Concerta and Headaches: What Users Say

• 28a...
• March 7, 2010

For ADHD "I've used Concerta for 5 years and loved the improvements at first - I became successful, in perfect shape, and did most things extraordinarily well. My life did a complete 180. Once unfocused, unmotivated, and disorganized, I transformed to near perfection in everything I did. The price you pay for perfection - I've lost my friends and my social abilities. I used to be fun and full of life! You begin to seclude yourself because you are too focused, too mechanical. You lose weight because your appetite goes away and you are indeed anorexic. I couldn't sleep, had extreme anxiety, headaches, dry mouth, highs and lows....I can go on and on. It changes you and you may think it's great but ultimately you lose yourself in the process."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 15, 2015

For ADHD "I've been taking Concerta for the past five months. When I first began taking it, I would get headaches and appetite problems, but those side effects disappeared after about three weeks on it. Concerta has not only improved the amount of work I'm able to accomplish, it's improved my self-esteem as well. I no longer feel as shy and cluttered as I did before I started taking Concerta. I like that it lasts throughout the entire workday, so I don't have to worry about redosing. Overall, Concerta has been a very positive experience for me."

• Ano...
• January 8, 2014

For ADHD "I've been on Concerta since I was about 13 (I'm 22 now). When I first started the medication, I experienced a fair amount of weight loss. Overall, Concerta has truly changed my life and made me a more focused student. Since I've been on it for so long, I have learned to manage side effects but some that have been ongoing are: upset stomach right after taking the medication (due to the stimulant effects and lack of food), slight headaches, jitters, binging when the medication wears off, and occasional paranoia. When first beginning the medication, remember to force yourself to have some caloric intake even if it is just a smoothie. This has been life-changing, but please remember to balance out your diet."

• nr6...
• September 7, 2016

For ADHD "So I was diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD about a month or two ago. I'm 19 and in my second year of university. I struggle to take in information in distracting settings like big lecture halls, have a tough time focusing, and my organizational skills have always been poor. So, my doctor prescribed 18 mg Concerta. I've taken it for a week so far, and I'm loving the results. I'm now always listening in lectures, always focusing on what the professor is saying. My room, car, and desk are now more organized than they have ever been, and it's stayed that way so far! Many people complain about a lack of appetite, but I haven't noticed that at all! I've noticed two minor side effects so far: headaches that start later in the day, as well as some minor irritability."

• 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."

• Wha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 27, 2014

For ADHD "My 13-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter both have been diagnosed with ADHD. I, nor my husband, could wrap our minds around our kids taking medicine, but were forced to give it a try. My son started taking Concerta when he was in 4th grade, and my daughter started taking Vyvanse in the 3rd grade. The results were amazing! Their handwriting went from sloppy to super neat, reading skills increased, grades were mostly A's... and many more great results! The bad part about the pills is that they have so many side effects that were making them seem like totally different people! They were skinny, depressed, had insomnia, headaches, twitching, and were angry. We withdrew both from public school and started homeschool. Now learning at our own pace!"

• Exp...
• October 1, 2013

For ADHD "My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD in the 2nd grade, and her doctor and I discussed different medications and settled on Concerta. Grades were never a problem, but behavior and socialization were. She hated the medication and would spit it out or hide it. It gave her headaches, loss of appetite, and sleep loss. Eventually, she began taking it regularly and began to do well in school. The behavior problems ceased, as well as socialization. She took this medication for about 2 years, and then I decided to pull her off. Her teacher didn't even notice and thought she was still taking the medication because she was so well-adjusted and presented no serious issues. She never took meds again and learned to cope. She has ADHD but manages it other ways."

• Mis...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 29, 2016

For ADHD "I began taking Concerta at the age of 13 to treat my ADHD. I'm now 22, still taking 27 MG of Concerta daily. Overall, it has been helpful with managing my ADHD symptoms, I'm much less distracted and able to stick to one task at a time. It was especially helpful when I was in school because it was just so impossible for me to stay focused in class. As an adult, it makes work so much easier for me because my job requires things to be done with a lot of precision. Side effects I've experienced have been headaches (occasionally migraines), inconsistent appetite, restlessness at night, some difficulty sleeping, and constant thirst. Despite the side effects, I feel that my overall quality of life has improved with taking Concerta to manage my ADHD."

