Concerta symptoms and conditions

I have been off of Topamax since May 2009. And WOW… I feel like a totally new person, it is amazing!

I went to a psych in May & told him that I didn’t care if my migraines returned, I felt that I need to try & get off of the medication. It had taken over my life, and not in a good way. I also got off my anti-depressant (Wellbutrin).

I planned on going back to school in August, I asked to be put on an ADD medication. I started off with Concerta, but that did not work. I am now taking Vyvanse 30mg. This was my first semester back since 2003 & I am pretty sure I made a high B or low A in my class. I know I would not have been able to do that had I still been on Topamax.

I still have minor anxiety, which I will take a Xanax as needed. I only need them when I am stressed out.

For the most part, I no longer have migraines. When I do (about 1 or 2 a month), they are no where near the severity as they were in the past. Thankfully I am able to take an Excedrin Migraine and it goes away.
I am eating much better, however I can’t seem to gain any of my weight back. I have been at 90 lbs for about a year now. I will have a carbonated drink from time to time. Coke & Dr. Pepper are too sweet. After going a year w/o, it was quite strange. Now I will drink Orange Sunkist or 7-Up when I want some sort of flavor.

I get mad at myself for staying on Topamax for so long. I was too scared to get off of it. What if the next medication I tried had similar side effects… I would have to go thru them again. Or what if it didn’t work & I had to go thru the Topamax side effects all over again?

The mood swings, tingles, anxiety, shortness of breath, RAPID weight loss (25/30 lbs in 3 months), loss of hair, feelings of just existing, getting lost while I was driving, not being able to complete a sentence & spacing out were not worth it. I wanted to feel human again! Since then, my cycle is normal & my skin has really cleared up! I would get huge pimples & my face had many underneath bumps. I would cry when I washed my face because I felt as if I were reading brail.

I was only on 50mgs, but it totally changed my life.

I think that doctors and pharmacist need to tell you more about the possible side effects and strongly advise you to do research on the drug before they prescribe it. I know we are supposed to do that anyway, but sometimes we are too trusting and feel that they would not give us something may not be good.

When I went to the doctor about some of my side effects, they said, “It’s just your system getting used to the Topamax.” My pharmacist just warned me about kidney stones and to use a second form of BC. I often wonder if it was worth it.

Life for me is so much better being “Topa-free!”

Lexapro is the only antidepressant I have been able to take without significant nausea. I tried zoloft, wellbutrin, cymbalta -- all with a lot of nausea that did not subside over time. With Lexapro I have no nausea. My sex drive is a little lower, but is right back to normal if I skip a pill. Of course, I don't skip more than one day in a row because of the Head Zaps. As others have noted on this site, the Head Zaps from withdrawal are crazy.
Any time I've gone off Lexapro I've eventually decided to go back on, because it works for me. Yes, my emotions are mildly muted, but not much and without Lexapro I'm a reactive basket case! Lexapro also takes care of my irritability. I have to say, my quality of life is much better with this drug -- it has a positive impact on my relationships, work-life, parenting, self-image, mood, anxiety, irritability. I also take Adderall -- this is the second time I've been on an ADD med -- the first was Concerta and I got off of that as soon as I could -- it definitely made my life much more manageable but I couldn't tolerate the "speediness": racing heart, hyper. Adderall has been MUCH better, positive effects without the drawbacks, and works well with my Lexapro.

I have an 8y.o. daughter that has been on Singulair for about 3 years now. Since she started taking singulair she has been absolutely miserable! She cries at everything, is very moody, has leg pains, wont leave my side and is tired ALL the time. She has circle under her eyes, she looks like she hasn't slept a wink in days! She has been off her Singulair for about 5 days now and she is a totally different person. She has been "happy-go-lucky" and full of herself, she has even woke up happy (which hasn't happened in I dont know how long). She was put on Singulair by our Doctor b/c she had Pnemonia two times in a row. She has Allergies and Asthma and for the past 3 years has been on: Singulair (4mg), albuterol, flovent, Zyrtec, and Flonase. That is just too much for a little girl to be on. She hardly eats at all, gets headaches. I just see such a difference when she is not on it but, what will she take in place of this? My husband also takes Singulair (he is miserable all the time), he doesnt sleep at night and is always tired. Anyone have alternative to this drug?

