Concerta

[MMR5]

My 7yo son is about to start Concerta. He has only been on nonstimulants in the past, but that is not doing the trick any longer. Any experiences with this medication?

TIA!

[anirush]

My grandson cannot do stimulants. He has major anger issues and they make it worse. But I know people who have done well on it. Everyone's body chemistry is different. We had good luck adding Guanfacine to Strattera.

[Momtrying]

concerta was the The first medication that we tried for my son when he was nine. He had headaches and stomach aches every day and really didn’t feel well so we took him off of it pretty quickly and went to Adderall. I’m not sure if it was because it was just the first medication he had taken, but that didn’t happen on the Adderall and he’s been on that now for four years. It took a little bit to get the right dose but it works very well for him.

[Hidden]

I am sorry that non stimulants don’t do the trick any more. Have you tried all 3 non stimulant available- Atomoxetine. Guanfacine and Quelbree? I know in the US you can even get from paediatric psychiatrist ‘off licence’ other stuff that helps with ADHD and is non stimulants. I wish this was available in Europe …

My son as a first line of treatment was given Methylphenidate (XL slow release) - generic of what Concerta is. It was the worst 8 months in our and his life- he had all the side effects, rebound, aggression, self harming, not able to eat and sleep, manic and preoccupied with one topic- random details about footballers and matches, he also suffered form side effect with is classified as ‘rare’- frequent urination (for a child it means they don’t make it to the loo and wee themselves, I can’t imagine how he felt at school at age of 9 wetting himself in front of 30 class mates).

I don’t understand how amphetamins and derivatives of amphetamins are ‘first line of treatment’? Basically stuff that was given to soldiers to keep them awake and able to do what they had to do during the wars… and this is given to children.

My son is now on Atomoxetine. He’s happy, he doesn’t suffer any side effects (he had some mild tummy ache on dose increase and I make sure he has a lot of fibre in diet so he’s never constipated). You are right - Atomoxetine ‘doesn’t do the trick’, he only focuses on what he wants to focus on, not on his maths 😂

But I’d rather have him ‘happy’ than ever again give him stimulants.

[mom0f3]

My 8 year old son started Concerta (slow release) about 5 months ago. At first, he had some headaches, trouble sleeping, lack of appetite, and tends to get a little sadder than normal, however this medication has been a life saver for us. His school work is done daily and he's reading and learning in a way we never thought possible. I was very concerned about giving him any medications, but he was falling behind so much in school that we were desperate for change. The medication along with a good diet, a daily schedule ( A MUST), and exercise has been amazing. We do have to constantly check in with him though about his emotions. We are quick to remind him that these feelings, all though valid, seem more extreme due to the medication. He's a very logical kid so this level of communication has helped him understand that these emotions are short lived and it helps him not get so down on himself.

Weight loss is still a concern with us so we have added protein shakes to his diet and weekly weight checks.

Good luck on your journey. I hope this helps.

[EJ_C]

How is he getting on with it?