my 6yr old is starting concerta 18mg in the am.

Ayesha - posted 3 days ago

Benydrl or melatonin will help with sleep. On another note my 7yr old will be starting concerts 18mg er in the am and I'm a little worried. I'm not sure what to expect or how Lng it will be till I notice any side effects if I do. I'm not very familiar with this medication at all so I'm wondering how it compairs to adderall xr. Any suggestions or advice ladies?

Laurie - posted on 01/25/2013

Hello. My name is Laurie. I have Two sons that was put on Concerta.about a year ago. My 14 year old started having real bad headaches from this, and my 17 year old had real bad stomach pains every time he took it.i guess its works on different people different ways. I just wanted to share this with everyone. if you want to, you are welcome to give me your experience with medication with me. give me your opinions. thanks for listening.

Laurie - posted on 01/25/2013

Hello. My name is Laurie. I have Two sons that was put on Concerta.about a year ago. My 14 year old started having real bad headaches from this, and my 17 year old had real bad stomach pains every time he took it.i guess its works on different people different ways. I just wanted to share this with everyone. if you want to, you are welcome to give me your experience with medication with me. give me your opinions. thanks for listening.

Angelina - posted on 12/11/2012

Hi my name is angel and my son who is 6 started taking concerts and have been noticing..His sleeps habits have went down and is restless at night and says he has nightmares. And is quite emotional crying alot... Please help me help him will he get back to sleeping soo.?

Chris - posted on 12/08/2012

My son is 8 years old and has been taking Concerta for a year now. He started off taking 32mg now he is up to 72mg. He has some ticks and his appetite is off. He has lost a lot of weight. I will say that Concerta is better for him. He started off with Vyvanse. He was depressed and cried a lot. I'm not completely sure how I feel about the meds but its apparent that he needs something. Just do your research and keep a journal on your son.

Miriam - posted on 10/24/2012

Hi my son is 9 yrs old and he started taking concerta today, I'm.nervous and very scared at the side effects his going to get. I asked several questions to the doctor but I still feel clueless and unsure of what to expect with reactions and what should I be alert! Please help me get through this?!

Amanda - posted on 10/20/2012

My 6yr daughter pulled her eyelashes and hair out from it.. Dr said she has a tick and it brought out her tick. She is now on Kayvay. For her meds have been trial and error took along time to find one that helps.

Elizabeth - posted on 10/16/2012

It may take a while to find just the right medicine and dosage but don't give up. Watch him closely and let the doctor know about all side effects. I read a tip below that says keep a journal. That is a great suggestion because the doctor is going to ask you how long you think the medicine lasts, when it seems to wear off, if he gets irritable the doctor is going to know what time of day that happens, etc. It can get all jumble up in your mind. A journal is helpful. Also, giving him the medicine at the same time every day will help.



You may still have challenges but medication can be very helpful.

Carla - posted on 10/12/2012

Guess what!?! The doctor admitted to being wrong and we have taken my son off both Ritalin and Concerta (which is pretty much the same thing). He is now on Rispedal and voila, all problems solved. I am so happy.

Rechancia - posted on 10/07/2012

My 6 year old son switched from Adderrall XR (20mg) to 18 mg Concerta about a month ago. The medicine worked pretty good at first, but now he is having headaches. I just took him to the ER and they told me it was a possible adverse reaction to the Concerta and ordered for him to stop the meds. Has anyone else had this problem with Concerta or any other ADHD medication?

Allison - posted on 09/15/2012

let me know how this is going for you, my son who is five is on ritalin and it works wonderfully. His doctor wanted to switch him to concerta time release, I am nervous about switching him to that when ritalin is working, I need some feed back and am interested to know how this is working for other families. Email me at allisondetwiler@gmail.com if you would. Good luck to you both! :)

Carla - posted on 09/14/2012

Today I was told that my son must use Concerta. He is not ADD nor ADHD. Why would a pshyciatrist then suggest this???? I am very emotional about this and do not know what to do. I do not want him to turn into a zombie, just because he can not (maybe twice/three times a month) control his anger or express his anger.

Ami - posted on 08/04/2012

we went up all the way to 27 to get good results
and now it dont work

Camille - posted on 08/01/2012

I just started my son on Concerta at 18mg I'm upping it to 27mg but my son has complained twice of becoming dizzy, has anyone had this symptom and does it go away?