Like many patients, I started out on a low dose of Lamictal. Eventually, I was taking 300 mg. This seemed fine for awhile. Then, I started feeling a bit down, so the doctor increased the dose to 400 mg. Increased dosage does not necessarily mean improvement in mood (bipolar). I began to experience a good number of the adverse side effects reported here, including excessive fatigue, gastrointestinal disturbances, cotton mouth and very bad taste in my mouth, muscle tension (particularly in my legs), forgetfulness and confusion, and sinus and chest congestion. At one point in time, I even had difficulty articulating words.

Though I did not suffer from rash, I have been up in the middle of the night with itching all over my body. I had a few episodes of mouth sores and one pimple on my chin. Many of these have improved since the doctor brought me back to 300 mg. However, they have not entirely disappeared. I continue to suffer from the excessive fatigue many of you have reported here.

I recently had a blood test and learned I have very low levels of Vitamin D and Vitamin B-12. I do not know if there is any relationship between long-term use of Lamical and these test results. However, I do know that low levels of Vitamin D can cause fatigue.

Though I am willing to follow through with further blood tests, I am beginning to understand why some people are tempted to discontinue their medications. I am so tired of being so tired and sleeping so much. When I finally get up, I am still tired and drag through the day.

Sometimes, I think I'd rather have a down day or two than take this medication. I should add, though, that my bipolar is not severe, and that I am only reporting how I feel. I'm certainly not recommending anyone discontinue medications for this or any other condition they may be suffering from. If I were to recommend anything, it would be to get a second opinion if one is concerned about his or her treatment.
If I were to make any suggestion to doctors, it would be this: more is not necessarily better. Send your patients for blood tests (mine were ordered by my M.D. and not by my psychiatrist). Increasing the dosage--at least of Lamictal--might result in a host of negative side effects. Your patients might then become disillusioned with their treatment and give up.

If anyone out there has suffered from B-12 and D deficiencies, let me know. I'll let you know what I find out.

And remember, most doctors are really trying to help us.

I have been taking the generic form of Wellbutrin (social anxiety with a touch of ADHD) for just over six months and as much as I hate to admit it, I believe that the bad is finally, convincingly, outweighing the good.
The good things that came along with 150mg of the SR every morning at 11:00: Weight loss (but only after an initial one month period of eating every form or carbohydrate I could find), it seems to brighten the whites of my otherwise cloudy eyes, helped me maintain conversations with people that I would have normally cut off early, and possibly--but only possibly--helps me focus (although the hyper focus that I used to get via the ADHD is gone. Completely. Non-existent.)
Which brings me to the bad: This goes against most of what I've read other people experience on Wellbutrin but lethargy has set in. And it feels like it's here to stay. It's not really a sedated lethargy but more of a false contentment that everything is just fine the way it is. No progression, no improvement, and looking to the future is almost impossible through the fog. I too, during the first two or three weeks, had the speedy, productive reaction to the medication. But that has subsided. Next, hair loss has become a concern. I'm in my thirties and it could be just how it goes but I truly doubt it. Mild constipation may seem bearable but I miss regularity more than I have time to describe. Ringing in the ears. Impaired memory. Confusion. Forgetfulness to a fault. Mild hives on the back. Irritability. A marked shortness of breath. After one month on Wellbutrin, I could barely run a mile on the treadmill when I've been accustomed to flying through three to five with ease. I feel weak, vulnerable even. Working out has therefore fallen to the wayside. And last, but probably the worst, this medication has seemed to cultivate a serious craving for other drugs. I can't explain it but I can't take it anymore either.
Like most people on a medication, I have read numerous posts and some people share some of my concerns but mostly, it seems that the people who report in are the speedy folks on day two or week two. That is, in my opinion, only a bit helpful, since these effects are usually short-lived. Wellbutrin started out with promise but while parts of me look into the mirror and see an improvement, underneath it all, I know that it is purely a nicely dressed form of prescribed avoidance.
I haven't posted this to discourage anyone. If it works for you--great. Really. But I also haven't read anyone's experience that matched my own so I figured it might help someone who is going through any of the same. Good luck.

