Concerta vs Adderall XR for ADHD
Concerta vs Adderall XR
Concerta and Adderall XR are two very common and popular treatments for ADHD.
They are both long acting forms of two similar yet different medications: one Ritalin, and one Adderall.
How well do they work? And how do they compare?
If you want to learn more about what Ritalin is and how it works, see here.
Concerta
Concerta is a long acting form of Ritalin, also known as methylphenidate. On a biochemical level, it acts on dopamine and norepinephrine receptors. It temporarily blocks their ability to remove those neurotransmitters from the space in between cells.
And since dopamine and norepinephrine stay around for a longer time, they have a stronger effect. This leads to better focus concentration and motivation.
Adderall XR
Adderall XR is a long acting form of Adderall. Adderall is a mix of different amphetamines, including both the l and the d form. Amphetamines, like Ritalin, also act to prevent the removal of dopamine and norepinephrine from the space inbetween cells.
Unlike Ritalin, however, Adderall may also cause the cell to pump out dopamine.
Efficacy: Concerta vs Adderall XR
About the same percentage of people will get benefit from Concerta as will from Adderall XR. They work at almost the exact same rates. Around 70% of those who use either medication along with therapy will have very significant improvement in ADHD symptoms.
We recommend that you read our analysis of Ritalin vs Adderall to learn more about the specific differences between the two.
That said, it is possible that someone will respond better to Concerta than to Adderall. Dr. Tuckman, a clinician with significant ADHD experience, reports that roughly 1/3 of patients will respond best to a Ritalin type medication, 1/3 best to an amphetamine, and 1/3 will respond equally to both.
Long lasting form
It is important to note that both Concerta and Adderall XR are long lasting forms of stimulant medication. They both last for an extended period of time, roughly 10-12 hours.
This is important because clinicians report superior treatment results with long lasting forms as opposed to the instant release. Studies are also starting to strongly support the superiority of long lasting treatment versus short lasting.
In one study of 70 patients, for instance, 97% preferred the long acting form of Ritalin over the short acting. In another, 44% of those on long lasting form of medication had ADHD symptom remission, as opposed to only 16% of those on short acting.
Side Effects
Both Concerta and Adderall XR have similar rates and similar types of side effects.
The most common side effects from both include anxiety, insomnia, and trouble eating. Some studies have indicated that side effects for the medications tend to diminish over time. This may be due to the body becoming used to the med. It may also be because those for whom it is a significant issue, discontinue use.
It is possible that long term use of either medication is associated with slight decreases in weight and/or height in children.
Related Articles:
ADHD and ADD Online Diagnostic Test
ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report
Overcoming ADHD: A Guide for Parents
Start off by saying that I was addicted to cocaine for several years. I used it by far, more as a form of self medication than a stimulant. It tended to make me calm and focused and much less socially anxious. As a side note, coffee and red bull both do the same thing.
I stopped using cocaine and red bull because it gave me intense depression and anxiety. When my doctor told me he thought that I might have a.d.d. with depression and anxiety as secondary symptoms and he wanted to prescribed me Adderal XR. I told him that I’d had bad experiences with amphetamines in the past and that I was extremely nervous to undergo them again.
On the first day of taking the Adderal XR I felt more focused and then five hours later crashed, just like I did with the cocaine. He advised me to take it for the week and see if I was still feeling the same way. I did and it did. On the first day of doubling the dossage, the intensity of the depression on hour 5 doubled to almost panic attack like symptoms.
He is now suggesting that I try Concerta. I’m going to give it a shot, but am extremely nervous. Not sure if there is a similarity in side effects?
There is but for some people they respond better to Concerta than to Adderall XR. You might want to ask your doctor about Vyvanse if you have a response to Adderall XR but too much anxiety. Some people say that Vyvanse causes less anxiety while still helping with ADHD symptoms.
Several of my family members have been on all three, Adderall XR, Concerta, and Vyvanse. We find that Vyvanse is much smoother and coupled with effexor an anti-anxiety med, it keeps them focused, functioning well AND happy. All of us living with them, are now happy as well:):)
I have tried Ritalin in many forms (5mg, 10mg, 20, mg) Ritalin LA (10mg, 20mg) Concerta (36mg twice a day)… I have tried Adderall (10mg, 20mg) Adderall XR (10mg, 20mg, 30mg). I am currently on the Concerta, because it is useless to try and take it any other way than prescribed. It also keeps my friends from trying to buy them. However, they work incredible for me and there are few side affects. I feel focused and keep all day. I have noticed a slight pressure-like head ache lately.
