Possible Concerta side effect?

Debbie - posted on 04/21/2010

Concerta does not cause the tics but may make existing ones appear more severe. When my son was in grade one he used to get in trouble daily for making sounds with his mouth. This was an ADHD thing, but he was not diagnosed yet and therefore not on meds. When he was diagnosed in 2008 and started Concerta I did alot of research and was also told by my Dr that the tics may come back. I think that Concerta saved him! We live in a small town and he goes to a school with about 75 children (JK-8). Before Concerta he was consistantly in trouble and getting into fights. He was in grade one and principal was talking about suspending him. He had been labelled by teachers and other kids as bad. He is in grade 4 now and has been on Concerta for two years, he has lots of friends and is excelling in school!

Yinka - posted on 04/21/2010

I am interested in your alternative to medication for ADHD. Please send me an email at yinka.stuckey@hotmail.com.
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Priscilla - posted on 04/11/2010

In response to Kara. Our Dr. switched my son from Concerta to Vyvanse. It was horrible. My little boy didn't tell me for 3 days that he had been hearing voices and seeing things. He is only 9. We switched him back. I did research this reaction and found that auditory hallucinations are one of the severe side effects of Vyvanse. But appear to be rare. I hope the meds works for you. It's frustrating hopping from one to the other trying to find the one that works.

Jenn - posted on 04/10/2010

My son also had ticks like that but can not say if that was due to meds or himself not being able to control himslef. Right now we stopped meds due to headaches and seeing no change in him on the meds. It has been just over a month without meds. I and the school needs to be ontop of him a little more but we are commited. Between behavioral therapy at home with me and help with the teachers keeping him on track and it's working. GREAT WEBSITE!!!! www.empoweringparents.com they have a FB page also. Great info and techniques, please look. PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE we can do it moms!!!!

Karen - posted on 04/08/2010

My son is 7-1/2 and we started on Adderall XR at age 5. He seemed to outgrow the medicine and we switched to Vyvanse. That worked well for about 18 months - it did cause weird mood swings where he'd cry for the strangest reasons. We switched to Concerta two months ago. I read this and realize the clearing of his throat constantly may come from the meds, but, he's finally eating again! We're on 36 mg and it's amazing to see him eat lunch for the first time in two years. We don't do med breaks because of something my doctor told me about one of his teenage patients that really changed my attitude towards meds. The patient said "I don't notice a difference in myself when I'm not on meds, I just notice a difference in how people treat me". Wow, that made me realize how ADHD affects kids and changed my whole outlook. I do this for my son ... so he can concentrate in school, have friends and live a happier life. Yep, there are side effects to the meds and it's hard work keeping the meds adjusted when he hits a growth spurt and they are just downright expensive, but he's worth it!

Deborah - posted on 04/06/2010

These meds do cause tick and these type side effects some of which are not reversible. Have u discussed this with his pediatrician and does he absolutely have to have the med?

Jennifer - posted on 04/05/2010

I'm so glag I found this site!!! I'm sitting next to my seven year old and and he can't control his lips (smacking) and cracking his fingers nonstop. I now know this is a side effect and I should call the doctor.

Phyllis - posted on 04/02/2010

My son (on Concerta for 2 years) repeats the first word in a sentence by tacking it on at the end. (the cat wants out Mommy the!) he will also tell me something a hundred times if I don't stop it by saying I heard him. No physical tics, just verbal ones.

Cynthia - posted on 04/01/2010

My son also has the wierd movements with his eyes, and he has been on Concerta for aprox 3 to 4 years. We have tried many other meds but the Concerta is the only one that seems to help.

Natasha - posted on 03/31/2010

My son has been on Concerta for a few months and haven't noticed any side effects that really stick out. After reading this post though it makes me worried. As if I don't worry enough (lol). My issue is trying to keep his focus in school and sometimes at home even with the medication he is taking now. I know most of his "problems" is that he is a 6 almost 7 y/o boy.

Melissa - posted on 03/25/2010

I'm so saddened to read through about all the side effects your children are experiencing. My son experienced anemia (caused pale skin, fatigue and nosebleeds) and delusions. Picturing your children with ticks and repetitive motions is scary. I am a special education teacher and all too often work with students with horrible side effects from medications. My son is on an all-natural alternative with NO side effects, and we will never switch.



Feel free to contact me at kidsfirst6@yahoo.com. I would love to give you more information on supplements and tips for the classroom.

Kyana - posted on 03/20/2010

Please inform me! What is the natural remedy?

HEIDI - posted on 03/19/2010

Thanks Cassie, actually once we took him off of the Concerta he was able to sleep again although he does take Melatonin before bed which helps him ease into sleep quicker. He also takes a small dose of Adderall in the morning to carry him through until the VyVanse kicks in and the combo is working great for him.