I took my first Cymbalta this am and it is like nightmare starting all over again. I took Wellbutrin for about 6 years and several times a week, when I tried to go to sleep, my hips, feet and legs would begin to hurt. Then every time about 3 seconds after I'd actually fall asleep I would have a severe myoclonic jerk and scream out. This showed up on a sleep study. The doctor showed me and my husband the video. He said it was the strangest thing he'd ever seen and planned to take the video to the next conference he went to. Everyone, pharmacists, doctors and neurologist said it couldn't be coming from medication. The sleep doctor put me on Ambien CR, but after almost pulling out in front of a car that I swear wasn't there a split second ago, no more ambien. Another doctor put me on Clonopin which has helped. After going on Lacmictal as a hormone/mood stabilizer and tapering off Wellbutrin, after almost instantly six the myoclonic jerks totally stopped. Was doing well until increased the dose of Lamictal from 100 to 200mg. Followed package increased as instructed. At 200mg felt like ants were crawling all over me. Immediately came back down to 100, then to 50 then to 25mg. No lunch. Stayed off of Lamicatal for about a month, and tried 50 mgs. Still itching almost as soon as I took it. Am doing pretty good on Clonopin for complex PTSD and Concerta for ADD but still have depression severe mood swings. My new Doctor insisted Cymbalta was exactly what I needed. After just one dose the myoclonic jerks started again. Had 5 in about 30 minutes, again, 3 to 4 seconds after I go sleep. And my feet, legs and hips hurt again, every time I lay down. Is there no end to this misery? It seems you just cannot win. I just need to vent and find another sympathetic soul who has been there. I think my husband has had about all he can take, and I can't say as I blame him. Thanks for letting me express my frustration.

My 10 yr old is taking Concerta and it is the worst thing that i have every seen happen to a child. i am looking into ways to get him off the medication. it is horrible. he is fine during the day but in the evening he is a totally different person. Annoyed and irritated all the time, sad, angry, aggressive, mildly violent. he has melt downs every night and lately they have been lasting for 4 hours. no one is getting sleep and it is very stressful for the family. this drug should be banned....

For the sake of our wonderful world of insurance hmo's, I had to stop taking my Effexor. I've taken cymbalta 60mg for 3mo and no side effects at all. Moods stabilized, a bit irritable (but live in my world). Fibro pain gone, some fatigue and days end. Migraines, have not had one since I started. Talk with your doc about adding some concerta with it for energy and concentration. The combination work wonders for me. Age 52 raising a 4th grade grandson, with 5 other grandchildren that I have over 2 - 3 times a week and work from home, and volunteer when I can. So I still have a full life boys and girls. And you can too.

I just started using Singulair a few days ago. I am 54 years old and just started coughing at night only. I would be fine during the day and then never failed, at night I started to cough keeping me awake. I was given antibiotics, narcotic cough syrups but it only helped temporarily and then I went back to coughing nights only again. So as I mentioned, I started taking Singulair a few days ago because my physician thinks I have developed allergies and Singulair is noted to help night coughs. It is helping my night coughs but I still cough a few times at night and now I cough quite a few times in the day when I never use to cough in the daytime. Wondering if Singulair is worth taking as the symptoms are becoming opposite? I hate taking drugs and don't know if I should find a safer alternative? Help, anyone? Thank you

Thanks and blessings to everyone who has posted problems with Lisinopril on this site.

I am a 60 year old Caucasian male who was put on Lisinopril 10 mg by my doctor in conjunction with 54 mg of Concerta for treating me for ADHD. Two years later I finally discovered that the “ADHD” was caused by my progressive glasses being one diopter too strong causing Induced Dyslexia. The real problem was not my ability to mentally focus or “follow a task list.” The real problem was my inability to read what was in front of me, let alone find the list.

