Concerta and Weight Loss: What Users Say

• rai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2025

For ADHD "I want to make sure everyone here gets to see this medication from a teenage girl’s view, that's why I'm writing this. Many parents look pleased with their child obeying them when they started the medication, but they don't know what that child feels inside; let me tell you. They feel nothing. Concerta is a type of drug that helps the brain ignore feelings and focus more. Your child isn't healed; they just don't feel. I have been using this drug for over two months now; I started on 28 mg and now I am taking 36 mg. Yes, it helps improve your classes and other things, but I don't think that matters unless you don't feel anything. I am having horrible side effects like weight loss, aggressiveness, and more. But most importantly for me, I can't eat. I can't eat anything I used to love, and I feel terrible. The drug may work for you, but when your child uses this, I think you should have a talk with them about their feelings; they will tell you if they can find one ;)"

• 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."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2021

For ADHD "I've been on Concerta for a few weeks now, I was just recently diagnosed with ADHD, and it's my first medication. I am a 15-year-old female. I started with 18 mg but didn't feel any difference. It only decreased my appetite (I lost about 5 lbs a week) to the point where I became underweight. My doctor recently upped my dose to 36 mg, and I feel worse than before. I've been having a hard time falling asleep and have slept very restlessly. I am still losing weight. I've also noticed that I feel more moody and impulsive, and I have been hyper-fixating more and lashing out at my family. I have a doctor's appointment next week where I hope to switch medications."

• 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."

• Cad...
• January 5, 2017

For ADHD "Concerta has helped me tremendously in school. My grades skyrocketed after only one semester of use. The first day, when I was on 18 mg, I could already feel the effect. Now, I only take Concerta (27 mg) on school days and other days which I know are going to be exhausting. Even on the days I don't take it, I feel happier than before. Concerta gives me motivation so I can actually live, which makes my motivation stick around. I can now socialize without feeling like my energy has been sucked out of me after one conversation. I can now do my homework and chores. I do things in my free time, instead of crashing in bed after a day of school. Though my appetite changed, and I lost a lot of weight, I have a lot to thank Concerta for."

• Nob...
• June 14, 2019

For ADHD "Higher grades, acknowledgments from teachers, and the ability to focus are the upsides. Wanna hear the downsides? I've lost all my friends, I honestly don't know what happened, I must have changed. I lost a dramatic amount of weight (from 220 lbs to 145 lbs in half a year) to the point where, when I returned to classes after break, nobody could believe how skinny I was. A decline in self-confidence. A scarily reduced sex drive. Sweat pours from me all day, even though I'm cold. A slowly declined desire to socialize, I don't even want to leave my room after school anymore. It's been over a year. I hate who I've become, and at the same time, I have no desire to be my old self again. I've been on Concerta consistently for over a year now. I've tried alternative meds to no avail, and at this point, I'm nearly an adult, thus I'm running out of time to fix myself. If you are a new patient and are experiencing these problems like I am, don't suppress them to keep the benefits, else, you will have this mess to fix like me."

• yes...
• March 24, 2008

For ADHD "It's a lot more mild than Ritalin and more effective than Focalin. The only problem I have with it would be weight loss (I'm 5'2' and only 100 lbs) and sometimes I can't react as quickly as I would without the medication. Weird, but an awesome drug for any ADHD or ADD college student. It instantly gets rid of fidgeting and you'll be able to listen and focus on the most boring lecture imaginable (and learn from it!)"

• 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."

• 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."

• Emm...
• February 12, 2016

For ADHD "I'm 18 years old and have been prescribed 74 mg of Concerta a day. Three pills in the morning and one in the afternoon if needed. I had been diagnosed with severe ADHD, and this drug has changed the way I learn and study dramatically. It's amazing how confident and focused I am now. I always feel so good on it too, until I'm starving to death. Concerta absolutely kills your appetite. The sad part is I cannot even force myself to eat, and it has already taken a toll on my weight. I have always been insecure about my body, so it is nice losing the extra pounds, however, I don't enjoy talking to anyone at school anymore. Even though I feel good all during the school day, I am quiet and hungry."

• Anonymous
• November 10, 2011

For Fatigue "I was prescribed Concerta to offset the drowsiness from the Abilify I take in conjunction with Lexapro. I have suffered from major depression since I was about 19 and have been on every SSRI on the market as well as Wellbutrin to treat my depression, and nothing has helped me more than Concerta. I only take 18 mg twice a day (I'm 34), and while the anti-depressants make me lethargic and were causing my work to suffer, the Concerta has been a real lifesaver. I've only been on it a few months and haven't really suffered from any negative side effects (haven't really lost any weight yet), and am planning on discussing discontinuing the Lexapro and Abilify with my psychiatrist since the Concerta has had such a positive impact on my depression."

• Iso...
• July 28, 2016

For ADHD "I was prescribed Concerta 54 mg for two weeks, and after two weeks, my dosage was lowered to 36 mg. The positive effects: First of all, it was absolutely effective at keeping me focused, engaged, and gave me the motivation to continue working away at my given tasks. It also accelerated my perception of time. The (manageable) negatives: It made me so focused on tasks that I was antisocial. Fixating on annoying sounds, anxiety, sweaty palms, no appetite, and weight loss (25 lbs). I found I was lacking emotion, and during the long comedown, I was irritable and rarely experienced mild to moderate depression. Concerta is an effective ADHD drug, but the emotional effects can be annoying at times. It is worth consulting your doctor about!"