Cassie - posted on 03/18/2010

my son started on addrall and developed extremem peranoia which I was told was not from the meds, but magically when I stopped giving it to him this went away. We than went to concerta which also seemed to cause extreme peranoia along with it did not help with any of the ADHD symptoms. I than took my son to a physgologist who switched him to Medadate CD and I love it. He is able to focus and still stay alert. Although with all the meds we have tried he still does not eat well untill after 6 p.m. and was put on clondine to help him sleep. He also suffers from OCPD but the Medadate seems to do the trick. I dont know many others use it but maybe you would be intrested in looking into it.

HEIDI - posted on 03/17/2010

the problem my son had was not being able to sleep. He would be up for 20 hours, sleep for 4 hours and be raring to go for another 20 when he was on Concerta. We switched to VyVanse and are much happier.

Sue - posted on 03/15/2010

My son is on Concerta and had a problem with lip chewing. Turned out his dosage was too high and once it was lowered the problem went away. My daughter was on Concerta as well and had a problem with nail biting to the point of them bleeding. She was switched to Intuniv and has been doing well so far.

Brenda - posted on 03/13/2010

My son is 10years old, he is ADHD and odd(oppositional defiance disorder) he has been on concerta for about 4years now. The only problem we have with that is that he constanly repeats himself, for example if he wants a certain type of sandwich he will tell us about four or five times and we tell him that we heard him the first time!! He does have a really bad temper and has awful meltdowns. We are not sure if he just needs an increase in the dosage being that he has been on the same dose for about four years!!

Shelly - posted on 03/09/2010

Wow. I am suprised at some of the comments reguarding effects of Concerta. My son has been on Concerta for about 2 yrs but he had the impulsive problems before the meds. The impulsive behavior is apart of ADHD. I have watched my kid very closely but we have had no problem with it in terms of side effects. He is metabolizing everything so fast though that he seems to be growing out of his doses after 6 months or so. Very frustrating watching him struggle with focusing and being distracted. Without the meds though, mine can't keep up with what's happening around him.

Mary - posted on 03/07/2010

When my son was eight, his 13 now, he had similar tics too. It is not Tourrettes it is Tics, or invountary movements. I was told by the neurologist that sometimes when you put then on an ADD/ADHD med it brings them out. It bothered my son because his whole arm would move or his eyes would blink excessivly. None the less we had other very serious side effects like sudden and very disturbing thought of herming himself and /or others. After being on Concerta XR for about seven months we took him off and took a holistic approch. We changed his diet to whole, organic foods. No processed, no food coloring, and up the fatty acids like omega 3-6-9 with other supplements. OH and we cut out dary. And limit wheat intake. I saw the biggest change when we took him off dairy. He is 13 now and cam manage Jr high like a normal child. He is now aan A student taking clases to earn credit for high school! This was not easy and it was a slow change, I would say good two years before he was not so very hyper.

Abby - posted on 03/07/2010

My son just started Concerta about 4 months ago and I have noticed anything yet. He has always had nervous ticks with thins though even when he was on the Focalin so I will watch to see if they are different. Maybe it is just the fact that these are stimulants and the body reacts different to them but it is worth asking the doctor about. Thank you for pointing this out.

Beth - posted on 03/07/2010

My son blinked his eyes all the time, like he couldn't focus. These tics occur on medicines such as these. My issues with Concerta were, it made my son very aggressive, confrontational and he wasn't eating well. I refuse to give him another stimulant drug ever again. I agreed to try Straterra and it has been wonderful. No anger, he eats, he sleeps, he is getting A's and B's for the first time in 5 years. It has not changed his personality at all. It was tricky to get the insurance company to pay for it - they really push the stimulants. Unfortunately, there is no generic for Straterra. In my opinion, it's totally worth it. You could always try supplements and dietary changes.

Chantal - posted on 03/05/2010

yes my son also had side effects. He developed a coughing tic and would try to clear his throat all day long. He also started to get a raspy voice. I switched his meds..

Vickie - posted on 03/05/2010

Facial tics are very common side affect of Concerta, my son is 17 and has been on it since he was 9 The tics seem to abate if you super hydrate them, i make sure my son drinks plenty of water all day and also carrys lip balm and somekind of certs or lifesavers seems to help. Hope things are ok with your son now, stick it out mine was a real handfull and now hes graduating in june and off to college The plus side is kids with adhd seem to be extreamly intelligent and suceed well if given the right direction.

