Thoughts on Concerta

[pumpkingirl71]

My seven year old started Concerta yesterday and so far it seems like a miracle drug.  We had a whole day with out aggressive impulsivity and tantrums over not being able to calm down.  I am trying not to wish for too much.  Does anyone have any thoughts on how the effectiveness of this drug changes over time?  My daughter's main problems are attachment and trauma, but her symptoms look like ADHD.

[MommyKelly]

My 5 yo was on concertra for the same thing. It worked great for a few weeks, then nothing :( We now have him on abilify and tenex, which  has been a miracle. But also I have been on concerta for over a year for adhd and love it. I think it just depends on the person.

[pumpkingirl71]

Thanks Kelly, good to know that if this doesn't work, we can try something else! 

[MommyKelly]

Originally Posted by pumpkingirl71 

Thanks Kelly, good to know that if this doesn't work, we can try something else! 

I have a cabinet full of "didnt work" LOL. I am SO happy we finally found what did! Feel free to PM me if you ever have a question you dont want to post :)

[mommm]

My 11 year old starts tomorrow, and I'm wondering how it's going now for our daughter?  Still good? Any concerns?  Thanks!

[Emmeline II]

How and how long it is effective is different for everyone. Ds only took it a couple of months before we had to move on to another medication. Here is another Concerta thread: Questions for kids with ADHD taking Concerta

[pumpkingirl71]

Thanks for all of the help!  Concerta is a miracle for my daughter's behavior and slef esteem, now we have to figure out how to deal with the lack of sleep and appetite...

[MommyKelly]

Originally Posted by pumpkingirl71 

Thanks for all of the help!  Concerta is a miracle for my daughter's behavior and slef esteem, now we have to figure out how to deal with the lack of sleep and appetite...

Her appetite should pick back up after awhile. As for sleep I have kids that take melatonin and ones that take clonidine.

[pumpkingirl71]

Through looking around, it seems that my daughter is on a pretty high dose, 54 mg.  Does that seem crazy?  I have found quite a few different opinons on how Concerta should be dosed as compared to other ritalin type drugs.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by pumpkingirl71 

Through looking around, it seems that my daughter is on a pretty high dose, 54 mg.  Does that seem crazy?  I have found quite a few different opinons on how Concerta should be dosed as compared to other ritalin type drugs.

As far as I know they are all dosed the same: the lowest dose that provides the best results with acceptable or no side effects.

[MommyKelly]

Ds was on 27mg when he was 4 and 40lbs

The high end for age 6 to 12 is 54 so I wouldn't be too concerned about it. 

I take 72mg

[mommm]

DS is still on the intro dose...  So he's on 18?  So no difference or side effects, Dr is starting him off on 2 weeks to get him used to it, but I am wondering if we should start him faster if he's OK.  But for now I'll stick to Dr's recommendations.

Cheers!

[SpottedFoxx]

Originally Posted by MommyKelly 

I have a cabinet full of "didnt work" LOL. I am SO happy we finally found what did! Feel free to PM me if you ever have a question you dont want to post :)

Not to get off topic but... it's unsafe to have drugs just laying around the house.  If you google "disposal of prescription medication", they have a program once or twice a year where you can take your unused medication to a DEA agent (they usually set up at our local library) and they have you dump it into a container and they take it and dispose of it properly - that way it doesn't end up in our water supply or in our landfills.

[MommyKelly]

Originally Posted by SpottedFoxx 

Not to get off topic but... it's unsafe to have drugs just laying around the house.  If you google "disposal of prescription medication", they have a program once or twice a year where you can take your unused medication to a DEA agent (they usually set up at our local library) and they have you dump it into a container and they take it and dispose of it properly - that way it doesn't end up in our water supply or in our landfills.

That was a metaphor. And also I would never have drugs "just laying around the house". All meds are kept in a locked container approved by my states social services dept. I purchase a envelope from Walgreens where I mail them in to be disposed of properly when we dont use them

[mommm]

DS is up to 36 on his concerta.  I don't notice anything, but he has no noon-time appetite.  We're trying to send nutritious things in (chicken vs sandwich) and hopefully he eats SOME good stuff.  He's gone down 4 lbs (which was OK for him, he has over 10 to lose, if it's not too fast we'll both be happy enough.)

I will keep an eye on the scale, not sure what i should be looking for.