I think it ultimately comes down to personal preference. Some people react better to Ritalin and others, Adderral. Concerta, however, has offered me the most even and smooth effect with the least amount of side affects. I do not get depressed at all when I stop taking it. Adderral, however leaves me desolate and extremely depressed when I stop taking it.
I would recommend Concerta… and taking them the proper way. But that is me and many people disagree with me, but a few people completely agree with the consistent drive you seem to have to get things done. Just be careful taking too much because the effects are most compared to Ecstacy… it takes a long time for it to truly kick in and it lasts for a really long time… however, I have never had trouble going to sleep on Ritilan of any kind… Adderrall keeps me up at night. I don’t like Adderral because it causes severe depression.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and was able to concerta for a month and had immediate amazing results. I did have a dull pressure headache all day long, but the benefits out weighed it. Then after a month, my insurance company decided they knew better than my Dr how to treat mental health and said, they would not pay for it, but would pay for Adderall XR. I hate it. I may as well not take anything, I’d get the same results except minus the bad mood. Hopefully this evidence of the drug not working for me will appease the insurance and I will be able to get back on Concerta.
My son is 15 and was diagnosed with ADD 2 years ago. He has been taking Concerta 36mg for about a year and his grades did a complete 360- from failing and struggling to Honor Roll all year!!! my concern is that it supresses his appetite so much that he is only eating one meal a day (not good for a kid that plays football) The doctor wants him to try Adderall but I’m worried that his appetite wont change? Any thoughts or suggestions???
i pefre adderall it gives me a major burst of energy and concerta dosent work at all for me and i have never tried ritilan so icant give u any advice with that but i think that concerta makes me just want to go crazy and i cant concentrate on the other hand adderall makes me have alot of energy and it makes me focus alot more then any other thing i have ever taken in my life.
To Sandra: My son also is taking concerta, he is 14 years old. His grades have also improved. I can’t wait and hope he makes the honor roll one day, that would be awesome! On the down side of this medication, he has also lost of weight, and does not seem to gain any; he is 5’10 and weighs 120….he hardly ever wants to eat.
To Tina: You need to make your child eat, I know somebody who’s child died, because their kid didnt want to eat and his parents didnt make him, so the medication built up, in toxix levels, and killed him. So no matter if your child wants to eat or not, make him eat something.
These doses all seem so high. I am a female, 34, 135 pounds and 5’6″. I am on 18 mg of Concerta and I have been on it for 8 months, still feel a huge difference. Sometimes it helps for you to hear it from an adult who’s tried it, but the doses just seem so high, I don’t know how my body could handle that! Adderal XR generic really gave me heart problems, where I was hooked up to an EKG for weekends…
I have taken Concerta, and adderall, and I have to say, one is not neccessarilly better than the other….I think Concerta is easier on the system, where adderall has seems to be more of a speedy effect. I often wonder if I like adderall because of the amazing workouts I get, but I consider that to be more of a speedy high. Concerta allows me great workouts, as long as I am willing to start them. I thiink Concerta is for the more serious minded person, and Adderall is for the person that just isn’t ready to give up the childhood. Hate to say it, but Concerta is the better of the two, with less side effects and a more normal push into the real world. Read it and weep kiddos…but isn’t life fun when the Dr.’s treat us like guinea pigs? I want their job. Here try this, here try that…oh u can’t sleep? no prob, try this…lol….Truthfully, Concerta is the more serious approach to add, and adderall is exactly what it says on the package…amphetamine!!!! Good luck
My son is 9 years old started off with Concerta 18mg and now he is on 36mg and now the teacher says he is not doing his work and was wondering if there is any changes at home. And I assured her that things are not different from what it was. And I am quite concern because what are we suppose to do now if that dosage is not working. We are going back to the doctor to hear his opinion now. If you have any comment or advice please reply or respond if you would. At this moment I dont know what to do as it seems that the dosage is not working anymore.
