Concerta XL early side effects

[Willow789]

My 15 year old daughter has commenced 18mg concerta 4 days ago and is due to increase to 36mg after one week. We’re obviously not expecting to see any effect as yet but she is complaining of a constant heavy frontal headache. She isn’t complaining of nausea or a dry mouth. I’m unsure if it is the meds (as she often has headaches which seem to be stress/tension related from trying so hard to focus and tiredness) but as the headaches seems more prolonged than usual if it is med related can anyone advise on average how long it takes for initial starting side effects to wear off?

[STEM_Dad]

It's hard to say how long the side effects will last. It varies from person to person.

It could be hours for some, but for many others it takes days or weeks for initial side effects to go away. Some people continue to experience side effects on a particular medication.

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Headache is listed as one of the potential side effects of Concerta (methylphenidate). The stimulant acts on the prefrontal cortex, which is in the frontal part of the brain, so it's understandable that's where the headache is for her.

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Inform her doctor of the headache that she is experiencing.

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Are the benefits of the medication starting?

[Gettingittogether]

Call her doctor (the prescribing one) and report the symptoms. Basically that's going to be your rule from here on out. You want to give this information to the doctor, who can tell you their experience about the particular side effect.

Some side effects disappear after a few weeks. Others can be minimized by eating at a certain time and taking the med at a certain time in relation to the eating--and so on. The will or an informed staffer will call you back and give you a recommendation.

I never got headaches from Concerta. And I've read a lot of anecdotal stories and headaches don't stand out in my memory as a side effect.

BTW: some people do get positive effects on a relatively low dosage. Concerta is extended release methylphenidate. Extended release was a great invention for people with ADHD.

Oh, and if you really feel uncomfortable with the headaches, it's ok for you to momentary pause the medicine. Generally ADHD meds are not meds that have to build up in your bloodstream (like antidepressants) in order to be effective.

[Mamamichl]

Some side effects go away after a couple/3 weeks, but others stay. I would give it a couple weeks then tell the doctor that she needs a different med. have you already ruled out dehydration?

[Emsil21]

water, stimulants I always thought dehydrated you more 🤔 maybe try and up the liquids and see if it helps, I’m a adult but I was like you not expecting results asap, it turns out concerta, Ritalin etc doesn’t work on me at all, vyanase or (elvanse as it’s called here) has a different mode of action and worked instantly for me but i need the max dose for full affect, so I would ask the doctor if she should have some affect by now…. And I’m sure at her age she doesn’t have coffee but if she’s having caffeine in other forms that always caused me headaches on these meds xx

[LuisBarcelona]

Release tension with meditation, relaxation, breaks during work, stretching, even temple massages help me a lot when I'm hyper focused. God how much effort we have to dedicate so as not lose focus. I can't help you with the treatment. I think better with a trusted doctor. I hope you'll get the treatment with the least side effect. Hugs

[trillium42]

My 13yo did have bad headaches as a side effect from that same med. They would not stick with it long enough to see if they went away. Ended up trying a couple others and found Vyvanse to have the fewest side effects but that may not be the same for others. It took over a year of trying different meds and doses to get things stable. For sure, talk to the doctor as everyone said. There are non-stimulants to try too, which should have different side effects or perhaps fewer.

[Jiraf]

I’ve been using Concerta for over a year and a half and I have never experienced headaches from it. They could be stress, or maybe sinus/allergy? You should talk to your doc. Do make sure she has enough water - dehydration can definitely cause headaches.