I now have a correct progressive glasses prescription and computer glasses for seeing what is on my monitor so that I can think again. I weaned myself off the Concerta and haven’t felt this good in 5 years EXCEPT for when I came down with the flu five months ago (despite taking the flu shot – which we now know only worked 40% of the time). After being ill for six weeks with the flu, however, almost all of the flu symptoms were gone except for the dizziness and fatigue.

I was so dizzy and exhausted that “I felt like I was on some type of drug.” That was when I realized that I WAS taking a prescription drug - Lisinopril.

It was also when I discovered your webpage and the side effects of Lisinopril of dizziness and fatigue.

I stopped taking the Lisinopril and within 36 hours the dizziness and fatigue was gone and I feel great. Mentally I think that I am also much more alert, and think that the Lisinopril also increased the confusion that the Concerta was supposed to help reduce.

Again, THANK YOU.

My 6 year old daughter Started taking Concerta about 3 months ago. Some things I've noticed are, loss of appetite and loss of weight.
She has had very noticeable academic improvement at school. She is concentrating better. At home I l see how she can go through mood swings and emotional episodes. She snaps all of the sudden and cries if things don't go as she expects. I'm not sure why this is happening. She is currently on the 36 mg. I really don't like having her on this or any other medication. It's very frustrating trying to decide what is best for your child.
She is also taking Singulair for her asthma and allergy symptoms. I was reading the reviews Singulair medication and they are scary! I don't know if her emotional episodes have to do anything with singulair or concerta med side effects. For now I'm definitely taking her off Singulair and see what happens.

I am 25, female. Started Concerta about a month ago and LOOOOVE it!! I never realized that I had ADD, it has been a big relief to figure it out. I've always done fairly well in school, but have always had a hard time concentrating. I could tell the improvement the very first day!! It was absolutely amazing to me! Started on 18mg for one week, increased to 36 for 3 weeks, and now I am on 54. Also, I have gone to the doctor several times for help with anxiety. It was anxiety more in social situations and I was constantly worried about things, which stressed me out. Concerta has helped me majorly! I was concerta when I read the Concerta info and it said not for people with a history of anxiety, but the anxiety was actually part of my ADD. I am so glad I found this drug!!

I was finally diagnosed with add last November. The doctor tried me on Straterra. It made me tired all the time and emotional. Next we tried Concerta. That made me agitated and irritable, So then we finally got around to adderall. It worked, yay! 10mg 3xday did nothing for me, so the next time I went to my pdoc I told her. So she upped my dosage to 20mg in the am, 10mg at noon, and 10mg in the pm. I did not understand this. I tried this for a few days and guess what? I did okay in the am, but the noon and pm dose were useless. So I took it upon myself to just go ahead and take 20mg 3xday. Only side effects were dry mouth and appetite reduction. I ran out a week early, but no biggie, I was prepared for the consequences,
So the next time, I see my pdoc (new one this time), I tell her what I'd done and I felt that 20mg 3xday was right for me. She recommended adderall xr30mg in the am and 20 regular adderall in the pm. I decided to go ahead and try it, figuring xr is the same stuff in a time released form.
Oh how wrong was I! Side effects started with headache, then drowsiness to the point I had to take a nap. I've been becoming more and more emotional and irritable since I've been taking it (2 weeks now).
Earlier tonight I had an episode that could have turned into a bad panic attack. Luckily, though, I got to my clonezapam before I got too far out of control.
I just don't understand how the (supposed) same drug in a different form could have such different side effects. I was going to continue with the xr, hoping the bad side effects would diminish in time, but after tonight, I think I will flush them.
Has anyone else had the same or similar experience?

