Concerta 36mg

[Sweetkid]

Hello,

It’s been a while since I last posted. My son is in the 7th grade now and we decided to get back on meds after over a whole year off with virtual. Now that he went back face to face he was having a few behavior problems due to being off task and talking. So we put him on concerta 36mg. His behavior got better but I don’t feel like he really does any work. Does anyone have this problem. He really seems like he doesn’t care if he gets it done or not and I feel like he sits on the computer at school and does whatever. When he comes home we go through his assignments to make sure he gets them done and won’t fall behind. He is suppose to be co taught in 2 classes but due to lack of staff he doesn’t have that. We just had his annual meeting and the co teacher quit. Besides this my son has drop over 9lbs in 2 months. The doctor didn’t seemed concerned but he doesn’t look healthy to me. Is there any test I should run or do to make sure I am not hurting him with these meds. He doesn’t like to be on them and I really don’t like who he is on them. He’s edgy and irritated when I see him, but doesn’t have as much behavior issues when on it. His grades aren’t any better. Does anyone out there recommend any thing different. Also what can u do about not having a special Ed teacher in the class to support him. Sorry if I am all over the place with the questions. Any help or advice is appreciated.

[spookyscaryskeletons]

My son was on concerta 27 in 7th grade and then concerta 36 in 8th grade. Exactly the same issue. He is quiet and not disruptive, but did not do his work. His teachers told me that he just sits quietly and stares at his Chromebook. His pediatrician was treating him. We are now seeing a psychiatrist, and he prescribed 10mg of adderall (so we can work our way up). He said that he found as kids get older, adderall seems to work better, BUT it always takes time to get medications correct. He also said that if he doesn't have good luck with a few medications, there is testing available to see how his body responds to certain meds. His grades have improved and his attitude has improved. I don't know if it is the adderall or the lack of meds at this point. He def seems to lose focus toward the end of the school day, and it shows in his grades. This probably isn't helpful in your situation, but I wanted you to know that we experienced it too and currently working on it. I do suggest seeing a psychiatrist if you are just seeing a pediatrician. I was amazed at the different questions they asked that seemed so natural, that our ped never mentioned. Good luck

[Bootsie1]

My 14 son had similar issue in regard to the side effects of the stimulant. Eventually he really resisted taking it all. He was too thin and his peers would even comment on how “skinny” he was. At that point I did a lot of research …listening to podcasts on medication management was very helpful (dr William Dodson in particular).What worked for us was mainly lowering the dose and also changing the molecule from Vyvanse to Concerta. He now takes his medication with no hesitation in the morning and even acknowledges that he finds it helpful. Always a big mistake in my opinion to have the dose too high. Eventually that leads to medication refusal and once they are teens, you risk losing medication compliance big time! Good luck.