I am 19 years old and I have been taking Concerta 27 mg for the past 2 weeks. I haven't really felt any side effects, except I can't wake up in the morning. I've always been able to wake up early, and recently, I've been waking up late, not hearing my alarm clocks, and once I actually do get up, I end up sitting down and falling asleep again. I take it when I get up (usually around 8 am), and I don't have any trouble falling asleep. Everyone I've talked to thinks it's because of the medicine...has anyone else had this problem with it? Thanks!

My son has a hard time waking up too but he takes his meds at 6 a.m becaus he goes to school by 7:30 a.m. I do not know what to tell you but I do wake him up for school so he does not over sleep.

My son is on Concerta 36mg and also sleeps alot. He has become a very sound sleeper. Does not even hear the alarm going off right next to him. And he is also hard to wake up now.

Just curious, how old is your son? I have also noticed a really big change in my mood...I originally went to my doctor to get tested for ADD, but they sent me to a therapist who just put me on 3 different antidepressants for my mood and anxiety, all over the course of the past 4 months. The antidepressants didn't really help at all (or so I thought), and my doctor didn't either, so he put me on the Concerta. Now I'm feeling really depressed, and I'm a lot more angry/violent than I used to be. I also don't really have any initiative to do my school work, so my grades are suffering. My mom says that this is happening because I don't need Concerta, so it's having the opposite effect than it should...what do you guys think? I know something is wrong...I just don't know what.

Now I'm feeling really depressed, and I'm a lot more angry/violent than I used to be. I also don't really have any initiative to do my school work, so my grades are suffering.

If the Concerta is making you feel this bad and your school work is getting worse not better, then I would have to say that Concerta is not the drug for you. Talk to your doctor again!

Do you feel this way all day or is it only happening late in the day (when the Concerta is wearing off)?

I feel okay for a few hours after I take it, but yeah, I guess it does get worse when the Concerta is wearing off. By 3:00 I feel really bad...and it only gets worse the later in the day it gets. So by the time I go to work (usually around 4 or 5), I'm in a horrible mood.

Well, you could try taking your Concerta a little later in the morning to see if it helps with the mood. Make a mental note to yourself of when you take it and when you start feeling bad. The changes your doctor might make will be determined by the timing of your side effects - that is, whether your side effects are worse when the medication is peaking in your system or is it when the medication is wearing off.

In either case, if it's not helping and is making you feel worse, you need to talk to your doctor.

Good luck!

PS. Also, for right now, try to plan your schoolwork for the time of day when you feel best so that you can concentrate better. Don't leave it for late in the day when you know you aren't going to feel good.

My son was on Concerta for a couple of months also, and we noticed that he had become more aggressive, angry, and violent. He has since refused to take any more (he's 18). He also. I've also been told that he has several different medical conditions including conduct disorder, auditory processing deficit, was taking prescribed growth hormones, and male hormone replacement. I think it runs deeper than ADD, although he displays all the classic signs.

When do you go back to your doctor? It sounds like he/she could help you adjust the type or quantity or preperation so that it lasts you all day. He might increase the dose (if you are just starting out on it, it's probably a pretty low dose) or try a shorter-lasting pill, then have you take it twice a day. (Personally, I would NEVER remember to take that second dose!) If you've been on this med a while, and you've already tried these changes, he can switch you over to ritalin or adderall or some of the other ADD meds out there. Each one works a little different, and it's up to you and your doctor to monkey around with it until you hit on the right combo.

I just started Concerta myself. She started me out on 36 mg which is super low for an adult. I find that around 3 or 4 o'clock, I start feeling kind of dizzy and I get a "sinking" feeling like I've got to take a nap. :yawn: Next month, I'm going to see if she'll up my dose or something so it will last longer and be a little more effective.

HTH,
Amy