Camille - posted on 08/01/2012

I just started my son on Concerta from focalin and i give him a melatonin before he goes to bed!

Nadene - posted on 06/20/2012

Oh my word - so glad to hear we in he same boat - my 7 year old son started the Concerta this morning too - also 18mg. I'm just worried that the dosage is too low because he is a big boy!

Nicole - posted on 11/17/2011

My son has been on concerta for 3 weeks 36 mg and 8 years old. Best parent teacher conference tonight. She noticed a big difference in school. Need help with difficulty sleeping. benedryl? or melatonin?

Tammy - posted on 09/10/2009

My son is 6, will be 7 this month. he is on the concerta 18mg......I am thinking about taking him off of it . He is so emotional and cries alot at school.I feel so bad for him he is a big tall boy and he weeps like a baby(I would never say that to him).!! I got my first call of the year today from his teacher. Tell me he needs speach and that he won't play with the other kids and he cries all the time.I swear to you He does not do this at home. At home he reads and plays and he is good.If I tell him No he might start to cry but I tell him oh no .... no tears .. and that's it it's over. SO MY QUESTION is , is it just the schools and teachers who tell us our kids needs drugs???last year he left Kindergarden he could barely read and he could write but it was a mess, after working with him all summer he can read whole books now and his writing is so much better.when I said this to the teacher she was like maybe he needs more meds!!! or different meds!! IN other words she didn't listen to me. I really think the meds do help my son focus better and keeps him off the celling, but AT what price ?????? what do you all think ???? am I just being bitter???

Beth - posted on 09/10/2009

My son Jeffrey is 10 yrs old and he's been taking concerta 36 mg and he is doing really good in school his report card has has all a's but 1 b since 1st grade and he is in 6th now

Melanie - posted on 09/09/2009

Sher, I hope everything goes well for you this year, i know how challanging it can be! My son just started on Concerta in July, so far things have been fine, but he was on ritalin for several years, a med change was necessary because the school was forgetting to give him his meds! I strongly recommend like some others have to not give your child a "break" from the meds, it just causes confusion and frustration for them not being able to focus or control impulses. My other recommendation is don't be afraid to talk to your child's dr. They are there to help your child, and if something is not right tell them, they can't do anything about it if they don't know there is a problem! Wishing you and your son all the best xoxo Mel

Amanda - posted on 09/08/2009

My daughter, Paige is 10 and has been on concerta for about 2 yrs. She takes 27mg and is on her way to 34mg. We have tryed different kinds of medication and this one really works for us! Although, because of the extended use, she has developed nervous ticks! Paige has a cough that doesnt go away and scrunches up her nose and mouth alot. But she does alot better in school, she went from D's and being disruptive, to A and B"s and calm.

Norma - posted on 09/08/2009

Dear Sherri,



My son is now 14 years of age. I've tried Ritalin, I've tried Adderall, I've tried Dexadrine(?spelling), but the one med that has always worked best for my son is the Concerta. It seems to work the best with his body. Always remember, your his mother and no one knows him better than you.

Janine - posted on 09/08/2009

hi word of warning regarding Concerta, my son was on it for quite a couple of months, I removed him from this drug being that he lost his appetite in the 12 hr period of the pill, he lost extremem amounts of weight, which scared me alot, yes it helped with the concentration and all the other aspects it aids to, but my sons health was at stake, he is now on FeelGood Health Products and has been on them for 4 months now and they do the same thing, but at least he looks healthy now and they are natural and non addictive, dont mean to place a dampner, this is merely what i went through with my son....just keep an eye on your child, the most expensive highest scheduled drugs aren't always the best.....

Debra - posted on 09/07/2009

I understand the struggle trying to get help for your child, it has been my experience that the Dr's don't really try to diagnoise until they are kindergarten age, just what I have been told through the yrs

Sara - posted on 09/07/2009

hi my son is 12yrs and has been on a few different meds he is ADHD with conduct disorder,when he started on concerta he was taking 18mgs hes now on 72mgs a day he has emotional highs and lows but had them before meds his weight and growth are all normal.I have a nephew also on concerta he has no problems wth it,out off all the meds hes had this one is the best iv found he also took melatonin to help with sleep but found it had little effect on him and the other drug they tried him on made him gain weight.I know hes on a very high dose i know an 18yr old on the same dose but i wouldnt change it it suits him but every child is different just give him time to settle on it.

