Concerta for ADHD User Reviews (Page 5)

• Yes...
• February 7, 2012

"Some of these experiences are quite alarming! I never experienced the really harsh side effects such as depression, suicidal thoughts, and any other bad side effects. I've been taking Concerta ever since I was 8. I was taken off of Concerta when I was 21, and I actually went downhill after that. I lost a lot of my friends, and I can't control my thoughts, daydreams, and mood swings, and my performance at my job declined rapidly to the point where I almost lost it. I am 23 now and just got back on Concerta and am super happy with how it has organized my mind!"

• pas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 19, 2015

"I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 7. And started taking Focalin soon after. I was very impulsive and couldn't focus. When I was 11, I started Adderall, which would keep me up at night. And I was dependent on it. Last year (13 years old), I was on 31 mg of Concerta. The first day I took it, I was lightheaded and nauseous. I am almost 14, and I take 27 mg of Concerta. It has helped immensely with social situations. I am now a 'cool' kid. I still struggle with school and am not very hungry. But overall, I think Concerta is a good fit for me. On an average day, I eat a small breakfast of toast and a fruit or vegetable, skip lunch (not ever hungry), and eat a light dinner. On the weekends, I don't take it, and I have the munchies all day."

• Den...
• January 8, 2013

"On it for 5 months now, and all I have to say is WOW. I have battled nervousness, anxiety, and a very, very low stress threshold for all my life (I'm 32 now). It all changed when I started taking Concerta. Started with 16 mg, and felt a lot more relaxed, but also started to develop a foggy kind of feeling in my head. After 2 weeks, the dose was upped to 36, and the foggy feeling subsided a bit. Then on 54 mg, 2 weeks later, it was like I could see things more clearly. My memory improved, I'm 'sharper', I actually feel smarter. All of my anxiety, nervousness, etc. is gone. Cons: had a persistent fungal infection for a while (on my foot), allergic reaction (redness), and slight tinnitus, but all in all very, very satisfied. A lifesaver for me!"

• Geo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 4, 2013

"My current dosage to treat ADHD and depression is 37 mg slow release twice daily, morning and noon. Although the medicine does not completely relieve my ADD behavior (distraction, silliness, loud speaking, impulsive acts, lack of sustained focus, poor listening skills), it does permit my mind to focus better and to self-regulate my actions. I am also doing therapy, and my wife spends a great deal of her considerable intelligence and thoughtfulness improving my mental health and, in consequence, our married life. The medication certainly helps to motivate for work, meeting and talking with people, and generally feeling a sense of my ability to function."

• Mel...
• March 29, 2015

"I really like Concerta. I was on Adderall before but had really bad anxiety and sleep side effects and even more side effects, so my doctor gave me a Concerta prescription and I took it and felt so energized and focused. I love Concerta so much, the only complaint would be it lowers my appetite and gives me a bad mood sometimes, but I use Prozac to balance that out, and this medicine is amazing. I tested it on video games and kept winning because of how focused I was. This medicine is great for ADHD, I highly recommend it."

• Axe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2019

"Concerta has been a life-changing drug. My studies have become more interesting, and I have a long attention span. I wake up before tests to study and have more motivation to do laborious tasks. It has helped with my learning disabilities in regard to memorization, math, and writing. I can read without checking my phone every minute. The downsides are you become antisocial, don't eat lunch, and don't have much of a sex drive. Once the medication wears off, you become hungry and return to normal. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the cons. I do believe I have developed a tolerance, so I will be upping my dosage from 36 mg to 54 mg in the near future. If you are struggling in school, this medication is for you! I wish I had this earlier in my life so I could choose a more challenging major."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2024

"This is my 4th ADHD medication tried, and by far the best so far. I tried amphetamines and non-stimulants first. Adderall XR and IR had awful crash that would ruin the rest of my day, excessive thirst/dry mouth, and headaches. Strattera wasn't taken long enough to be therapeutic, it just made me depressed so discontinued. 36mg Concerta has provided a level of symptom relief that I did not know was possible. I don't crash on this medication, it just slowly wears off. I'm not getting dry mouth or headaches, and eating is way easier on this med than the Adderall. I wish that I had tried this medication first, I have never felt so calm in my entire life. I just wish that it lasted 10-12h as advertised, as I'm only getting about 8h out of it."

• nit...
• December 8, 2009

"This medication has made a huge improvement for my son. He is doing better in school and has no side effects, which is a major plus to me. No mood swings, fits of rage, or emotional meltdowns. I would recommend trying this medication to anyone."

