Concerta and Depression: What Users Say

• ajj...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 22, 2014

For ADHD "I started Concerta when I was in 7th grade. I am now 14, and I started off with 36mg. Now I am on 54mg. At first, I had a big boost in my grades! I started getting A's! This year, I have been noticing in school that I have been more anxious, depressed, not hungry during the day, and a little bit socially awkward. I am trying to deal with my side effects. I am going to the doctor soon about Concerta. You are not alone."

• Max...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 5, 2015

For ADHD "Worked for me the first year I took it but then it started to have really bad side effects. I have ADD but I don't have hyperactivity and I was getting socially awkward and having anxiety and even depression. I don't recommend it for someone who's not hyperactive."

• Abb...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 5, 2014

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADHD in 8th grade and put on 20mg of Concerta, which has since risen to 54mg extended release in the day and 10mg immediate release in the evening for when I do my homework. At first, the medicine was great - it allowed me to focus and my grades went up significantly. However, over the past year or so, I have been experiencing negative side effects such as depression, headaches, and loss of appetite. I can manage the headaches and appetite problems, but as for the depression, it is so bad that I am considering switching to another brand or changing my dose because when I am on Concerta, I become virtually emotionless, and as a result, I am struggling to maintain good relationships with my friends and family members."

• Ano...
• November 12, 2013

For ADHD "I would recommend this medication ONLY if you are 100% positive you need medication, by that I mean teachers and family recognizing the issue. My mom finally decided to give me Concerta during early middle school after my teachers advised it for a few years. I recommend beginning with 9 mg and slowly going up if needed. This medication is horrible in my life in the sense that I feel like I need it to do good in school, especially now I'm in college. But it causes me to be incredibly depressed. I continue to take it because grades are first, but for kids I recommend keeping a very close eye on them and follow up on depression issues because as a kid in middle school, it was horrible."

• Tyj...
• January 27, 2014

For ADHD "It makes me depressed. Yes, it helps me focus, and it helps me with my school work, but when I am on Concerta, I am 100% emotionless and it is the worst feeling I have ever experienced. Constant depression until it wears off later in the night time."

• rji...
• January 12, 2009

For ADHD "I am 26 years old and have been using Concerta for approximately 9 months. I have been extremely impressed with my new ability to focus and attention to detail. I have always been a daydreamer, and that paid off in creativity. However, daydreaming during a meeting with the president of the company you work for doesn't pay off. My wife, out of angst, suggested that I might have ADHD and should consider getting tested. After a 5-hour psychological evaluation, it was decidedly so. Since I have started Concerta, I have been promoted to the top position in my office. It controls my anxiety and keeps me calm and focused. The only side effects that I have noticed are weight loss (lost 30 lbs) due to loss of appetite and a lack of emotion."

• Anonymous
• January 7, 2016

For ADHD "I have been taking this for 10 years (started at 18 mg, went up to 36 mg). Recently (several months ago), I developed several horrible side effects. For example, it made me feel nervous. I could not keep still. It also made me extra irritable (to the point I was yelling at my friends for the littlest things). I also felt depressed (to the point I did not want to get out of bed at all) and could not sleep. The doctor brought me down to 18 mg, symptoms did not improve. I immediately stopped taking this and felt 100% better the next day. The doctor put me on Adderall XR, which works a lot better with very little side effects. Please avoid Concerta if possible."

• Abi...
• January 5, 2016

For ADHD "This is not the drug for everyone. I was absolutely miserable on Concerta. I was restless, anxious, needy, fidgety, irritable, and depressed. My psychiatric practitioner attempted to cure these symptoms by prescribing higher doses. I eventually had a meltdown. As soon as I stopped, it was like I was instantly better. I know this drug works wonders for some people, but please be careful."