Brianna - posted on 03/04/2010

My son used to blink constantly but another side effect of it was that he was hateful while on it.. So needless to say he is no longer on the medication.. He has been off of it for over a year now.. there's rough days but he is so much happier

Angela - posted on 02/28/2010

I've been dealing with my son's ADHD for over 8 years now. At first we tried Adderal and he would cry all the time, but couldn't tell me why he was crying. Then the doctors switched him to Concerta which only worsened his vocal ticks and twitches. Strattera seemed to work for a while after that but after a few years it just wasn't working for him anymore. He's now on Focaline, which we've had success with so far. Not every medication works for everyone. Sometimes it is a long process to find what works for your child. Don't give up. You will find the answer as to what is best for him.

Jeannie - posted on 02/26/2010

My son is 14 and has been on Concerta since 4th grade (now in 9th) and I haven't noticed any kind of ticks or repetative behavior. I read some of the posts and have found a lot of truth in the fact that the reactions to and side effects of the medication differ from child to child. This is true with my own son who in the beginning was on Strattera and he would sleep HOURS on end and sit around listless. It was awful. He was also given Adderall (very small dosage) a cpl yrs ago to take in the evening in order to help him focus on homework in addition to the Concerta. I found this made him very angry, defiant, and just oppositional on all accounts. My son and I discussed our options, pros and cons at this point and decided we were able to handle his "typical" ADHD as a team rather than keep him on the additional evening dosage. It really does affect each child differently. I wish you all the luck in managing his medication in the future. I have found at my sons age, we are now able to discuss his medication, the side effects, and how well HE can handle it and we decide together what is the best solution. I was astonished at his personal input on the situation.

Jennifer - posted on 02/25/2010

My younger brother was on add meds and the meds he was on caused symptoms like Tourrettes. That is a side effect of some meds I do believe. I would contact your doctor and double check with them you may need to switch medications.

Janelle - posted on 02/25/2010

we had similar problems. we took all our kids off and found a vast improvment in more areas than the concerta was helping. if you look into it more you'll find that concerta is ment for short term use and thats why the dosege gets jacked up on most kids.

Rosie - posted on 02/25/2010

i've noticed that with my son, but always thought that is was just something that he had, maybe a mild tourettes. i'm scared to switch him though, he has always been very little and the doctors were hesitant about putting him on medication in the first place in fear he would lose weight. he has gained weight on concerta and finally weighs 50 lbs. (he's 10). i think he will do better on concerta than with others.

Patricia - posted on 02/24/2010

My son(10 years old) had the same problem when we first started the meds and I immediately complained and they lowered the dosage and we haven't had any more problems. His doctor said it was from him having to high of a dosage.

Pamela - posted on 02/23/2010

My son had a tic of the eyes while on Concerta, we have now switched to Focalin and the tic has gone. The oncerta also severely affected his appetite and growth.

Cathi - posted on 02/23/2010

We don't do "breaks" with our daughters ADHD meds. Why put her through that. It has to be hard to always adjusting to the meds. Besides alot of the meds tell you not to quit "cold turkey".

Cathi - posted on 02/23/2010

Do your research....ADHD and Tourettes are caused by the same gene. Many times children are being diagnosed as ADHD when they Tourettes. If you are expiriencing tics then see a neuroligist and get the correct dianosis. Good Luck

Joanna - posted on 02/22/2010

*My son was *Diagnosed ADHD~ at like 3/4 yr.s old~ we went through several diff. kinds of Med.s over several Yr.s~ HE was *11* when we found Yet another Dr. & therapist ~I finally got someone to do more Differnt Kinds of Testing on hm & Found out that He was Not ADHD at all, He was Bypolar~ & being on the wrong types of meds for so long, Made him Worse~( I feel like such A crappy mom,that I couldn't get something else done sooner) He is now on Med.s for Bypolar & doing much better in alot of ways..~Now I just have to deal with my Stepson who just moved in with us, He is *13* & ADHD? So i've been told,He is on Concerta` I haven't paid attention yet, But I will now statrt to watch for any strange ticks~ He does sem to have very Loud* outbursts of yelling & Laughing~ for No reason, Before he has his meds or if he missed it for the day~ His mother does not give it to him on her wknds but rather Deals with him instead. she says he's not supposed to have it on wknds~ But I know my son had to have it daily to make sure his Body was well adjusted to it?~

Cathi - posted on 02/22/2010

BTW... you dont get tourettes from ADHD medications! It is a condition all on its own. Alots of times if you have Tourettes you have ADHD. I believe you all are meaning to say that some times tics develop. There is more to tourettes than just tics.

