Concerta Medication for ADHD

I started my son on ADHD meds at age 6, and honestly if I had known how much it would have helped him I would have put him on it sooner. You will start to a change within an hour of the first dose. Signs that you want to watch for is extreme mood changes, aggressive behaviors, and poor eating. I've found that the way to tell your child is on the proper dose is that they don't seem run down, but still have a good amount of energy. If they are still all over the place you'll want to note the times to see if your child needs a booster dose or needs a stronger dose.

It is very important to regularly see the doctor every 6-12 weeks, monitor weight gain/loss and height growth. If your child is losing weight you might need to adjust how you give the medicine such as waiting until they finish their breakfast, adding a bedtime snack, or by giving nutrient dense high calorie meals/snacks if you can't get them to eat more quantity. Behavioral treatment and teaching coping skills will be important as well as part of the treatment plan.

As someone with ADHD and a parent of children with ADHD, I really urge you not to feel badly. My parents never put me on medicine for my ADHD and while I adapted skills to cope, once I got medicine as an adult it was like a whole new world for me. I saw things that I wouldn't notice before, I could complete tasks faster and still be attentive to details. I could really read, write, study, clean, and function so much better. I could take control of my life whereas when I wasn't medicated I was struggling to keep up, and I couldn't see how to get things organized and stay organized. It was very overwhelming and frustrating.

If your child needed insulin because they had type 1 Diabetes, you'd give them medicine and teach them how to control their blood sugar, etc. Having ADD/ADHD is something people shouldn't be afraid to help their children if they need medicine.

Imagine that using your brain normally is like being a train passenger. You know how to check the schedule, get on and off the train from station platforms, and it's clear how to get where you want. ADHD is like being a hobo in a busy high speed railyard. Instead of being able to wait at the station platforms and ride the trains like other passengers, you have to try to run and hop onto trains as they speed past and hold on for dear life. You can be unexpectedly snagged off the train you hopped on by another train passing by. You don't really get where you want easily and you don't feel relaxed at any point because of how much effort it takes to get anywhere.

By giving your child medicine you are giving him a ticket to ride inside the train. He'll still need help to learn how to do things since it will be a different process from what he used to do, but it will be so much better than before.

As children with ADD/ADHD get into puberty, the hormonal changes can really affect how medicine works. You might be adjusting things very frequently. This is normal. Exercise is important but there is no perfect treatment course, or cure. That isn't to say you shouldn't try adjustments in diet, etc. but for some they might always need medicine. I wish more people understood that.

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Laeh G .... you 'give the advice every couple of days" ..... well then, okay here I go.........maybe you need to stop. She SPECIFICALLY said not to respond with anything other than support. Shame on you.

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I have a very good friend whose child struggled for a long time. She was absolutely opposed to any medications, but when all else failed, she did what you are doing and started him out during the summer on Concerta.
It was a fairly low dose, he wasn't zombied out or anything. He made progress by leaps and bounds in school.
Now....that is not to say that it's a magic pill by any means. She still had to work with him every day on focusing and taking one task at a time and he developed healthy habits. He was doing so well, that the doctor, a couple of summers later, recommended slowly lowering the dosage to see how he handled it. He no longer takes any medication whatsoever. His habits and focusing techniques are such that he is able to manage without the medicine.
In this instance, the medication was a tool, and not seen as a cure. My friend has no regrets. Her son found confidence in himself and felt successful at school which built his self esteem and everything just kind of clicked into place.
The changes didn't happen over night, but they were very noticeable. I've known the kids since he was just a little guy and now he's a teenager.
His doctor, in my opinion, was very smart to only make any changes over the summer so that school wasn't affected if there were behavioral changes.
You're not a horrible mother, in my opinion. My friend had tried everything...counseling, behavioral health, his teachers were great and worked very closely with her. Her son just kept sinking down and down because he was struggling so much.
It worked very well for the child I know and I hope that you have the same positive experience.

Best wishes.

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My 9 yo grandson is on Concerta. His mother resisted medicating him for several years but his behavior reached the point that she decided to try it. He was on a different medication first, I don't remember which one. It made his behavior worse. He was even less co-operative and hit more often.