• 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."

• 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."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 12, 2019

For ADHD "I have been taking Concerta 18 mg for 5 years or so now. The first years were really smooth, and it did really help me. Before getting on it, I was suffering from depression, and I almost dropped out of college due to the number of courses that I had failed, but then I was diagnosed with ADHD, and since then, with a dose of 18 mg/day of Concerta, I managed to graduate. The depression never really went away, but it definitely got milder. My panic attacks decreased to the point where I almost never had them anymore. A few years back, my doctor suggested trying to take the 36 mg ones, but for me, this didn't work because I felt kind of lost and foggy. So all in all, Concerta did wonders for me until half to one year ago. I have severe insomnia, and I get irritated really easily. I had some milder panic attacks, but I also had two that were really intense. I have lost weight even though I eat the same. In general, I think that for me, after 4-5 years, the drug is starting to show its side effects."

• kra...
• February 5, 2016

For ADHD "Found out I had ADHD my sophomore year and was put on this pill. Started at 36 mg, and I could definitely see changes. Very moody, could not go to sleep at night, I was always so jumpy and on the go, but I will have to say it helped a lot with my troubles paying attention in school. Went from D's and F's to an honor roll student. The only thing that's really scary for most people is the weight loss it can cause. I weighed 130 my freshman year, and in the middle of my junior year, I was 94 pounds. So you really have to watch that!"

• 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."

• Pia...
• January 9, 2016

For ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADD at the end of grade 6 and started taking Concerta in grade 7. I had no idea I had ADD and just thought everyone was like me. I had no enthusiasm for anything with school, but after I took Concerta, I was like ADHD. So much hyperness and wanting to work. After raising the dose to 36mg, I started to get very anxious about my heart feeling like it was beating too fast and was having like a panic attack or something, so then I dropped back down to 27mg. The side effects I have are weight loss/loss of appetite, heart palpitations, sleep paralysis, feelings of excitement. It works for me, but I hate the side effects. I also lost 5lbs in one week when I first started and 20lbs in 2 years."

• Jul...
• December 20, 2015

For ADHD "I am in grade 12, and I have been on Concerta since grade 3. I have noticed I am underweight, and I have trouble sleeping at night. But Concerta has helped me focus in school, but I just wish it didn't come with some of the side effects."

• kir...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 27, 2015

For ADHD "Started on 18 mg and did not notice any difference in my ability to concentrate, but noticed that my appetite had decreased. My dosage was switched then to 32 mg and I noticed that my attention span had increased slightly, but the more noticeable change was to my mood and my anxiety. My hands shake from this medication, and I get hot flushes, although my hands are cold and clammy. I sweat more unconsciously, and this is uncomfortable. I went back to talk to my psychiatrist and was told that side effects tend to even out, and sometimes an increase in dosage can speed up this process, so I went up to 54 mg. Although the medicine has made a change in my attention, my appetite has gone during the day, and I have lost around 7 kgs."

• mik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2017

For ADHD "My son has severe ADHD and autism. My son was graduated to 36 mg time-release Concerta. His behavior did improve very slightly, however, he lost nearly 10% of his body weight in a short 3 months. We could hardly get him to eat. We started to supplement him with an immediate-release 10 mg Ritalin tablet before school, and it was an absolute miracle. We removed the Concerta and then increased his Ritalin to 10 mg three times a day, and it's like a new child. While it's the same drug, the delivery system is completely different. I firmly believe that the digestive system needs to be looked at for each individual taking Concerta. For my son, the delivery system of the Concerta did nothing positive."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 21, 2016

For ADHD "I have been using Concerta for many years. It has helped so much, but the only downside to it is it makes me lose weight. I went off of my meds for about three months and gained 50 pounds. This was because I had the habit of eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and not gain any weight. I was an A student, and as soon as I went off my meds, I was getting Fs in all of my classes. I then went back on my meds, and within three weeks of me being back on Concerta, I lost all of the weight I had gained (because I had to make the habit of not eating so much within those three months), I raised some of my grades to As and some to Ds. I still passed 7th grade because of my circumstance. I have ADD, ADHD, and Cerebral Palsy."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2022

For ADHD "I’m a 19-year-old. I have always been a straight A student in high school. During the pandemic, I started to have depressive thoughts, and I failed multiple classes. I have been taking Concerta for approximately 2 weeks now, and I feel motivated and focused. I am able to clear my thoughts and be more positive. I am slowly getting back on track with my studies. I don’t forget appointments and lose things anymore. I feel happier and more optimistic about the future. However, I experience small side effects, such as weight loss and trouble falling asleep."

• Myn...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 1, 2013

For ADHD "Even though Concerta has been helping me in school, I still get a lot of the side effects. The biggest one is that I am never hungry, and now I am underweight. I still recommend this medication because it has helped me improve my grades in school."

• Mar...
• May 29, 2015

For ADHD "I've started taking Concerta because of ADD when I was 21. I went to see my doctor, I was explaining to him that I had difficulty keeping up at school since I was a kid, but the only reason I'm in university was because I was in art school. He prescribed me Concerta. If anyone took speed before, it's exactly the same effect. You do get a down. You are more focused. You lose weight. However, you can go to sleep at night. The problem is, I don't take it every day, I think it's a little bit too harsh for me. I'll go see him again, maybe I have psychological issues. It did help with my sleeping: I always fell asleep in the afternoon, it took everything I had to stay awake (at school, at home, at a friend's house). I was known as the sleeper."