my son is 14 and he just started with concerta 36mg for add, it’s been 3 days and he says he hasn’t felt a difference. he says only felling more sleepy in class hard to stay awake. he’s about 6′ 256lb. is this a common side affect or is the dose too small? we go back to dr. in two weeks. i guess does it take a while for the med to start working? thanks…
This message is for Sandra and her 15yo son: I am 26 years old, I was diagnosed with ADHD about 12 years ago, and today I’m an RN and still looking for the BEST ADHD drug. I can completely relate to your son’s issue of having a loss of appetite and I agree that nutrition is a priority concern. I have found that by eating a decent meal before taking the drug-whether it be concerta or adderall- it may lessen the side effects of the drug (i.e. loss of appetite) and he may find he has a bit of an appetite for lunch and even more so for dinner when the drug has worn off. If he can eat a nice size breakfast before he takes his medicine- this would be ideal. I don’t know what his eating habits are- but the most important thing is making sure he eats as big of a breakfast as he can tolerate. This has always been my biggest issue with these drugs and always something to manage. At 15 yrs old it can be hard to manage a diet and stick with a schedule- it’s easy to forget to eat and not make an effort to eat at certain times when you have no appetite. It’s amazing that he’s making honor roll and is playing football- but all of these things are taking energy that he does not have to give if he is only eating one meal a day. Make sure he eats a large breakfast! Hopefully he’ll notice a difference. I hope this was helpful.
My 10-yo son takes Concerta (27mg recently upped from 18mg) and has been doing well for 3-years now. His appetite is a little less and he has trouble sleeping. We give him melatonin (1mg) each night and that really helps him sleep!
We are looking to Adderal because it might be cheaper. Concerta keeps going up in price .. now $167 per month.
Adderal comes in generic so it might be cheaper.
Never heard of Vyvanse . . anyone with experience with it ??
My son is 9 and was taking concerta for ADHD. Started at 18, 36 and ended at 54mg. it worked.. really well. But it also killed his appetite so we went to Straterra.. I’m not happy with the straterra.. Less focus it appears, still not eating as much as he should and an overall reduction in positive attitude which I cannot figure out.
Dr. says we could try Adderall if we wanted.
Mac- 36mg is not a small dose. That is above the average amount of mg’s prescribed. It is strange he feel’s tired while on concerta, since it is a stimulant it should make him more awake. Switch to adderal, hopefully he will feel it. His high weight might require him to up his dosage as well.
*marc
I just started take strattera – my body reacted so bad – severe headaches, chest pain and no energy at all. My doctor send me to cardiologist to check my heart – she will change de medication to concerta.
My son is 15 and still struggling in school. He was diagnosed with ADD at age 7, put on Adderall and developed intense vocal and motor tics after 2 1/2 months on the med. Tics are seldom and mild now. They act up usually now only during allergy seasons, and he can control them now when out in public. We tried everything natural ever since and nothing works. Considering trying Concerta now that he’s in high school. Does anyone know about the tic side effects on Concerta? We are scared to death about them getting out of control again but he is begging for help in school. Not sure what to do…
I’m 27 years old i’m taking adderall 25mg and i don’t think is working right,i have a lot of energy and i thalk a lot and i’m thinking of 2-3 things at once i’m always nervoes,i’m not going to finish my work on time or i’m going to be late for appt.,it’s been 6months and i lost over 50lb and i’m still loosing i have a healthy breakfast with protein 7-10gr.,and i feel fine lunch very small,sometime i don’t even eat i’m 2 busy dinner small,first time i tried without breakfast and i was getting dizzy loosing my vission. my son takes adderall 10gr for adhd and we are fighting with getting him on the right dose he is only 4 years he eats big breakfast with protein powder and he doesn’t eat lunch just at 3pm he is very hungry i have to make sure i have dinner ready for him.i think i’m going to change the meds to concerta, i’m going back in 2 weeks to the adhd dr.
I have an 8yr old that has been on Adderall XR since the end of 1st grade for ADD, it was at 5mg and last year uped to 10mg. Side effects are definate loss of appetite and not able to sleep. I can get him to eat breakfast as long as he eats before taking the medication, lunch is small (usually salad at school) and dinner if it’s late, around 7p or so he will eat well, otherwise forget it… and he is very rarely in bed and asleep before 10p. Recently this year at school has has been showing signs like first diag. in 1st grade.. we went for a med check instead of just upping the dose again and the new psych suggested Concerta. I’ve read alot of info about it, seems as though most side effects are the same it’s just a matter of how it works with your chemical make up as oppossed to the Adderall XR? My fear is that one of his biggest issues is anxiety, when I read about Concerta it says a side effect is anxiety.. I want to help him but Im very worried about what to give him… I know different things effect people in different ways… I just hate that is has to be my son going thru this! Any suggestions? Should I try the Concerta? I have many people who tell me no way.. but again, they’re not the drs.