His behavior has improved on Concerta. He's calmer and more co-operative. He's also in a special needs school that goes year round. This placement is part of the reason his behavior has improved.

I suggest that you will know if this medication is working or not working by observing his behavior. My grandson's doctor said that he should take the medication for a month before knowing if it will work. However, my grandson's behavior was so difficult that the doctor took him off the first medication at 2 weeks. I think it did take about a month to recognize a difference in his behavior on Concerta.

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My oldest boy has ADHD and has been on Concerta for several years now. it was the first medicine that we tried and it worked quickly and well (in addition to behavior monitoring and diet restrictions). my youngest boy has just been diagnosed with ADD and we will have to decide soon about meds for him. I am nervous about it yet again because of the same reasons as you. It doesn't get easier to med you child ever. In the end we will likely do it, but with the same caution as we did the first time.

Do your research on the medicine, such as asking this question. Set him on a schedule and keep him on it. Keep rules simple and discipline firm. He has to know that he can control himself on his own. I preach to my oldest that he is in control, not the pill or the ADHD. it's an empowering idea that helps him gain confidence. Meds are there to aid the children when done right.

It seems I give this advise every few days on this site. Here it is again. ADHD, OCD, Autism run in my family. We have used for different children, Tai Kwan Do, Modern Dance, Gymnastics and so on. They have worked every time.
I am the voice of experience as I found the modern dance class for myself.
Two days a week better three. The inner discipline you learn is what gives you the force to overcome the compulsions and mental/emotional problems you have.Another thing diet is a BIG factor. My kids ate organic food no additives and no sugar.
Do not let the doctor and psychologist pressure you into something you really do not want to do. Find a homeopath. That is a real cure.
My nine year old grandson is an honor student. Diagnosed and really pressured by his teacher to put him on something my daughter resisted and he's become mature and more able to control himself.

I too have an eight and a half yr old son who was on ritalin and that did not work, he is now on Concerta and we would tell in 3 days. He was more cooperative, not as angered all of the time. Eating was a huge problem as he did not eat much during the day but at night he would eat and I mean a lot. We now have that figured out.
I didn't want to do the medication but I AM glad that I did. Best thing ever for me and my child!
Good luck

My daughter took Concerta also. She started out on the lowest dose. I could tell it was working right away. The only side effects that she experienced was a diminished appetite and (unfortunately) not being able to fall asleep at night right away. For a while I was also giving her melatonin occasionally to help her sleep. Other than that she was great. I did work with her teacher and checked up on her frequently to see how she was doing in school, if she was a zombie or still too hyper. We did have to adjust her dosage 3 times I believe. My problem with Concerta for my child was that even though it says it is an all day pill, it seemed like it was "wearing off" around 3/4pm. She ended up taking 2 pills a day, 2 lower doses split up, once in the morning and one after school. Unfortunately for us, after a year or so, I just didn't see much difference. We ended up switching her to Straterra for a while. Again, pretty much the same as Concerta, but soon I noticed that when she would get angry she seemed to stay angry for a long time. I started not giving it to her on the weekends to see how she was doing on her own, and it seemed like she could get over her anger ALOT quicker on her own. So eventually I stopped giving her anything all together. So right now she is on no meds and doing pretty good I think. The last part of school, she did great and the teacher never had any problems with her. I know alot of people say that they aren't supposed to "grow out of it" but I think she has learned to manage a bit better on her own and has matured since this whole ordeal started. She was diagnosed at 5/6 and is now going to be 9.
Good luck and you will know if it is working for you or not. And if you don't like one med, try another to find the best fit

My nephew started medication when he was younger, maybe 5. He was just out of control. He is going into high school next year at a great Chicago HS--not sure which one. This kid is super smart (puts a puzzle together in seconds while you are trying to figure out what you are supposed to do). He is also being lowered now with his dosage and there is such a great improvement from the time he was not taking anything. He used to not talk when he was younger but now, he will open up and interact with my kids who are a few years younger. He did develop a facial tick for a while and his growth was stunted a bit but by no means horrible, just not the tall height my family tends to have. You need to do what works for you and your family. As already mentioned, you probably are starting at a lower dose and it can be adjusted. Don't be afraid to ask a ton of questions, there are no stupid questions when dealing with challenges with our kids.