Hope this is helpfull in some sort of way!! good luck

Jill - posted on 09/04/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

For those of you trying Benadryl, please look into melatonin. It's a natural supplement your body produces. A lot of children either on the autism spectrum or with ADHD (both of which my son have) have a hard time falling asleep; their minds have a hard time winding down. They, too, cannot produce enough melatonin to induce sleep. Personally, I like to use the Benadryl to counter allergies; if it's taken every night, I'm afraid a tolerance will build up. Look into melatonin. It comes in liquid form or pill form, and it's to be given about 1/2 hour before bed. It's been a lifesaver to us. Go to www.vitacost.com. They have SEVERAL brands, in different forms.

Jennifer, my son takes Trazadone at night and it is a "miracle" drug!!! What took us 2 hrs to get to sleep, and then he didn't stay asleep, now takes 30 min and he's ready for bed!!!  GREAT stuff!!! 

Jaime - posted on 09/04/2009

just a lil advice . becareful and make sure he eats. my son didnt want to eat when he first started on concerta and he was droping wieght fast . so i made him eat before he took his meds and let him eat later in the evening when it wore off but i had to change him after 2 yrs cause he was edgy and irratable alot. Good luck

Teresa - posted on 09/04/2009

Read this article. There are lawsuits that have been filed.



http://www.raysahelian.com/glyconutrient...

D.Denise - posted on 09/03/2009

Concerta will kill his appetite, make sure he eats before taking it. My son is a twig and I'd have to take him off during his off season of school just to try and "fatten" him up a bit. Make sure you give it same time every day...routine is very important, and helps regulate the meds even better. Also, I've found with my son, nosebleeds are a side effect, but usually only when it's hot out. I've learned to adapt to the medications and he's easier to bear with. Good luck! :)

Brenda - posted on 09/03/2009

I totally agree with you (Karen) about keeping them on the meds even through the summer. All three of my boys were diagnosed with (1) Bi-Polar (2) ADHD and ODD and the (3rd) with Bi-Polar and ODD. I like to tell people that there is never a dull moment in our house as I am Bi-Polar also. I have a nephew that is ADHD and his mother is a teacher and complains about the parents that don't give their children their meds everyday and she is guilty of it herself. She doesn't make him take it on weekends, school breaks, or in the summer. So when he starts school every year it is a battle to get the meds back in his system as she doesn't start him on them until the first day of school. I have tried to tell her that she can't do that. That she needs to leave him on them all year but she doesn't listen and then gets frustrated with the other parents that do the same thing. My boys are doing well with their meds but it was trial and error to get the correct combination of meds for them. I started them on this rollercoaster during the summer so they would be ready for school when it started. Good Luck with your children and God Bless.

Amy - posted on 09/03/2009

My oldest son is 9 and in the 4th grade and has ADD and we have tried many medications. Mainly Ritalin which we were maxed out on in a year. He is now on Concerta 18 mg and doing great.

My youngest son is 7 and in 2nd grade and has severe ADHD and was on foxalin for 2 years until it stopped working. We now have him on Concerta 36 mg and it is doing great. Since he was 3 he has had problems sleeping so he is also on Clonideine .1 mg to sleep. He says he feels so much better now that his ADHD is under control. His grades have improved also.

Vivianrene - posted on 09/03/2009

Sherri, I FEEL You !! My 11yr old has been taking concerta for 4 years and We are so pleased with the results He started on the lowest dose and as he grew...He is now @ 36mg and is doing great ! Good Luck to You Guys

Carley - posted on 09/03/2009

My daughter is on concerta 18 i think. not sure on the dosing. but it makes a world of difference! i saw an immediate difference in her attitude (we have a split home and she doesn't live with me full time) her school work had suffered because she couldn't concentrate on it and after being on the meds she is getting much better grades. the funny thing is that she went through almost 4 years of school k-3 and none of her teachers reported a problem (except the 3rd grade teacher) With her living with her dad it was his decision to not get her tested and i begged him to do it!!! i am so glad that the school finally made him do it due to her grades and disapline problems...She is a whole different child. He even tried to take her off of them and tried to see what she was like off of the meds...I told him that she needed to be on them. and she is doing great

Cheri - posted on 09/02/2009

MY SON USES MELATONIN BUT I THINK SOMETIMES IT IS A SUBLIMINOL THING!,BUT HEY IT WORKS BEFORE ADAM WAS GTTING TO SLEEP AT 1 OR 2 IN THE MORN. BUT NOW HE IS DOWN BY 11PM!