Tricia my daughter was put on Adderall 5 mgs and was only on it for a week because she started saying things about suicide and hating her life and let me say shes only 4 1/2 years old. So i took her to her Doctor and explained the problems she was having with the medication and he said it was Adderall psycosis. So he put her on 18 mgs of Concerta and shes been on that for about a week and boy let me tell you she is a totally different child she is able to concentrate finish task and play one thing at a time without her mind going a million miles a minute. Concerta is like a miracle drug for her at the rate she was going she would not have been able to start school due to the fact that she could never stop moving climbing or getting into things. I think if the Doctor recommended Concerta you shou8ld def give it a try because like I said its working wonders on her. He also has her on 50 mgs Trazadone for sleep which helps alot too. I hope everything works out for you and your son. By the way if hes not sleeping mention that to them and maybe they could give him a little something extra so he can get some rest at night. Good luck to you and your family! Nicole
After trying both Concerta & Adderall XR for extended periods of time, I find the Concerta is definitely a better choice for me. It calms me and enhances my focus. Whereas Adderall XR enhances my focus tremendously but it’s also kind of a euphoria or mania which can lead to other problems like overspending, shopping sprees, etc. On Adderall XR you think you can accomplish way more than possible. With Concerta on the other hand I think it give you more of a what a “normal” person experiences with focus and abiility to filter out the junk that’s going on around you all of the time. I think Adderall XR can be a little more dangerous because it really does increase blood pressure more than Concerta. Just an FYI, regardless of what people may think since Adderall XR became available as a generic there is definitely a difference between the brand name and the generic. Lastly, I think that Adderall XR enhances your mood in a positive way whereas Concerta is more of a downer. It can make you feel more depressed. There are definitely pros and cons to each of these medications but both do help tremendously with ADD symptoms. I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult and I feel if my parents had gotten me help when I was younger I would’ve gone a lot further in life. It’s also unfortunate that there are a lot of programs out there for ADD but many are not covered by insurance. You get most of your information from forums like this. Thank goodness for the internet.
I have triied Concerta, Vyvanse, Adderall, and one called Focalin. Adderall and Vyvanse speed me up way to much, sometimes making me more scatter brained than i was orginally. Concerta and Focalin werent as bad for me. For those who have kids that have a hard time eating and sleeping and esp bad side effects (i had terrrible crashes frOm Vyvanse and Adderall), i would highly reccommend asking ur doctor about Focalin. Focalin uses the main ingredient in Adderall without all the added stuff, after your pills time is up, its like stepping off a cliff, one minute ur in the zone the next your completely normal, literally. I also had a good appetite on and learned how to sleep on it.
My 11 year old son was recently diagnosed with ADHD and is taking 15 mg of Adderall. His dr said that he may develop a tic. He had one before, twitching of the head, which seemed to disappear on the lower dose but has reappeared with the higher dose. It is now affecting his head and shoulder. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it but I am wondering if Concerta has the same side affect??
I am a young 60 yr old and started out on Adderall 40mg in July 2010. I thought it wore off after a month. I felt I could conquer the world the first month. I just tried Concerta, 36mg. Here is what it does, it makes you not as speedy and that you feel like for the first time something good is going to happen. At first I said Im going back to Adderall, then everyday I felt something good is going to happen, that alone helps you forget about the bad stuff and you look forward to the next day. If you want the best effect from Adderall, when you get up in the morning take 40mg or whatever your dose is and dont eat for an hour. OMG, you dont stop. I wish I could show you the before (july 2010) and now of what the outside of my house looks like. I probably increased in price by $20,000.00. Its dark outside and Im still working in the yard. In reading all the emails above it effects everybody differently. Keep checking the prices, I have MEDCO and they have “specials” at times when you can get a 90 day supply for much less than a retail drug store.
MY SON HAS JUST BEEN DIAGNOSED OF ADHD AND IS ABOUT TO START ON MED TO HELP HIM. IT WILL EITHER BC CONCERTA OR ADDERALL. READING ALL THIS COMMENTS ABOVE I THINK I WILL LET HIM START ON CONCERTA. AND WE WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE. SEE HOW IT AFFECT HIM OR HELP HIM.
After reading all these comments, I feel that my dr has been overdosing me! I have been taking Concerta for almost a year. I am a 38 year old female, 129 lbs. I started off with 18 mg and gradually increased to 108 mg every day. I have been taking 2 54mg pills every morning and it works great! The only problem is that is I take it past 7am, then I cannot sleep at night. But as soon as 7am comes around I take another 108 mg and I am able to function fine without any sleep.