• Cat...
• February 8, 2016

For ADHD "I've been taking Concerta for 3 years now, and I'm 18. I started out with 18 mg and slowly went up to 54 mg. My grades went from really low to average in weeks, but the side effects are really crappy. I have trouble sleeping at night, and I feel things that aren't there. I also have a big loss of appetite and have to force myself to eat sometimes. I have days where I get really depressed to the point that I don't want to get out of bed and do anything. I also feel really anxious and on edge, and I start scratching/picking at my skin, which gave me scars all over my back. I thought about it and went off the pill, and my grades suddenly dropped again. The pill really does help with focus and motivation, but the side effects are really tough!!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 23, 2022

For ADHD "Concerta may work for some people, but it actually screws up. (I’m a minor and can’t make myself talk to my parents - partially because of the drug). Although it has proven to “work” for me, this stupid drug makes me feel like a walking corpse. I feel usually numb throughout the day and have an emotional crash at home. I can never think of anything to say, I trail off in the middle of answering things. I have no appetite to the point at which the thought of food makes me feel nauseous. I randomly get extremely nervous, my insomnia has gotten worse, I have really shaky muscles, I have tics, I have increased symptoms of severe depression and social anxiety. When it wears off, I feel awful and mean, and if I skip a single day, then I feel really sick. I don’t recommend this drug."

• wow...
• March 6, 2009

For ADHD "I'm 17 and have been taking this for about a month now for ADHD. I started at small doses of Ritalin (10 mg) and then moved to 20 mg. My doctor thought it would be easier to just put me on Concerta since it's 18 mg a pill. I then took 36 mg of Concerta, which didn't work out. I got major irritability and started feeling depressed. Even my focus was off. I went back down to 18 mg and it's working much better. No irritability, depression feeling. Make sure you're on the right dose for your body. Too much can do more harm and too little may not do anything."

• Yes...
• February 7, 2012

For ADHD "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!"

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

For ADHD "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."

• Anonymous
• October 9, 2017

For ADHD "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."

• Jul...
• March 9, 2015

For ADHD "This medication is amazing! Be patient and try it! All ADHD medications (like any other medication for anything) have side effects, but I have learned Concerta's do go away once you let your body do the talking: push through the 1-6 days of anxiety/depression/hyperactivity, etc., and be open to what it can do for you once your body gets used to it. I am 21 years old, and I am on 54 mg, and I take a side effect medication called INTUNIV XR (2 mg) that cured the anxiety side effect, which I found to come about halfway through the day and when the Concerta was wearing off. This side effect comes about because Concerta is not a gradual release, but 2 releases of the medicine - it drops off and may cause anxiety for a short time during the day."

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 28, 2013

For ADHD "Okay, I wanted to comment on this in case people are looking to put their kids on it. I am 18 years old, diagnosed with ADD in 4th grade. I didn't take my meds until 10th grade when I wasn't going to make it through high school. The first meds they put me on were 36 mg Concerta. Yes, it worked and made me focus, BUT! I have never been more ANGRY AND MAD AND DEPRESSED in my life, it was absolutely horrible. I am now on Vyvanse 50 mg and graduated high school and got a 4.0 GPA in my first semester of college."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 29, 2013

For ADHD "I am 15 and have been on Concerta since 6th grade. I have never really felt any side effects besides loss of appetite in the afternoon. But just last year, I started getting muscle spasms, and I began to zone out often at school. Even more recently, I have begun to have trouble with sleep and slight depression. I have tried getting the Concerta switched for something else, but it's the only medicine that helps me focus in school and helps me get good grades. I mean, don't get me wrong, it helps a lot, but I'm not sure why I'm just getting these side effects."

• Dan...
• September 22, 2015

For ADHD "I've been taking Concerta for close to 15 years now since I was diagnosed at age 3. Around 8th grade, I had started getting pain in my chest, which was similar to costochondritis. The pain got increasingly worse up through high school and the beginning of college around age 18 when it stopped affecting me as much. Now I'm 21 years old (as of the 12th this month), and for the past years, I've been noticing that I've been getting increasingly anxious and worrying more than usual. In the past 5 years, on a daily 63 mg dose, I've been dealing with depression, anxiety, nightmares, insomnia, loss of appetite, and I've lost 30 lbs due to that. It's effective, but at a price, sometimes one you can't afford."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 27, 2018

For ADHD "I've been on Concerta for ADHD for almost 2 months and feel better than in 25 years. I also suffered with depression and anxiety. My depression and anxiety are better, I feel alive and myself for the first time in decades. I can get things done. I forgot to take citalopram 20 mg/Celexa last week and now haven't taken citalopram for 6 days and feel great. I am concerned as when I tried to stop citalopram in the past, I felt crazy and could not do it, and that was using the step-down method - this is cold turkey. It seems somehow the Concerta is offsetting weaning off symptoms, so I hope this all lasts. It is a lifesaver. I was so tired of being depressed, overwhelmed, pretty lethargic, overweight. It is great to feel excited and not have food cravings."