• Hom...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 9, 2015

"At the age of 10, my son's ADHD was needing medical help. He was put on Concerta 18 mg and was a little unwell for two weeks, with a sick stomach, lack of appetite, and slightly listless. Made sure he ate breakfast before taking his tablet. He did look a little thin after about 1 year. We persevered with Concerta and life quickly improved until almost all ADHD problems had disappeared. Did not increase the initial drug dose. But after 18 months, he was becoming quiet and withdrawn. Decided to stop Concerta. Mild withdrawal symptoms for a week or so. We have never looked back. He is now 14, not on any medications and is a tall, healthy teenager. Wow, recommend this tablet. He may need it again someday."

• CGa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 25, 2019

"I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD when I was in 4th grade. As a child, I did not take any medication as I experienced bad side effects. When I turned 16, I started taking the medication in order to help with my schoolwork. Now I’m 22 years old and studying engineering. The medication is really helpful in my academic life, however, it increased my depression and anxiety. Over the years I’ve been taking it, the medication decreased in its effectiveness, and I had to continually up the dosage. I’m only saying this because for anyone who needs to use it, they need to be aware and check themselves and their mental state. If you continuously ensure that it doesn’t negatively affect your mental state and your personal relationships, then it is a very helpful and lifesaving drug. Just be careful and aware."

• Aku...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 15, 2017

"I am a 28-year-old female with ADD and a mild form of narcolepsy. Before Concerta, I was tired and sleepy ALL the time and distracted. It’s gotten to the point where it was affecting my work. I thought enough was enough and went to my doctor. Concerta was the first medication he prescribed, and it’s the best. But we experimented with Adderall (good pill but knocked me out at 7:00 PM after it wore off, so it didn’t address narcolepsy) and Ritalin (heart rate was just insane) and Vyvanse (gave me anxiety that I never had). With Concerta, I have 0 side effects, I am never sleepy anymore (but sleep well at night), and distraction levels have decreased significantly. Giving it a 9 because I am not at 100% with focus. I wish it were slightly stronger."

• Anonymous
• October 9, 2017

"I am a 20 y/o girl. I was on 54 mg of Concerta once a day. This drug was the worst thing that's ever happened to me. It did help my grades, but I felt most of it was placebo, and the fact that the side effects were so horrible, I wanted to focus on work to distract myself. It made my anxiety unbearable and constant. My heart beat in my head. My whole left arm and pinky would feel numb and prickly. I knew I was hungry but could not eat and was disgusted by food. I fell into a horrible depression and felt just overwhelming darkness. The pros were that it made sitting in long classes and retaining information much easier. I felt excited about learning and getting work done. Overall, it helped with school, but the side effects are not worth it."

• Anonymous
• March 21, 2011

"My son was diagnosed with ADHD (predominantly inattentive) two years ago. I tried all kinds of non-medication treatments: tutors, 504 Plan, psychotherapy, meditation, Omega-3, diet, patience, love, encouragement, bribery... everything I could think of, but his grades continued to decline. He was finally prescribed 18 mg of Concerta. By the end of the 1st week, he was acing his tests, and his teacher said she finally has a student to teach and not just a body. The change is amazing. Slight decrease in appetite and the first couple of days it affected his sleep. Other than that, no side effects."

• Hop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2019

"I'm a male, 29 years old and weight approximately 155 lb. I was diagnosed with ADHD 5 years ago. I tried Dex, but felt it was too potent, had bad crashes, so I decided to stop taking stimulants completely. Until today, I decided to try Concerta at 27 mg. In my opinion so far, it's definitely smoother and calming compared to other stimulants where you feel wired. It also helped with my attention and focus. Only downfall is it only lasted literally 2 hours. I'm hoping it's because of the dosage, so I'll see if I can raise it to 36 mg. PS if anyone has had the same issue with it wearing off too fast and found a solution, please share :) Cheers!"

• Cha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2021

"Concerta did absolutely nothing for me. Started on 18 mg, no effect, but this was expected because it's a low dose. Went up to 36 mg, no effect. Tried 54 mg as a last resort, no change at all. This medication is supposed to be a stimulant, but honestly, I could take 54 mg before bed and sleep for 10 hours. Even my blood pressure and appetite stayed the same, no matter how high the dose was. I think I'm a non-responder. Looking to switch to Vyvanse after this month's supply finishes."