I just stoped taking concerta and am now taking adderal xr. I didn’t like the side affects from the concerta it cuased me to loose my appitite and it made me not want to talk to anyone, and it didn’t nothelp me in school ethier.
hi all. I’m 33 and Ive been on concerta for 2months. For dec. I stepped up from 36mg in the morning to an additional 18mg six hours later. I feel the same. I have an appetite still. It gives me headaches though. I tried the focalin n it jump started my migraines. Stopped it immediately. I would like to try the adderall. Not sure though. Please help
Laura – Just wanted to let you know that of all the reading I’ve done on Adderall, Concerta, and the like, supposedly your weight does not come into play. It’s strictly based on each individual. After all, when you think of it everyone diagnosed with ADD has different symptoms and are affected differently. So, if it’s working for you and you don’t have tics or are not climbining the ceiling but doing well, your doctor seems to know what he’s doing. He started you on the lowest dose and worked you up to what worked for you. Kudos to him/her. Most doctors only go with the recommended dose and that doesn’t always work for everyone.
Laura and others,
I have been raising 3 children current ages 20,18, and 12 whom were all diagnosed with ADD at the approximate age of 10. The best advice is to find a D.r. that listens to you and that you feel comfortable talking with. Every one of my children are on different doses of Adderall but are successful at managing ADD. The dosage amounts can take awhile to find and may need changing throughout your life pending on your bodies metabolism of the medicine etc…. In short, a higher dosage than another individual doesn’t mean you are “more” ADD or that you are being “overdosed” it just means your body reacts to the chemical differently. In addition, ADD is something that can be managed. Academic and social success often depends more on your determination and attitude than on the effects of ADD. All three of my children are A students, Honors students at Universities and fairly well adjusted – minus a few bumps and scrapes that occur to any person learning the discipline ropes of college and freedom. They never realized that ADD was a learning disability until they graduated from high school – our family always compared ADD to poor eyesight. If you are having a hard time seeing you wear glasses – bad sight isn’t an excuse for poor grades or bad social skills. You wear glasses or contacts and move forward with your life just like anyone else. Add is similiar – it doesn’t define your life unless you allow it too! Instead of glasses my children take Adderall. It allows them to see, listen, and learn better. In short, don’t let ADD be an excuse for everything that is wrong in your life – own the power in your life and simply chose to wear glasses : )…
I am 36 with ADD, my 14 has it and my 9 year old just got diagnosed with it. We all are taking different mg of Adderall. My 9 year old just started it and his side effects seem to be normal but i honestly forget how long those go away. It hasnt been a full week yet but i dont recall my oldest going through all of this.
Well, to begin I am a 26 year old ex heroin user. Not sure if thats important but i put it out there always to help other fighting “the ultimate battle”. Anyway, I got off the junk 14 months ago(quit heroin before that, took suboxone, 14 months ago), after the initial horrors were over, I immediately got back to life. I was a D1 football player in college,till i switched from pain killers for my knee to heroin for my head. I am also a skilled woodworker. I went to work for the carpenters union, and started coaching high school. I exceeled in both until the high of being sober wore off. Thats when a demon that i thought i’d left in junior high…..add. Despite a high IQ school was very hard for me. Not the work, the classes. If I was unchallenged, I couldn’t FORCE myself to pay attention. Back to the present, my team went from a 6-0 start to a 6-6 season. My work that i took so much pride in suffered as well. I told my kids that they had nothing to be ashamed of and that sometimes the best teams have bad seasons. The truth was i didn’t have a gameplan that was good enough. I promised those boys that if they believed in each other, and kept their minds right we’d win conference. In comes concerta. I hated my meds as a kid. They made feel “high”, and at the time I just knew they made me different, and even as a kid I didn’t like the idea of having to become a different person, just to be “normal”. There wasn’t any ERs back then and i had to go to the nurse 2 a day for doses. I was made fun of, and never got a fair shake with teachers. I took those anxieties with me to my shrink. He finally got me to try concerta. Guess what, we took 3rd in the state finals, and I am now the youngest person to ever hold my position at my company by over 10 years. Had it not been for this drug, the depression i was going through was sure to send me back to the needle. It didn’t change my life, but it changed enough to save it. It helped me find the focus I thought i had left on the football field. I got hope. That feeling of paranoia i’d forgotten something , that feeling that i hadn’t given my all went away. Not because a drug made me forget my issues, but because a dug made me aware and gave me a solution. To my boss, and more importantly the young men i coach, i am the picture of steely eyed intense focus. The side effects can be troublesome, and yes the potential for abuse, especially in teens, is massive, but other than that, this stuff is all upside. So parents, don’t let your kids struggle the way i did over fear of side effects. Most bad decisions in life are made in the presence of fear. Nobody says, ” keep taking a drug even if it doesn’t work”, so try it. One of my freshman LBs got on concerta, he couldn’t tie his shoes without getting distracted by the laces before…….He’ll be a varsity captain next year
Laura. What you are doing is bad for you, and your doctor is clearly getting a kickback form concerta. The fact that u can take that much and not be catatonic is staggering. He should have switched you to a different med long ago, even short term to prevent such tolerance. The cycle of not sleeping, then taking more is true addictive behavior. I’m not judging(read my other posts, i’m an ex junkie), I just know the story. Try not taking any tomorrow. You will hibernate for 2 days IF you are so LUCKY, odds are though it will be misery like you’ve never experienced. It’s called withdrawal. Get a new doc and tell him the business. Then e-mail me at milesmcghee618@gmailcom.
