Hi,

I can't tell you if the Concerta is causing the emotional changes in your son but you might want to talk to the doctor about it. If it is causing him some problems, he may be able to switch to another medication. It is also a possibility that treatment of ADHD brought out the depression. This can happen if someone has both ADHD and depression. Once the ADHD is treated, the depression is more visible. Again, the doctor should be able to determine that.

I recently started taking Vyvanse and I love it! I haven't noticed any negative side effects with it. Having ADHD has absolutely nothing to do with your intelligence. It would be equivalent to saying people who need to wear glasses or contacts are stupid. Medication is a tool to help you perform better, just as eyeglasses are. My IQ is over 140 and I love taking my medication because I am able to use my intelligence to its fullest now!! I could have gone so much farther in my career if I had only known about this earlier and been treated.

Tell your son that many people believe that Einstein, Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison, just to name a few, had ADHD. And so does Bill Gates! My neighbor also has ADHD and his IQ is over 180!

Elaine

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My son is 11 and is going through the same thing. His medicatoin (metadate) quit working as well when he was about 10 and we have been trying to find the right combo since then. We've tried Concerta, Adderall, and different doses of each. We are now trying Strattera. Nothing seems to make a huge difference OR seems to cause anger/defiance, etc. I'm struggling with this and would like to know your take AND anyone else's on: Do medications cause these types of mood swings? Is it puberty and we just have to deal with it until his hormones stable out? ARGH! I've seemed to notice that the emotional behavior responses seemed marked in the a.m. or p.m. when the medication is building up or going out of his system. Have you noticed this? I've read that refusing to take medicine is a normal part of adolesence. This is so difficult for my son and I worry about how he perceives himself. He's recently said he's a failure at everything, nobody likes him, etc. Any adivce from anyone? Is anyone dealing with the same thing? At the very least, it would help to know that I had company. Thanks!

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My daughter was on Concerta as well. Yes, I know for a fact that the Concerta causes depression. There are even studies that it can cause suicidal thoughts in adults and children. My daughter experienced dark thoughts about people breaking into our house and killing us. She had nightmares and her appetite decreased. She didn't sleep well. The lose of appetite is typical with most stimulant medications. We went so far as to take her to a psychologist. Once we took her off of the Concerta, she no longer had the dark thoughts and nightmares. We switched her to Adderall. She also gave us problems with taking pills including Adderall. She just didn't like taking the pill and felt that it got stuck in her throat. We have just recently switched to Daytrana(we're on week 3). This is a patch that goes on the hip or butt and gets into the system transdermally. It is time released and seems to be working well. She is concentrating in school, her behavior is improving, and she doesn't give me a hard time about putting the patch on in the morning. I hope that this information will help you. Good Luck to you.

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Sometimes a second opinion from another doctor can help a lot. Finding a doctor who is extremely educated and well versed in the treatment of ADHD and the various comorbidities that can accompany it is worth his weight in gold. I know of quite a few examples where another doctor was able to recognize something that other doctors had missed. Someone who is well versed in dealing with complex ADHD problems and understands his medications well can make a huge difference.

One woman I know has an 11 yr. old son and had problems finding medication that worked for him. She was having a lot of difficulty with him especially dealing with issues at school. He had been put on Ritalin and had terrible nightmares. She immedicately took him off of it and continued to take him to different psychiatrists who didn't seem to be able to help him. I told her to try another doctor who had a great reputation for figuring out complex problems, esp. regarding ADHD and other mental health disorders. It turned out that her son had child onset bipolar disorder in addition to ADHD. The Ritalin had triggered the hidden bipolar disorder. Once his bipolar disorder was treated and stabilized, he was able to take ADHD medication without a problem. She said he is like a different child now. Most psychiatrists are not proficient in recognizing and diagnosing child onset bipolar disorder. Until more recently, it was believed that only adults had bipolar disorder. And the disorder is expressed much differently in children than in adults.

My son and daughter were both on Concerta and had no significant problems with it. As my son grew older the Concerta didn't seem to be working as well and the doctor switched him to Vyvanse. He said that in many cases, Concerta works fine for children but as they get older and reach their teenage years or adulthood, they may respond better to Adderall or Vyvanse. Each individual and their circumstances and additional conditions they may have can affect the outcome of treatment. And people differ in their response to certain medications and how they metabolize medication.

Be proactive, learn all you can and let the doctor know what problems your child is having and when they occur. If the doctor can't seem to figure out what the problem is, get another opinion. Many times there is a solution, you just have to find the right person who is able to figure it out.

Don't give up. There is an answer out there somewhere.

Elaine

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Hi, well my son is on both conerta and guanfacine(generic tenex) it seemed to be doing okay for him no depression but was very emotional (still is) well he has been on this medicine for almost 3 yrs now. He was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten but was going on wayyyyyyy before that time. Just recently I found out that my son could have misdiagnosed and he possibly has Bipolar Disorder w/ depression. Which also four years later his father says, "Oh he could of got that from me". He is in psychotherapy, and his first appointment for psychiatrist isnt until dec. I read somewhere that taking ADHD meds while having Bipolar disorder can make the manic episodes worse. Does anyone know anthing on this? Or is anyone that is on here have a child that has bipolar that can give me some advice. Cause he just seems to be getting worse and not any better.

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Cynandgiggles,

Stimulants can sometimes bring on a manic episode if the individual has bipolar disorder. It is important to get an accurate diagnosis. If there is bipolar disorder in any family members, not just immediate family but cousins, great aunts and uncles, grandparents or great grandparents, etc., the doctor or psychiatrist needs to be aware of that. Many children who have bipolar disorder have ADHD as well. Your child could have bipolar disorder only or only ADHD or both.

My nephew was originally diagnosed with ADHD and ODD but didn't improve with medication. At age 9 he was finally diagnosed with child onset bipolar disorder. He was put on medication for the bipolar disorder and did much better. The ADHD was forgotten and went unnoticed for a while because he was very intelligent and he was being home schooled. Later, the ADHD was recognized and treated as well. He is 19 now, in college and doing fine.

Generally, if a child has both disorders, the bipolar disorder needs to be stabilized first with the appropriate medication and then the ADHD can be treated.

A book I would highly recommend to help you understand the disorder in children and to help you determine if the symptoms sound like your child is: "The Bipolar Child" by Dimitri Papolos. You may be able to locate one of the editions at your local library. That's where I found the book. It is recommended by a lot of doctors.

Good luck, