlier start time). As long as my kids get good grades (even my college student son) and if they work, they can do both those things well, then I let them have their down time and do not expect any heroics beyond those things.

Originally Posted by AnneElliot

Hi all,
My DS13 is newly diagnosed. He's been on Concerta ER 18mg dosage for about 10 days with success. He is starting high school nehttp://www.addforums.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gifxt month and I am worried about what to do to get full day coverage. He has an IQ in the highly gifted range and did well in middle school (but it took way more time and effort than it should have due to his inability to focus) High school will be completely different with 4 Honors classes plus two others. It was clear this past year that he needs the meds to keep his brain and actions in check so that he can perform the way he wants to without his thoughts going in a million directions.

We started the meds so that we could see how it worked for him while he was doing his summer get ahead classes. The Concerta works for about 8-9 hours. He's lost his usually hearty appetite but I make sure he eats a big breakfast and late dinner.
When school starts, he will need to take the meds at about 7:30 am, which will last until he gets home from school but before he does homework, which will probably be another 2-3 hours per night.
He tried a IR Ritalin at the lowest dosage but that made him feel poorly and all shaky.
Are there other options for evening coverage?
Thank you.

[LyrinMeow]

I don't know that its a desire for heroics. I have my day fully covered because it calms me down and keeps me awake. I just like being calm and awake. And even if I'm just doing hobbies I can do them a lot better on than off the meds. And do more of them for longer.

I was doing weekends off but I just felt so blah and didn't do anything and slept all day. Literally all day. So now I do at least one weekend so I get something out of my time off.

I don't feel like I'm punishing my child by giving him medication. Not after I saw what it did to me. I don't want HIM to feel like I'm punishing him making him take medication. It's just something that helps. And I don't see a problem if he needs more coverage (I was warned when he was 7 he would probably need more coverage starting high school, especially with all honors) as he matures. I discuss these decisions with him. He's a 14 year old boy who doesn't really give a rats *** about much but I do try to discuss them.