We started our son on Concerta just a few months ago, and the difference has been significant. For the record, we tried everything (including diet), and were strongly resistant to the idea of medication. There is no question that a lot of children are medicated who should not be. What I had to learn was that a small percentage of the population genuinely needs this kind of medication, and that my son is one of them.

First, work with your doctor. His appetite and sleep habits will probably suffer at first. We made sure he ate big breakfasts and dinners because his mid-day appetite decreased. We also kept to his regular bedtime even though for the first few weeks, he could not fall asleep before 10:00. Make sure your physician is apprised of any changes to his sleep and appetite.

Secondly, before he starts school, make sure the school principal, counselor and teacher are all aware and WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU. The medication cannot change learned behaviors, and kids with ADHD have a boatload of behaviors they've learned in response to their focus challenges. Get recommendations for the teachers from your diagnostician if you need to do that. Create parallel disciplinary structures at home and school to help him navigate both environments.

Finally, engage your son in the process. We told our son that his brain was just moving too fast to let him pay attention in school, and that his morning pill will help him to sit still and listen. Because really, that's exactly what it does.

Good luck!

Hi,
I have two children that are diagnosed with ADHD and on medication. Never, Never feel guilty on putting your son on medication, because it's the best thing we ever did for my two boys. They are completely different when they are on medication. They were C students; and with the medication, they are both straight A students. They are able to lead a normal life, because they could not concentrate at all. Anyway, both boys started on concerta, which didn't work because both had issues with headaches. We had to go through about three adjustments of medication before we noticed a difference. Each person is different too. Read the label on the medication to ensure you know the symptoms, plus your doctor and pharmacists can help you too. We had to watch for headaches and the decrease in appetite is normal. I feed them a big breakfast before I give them the medicine, becaus they don't eat lunch, but then they also eat a big dinner. Each boy had no problems with their growth, they are both the tallest kids in class so that wasn't an issue for us. When we knew the medication is right...the ADHD symtoms went away...like the defiant and impulsive behavior went away. We also worked with the teachers to see if they were working well in class, the teachers probably notices more since class room behavior can be easily detected. Make sure you take advantage of the teacher conferences too, which helps you notice the child progress.

Good Luck....you are almost there...the diagonse was the hardest part....it does get easier from here.

Plus, Laeh G....is full of it...been there done that....it doesn't work some people just need the medication...tests proved it on my kids.

Hi there. I have an 11 year old son who started Concerta during this past school year. We held off on medication for a long time, but he struggled greatly in class and even with the help of counseling, his grades and behavior were horrible. We started him on the lowest dose possible, and watched him closely. When he was still having behavior issues, we increased the dose a little, then did it again. We finally have him on 36 mg and saw a huge difference in his grades and his attitude. We still have to push him to do his homework and to focus, but the arguments have decreased dramatically.

I was very concerned about the possible side affects, especially the sleep issues they can have. But this has not been a problem at all. The one thing we do have an issue with is his appetite. We can really tell when the medicine kicks in, because he seems to lose all interest in eating. And like one of the prior posts, he gets really hungry when it seems to wear off in the evening. Usually right around bed time! But we've talked to him and told him that he doesn't have to eat a lot at meal time, he just needs to eat a little, a lot of the time.

He did lose a few pounds in the beginning, but we're trying to stay on top of him and make sure he's eating healthily!

And you are not allowed to just automatically refill these meds. So every time we call for a refill, we usually speak with the doctor, and he makes sure that my son comes in every few months to be checked.

I can honestly say that it has been a really positive experience for us. And as they get older and mature, they will learn ways to adjust and what they need to do to manage. As our counselor told us, he may always need help with organization and will probably always be messy, but he won't always need medication.

Good luck. Don't let the horror stories scare you.

I noticed a difference almost immediately. Like others said the main negatives you may notice are eating and sleeping. You want to get him on a dose high enough to be effective in controlling his ADHD and low enough that he can still eat and sleep. He won't be hungry for lunch. Don't pust it. Just know that he won't be and serve him something really small. He will make up for it in the evenings. Have quiet time in his room with reading in bed if he can't sleep. That side effect will go away after time with many kids but it does take some time. Good luck, hope you have great results!