anyone…….my email is milesmcghee618@gmail.com. Please if you have questions ask. I was the poster child for 1st and 4th tier add. Drug addict, quitter, failure, and intolerable. I don’t blame add for all of that, but I do blame it for making these issues near impossible to address, and left untreated ADD WILL!!!!! lead to at least one of these or something similar. Now……I am the poster child for miraculous success. I can’t keep what I have unless I give it away, so if you have a question ask…… To answer the most common one now……….NO!!!!!!! I will not sell you some, so go whip off a batch and leave me alone
I was just reading the top of the page again is search of the ever elusive answer Ritalin or Adderall. The simple sentence “Unlike Ritalin, however, Adderall may also cause the cell to pump out dopamine.” Dopamine – the reward. I think that’s the reason why it’s easier to get addicted to Adderall and you get almost like a high like you’re invincible but at the same token when the stuff wears off you take a plunge. Also, without the dopamine reward, I think you tend to experience some type of withdrawal effect. I’d love to hear more posts from people who’ve tried both and which one they were successful with. I also wish more people really knew about ADD. Did you ever just sit down with a group of people that you know or don’t know and someone always has to make the comment “I think I’m ADD today.” It really kills me. I feel like shouting out “Why don’t you try ADD out everyday.” Granted I would rather be given a diagnosis of ADD than cancer or leukemia or some catastrophic disease. But ADD presents some real tough issues to deal with every day of your life. You have good days and bad days just like everyone else but somehow I think even the simplest tasks are so much more of a challenge. I’m wondering if many other adult ADDers feel this way or it’s only me. I may be taking it too seriously but there is just such a stigma about ADD and a real lack of knowing even the basic facts. To top it off there are different types of ADD which just adds to the confusion.
Is there anyone who has had any real luck with Strattera? Can a non-stimulant med really be as effective as Ritalin or Adderall or any variation of the two?
Kim- I was diagnosed with adult ADD about a year ago. (finally, after a really misplaced life and a lot of wrong meds)
My Dr. started me out on Strattera and it kinda worked for me. I felt a little better. But I did begin to get some really nasty headaches and some crazy stomach problems. My brother-n-law was on it too, at some point and he said the same thing happened to him. Anyway, so they switched me to adderall 10′s then (well the usual story) (10′s to 15′s to now 2- 15mg tabs a day)…. All I can tell you for sure about this so far is my husband could tell you ” yes, she seems to be improving in so many ways and doing great in focus and staying on task and accomplishing things, but man.. at the out of nowhere bursts of aggression” . Those have been more frequent and more explosive with the upping of my dose. Two days ago I ran out. SNOW STORM!! My Dr wasn’t in so the PA gave me NUVIGIL to stop the withdrawal and the falling asleep. I was so mad, it was like I could have fallen asleep at the drop of a hat. Made it thru the day though. And now look…. 2:37am and wide a wake….
Sorry to have rambled on, but all of that to say… To each his on.. Only you and your body can tell you what will work for you. Trust me.. 10 years of- try this, use that, add this, 3 psychiatric visits (we’ll call it), 5 different Psychiatrists and tens of thousands of dollars later.. ADD… Every single person’s body reacts differently and accepts or rejects what its given. Leading into, it kinda is a touch and go- game and do the Pros out-weigh the Cons? To my husband who has ( obsessive compulsive disorder) and I… even with the outbursts of aggression, the Pros have it in our case. I am sorry for the whole life story.. I hope maybe it helped.
I AM TAKING ADDERAL FOR 4 MONTHS NOW…I AM 28 Y/O I AM TAKING 20MG XR I LOST 60LBS IN 2 MONTHS BUT I DID START TO GET HEADACHES OCCASIONALLY AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. BUT ITS NOT FOR PEOPLE WITH AN ATTITUDE IT WILL JUST MAKE YOU WANT TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL. IDK MAYBE ITS JUST ME.