• mam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2013

For ADHD "My son, who is now 7, was on Adderall XR for about 9 months. It made him more focused but aggressive and hard to get along with others. He's been on Concerta ER 18 mg for almost 3 weeks. At first, he was complaining about headaches, but his aggression has changed tremendously. He gets along well with his sisters and is able to control himself better. I think I'm going to like Concerta."

• San...
• June 24, 2018

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD/ADD at the age of 21 while at university, as well as mildly chronic fatigue, and was prescribed Concerta; first 18 mg (which wore off too fast) and now 36 mg. When I first started taking it, it felt like a miracle drug - for the first time in my life, I felt awake, driven, and organized. Over time, it has become less effective - it's definitely tolerance building - but it's still way better than going without. I get chest pains and headaches sometimes, I have started getting mild anxiety (which I never had before), and I feel the cold a lot more than I used to. All of this would be completely fine were it not for the main side effect of Concerta: weight loss. After around 18 months of taking it daily, my weight has gone from 130 lbs to 104 lbs - regardless of how much I eat."

• Veg...
• May 11, 2014

For ADHD "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."

• Dwa...
• October 11, 2016

For ADHD "Was on Concerta XL for 7 days and had to come off it due to the unbearable side effects of the drug. I was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive subtype), generalized anxiety, and depression. This drug made me feel very nauseous, gave me a headache, made me shake, gave me twitches throughout my body, messed my brain up in terms of cognition, etc., made me very aware of my heartbeat, made me extremely anxious to the point of not being able to leave my room or communicate with anyone and just generally messed me up. At one point, I was doing some stretching on a yoga mat to try and calm myself down, and I felt so confused that I didn't know what to do with my legs. This drug wasn't for me and caused an unpleasant experience."

• Man...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 4, 2019

For ADHD "Makes you feel pretty weird for the first few weeks, I was getting headaches and crashing after a couple of hours. However, your body gets used to it, and after a while, my performance on tests improved drastically. It did decrease my appetite quite a bit, and I ended up losing 15 pounds. I took it for ADHD but was also struggling with anorexia, so my doctor took me off it as it was making me lose so much weight. This medicine really helped me in school settings, and I would recommend it in moderation for people struggling with ADHD as it’s not as intense as Ritalin and only lasts for a few hours. I 100% preferred it to Ritalin and lorazepam."

• Smi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2016

For ADHD "I've been taking Concerta XL for around 2 months after finally being diagnosed as an adult. I started on 18 mg, and within half an hour, I felt able to concentrate and focus on tasks for the first time. A couple of days later, I had crippling headaches, but everything settled down after that. My resting heart rate has sped up by 10 bpm while the medication is in effect. I'm currently on 54 mg, and the therapeutic effects are great, but I feel dehydrated no matter how much water I drink, and I have developed sinus problems. It's worth it though."

• car...
• June 6, 2008

For ADHD "My son's attention span now exists. He does not wander off into his fairyland every 2 minutes. His teacher and other educators are very impressed with his work now. My son complains of headaches, probably because he has trouble falling asleep."

• cls...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2013

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADD 2 weeks ago, along with depression/anxiety at the age of 33. My doctor wanted to treat the ADD first, thinking the other issue would clear up, so he started me on 18 mg of Concerta. The first week I would take one pill, and then this week increase it to 2 pills. I haven't been on this medication like others have, and I am experiencing so many side effects... i.e., nervousness, no appetite, headaches in the morning, can't sleep, paranoid for no reason. I feel like it’s doing the opposite of what it should. The first day I actually was able to just focus on one task and was able to get the laundry done. I will be talking to my doctor about other medications."

