Effects of too much Concerta - ADD / ADHD Message Board

LLinder · 03-05-2004, 09:11 PM

We recently switched our 8 yr old son from 18 to 27mg of Concerta. In the past week we have seen an increase in agression, impulsiveness and disruptive behavior. He was sent out into the hallway 2X this week at school for this behavior (This is something new.) The 18mg seems to have lost its effectiveness. But could the reaction we are seeing with the 27mg be a result of too much medication in his system? By the way, most of these behaviors are occuring around the time the medicine peaks (1 - 2 p.m.)

thanks in advance for your help.

* Free ~ Spirit * · 03-05-2004, 10:17 PM

Sounds like too much meds to me. What treatments other than stimulant medication have you tried?

Remember these meds are related to cocaine/amphetamines so you are likely to see side effects similar to those seen in people who abuse street drugs. High doses can cause aggitation, irritability, aggression, and other similar behaviors.

If you have already tried other safer methods but medication was the only thing that worked then talk to your sons doc about lowering the dose back to 18mg, if its not working well anymore then maybe a change in medication would be an option. There are supplements that can be taken along with medication. It may help to reduce the dose needed.

If you have not tried any other treatment methods then I suggest you do that.

Coopersmom · 03-07-2004, 04:48 PM

LLinder, my son did not fare well on Concerta. He too became very emotional and then I discovered he was not sleeping at all which put him in a very bad mood. He then switched to Adderall which he did well on but once again we were moving his mg's up too often. Now he is on 25 mg of Strattera and 15 mg of Adderall. This has been a heaven sent combination for him. It was like they both cancelled out any side effects of the other. He is happy, eating so much better, sleeps great, behaving at home like an angel, getting really good grades. Still in a little trouble at school but what can you expect in a class with 13 eight year old boys!

We have only been using this combination for about a month so I don't know what the future holds, but so far so good. There is another mom on this board whose son takes Concerta and Strattera with excellent results too. You might want to talk to your doctor.

Free Spirit-you always give great advice but remember that some children do better on meds than with alternative treatments. Each person is different. I wish you would refrain from throwing out that "cocaine" reference all the time. Parents have to follow their own intuition and do what they feel is best for their child. Just like I am sure yours tried to do for you.

Just..Me · 03-07-2004, 05:01 PM

I would propose that it is just his body adjusting to the new dose. If I rememebre Concerta does have a build up period. I am thinking it is a period of about 13 days if I recall my discussion with my pharmacist.

Concerta stopped working for my son - he got too tall and too big... lol (good linebacker material) so we had to find an alternative.

* Free ~ Spirit * · 03-08-2004, 09:54 AM

When I mention alternative treatments I'm not just talking about supplements, diet and the treatments I use. I'm talking about all the wonderful treatments out there that are very rarely taken advantage of. It only makes sense to try the safest treatments first and move on to others only if its absolutely necessary. Way too many children are given these medications without even having proper testing done. The TOVA and the ADD surveys they use to diagnose are a complete joke! What about getting a complete physical, blood tests, urine tests, to rule out physical causes of the symptoms? What about testing learning styles to insure that a child is truely ADD and not just a tactile or right brained learner?

If medication is the only thing that works then so be it. But it does not change the fact that these meds are related to cocaine/amphetamines and people need to be aware of this. I am shocked at the number of people who are taking adderall and have no idea that it is amphetamine salts.

My parent tried to do what was best for me? By never researching, never reading, never looking for safer options. Drugging me throughout my childhood with amphetamines which can cause numerous problems. Why? So that I would not be hyperactive, so that I would not be diseruptive, so she wouldnt have to spend as much time helping me with my homework? Yes, she tried to do what was best for me and ended up doing more harm than good. All because other treatments were not explored first. If they had been, a lot of issues caused by the adderall would have been avoided! Of course, she is not the one who had to deal with the effects of the medication. To her the adderall = a well behaved coopertive child who did better on homework. Now I am OK, I have recovered from the years of being medicated. I know many many others however, who are not so lucky.