• Ean...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2019

For ADHD "When I was first diagnosed with ADHD, I was put on a similar methylphenidate known as Matoride XL, which is a generic of Concerta, though I had some issues with this drug: anxiety, depression, lack of appetite, etc. After a while, it stopped working so well. I was put on Concerta 27 mg, and it’s been amazing. I am happier, and I am able to concentrate and contain myself while doing university tasks. I’m hoping the effects won’t wear off, only time will tell."

• kat...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 30, 2014

For ADHD "I found this medication helped me the most through high school. Right through my senior year, I found I didn't need to even study my notes much because, when I took Concerta, I was so focused that I remembered everything said in class on my own. The main downside of taking this as a student is that it wears off by the time you get home, so doing homework seems impossible -- same with studying. After I graduated high school, though, I noticed Concerta started giving me symptoms of depression and worsening my anxiety to an awful point. Ultimately, my doctor cut me off Concerta due to those emotional side effects."

• Bri...
• September 8, 2015

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADHD a little less than a year ago at the age of 12. At first, I loved it because it helped me get so much work done, and I stopped getting in trouble and annoying people. After about one month, I started realizing that I wasn't eating because the medicine was destroying my appetite, and I liked it. I started using the drug more for weight loss than anything, and I went from a happy, bubbly 115 lbs to a lifeless 95 lbs. At 5 ft 8 in, that's severely underweight and unhealthy. I kept taking the medicine, but I became increasingly more depressed and anxious. I was an outcast, but I was too obsessed with losing weight to care. After the school year finished, I took a break from the medicine, and I am now a happy, healthy 13 yr old."

• jew...
• June 13, 2010

For ADHD "I've been taking Concerta for over 5 years now. At first, it helped me focus and get my mind together. It also kickstarted a great social life and got me A's through high school. After the first year, though, I took a downturn. I became almost emotionless and robotic-like, that eventful social life degraded, and I felt like a complete loser. It's a terrible feeling. After 3 years of use, I worked to get my social life back and slowly found it once again. Even though I was lacking feelings, I learned how I could access my emotions through certain mental triggers. Now, five years later, my social life is spiraling once again, and I'm still getting A's, but instead of feeling robotic-like, I now get intense rushes and euphorias followed by depression."

• jew...
• June 13, 2010

For ADHD "I've been taking Concerta for over 5 years now. At first, it helped me focus and get my mind together. It also kickstarted a great social life and got me A's through high school. After the first year, though, I took a downturn. I became almost emotionless and robotic-like, that eventful social life degraded, and I felt like a complete loser. It's a terrible feeling. After 3 years of use, I worked to get my social life back and slowly found it once again. Even though I was lacking feelings, I learned how I could access my emotions through certain mental triggers. Now, five years later, my social life is spiraling once again, and I'm still getting A's, but instead of feeling robotic-like, I now get intense rushes and euphorias followed by depression."

• ap0...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2016

For ADHD "I'm 17 and have been taking 18 mg Concerta every day for a week and a half. This is the second medication I've tried after being diagnosed with ADHD (I was also diagnosed with major depression). First, I tried Adderall, and while it made me feel very alert and productive, I could not handle the severe depressed feelings from the comedown. So far, Concerta has made me feel productive and positive for about 3 hours, and then depression slowly creeps in and gets progressively worse for about 8 more hours. It's not as intense as the depression from Adderall (which even led to suicidal thoughts), but it lasts longer. I also become irritable, anxious, and tired. I've also lost weight because trying to eat makes me feel queasy."