Anyone have concerns with concerta?

but your son sounds just like my eldest, who is not LD or on meds. He identified with the CSI episode where the main character says he was ‘invisible’ in high school. He too ignored the greetings in the hall in elementary and I would chide him later in private-his response was “what kid-where?”

He is happy when he is with friends but it is ALWAYS initiated by the other kid. He goes to movies alone rather than call and ask a friend, but jumps at the opportunity when someone calls him.

My youngest is dxd ADD and is on Adderall XR. He is exactly the same way.

I suspect my eldest may be an undiagnosed case of ADD but it hasnt affected his school work and he has no interest in pursuing it

But….my question. Perhaps its a sign of the disorder, not the medication?

My kids are all very thin and I questionned the new pediatrician about the effect of the meds-was it worsening it? Her comment? That body build, in her opinion, was a sign of the disorder, not a side effect of the medication.

hmmm…interesting

It is hard to watch, I know. My freshman is outgoing and will be attending the homecoming dance with a date. The senior has yet to attend a dance or date and seeing the younger one doing those things is making it harder for to watch than it already was

In your case, is it possible to go off the meds and observe for a month or two? You sound very worried and I understand. I worry about my eldest and depression as well

Thank you for your response. You are right. My child sounds a lot like yours. During the summer I found myself suggesting to him to contact friends to get together and do something. He finally contacted them and they did get together several times and are now staying in touch more often.

Getting off medicine during the school year is not an option. He was off ritalin a couple of years ago for about 4 weeks. I didn’t advise the teachers and he kept telling me he was doing fine. He went from almost straight A’s, to low C’s, D’s and one possible F. It was so apparent the teachers called a confernce and aked what had happened! They said he appeared as if he was in a fog. They would give the class an assignment and everyone would be busily at work and there would sit my child in a fog. He went back on the medicine and did an about face. Grades went right back up.

I am concerned and wanted to check if others had noticed a change after switching from ritalin to concerta (since it is a relatively new medication). He is scheduled for a meds check and as in my previous thread, there is the behavior (more towards the family) and wanting to stay in his own little world that is concerning me. Thanks again.

My two sons are on concerta but I haven’t seen a side affect for either that would sound like you describe. I will say that your son sounds a lot like me, I was one of the invisible kids at school and I did (still do) the same when my mom would point out that a kid had said hi to me, ‘what kid?’.

I have inattentive add, diagnosed as an adult, I was(am) very shy, uncomfortable with initiating conversation or activities with folks unless I know them very well, I usually only have one very good friend and a few others that I might see every once in a while. They usually have to do the calling but I am always glad to join them. I didn’t join any clubs in high school or college, I was in band however, I was pretty comfortable there mostly because my brother was in it also. I wasn’t depressed, I was always a loner, even in elementary school, but I was happy with my books and my own thoughts. I did and still do like to socialize on my own terms.

If this is behavior that is new and unusual for your son that showed up with the medicine then a long talk with the doc is in order. If this is behavior that is part of your son’s personality then this is just who he is. My brother was very social, had lots of girlfriends. Your boys are different people from each other so you can’t really say something is wrong with the quiet one just because his brother is very social. My two guys are as different as night and day, one has inattentive add, is quiet, thoughtful, neat, he is more social than I was in school but is still shy. He doesn’t do well in school without sp.ed help.The other one has adhd, is boisterous, messy, very social, does very well in school.

Taking your son to counseling wouldn’t hurt if you are concerned, if for no other reason than to rule out any other problems. Sometimes it is helpful for boys to have someone to talk to besides mom. We are too close sometimes.

I hope this helps. Best wishes.
Amy

Here are some problems with giving kids speed. 1. Brain damage 2. Addiction 3. Drug abuse 4. Liver Damage 5. Heart damage 5.Cardiac arrest

Ball NEVER backs up his statements, largely because they are nonsense. There is no evidence that stimulants cause any kind of brain damage. A stimulant that is no longer prescribed, cylert, was associated with small risk of liver damage. It might interest you to know that a medication used to treat toe nail fungus carries a greater risk of such damage than did Cylert. There are several studies showing that ADHD children treated with stimulants have a reduced risk of addictions. All people with ADHD are thought to have a greater risk for addictive behaviors, probably because of the impulsivity associated with the condition. As for the heart damage/cardiac failure that Ball mentions, there have been a few isolated reports (fewer than 10) of children experiencing heart problems when they take ritilan and clonidine together. That is why it is important for your physician to always monitor a child taking medication.

Mamm:

It depends with the medication. Concentra like any med has side effects and good to it. I think there are folks who are just born shy and solitary. Maybe try to see if your son would like to associate with people more like him. Start slow and build it up gradually.

This is the first time I have been on this forum.. My 9yr old son was diagnosed with ADD 2 1/2 years ago. I read your response to the Concerta post, and I had no choice but to respond to such awful things to say to parents who have made the decision to put their children on medication. Do you actually think that a decision like that is easily made ? Have you even ever thought of how many sleepless nights parents spend researching all the pros & cons ? I was one of those parents and yes I made the decision. My son’s future is at stake her and since I made the decision not only is he doing better in school he now is proud of HIMSELF. How would you feel if every task your child tried to do failed ? How would it make you feel when you hear your child saying he is “stupid” How do you think these children feel in class thinking all their peers are smarter ? For the parents out there that are doing what is BEST for their children are now seeing the benefits from their decision. They are now seeing their children feel beter about themselves because they are able to accomplish things that they have been watching all the other kids accomplish. Lastly I would just like to say to you ball is that we come to this forum for SUPPORT not to be judged as parents.

I have echoed Lisas sentiments before because of this Ball person. Obviously this not a person in their right mind if you have read their posts before. I advise everyone to completely ignore all future posts of him/her. We are all here for support and we are all doing what is best for our children. Not to read lunacies from an idiot.

Hi, My son has been on the Concerta for just over a year. He has previously been on Ritalin since he was 5 years old. He is now going on 13. He is failing school so far this year, like last year, the school just wants to send him home for a few days so that the “teachers can have a break from my son”. My son loves everybody and he is outgoing, he just doesn’t have the social skills to do the outgoing part right. He has lots of girls that just love him, but the boys are here and there. None of them ever call or come over and my son does not go over to other boys house. It is very difficult to see this happening. It hurts your heart. Our son is very active and disruptive with comments while in class and he frustrates the class and the teachers, but my son thinks it is funny. He thinks that he is popular becuase everybody laughs at him and all the girls love him becasue he is a good looking boy with a sence of humor. But how do we get him through his education when he can’t handle the larger groups, and the school is not welling to search or help pay for assistance for my son in regards to him education….I too am very frustrated and exhausted.. If you have any suggestions please e-mail me at [email protected] Thank you…

Is this a public school? It is NOT legal for them to keep him out of school to give teachers a break! Others on these boards (the parenting LD board gets more “traffic”- try posting there) can give you advice on what steps to take. I believe that under IDEA the school is required to do a functional behavior assessment/behavior intervention plan if his behavior is preventing him from learning. Does he have an IEP? He certainly sounds like a kid who would qualify under OHI (Other Health Impaired) due to ADHD. Gather your strength, find an advocate or other support person to help you and keep fighting!

To you and the other parent whose child is not getting the results you had hoped from your medication I suggest changing to a different class of meds. Adderall XR is an amphetamine where as Concerta is methylphenidate. There are studies showing a higher preferential response to the amphetamine class and Adderall XR has a study out the I justed learned about from my doctor that supports the study. Ask your doctor about trying XR to see if you can get a better situation! It wouldn’t hurt and I know it has done miracles for me!