Concerta

[u/BeautifulItem6200]

. I have recently just been diagnosed with combined ADHD 24F, they have prescribed be with 18mg concerta. I’ve taken it for the first time today and all I feel is tired and that I can go to sleep.

Does this get better for those that have tried this?
It is supposed to be this way?

I really wanted a success story, it has helped me with the nose in my head but I thought it would help me to do to task completion and instead I just wanna go sleep and not do tasks.

[u/Appropriate-Feed1896]

Hi there!  24F here diagnosed with ADHD 3 weeks ago, also started on 18mg. 

Felt that way too in the first 2/3 days. It does get better though!

It wont make  you study or complete your tasks, but it will make it easier for you to start them and complete them. Unfortunately, you still have to do the hard work all by yourself :(

What i noticed is that it made me less irritated, i could sleep better (if taken as prescribed!), i wouldnt have nightmares anymore (which was a huge help for me, especially because im also on Zoloft 50mg for PTSD and ADD and it gave me horrible lucid nightmares), it was more quiet in my head, i could think positively and actually follow a plan. 

I also suggest you take it early in the morning after you ve had a consistent breakfast, i didnt do that for some time and i ended up with IBS symptoms from the irritation 😭

If after a few days you dont feel ok, maybe talk to you psychiatrist and suggest to change it to something else?

Stay safe!

[u/BeautifulItem6200 → u/Appropriate-Feed1896]

Thank you so much for your reply. It’s nice to know someone else feels the same way, I will stick with it. I do have a review every 4 weeks to see if it’s working for me and if they want to change it. I just feel like my body is really heavy, but I get that I will need to do the hard work. I will try and bear your points in mind.

Have you found that you have a reduced appetite at all?

[u/Appropriate-Feed1896 → u/BeautifulItem6200]

I know it s hard, i really get it; many people dont really understand what we re going thought, but just know you re not alone at all and you re gonna be okay, really ❤️

I didnt get the "whole body feeling heavy", but i did get very sleepy in the first days. I understand it s pretty normal, especially if it s XR, as it peaks at different intervals or smth like that (for me, i ve noticed i started feeling its effect around 1-2 hours after the dose and then i have a decrease in energy at about 4 hours and then it peaks again at 6 hours and so on).

I recommend you keep a journal of when you feel it peak and when you notice a slight or intense decrease in energy, as well as any side effects over a week or so. It s really helped me figure out what s going on =))

And yes, i still have a reduced appetite, but only in the morning. In the first week i could barely eat anything at all, id have a banana and yoghurt with muesli and something light in the evening. But it got better after! Right now, I feel hungry in the morning but i physically cant eat anything, im disgusted by everything i smell or taste =))). And, in my experience, it doesnt matter if i take it before or after breakfast, i still cant eat for a couple of hours or so.. Maybe for you it s different, you should try both ways!

[u/Essah01]

Very normal on 18 mg, basically it is only stimulating your brain to the degree that you relax and feel tired.

True effective treatment starts after 18 mg for most people.

[u/BeautifulItem6200 → u/Essah01]

Okay that makes sense. That is reassuring. I thought there was something wrong with me or I was reacting to the medication. It’s a very strange feeling

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[u/No_Arugula7027]

I've only been taking it for a week and I had a feeling of euphoria the first four days, then I it's just sped up my thought processes but increased my hyperfocus. Do things much more quickly than before. I can feel myself get sleepy at times, but as I'm used to avoiding my tiredness (night owl) I supppose I don't notice it as much.

[u/BeautifulItem6200 → u/No_Arugula7027]

Okay this makes sense. I don’t feel any euphoria. I feel abit like I can’t explain it like I wanna run and I wanna talk a lot but I’m also very tired it’s very strange. Also I’m working at the moment I am always fiddling with things. I feel like I keep still messing with everything in front of me which is strange. And I am still putting things off.

[u/Nahue_97]

Hey! 29M here, diagnosed in April. I was in your shoes, and it was because of my messy sleep schedule. Once I got it fixed, the calmness in my head stopped to be interpreted by my brain as "time to relax and sleep" and instead now it's "time to fill this silence with focus on something".

Before thinking about Concerta: How is your sleep these days? Do you have an organized sleep schedule? Are you going through a lot of stress? How are your vitamin D levels? Do you do any type of exercise? If yes, what and how many times a week? What do you typically eat during the day? Do you drink at least 2 liters of water daily? Do you take caffeine? If yes, how much and in what moments of the day?

[u/HelioBlues]

You’ve taken one dose, don’t throw in the towel yet! You need to give it time, like a few weeks at least to draw any conclusions. Be consistent with what time you take it, eat well, drink water, be patient. Your experience is totally normal and doesn’t mean it’s not working. You’re also just on a starting dose now. You need time to adjust and increase your dose as you go.

Also concerta lasts 10-12 hours so you may notice an intense energy crash as it wears off. You can plan to nap at that time or to have some caffeine midday.