• Ang...
• May 9, 2011

For ADHD "My son has been on Concerta for about 4 years now. He started when he was 6 years and will be 11 years in 2 weeks. He was put on this medicine starting with 18 mg. Over time, he was gradually put on a higher dose as his age and weight increased. He is now on 54 mg. Since my son has been on this medicine, he has developed seizures because Concerta lowers the seizure threshold. He was diagnosed last year, 2010. He has paranoia, fearfulness, psychosis, headaches, nervousness, aggression, mood swings, trouble going to sleep, and doesn't want to eat a lot. He has had suicidal thoughts and depression."

• Top...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 28, 2018

For ADHD "Concerta works very well in the first years. Gradually, I started showing many signs they have here, headache, flu-like symptoms, I cannot sleep, outburst of excitement, changes in personality, nausea, and skin rash and skin splitting. I am going to change to another product that does not have all these symptoms."

• Anonymous
• October 23, 2011

For ADHD "I can't say it's bad. I can ace through an assignment on my dosage like an Ariel Atom. But there are some things I did experience, as I was taking it, and in high school, I noticed I didn't care to hang out with anyone. There were times when I did, but I was terrified. The days I'd forget my dose, I was buzzing with charisma. I'd have to say out of all these, the creativity it sucks out of you scares me because I'm a musician. But the worst is the withdrawal effects, they hit you fast in the morning, even before you take your dose (headaches, can't wake up) and irritability. It gets the job done, but there are too many side effects."

• ell...
• June 15, 2016

For ADHD "Today was my first day taking Concerta. I am 19 and have pretty severe ADHD and a little anxiety that coincides with the ADHD. I took 36 mg at 8:30 AM and it kicked in at 10. I definitely noticed it, I felt alert and energetic but not focused, and I still found myself pretty forgetful before leaving for work. By the end of work, I felt really emotionless and had a headache, and when I got home at 6, I began crying for no particular reason. After crying, I felt much better and focused very well on schoolwork. Now I feel happier but surprised by how much of a rollercoaster the whole day was. Overall, I'm not sure this is the medication for me, hoping this reaction is normal and it just takes some time to adjust."

• ADH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2018

For ADHD "I was recently switched from my Adderall XR 10 mg to Concerta 18 mg because my insurance didn't want to cover my Adderall until I tried Concerta. The transition has been terrible. I've only been on the medication for 5 days, and it has been horrible. I was optimistic going in because I've never tried it before, but it has been a rough 5 days. On Concerta, my restlessness is worse, I have no desire to eat because the thought of food disgusts me, I get headaches, I have zero motivation to do anything, and I feel extremely down/apathetic. I've heard this medication works for some people, but it was horrible for me. I'm so glad I can switch back to Adderall."

• Meg...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 6, 2019

For ADHD "At the beginning, I experienced weakness and headache, as well as occasional anxiety. But the more I continued to take the pills, the more the side effects disappeared. I have been on Concerta for 8 years, and it helped me a lot with my ADHD. Recently, my sister and I noticed I developed tics, but I am able to control it."

• Whi...
• December 3, 2016

For ADHD "When I was 9, my grades dropped and remained at a C-B average compared to my usual A. It became harder to socialize, and eventually, I started skipping school 3-4 days out of the week. I had anxiety problems and was on the verge of depression. At the age of 12, my mom, in a last-ditch effort, put me on Concerta, which did not magically fix anything, but within the next 2 years, I was attending school regularly and my grades got better. (From an Asian family, grades are everything.) I have to say I'm much better, but I took an 8-month break and returned to a 36 dosage, which makes me sick all day, headaches, and problems sleeping. I can barely eat half a meal without having to force it down."

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2011

For ADHD "I am a college student and found that for the first two months, Concerta worked wonders. It improved my mood, attention, and energy. It even helped with headaches. However, as I write this at 3 AM, the side effect of sleep disruption has become unbearable. I either don't sleep for days or sleep for 20 hours a day for a week. Don't write it off, though. It is definitely effective, and adjusting the dose may do the trick."

• A09...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 2, 2021

For ADHD "I've been taking 18 mg XL for a week and decided to take myself off. I can hardly eat a thing, I'm tense, anxious, occasional blurred vision, really irritable, complete lack of motivation, low mood, headaches, and stomach pain. Feel absolutely horrific and haven't noticed any benefits at all."