My 8 year old son was started on Concerta a few months ago, has severe ADHD & Bipolar Disorder Type 2. He has become more agitated, very short fuse with 7 year old brother, hallucinations - visual of a movie thats coming out - kinda like a harry potter but more creepy, but I'm not sure if it is the concerta or the combo w/ his celexa and risperdal. I increased his risperdal from .75 mg to 1 mg, and it seems to help. He has alot of personal things going on also that could be contributing, any ideas if this could be the concerta or the combo? His Dr is having us get an MRI and a Neurophysical exam to rule out anything physical causing the effects, wants to cover all bases before changing meds. Any feedback welcome (he has been on the celexa and risperdal for a few years now and I know they are not the cause, I have extensive experience with these two meds, just not the concerta) We have also tried Strattera, but it made him too sleepy as it is a non stimulant. Thank you

My son was prescribed Strattera for ADD. 25 mg for three days,
but when the dosage increased to 40 mgs, it was a nightmare.

This was the worst medicine I have ever had my 12 yr old son take. He lost his appetite, had insomnia for several weeks and behaved like he was in a stupor when he was awake.
I would NEVER EVER have him take this drug again and I do not
recommend it to anyone else.

14 yr old son just began 18mg of Concerta, not sure if I like the effects I see...seems draggy, moody, dilated pupils, c/o headache
any advise?

I have a 9yr that was placed on Singulair about 3 or 4 years ago with Concerta for ADD. He was always coughing at night and the doctor said it was allergies and told me to give him 5mg every night before bed. And the school said he had ADD. Well needless to say, my son weights 48 lbs and has had headaches. But he also doesn't act like a normal 9 yr old should. He does things destructively (breaks toys and destroys things in the house) and states that he doesn't know why he does things. He doesn't want to clean his room, shower, brush his teeth like he used too, and he acts depressed all the time. I ask he whats wrong and he says he doesn't know. He doesn't want to play outside or do anything remotely fun. After reading all these post I'm wondering if I should take him off the medication he's on and see what happens but I'm afraid of more side effects. The doctor says he needs to be on this medication. He has problems going to sleep at night is this a side effect? Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

My son was changed from Adderall to Concerta. He started having a lot of side effects on 18mg. I told the doctor and he doubled the dose to 36mg. In three days, he went totally out of control. In the following 4 days, we had 3 emergency room visits, two hospitals and two ambulance rides. Now I am facing lots of bills and no help from the doctor. My son's side effects were weight loss, loss of appetite, mervousness, fast heartbeat, unusual sadness, irritability, dilated pupils, hallucinations, twitching, temors, throwing up, yelling at me, nose bleeds, behavior changes, and dizziness. He now is off all ADHA medications. Please read what the side effects are and stop the medication if they show up.

Taking Topamax for 2 years started out at 25 mgs 3 times a day for a mood stabalizer (bi-polar). Had tingling in hands and feet sometimes in face. Lost waight, pop tasts nasty, sleepy, short term memory loss, slurred speach. Now I take 100mg at bed time have no symptoms except I still am able to controll my eating (had a problem with over eating) no more road rage but I still felf a little depressed and did cry so I was not to stable until Citalopram 10mg at bedtime and Adderall XL 10mg in the morning was added. Now I finally feel like a totaly normal person. No more anxiety, mood swings, crying, paranoia,or any other weird stuff. I feel pretty good. Rarely I get pins and needles in my hands or feet or I forget where I put something.

I'm sorry so many of you have bad experiences with Adderall. My side effects went away in about two weeks.

The amphetamines in Adderall have been used for 70 years, so if they were that dangerous, they would not be around today and one of the top 10 most prescribed pediatric drugs in America.

To Spoiled Rotten,
Apparently you can't read all that well or don't know how to do research, maybe you should have been on Adderall as a kid. RITALIN, CONCERTA, FOCALIN, DAYTRANA are all Methylphenidate, which IS NOT AN AMPHETAMINE.

Be a Big BOY/GIRL and do your own research about these drugs. Real research, not a side-effects website where people who know nothing about the drugs themselves hear something from someone, who knows someone's sisters friend who ABUSED their medication.

ALL DRUGS can be bad. You can die of an aspirin overdose. It's how they are used. Adderall and Ritalin are "very safe" when used properly" (Driven To Distraction).