My 9 year old son was diagnosed with adhd when he was in kindergarten.We had him evaluated over a 5 mth period to really be sure of the issue. He started on ritalin 5mg first,it worked for 1year,10mgs for another year.Then we tried adderal ,he lost 20lbs in two mths! A 6 year old doesn’t have much extra to loose! We immediately changed meds-happy to say; he has been on concerta ever since! He just six months ago had his only increase in the meds from 18mg, to 27mg.He hasn’t had any side affects from them and it has been 3 plus years.If for some reason he has to miss a dose, you can obviously tell. My husband and I didn’t realize how much it helped until after one of those rare “missed doses”. Couldn’t be happier with concerta!
I am 46 years old and have 2 daughters ages 18 and 16. I’ve had ADHD symptoms all the way back to elementary school, just look at my teachers comments on the old hand written report cards. Daydreams, could get A’s if he would just apply himself, etc…you name it… My wife and I had heard of ADD being we we both in the medical industry, but never ADHD back in 98 and 99… Our older daughter was having problems finishing up 1st grade in a school that her teacher could barely speak English fluently and the principal was useless. I had just got a good job with an HMO so we were lucky enough to have extra money to choose private school or move to a better neighbohood. We choose to put the money into a better house in one of the highest rated school zones, but still stay in public schools. Lucky again that our child’s 2nd grade teacher was familiar with ADHD and picked up on her problems…We had no clue she was having that hard a time. Fortunate to work for an HMO, we took plenty of time getting the diagnosis for her and all the testing and questionares just floored me!! Holy crap, I have all these symptoms they were diagnosing too!! Long story short, I was able to get diagnosed at the same time as my daughter and able to take the same meds as she was. Higher doses for me, but being able to “feel” how the meds affected me and watch my daughter reactions to her meds was so much more comforting as a parent who was absolutely against “medicating” my kids just to treat a behavior problem. My younger daugher too started having some issues paying attention in school and completing homework, tho not nearly as bad, but yes ADHD too… lower doses have worked effectively for her for all these years. We all have taken everything and at increasing doses to get an effective result. I stopped taking the meds once we had gain a full understanding of all the meds and the kids were old enough to communicate how the meds were working for them. 12 years later, my oldest is a Senior ready to graduate with almost a 3.0 GPA, but having to make-up a few bad grades she got while objecting to taking her meds for a grading period at a time. She felt fine and didn’t need them, then BAM, bad grades and frustration with homework, etc… I doesn’t take a full 9 week grading period to notice a drop… Those mid-term reports will show, but then it’s too late to bring up bad grades for that period. She is in jeopardy of losing most scholarships without that 3.0GPA, so she really trying hard this last semester and back on Conserta 36mg once a day. She had been off her meds for all Summer and thru to December (7 months). She’s working a parttime job, about 20 hrs a week and has almost all A’s for this 4th grading period, but being so close, I may have to make her quit the job to spend most of her time on school grades. My youngest is just now increased to 20mg Adderall XR in the morning for this year. They have a great doctor that has watched every step of the way and asks all the right questions at every office visit. BOTTOMLINE IN THIS STORY: All the meds work. Each a little different. In my older daughter’s case, she took Adderall and Concerta in Elementary, and switched as her weight or not eating became an issue. Both kids switched to Stattera a year after it came out because it had good reviews and was “not a stimulant”, plus easier to get refills. Our oldest maxed out on Strattera in 4 years by 8th grade. She started with 20mg BID morning and afternoon, while our youngest started at 10mg once a day. Oldest increased to 40mg BID, then 60mg BID, then 80mg BID, as office visits and questions indicated she needed a little more. I didn’t need more than 40mg BID, as 80mg at one time in the morning seemed to upset my stomach, but most of the time I didn’t eat breakfast. We always made sure the kids ate breakfast first, then meds afterwards so the higher doses never seemed to bother our oldest’s stomach. A person can also build up an “immunity” to a certain med before reaching max dosage, when a higher dose is not more effective. Time to change to a different med. Concerta and Strattera do NOT seem to decrease appetite nearly as much as Adderall. A good doctor will monitor weight and switch the meds if weight loss is a problem. I am just now starting back on ADHD meds myself as I have let so many things get behind over the last 3 years, bad procrastinator I am. I just finished a month of Adderall XR 15mg once in the morning. I had good energy and focus in the mornings, but only for about 4 hours when it should peak at 7hrs?, and then a lull in the afternoon and no motivation. XR 20mg lasted a little longer for me, maybe another hour or 2, so I believe I still need a higher dose, but I did