• fru...
• November 6, 2009

"Started Concerta 5 weeks ago. Started with a 'pediatric' dose (I'm almost 40) and worked up to 54 mg. LOVE that I can finally focus and finish tasks, work is getting completed, my lists are getting checked off, and I'm making it to appointments on time. THEN...2 weeks ago, slight insomnia started to get worse, and minor anxiety...thought it was various life issues I was dealing with. Tonight...I'm dealing with severe insomnia and anxiety so bad I can barely sit and research my problem. I have a check-up with my doctor in 2 weeks, I'm calling tomorrow to get in sooner. I'm very upset as it solved my ADD problems and thought I started a new life...I do not want to start the trial and error roller coaster all over."

• Cha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 15, 2016

"I am 20 years old, and I did exceedingly well in high school and nursing school without ADHD medication. Once I graduated and moved into the workplace, my ADHD spun completely out of control. I had a very hard time adjusting. This medication has helped me think clearly, focus on tasks, and stop me from being so impulsive and rude. My appetite has gone down for sure, but I try to focus on superfoods I can eat in small amounts. I think it's important to have coping strategies and work through your ADHD before jumping straight to medications. I would highly recommend this medication for adults who are struggling, not for children, though."

• Isa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 4, 2022

"When I took Concerta briefly, I was 16 years old. This happened to be during the shutdown pandemic, so online school was our classroom. My doctor prescribed Concerta to me for my ADHD in hopes that my grades would rise and I would focus with the distractions that came with online school. I took Concerta from September 2020 to October 2020. This was quite possibly the worst I had felt in my life, and Concerta was to blame. I am a very happy person, always willing to help others, and I’m very much an extrovert. Being on Concerta stopped my happy personality, and even my family noticed such a heavy difference. I would find myself easily irritated at the smallest things and get very upset over them. I also had no control over my emotions (I would cry out of nowhere). My appetite was probably the worst side effect. I would take the medication at 7 a.m. (before school) and not feel the need to eat anything for hours, meaning that I would go every day without breakfast, lunch, or dinner."

• Veg...
• May 11, 2014

"I am 34 years old. I started with 27 mg. Over several weeks, I worked up to 36 mg in the morning, then 10 mg in mid-afternoon. My husband has seen an improvement in my mood. I feel less angry and better able to cope with daily life. I stay awake during the day now (I was very fatigued pre-Concerta and sleeping a lot). I am sleeping the best I ever have at night. My mind doesn't race as much as it used to. I still experience anxiety, but it hasn't increased since Concerta. I get more headaches, and I seem to continuously suck and rub my tongue on the inside of my mouth. It annoys me and causes tongue ulcers, but I guess it is a small price to pay."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2024

"***GAME CHANGER*** My 11-year-old daughter was failing 5th grade last year because she couldn't keep up with tasks and organization that 5th grade required. She is now in 6th grade with high B's & A's. I am 37 and I am unorganized, unable to focus, I get overwhelmed and anxious. I started Concerta back in September 2023 and it has changed my life. I no longer have the racing self-sabotaging thoughts and can finish tasks and have a conversation without being all over the place."

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 27, 2014

"Amazing medicine. Helped with my recently diagnosed ADHD-PI (ADD). I am on 27 mg and have no known side effects. It has boosted my grades, and my work is done quicker. It is the best thing that has happened to me. I haven't registered my ADD as a chronic illness, but know I will get it covered fully if I do."

• Anonymous
• May 7, 2012

"After the first day of taking Concerta, I feel like: oh, this is how normal people feel. The medicine did not get me hyper, but instead, it made me feel a lot more alive. Exactly fit my expectation. Thank you."

• eee...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 7, 2014

"Intensified anxiety, and taken with Abilify, I did not know if I was hungry for a long time. My weight went up and down, and I stayed on the same dose for 9 years. It made no sense. In hindsight, the Abilify was merely treating symptoms caused by side effects of Concerta. I would encourage everyone who has been ignored when they asked mental health professionals for help to also encourage careful review and make informed decisions about medications. Educate yourself!"

• Jul...
• April 8, 2015

"I am currently a junior in high school on Concerta, going on 4 years with it, and I can honestly say it does work very well. It helps me focus a lot, and you can see the results reflected in my academics and how good they got. But the side effects are the downfall, of course. I get insomnia, and I lose my appetite completely for a whole day. And on top of that, I feel emotionless, like a robot that all it wants to do is study and focus. It takes a toll on social life, but I guess that's the price we all have to go through when taking medications."

• Anonymous
• March 18, 2009

"I used Concerta for my ADD, and it worked pretty well. It gave me a little boost and helped me concentrate better, but it kind of just felt like I was on a controlled form of caffeine. The side effects were a lack of hunger, mood swings, and the crash was terrible. I felt tired and got in a terrible mood. So, it does help, I'm not going to lie, but I have since switched to another medicine because the side effects were too much for me."