I'm sure 99 percent of you don't even know what ADDICTION really is. This is a huge health problem in America. Yes, the addictions, but MORE so the ignorance and stereotypes of people with them.

African American 47,
You DON'T just get addicted to a drug. You can BE DEPENDENT on a drug, and not an addict. Cancer patients take very large amounts of NARCOTIC pain killers and THEY ARE DEPENDENT on them. For pain relief and physical dependence. They DON'T crave the drugs though.

So with SPOILED rotten's philosophy, the 20,000,000 people on Adderall or Ritalin (NOT AN AMPHETAMINE, similar, but not the same thing) who's quality of life has been improved 100 fold just like mine. I would have benefited GREATLY from medication but did not get diagnosed until 3 months ago at the age of 24.

Medication IS NOT for everyone, as "it doesn't work very well for about 80% of people who take it." (Driven To Distraction, Dr Edward Hallowell).

IF anyone has questions about ADD read "Driven To Distraction". The Author(s) both have ADD themselves and are psychiatrists.

Too many people with ADD refuse medication because they think "oh no, I will get addicted", which is 99 percent of the time not the case for ADD. They miss out on at least an option that could help them immensely.

I am so irritated with the ignorance and lack of knowledge from people who bad mouth things they know really nothing about. It didn't work for me so I am going to demonize the drugs and spread lies that they turn kids into zombies and cause them to shoot up schools..........C'mon, you're how old? I'm probably 1/2 your age and I have twice the common sense.
I'm not saying your a bad parent Spoiled, but your NAME IS Spoiled....you seem to be on a high and mighty chair, and you seemingly have a very self centered mind. Doesn't work for you then it must be the work of the devil.

Learn how to do research, form educated opinions, maybe read a book. Use your rights as a patient to see a different doctor if you don't agree with one. Do something productive.

My son 12 yrs took 30 mg yesterday and he said it felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest and his chest was shaking rapidly. Later that night we had a disagreement about how the pin pong table gets put together. It turned into a full blown anger rage to the point where he went into e sezier. I was so scared and so was he. This morning he doesn't even remember anything about last night. I call ed the doc and he stopped the meds and they now want him to try concerta 30 mg. I hope this drug does not have the same reaction. I waited 7 years to start him on meds for his ADHD. I hope I am making the right decision.

I have taken Geodon for a few years and thought the drug worked well. I had less psychotic ideation. The dosage has increase slowly over the years and I felt even better when I went from 3 60 mg pills per day to 3 80 mg pills per day. I also take Concerta 52 mg, Wellbutrin XL 270 mg, Klonopin 20 mg at night, Claritin D, fish oil, flax seed oil. The only odd side effects are a diminished orgasm and cold chills in my chest. The cold chills have subsided since I increased to 240 mg per day. I seem to be very dependent on Geodon because if I am late on a dosage, I feel miserable. My memory is not very good and I used to have an excellent memory. Most of the comments I read have been negative. I believe that overall, my experience with Geodon has been good.

Mydaughter is 8 and in second grade. She has been diagnosed with adhd. We have been taking adderall xr for about a month and a half. While the school day goes well for her, the afternoons and ugly for us. She is very agitated, cries for nothing and irratic for about 1-2 hours. We also have a hard time getting her to sleep. Her doctor prescribed Lunesta 1 mg, but it takes a long time for her to go to sleep. We start around 9:00 or10:00 and it takes a good 1 1/2 hours to get her to go to sleep. She does not sleep thru the night either and has never been a good sleeper. ALong with this add she also has hydrocephalus. While this works great for her attention problem in school, it is very exhausting for me in knowing how to handle her moods, outbursts and the sleep issues. Any advice on either? Thank you

My son is on concerta and has done much better ifocusing in school. I do see mood swings when the concerta wears off and he has been running his fingers through his hair and just told me he is pulling at the hair. Has anyone else experienced the hair issue with this?

my 7 year old son just started this med-18 mg per day. Does anyone have any forsight on what he may experience?