Hello everyone, new poster here. I take 72mg of Concerta daily to treat ADD...so far the results have been relatively positive. I am able to complete more projects without losing focus, and "feel" the drive to follow through with mundane (but necessary) tasks with significantly more ease than before.
My question is to those of you who have personal experience with Concerta: When the XR pill releases it's initial "burst" about an hour or so after taking it, do you feel a lift in your mood? I don't mean the euphoric feeling one gets from insufflation of crushed methylphenidate, but rather a subtle increase in your desire and confidence to become productive?
I realize that, from a chemical/medical point of view, this is a question which depends on a lot of factors specific to one's own biological makeup, but I was hoping to get some "non-medical" first-person feedback on others who have used Concerta to treat ADD.
Speaking for my 16 year old son, who was taking Concerta, it worked very well for him. He is more the ADD type, so it gave him energy and the ability to focus. I would say that he shared similar experiences. He did have a drive and feeling of well-being. I'm not sure if XR was available at the time and if he was on timed release. I do know it worked well for up to 12 hours.
Yes when it's at the correct dose you should notice the difference. If you don't then it's not working. I consider it the unveiling moment. You know the time when the fog is lifted and you feel good (not in the feel good "high" sense) but in the feel good sense that yes I can do this day. Motivation and getting things done were always a problem for me too. Low energy ADD er myself I lived life pushing myself every minute of every day. Good luck and enjoy life now!
The following user gives a hug of support to Milliegirl50: amudgarden (12-11-2011)
What you're experiencing is what I generally call euphoria. My reason for calling it euphoria is this: anytime you start a stimulant treatment, you will have a period where you receive a general sense of well-being, along with a strong sense of motivation. I find that this effect is often interpreted as the way the med is supposed to work, when indeed it is temporary. In a lot of cases, this euphoria is matched by an opposite reaction when the meds wear off; listlessness and depression, especially when taking Adderall.
Unless the high/low cycle is overly pronounced, this doesn't mean that your dose is too high, but be warned that it will likely not continue. In a week or two, your body and brain will adjust to the increased level of neurotransmitters, and the mood alteration will subside. What you should be left with, when this happens, is a generally better ability to focus, and a better ability to follow through on tasks that you begin.
The loss of euphoric effect does not mean the meds have stopped working, so don't panic if it disappears. Take the time to judge the meds on your abilities to concentrate and follow through.
When I first started taking concerta, I loved it because of that motivation to do things I would get at just the perfect time of day. But then the wonder of it all wore off, I stopped feeling that motivation and instead just felt sick and had a migraine. This never went away and eventually I had to stop taking the concerta. Hopefully you continue to feel the energy, and not get the side effects. Concerta works well for most people and they are probably better off helping you, but figured I'd put my two sense.