Cheri - posted on 09/02/2009

MY SON HAS BEEN ON CONCERTA FOR ACOUPLE OF YEARS NOW AND I LOVE IT!HE HAS LESS TICKS AND CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS,PUTTING HIM ON MEDS WAS THE BEST CHOICE WE EVER MADE!THE ONLY HARD PART IS KNOWING WHEN HE HAS GROWN ENOUGH TO CHANGE HIS MED DOSE!!

Susan - posted on 09/02/2009

I am not a big fan of Concerta myself. My son has ADHD and has taken Concerta before. He did not eat hardly at all. The side effects differ from child to child though. He is not on Concerta any more but is on Vyvanase now. He is nine years old and has been on medication for ADHD since 5 years old. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to help. Susan

Jennifer - posted on 09/02/2009

For those of you trying Benadryl, please look into melatonin. It's a natural supplement your body produces. A lot of children either on the autism spectrum or with ADHD (both of which my son have) have a hard time falling asleep; their minds have a hard time winding down. They, too, cannot produce enough melatonin to induce sleep. Personally, I like to use the Benadryl to counter allergies; if it's taken every night, I'm afraid a tolerance will build up. Look into melatonin. It comes in liquid form or pill form, and it's to be given about 1/2 hour before bed. It's been a lifesaver to us. Go to www.vitacost.com. They have SEVERAL brands, in different forms.

Jennifer - posted on 09/02/2009

We've done Concerta, too. My son's now 10. As with all the stimulants, there is a risk for a tic and/or aggression, so please watch. My son's run the gamut of meds, and is currently taking Focalin XR. With all of these kiddos, the course of treatment is truly unique to each child, so for one person, Concerta may have been a nightmare, but can still be another family's answer. Good luck!

Sherri - posted on 09/02/2009

there are so many things i want to reply too, but don't have time today, sorry.(i have 4 boys under the age of 6yrs old,a husband that works away for weeks at a time and schools 'a comin!) i just wanted to ask jen what time of night do you give your lil girl the benadryl,in order for her to fall asleep about 10pm? i ask because we are 5 days away from the start of grade one and i am very concerned about his not sleeping.it just makes all the other symptoms of ADHD soooo much worse.(thats not to mention that i need some sleep too!) just for the record,i don't think this med is doing anything besides making him more easy to anger,be physical,and of course the not sleeping bit.thanks everyone for your stories and replies, i will come back again when i have more time.(story of my life since having the kids ha ha) xoxo sher

Jen - posted on 09/01/2009

Sherri,

My daughter started taking Concerta 18 mg the end of 1st grade. It worked great for her, however she too was still up way after midnight. The dr. suggested benadryl at night to knock her out, well, it doesn't but it relaxes her enough that she started falling asleep around 10pm, not ideal but much better than still being up when her daddy left for work at 4:30am! In the summer I do not give her benadryl, and I try not to during the school year, but some days she's just not tired. The other major side effect was her lack of appetite, she has lost a lot of weight, but she eats when she does get hungry. Oh and her problem was more inattentiveness as well and zoning out at school. Not so much hyper.



Good Luck!

Michelle - posted on 09/01/2009

hi my name is michelle and my daughter gabrielle is 9 and she has ADHD she has been on concerta for about 7 months and it is great she used to hit me and her youger for no reason and would be always on the go, the dr put her on 18mg to start with but because that has no affect at all she is on 36mg and is so much better we do still sometime have the outburst but not so often now, she is not going to sleep till half eleven sometimes later but she is in her room drawing which she would never do b4, we are a little worried that she has lost a little weight and the dr has told us to give her an extra meal b4 going to bed and to feed her when ever she wants just to try and get her back on track with the weight. so fingers crossed at the next meeting she might have stayed the same of maybe even have put a little on cause i am feeding her up lol. take care to all x x x michelle