Cathi - posted on 02/22/2010

Adhd is common in tourettes paitents. It still could be Tourettes. I would have him seen by a neurologist. Tourettes comes and goes also; so him being off the concerta and it not happening could be a coincidence. My son's Tourettes is more noticeable during the school year or when he is under stress. Maybe its a possibilty too that the concerta enhances his tics since they are both brain illnesses. My son isnt medicated for tourettes and currently doesn't have adhd. Maybe strattera is a better choice for him. My daughter alternates between strattera and concerta for her adhd.

Stacey - posted on 02/22/2010

Hello. My son was diagnosed with adhd about 10 years ago. He has been on several meds for it. They do get "habbits" when they are on the same meds for a long period of time. Strattera worked best for my son. Only thing with my son is he has been treated for adhd for 10 years now, an up until about 4 -5 months ago, we FINALLY found out he is NOT Adhd, but Bi-Polar! Sucks it took 10 years to find that out, but now we are FINALLY on the right track. Life coulnt be better! Hope this helps.

Tianti - posted on 02/21/2010

I noticed my son would lick his bottom lip raw when he was on Concerta, as well as acted like a zombie. Good luck.

Jenn - posted on 02/21/2010

My son would flap his hands I thought it was a side effect but come to find out he needed his dose adjusted.

Lianne - posted on 02/21/2010

my son has been on concerta xl for 3yrs and havent had any side effects,eating alot but he done that before he was on it,lol

Kara - posted on 10/01/2009

my son is also on vyvance and i dont know how i kept myself going with out it. have you had any problems with it?

Vicky - posted on 10/01/2009

My son will be 7 in November and was diagnosed with ADHD right before his 5th birthday. He is on Adderall...but I have noticed he constantly clicks his fingers...craziest thing I've ever seen. He doesn't snap his fingers but moves his whole finger in motions...kind of hard to explain.

Ashley - posted on 09/28/2009

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Ashley - posted on 09/28/2009

Luara, my son has been on just about every medication there is for ADHD and I started to notice that anything with a stemilate in it mad him worse....His anger and mood swings was just awful!! My son can not take any meds with stemilate in it.....Then we went to stratarra....This made him sleepy all the time and did not help him with his consentration. I finally took him off all the meds. My son has been off all the meds for about a yr now and the school system could not even tell a change. I just don't want my child growing up thinking he has to take meds for every little thing. I want him to relieze he can control things like his mind and moods if he wants too. When he gets angry we give him space to cool off. Either we all walk away till he calms down or he goes to his special place. This seems to be working for him and mostly for me. ( I have 2 sons ). When he cools down, things seem to go better for all of us in the family. I hope this helps and I don't claim to have the answers but sometimes it helps to have someone to talk to. Hope things get better and take care of yourself bc your son needs you!! ~love.....

Jennifer - posted on 09/28/2009

My son also is on concerta 2 years now so far I have not seen this type of side affect.

Leslie - posted on 09/26/2009

Hi my son has been on concerta for 4 years also. What I have noticed is repetative behavior also like snppin fingers cracking knuckles and reating conversations like from movies and books..I also contributed it to tourrettes just because he had had a few things before we started meds. like eye blinking. WE just increased his dose to 36 and I haven't noticed much difference from his 27.. I noticed it right away when we went from 18 to 27.. He almost seems more agitated. Could this mean the dose is to high?

Lea - posted on 09/25/2009

my 16 yr old son has been on Concerta for about 18 months & has just gone up from 36 mgs to 54mgs... so far we haven't seen any of the side affects mentioned here....

Angela - posted on 09/22/2009

Total side effect of concerta, my son does the same types of things, and I know when I give him 'holiday's' from the meds, they pretty much go away. His doctor said it is normal for kids on these types of meds, and almost everyone I have talked to whose kids are on concerta say their kids have the same types of behaviors.

Tammy - posted on 09/12/2009

The school wants to put my son in speach and he also has ticks ,like touching his nose alot or touching his penis alot, he is only 6 ,The teacher also says he cries alot in class when things don't go his way.My son has been on concerta for 1 year and seemed okay on it,I thought till I really started noticing all these little things adding up.The doctor said the slurring or words , might just be the concerta and the crying and touching was a direct side affect of concerta. Well today 9-12-09 we started my son on Vyvanse I am hoping this will stop all the side affects(or most) and maybe even keep him out of speach! MY son also is very thin(he doesn't eat well on concerta) Hoping the Vyvanse helps this too!

Melissa - posted on 09/04/2009

I have a boy and a girl, who both have ADHD. My son has been on concerta for about 4 yrs and my daughter for about 2 yrs. I didn't notice anything with my son, but my daughter is always sucking on her fingers. We did take her off it and put her on 3 different types of meds. but had to take her off them because of the amount of weight she lost in a month, she weighs about 50 lbs, and with all the other meds she lost about 20 lbs on them. Which isn't good for her. Concerta seemed to keep her weight in check.