I would love to hear some positive stories about how Concerta has helped your child/family/life!
Short story - after 2 years of battling ADHD the natural way, we are taking a new path and Concerta has been our Drs recommendation. Our son is 8 years old, diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type 2 years ago. He struggles scholastically, is quite impulsive and more defiant than ever after spending 2 weeks at sleep away camp this summer! He is also very loving, caring and likable amongst his friends and adults.
All feedback is appreciated, I am very conflicted but I know he needs relief and I know many of you in this community have been where I am now.
Thx in advance!
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LRPlove
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My daughter has been taking Concerta for almost a year now. She takes 27 mg - it works better than Ritalin for her in that it provides extended coverage without several pills in between. We give her medication breaks because she does not eat a lot while taking it. During the school year she takes it in the morning at 6:30-7 or so - I wait until it kicks in - about a half hour - and then we get ready for school. She has a virtually issue free school day and can focus throughout the day - she is in fourth grade and her interactions have improved. It lasts until about 5-5:30 pm after which she is hungry and eats a good dinner. The only side effects - loss of weight - she is about 70 lbs - 53 inches - and a little bit of emotion when she is coming off the meds. We do not medicate on the weekends so that helps. It is a good option for us.
Hello - this isnt a concerta story but my son is 9 and on Medikinet. He also has inattentive ADHD and was really struggling at school to keep up. We only do on school days. The change is transformational. Doing incredibly well at school, passing all subjects clearly, since starting to take it 6 months ago. Much happier socially etc. I have no regrets at all about medication. I tried everything natural for 2/3 years.
My almost 10 year old daughter (inattentive ADHD) has been taking Concerta for 1 year since she was diagnosed last summer. She has had no side effects, sleeps so much better now and has actually continued to gain weight. I have seen her confidence over the past year really start to grow which is amazing! We have had to increase her dose since starting it but she has done very well. Fee free to reach out if you have any questions.
My 10 year has been on Concerta for 2 months now. I think we now have him at the optimal dose. We switched from Ritalin LA and Ritalin that he has taken for the past 3 years. It worked well for him, but we wanted to try something that would last the entire school day. Concerta is the even longer, smoother formula of Ritalin. It seems to be working the same for him, without the more extreme ups and downs. We struggled the most with appetite the first year, then it started to improve. The main thing is encouraging/allowing him to eat whenever he is hungry no matter what time it is. Also, figuring out different things to eat when he seems to be eating less. Overall, he has improved so much at school and has done so well with medication. Good luck to you on your journey with your son! 😉
Deciding when to medicate is a difficult decision for many families. The trial to find the med can also be stressful, but when the right one is found, it is a life changer for many of us.
Though not Concerta, my son has been taking another long acting methylphenidate (20mg Metadate CD) for about 6 months. At first it made him slightly sleepy for about a week or two. Now it just reduces his appetite for lunch. We did not see any weight loss, though. To adjust, I be sure he eats a filling breakfast, am less picky if lunch is something healthy - I’ll pretty much pack almost anything (besides sweets) that he’ll eat, even if it’s chicken nuggets or pizza rolls. Then make sure he has a good snack after school & a big healthy dinner.
We do not take medication breaks - he takes it on weekends & school breaks as well.
My 10 year old daughter started Concerta last year and takes 36 mg. It has been the best medication we've tried. Her focus improved and hyper behavior decreased. Her grades went back up in school to almost all A's. She did lose about 3-5 lbs at first and wasn't very hungry but her appetite is back to normal now. Due to her anxiety and OCD we added a low dose of Zoloft. She's doing well. Good luck to you!
My son is now 25, so we have a long history with ADHD and medications! And I can tell you that from our experience, most ADHD kids will not do well without some sort of medication. I advise you to do some research on ADHD and you will see that it is a neurological disorder, with a formal diagnosis on the DSM-V. I'm sure that some kids have a mild form of ADHD, which can be managed by behavioral interventions, but most will need specific ADHD medication. My son still takes Vyvanse with a methylphenidate booster for the evenings when he needs it. He tried college without medication and it was a huge failure! Try not to be afraid of the meds and be happy that there are many options out there for our kids. My son does not suffer from any long-term side effects from the stimulants. He now realizes he needs his medication 24/7, with no breaks because ADHD is a 24/7 disorder, which affects all areas of his life; not just school.
My son, now 17, has been on Conserta since he was 12. It’s definitely been the best choice for helping him stay focused and since taking it, his grades have drastically improved because he’s able to live up to his potential. The downside is it suppresses his appetite.
I know you wanted positive stories but I think you should have both sides of the coin. After focalin XR stopped working, switched my grandson to concerta. After a couple of weeks his anger got out of control. We eventually had to switch to a non stimulant and his anger issues are almost non existent now.
I feel you also need to be aware of possible bad side effects. Good luck.
Thank you for sharing this. I too think it’s important to hear about the side effects, I was just asking for positive stories because I feel like most of the things posted about Concerta have been negative. I appreciate this and thank you taking the time to respond.
My 12 year old daughter has been on Concerta for nine months now and it was a lifesaver for us! She takes 54 mg in the morning and another 10ng of methylphenidate to get through the afternoon and into the evening. She sleeps well. School starts this week, so fingers crossed all goes well! Good luck!
Hi! My oldest son has been on Concerta (36 mg) for almost 6 years now (inattentive ADHD). I also have a 10mg methylphenidate on hand in case he needs a afternoon boost for homework. It is hands down that best medicine that works for him. We did try the generic, but it did not work the same. It does suppress his appetite, however he eats a big breakfast before he takes it and after it wears off we let him eat before bed. It really helps get his calories in. He does eat throughout the day as well, but I try not to worry when he is at school. He is in middle school and does have a 504 plan, but he really hasn't needed to many of the accommodations, but they are always there for him if needed. I do notice that during growing spurts and his body changing it affects his focus/concentration. I hope this helps.
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