Sunni - posted on 09/01/2009

Hi Sherri, How is your son doing on concerta so far? My name is Sunni and I have two kids a boy 15 and a daughter 10 both have had A.D.H.D, since the age of 4 for my son and the same for my daughter, We have tried all meds for A.D.H.D. just about, and my son Zack had been on Concerta for many yrs and did well on that, it was just time for a change and he has been on Adderall Xr for a few yrs now, and it's working well for now, My daughter has had success on the other hand with Vyvanse, and she is doing the best yet, I think on this one. So good luck, remember no drugs are perfect, it will just help to manage the behavior, not perfection, that took me a while, I kept looking for miracilious turn arounds. never happened, but things sure got alot better.

Chelsea - posted on 09/01/2009

My son also takes clonidine at night to help him sleep! It goes really well with the concerta

Chelsea - posted on 09/01/2009

My son is 10 and he has been taking concerta since he was 6! He started on 18 and as he got older his dose has gone up. He is now on 36 mg and is doing GREAT! I hope the concerta works for your son too! Let me know if you have any questions!

Nicola - posted on 08/31/2009

hi my name is nicola just joined the site tonight.my son is 8yrs old he as been on 27mg concerta for about a year absoluteley great tablets only one falt with them they have caused zachs ticks to get worse or i think it is them going to contact gp in morning

Jennifer - posted on 08/31/2009

My son also takes clonidine at night to help him sleep. Ask your doctor about it.

Jennifer - posted on 08/31/2009

Good luck! Medicine has made a world of difference for my 6 year old son!

Karen - posted on 08/31/2009

Congratulations! My son is 15 and he has been taking Concerta since he was 8 or 9. I truly love this medication as it is time released. As he has gotten bigger and older, his dosage has had to increase; however, there are very little side effects and life is SO MUCH more wonderful for us. He has grown to understand ADHD and physically how he feels if he forgets to take his medication. I can fully understand your frustration. I tried all methods and modifications since he was age three and when he went to kindergarten, the first six weeks, I decided, would be the factor that would determine if I would pursue the medication route. Well, I guess you can tell what happened! He started out on Ritalin; however, he grows so fast that the dosage did not last the expected 4 hours and he would bottom out for too long before he was taking the next dosae. We then switched to Concerta! I also highly recommend medication during the summer, as well. ADHD is a condition that is precipitated by the chemical balance and production in the brain. Medication helps this even out. Taking a child off the medciation for the summer messes with the brain and that is not fair to the child or yourselves. That is just my personal opinion based upon personal experience! Best of luck!

Karen Keesee
Virginia

Sherri - posted on 08/31/2009

hi again! so, it's been three days on concerta.i haven't noticed much of a difference.EXCEPT (isn't there always a except or but?) he is alot more emotional,alot quicker to anger and be physical. he hasn't been asleep before 2 am the past 3 nights! despite me waking him up at 6am in preparation for school in 8 days.so,not a good report so far. my husband wants to stop giving it to him, but i would like to stay the course, in hopes that the dr will up the dose and the bad side effects will go away. the dr assured me they would within a few weeks?



my sons issues are not so much with hyperactivity,but inattentivness. (sp?) like walking into doors,tripping over other kids,ect. he also has bi-polar tendencies, and he speaks REALLY loud! (his hearing has been checked 3 times) i wounder is there medications out there that are aimed at the inattentivness?



thank you all for your responses,warmth,and suggestions! i appreciate your taking the time to respond,more than you'll ever know! take care, and i will keep you posted as time goes on. xoxo sher

Marcella - posted on 08/30/2009

I agree that keeping a journal is a great idea! My daughter started off with meds in Kindergarten. This was a bad plan for her. She got really good and was doing great for a couple of weeks. Then she started not responding as well to the meds and then she got way worse then she ever was off the meds. She became violent and uncontrollable. We took her off meds and dramatically reduced the amount of sugar in her diet. That worked for a while. She did better on the drugs when we reintroduced them in 2nd Grade. Her body was old enough to process the meds at that point. She is currently starting 5th grade and take Adderall. We have tried just about everything out there and we rotate around every 6-24 months.



The point I am trying to make is be careful as he is very young and his body may not be ready for meds yet. Good luck, keep the journal and I hope it works well for both you and your son.