lose about 10 lbs from lower appetite (no exercise). I’m switched to Concerta 36mg for about a week now, and I don’t feel the “boost” of energy/focus, but more of an elevated level of focus throughout the whole day and evening. Sleeping at night has never been a problem for me, 5 secs after my head hits the pillow, and I’m out!! All I can say is: I wish we had know about these meds when I was a kid, I could have had much better grades and actually learned how to study. I sure hope my kids never have to fight for grades as hard as I did. I came to this forum looking for info about Conserta vs Adderall, and all of the above comments are Great. Laurie, I especially like the analogy to eye glasses as I am now old enough to need reading glasses and have fought wearing glasses for 6 years while my eye doctor and I have laughed since I was 40. We both knew I needed glasses to help reading, it was just my choice to manage without them for as long as I could, since I wasn’t having headaches or negative side effects. Today I need help reading and I have my little 1.0 readers all over the house. If you or your kids need help managing ADD/ADHD, Your doctor is your consultant, and should always monitor your dosages, but YOU have to tell them if it’s working or not. They can’t read your mind. Don’t hesitate to try/change different meds as you wish (Dr approved of course) until you are happy with the results. I feel like I could decide in 2-4 weeks if the med or dosage was effective. Right now, today, I feel like Concerta 36mg may be the right med to get me thru work and home for dinner. I’ll try to report back in a few weeks with my results. I will be following this thread for questions and comments. Best wishes for all of you, Hang In There!!
Wow… I had no idea it would take that long to tell our story above… Sorry if I bored anyone, but it is a long road of minor tweaks and adjustments to find “not too hot… not too cold… but just right!”
been taking adderal XR for many years now. Works well for me. I currently take 30mg xr once a day. I also had bad anxiety before add was figured out so I also take xanax 1 mg 4 times a day. My life has been so much better now that i have it under control. Side effects for me on the adderal only lasted may be 6 weeks or so but was loss of appetite and really energetic. Now i cant tell that I took it other than i am focused in class and at work.
Now my 8 year old son was diagnosed with add about 2 months ago. They started him on 10 mg adderal with no effect than tried 20 mg xr. Now that changed him completly. Yes he is more focused but he has no appetite has a blank zombie like stare hes no longer happy he used to be the happiest kid around. So after a meeting with his teacher and pricipal we talked with the DR wiho said that is not good and switched him to 18 mg once a day concerta. Really hope this one dose not make him sad like the adderal did.
i was doagnosed with adhd as a child, and i took ridalin for the first couple years of school. i quit taking meds in the 3rd grade. i was curious when i was almost 18 as to whether the pills effected me the same as when i was a child…. so i took adderall… hyped me up? then i took concerta, really calmed me down. it helped.
My son was diagnosed at 6 and started Adderall XR. It was increased over time to 30 mg (at age 8). I noticed that he was very moody coming off the meds in the evening. He had trouble sleeping (which didn’t help the moodiness). He also expressed very negative things about killing himself as well. I decided (after resistance from his doc) try Concerta. He takes 18 mg. Sleep is better, and he’s much happier. He has complained that it doesn’t work as well in school, which I’m taking he’s not getting as big of a “boost”… more of a gradual one… given what everyone’s stated on here.
i started off with concerta at 18mg, at first i loved itbut it started to become less effective, so i increase it 3 more times and the same thing kept happening so my doctor switched me to adderallXR 15 not too long ago, ive noticed ive been more focused with the adderall and i feel much better; the concerta gave me some depressive symtoms which my doctor told me was common, both medications changed my eating habits but with the concerta i get full quicker and don’t have much of an appetite.
My son is 8 and has just been diagnosed with ADHD, we started him off on Adderall XR 5mg last Saturday, the first day he seemed more hyper couldn’t focus and had no appetite, the second day was better and I can see a big change as of today. He said that it helped him to concentrate better at school and was not getting up to run to the bathroom 4 time before 10:00 and not having to wounder around the room. I just hope I am doing the right thing by giving my child a stimulant, when I look at him his eyes are glazed over and look stoned. I wonder if that is normal, and if it will go away. I dont want to hurt him by giving it to him but I dont want him to suffer by not. He is normally out like a light by 8:30 since on the med he is still up at 9:30, I am hoping that will change as his body adjust as well.
My son was on adderal and just got switched to Concerta (my son is 6 years old) we did have weight issues with him. One little solution I found is giving him a glass of Carnation instant breakfast along with his meals and we give it to him as a snack too. 3 nights a week we would give him ice cream as a snack before bed.