ritalin vs concerta.. im sorry im sorry but why the

[c0ncerta]

hey,

I have been on ritalin for 2 and a half years, it was great really but it only lasted until 1m (9:00am - 1:00PM ) 40mg ritalin <--


now with concerta, 18mg and it lasts from 9:00am til 5:00pm,
i know that it dosent release that much in 1 go but still,


i can't understand why people choose ritalin over concerta, and for the kids in school ????????? ??? what happens after big lunch???

[Lunacie]

My granddaughter started out on Concerta when she was 11. At first it
was great, but over the months she could tell the effects were wearing
off sooner and sooner. She titrated up to a pretty high dose, but after a
little over a year the med wasn't lasting her through her school day. She
didn't eat much lunch while taking Concerta, but ate a pretty good dinner.

I've seen so many other posters talking about how Concerta doesn't last
long enough after they've been taking it for awhile. Maybe there are some
who are happy on it long-term though.

[Chris2]

Concerta should last like 10+ hour, well did for me atleast. But I had to take 56-72mg.

[hollywood]

Concerta sucks. I took it for years and had no idea what was going on? Turns out obviously my dose wasnt high enough. Stick with meds that release equally

[Saboit]

Nothing helped, i will trh higher thouh if 27 35 does not help why then higerd

[c0ncerta]

Originally Posted by hollywood

Concerta sucks. I took it for years and had no idea what was going on? Turns out obviously my dose wasnt high enough. Stick with meds that release equally

[thefer]

Hi

As a teacher, it gets interesting when parents put their child on Ritalin and meds wear out after lunch. It's makes it for an interesting afternoon to say the least. Actually, schools will give students meds after lunch if needed.

I have noticed that Concerta last for me about 10-12 hours. I have noticed that it bounces back and forth based on my fluid intake. If I drink more water, side effects such as heart racing is minimal and the release of concerta is more consistent and stable versus ups and downs.

It is important to find the right dose with Concerta. I took 36 mg for 2 days and realized that it was a bit much. I was bumped down to 27 for a week to give my body time to adjust. I have noticed that I am much more calmer and focused, but I didn't feel it until the 3-4 day. Less problems with heart racing and high blood pressure although I did have it for the first 2 days of taking 36 mg and first 2 days of taking 27 mg. I will go up to 36 mg on Tuesday. I have also noticed that you can't have anything with caffiene, which is tough because I drink diet coke every day.

thanks

[pechemignonne]

Huh. I'm on 54 mg and I just drank coffee, and I'm fine.

Guess it depends on the person. I took mine this morning at 6 am, then went back to sleep and only woke up at 12. Some people take it in the morning and can't sleep at night, but not me. Everybody's different.

[hollywood]

Maybe I am wrong I have been on focalin Xr for a month or so. Maybe longer, I can tell in short bursts it helps , but it's gone quick too . The drop off really depresses me. Maybe more than I realized. Concerta is steady and lasts. I miss it . I didn't realize until now . I guess all day coverage and longevity is something of alot more value than I credited it for

[c0ncerta]

Originally Posted by hollywood

Maybe I am wrong I have been on focalin Xr for a month or so. Maybe longer, I can tell in short bursts it helps , but it's gone quick too . The drop off really depresses me. Maybe more than I realized. Concerta is steady and lasts. I miss it . I didn't realize until now . I guess all day coverage and longevity is something of alot more value than I credited it for

Yeah,
Fast releases are good but like, they only last a couple of hours and then your dead for the rest of the day..... :[

[hollywood]

Yup , I totally agree . I have been on wellbutrin and celexa added in. It's just not cutting it.. The anti d's really cloud me up. Stopping them now . I am going to switch to adderall xr, although I have never liked adderall it lasts so much longer and has alot longer peak ranges in the therapeutic curve. I welcome any insomnia , it's just gotten to be at that point. And amphetamines are let's face it alot more bang for the buck.

[namazu]

I've gone back and forth over the years from long-acting to short-acting.

Currently taking short-acting Ritalin 4x/day (plus long-acting non-stimulant meds).

The main reasons I switched to Concerta were for the steadiness and the not-having-to-remember-a-dose-mid-day (which I often didn't).

But I ended up needing to add short-acting meds on top of it in the morning and also after it wore off, anyway, so that eliminated benefit #2. For a while I took two daily doses of Concerta, but it was suboptimal for reasons I no longer remember.

And it didn't seem as steady as I'd hoped -- though I'm not sure if that's something inherent to Concerta, or my metabolism or digestive tract or circadian rhythms, or what.

So now I'm back to short-acting Ritalin, 8AM/12PM/4PM/8PM. With doctor's orders to try to put myself to bed while the last dose is still in my system -- I get to bed and fall sleep much better that way.

Everyone has a different response to meds, and what's best for one person isn't necessarily best for another. (And for some of us, it may even change over time.)

[hollywood]

Yeah man your totally right. I need higher dosing so the strategy was always an xr or an extended release (name any flavor or type) and then boosters inbetween. Lately or during summer I found my dose range . It was up there but it worked. I was bothered by the mg amount so I decided I needed wellbutrin to per say extend the benefits . Well this is when all the issues started . Point is antidepressants make it tough to focus and concerta is a steady base to add too. Right now, being on focalin xr I realize the importance of instant release meds because I cannot think and use cognition scholastically or any other way if needed at mid day to later hours . So I totally agree that instant release is necessary for late evenings or night time coverage . Man, it's embarassing otherwise . I do know adderall lasts much much longer though . So, should I consider that ? Ritalin is great but it sure Ramps up fast and drops equally as fast . Adderall is not as good for clarity but offers longer sustained therapeutic dose ranges . Man, cannot wait until the antidepressants are out of my system .... What a nightmare . I should have known .

[cwjunk83]

Originally Posted by c0ncerta

i can't understand why people choose ritalin over concerta, and for the kids in school ????????? ???

Insurance.

I would choose Concerta any day, but without insurance there is no way I can afford a branded drug. When I last checked, 30 Concerta's (one month) would cost me over $200. Generic methylphenidate's are all around $10 for a months supply (discounted from 20-something for being un-insured, I think it's a state program).

I am absolutely happy with every other generic drug I've had, unfortunately Concerta's patent is not on the actual drug, but on the genius delivery system, so the generics (though chemically identical), just don't perform like the real thing.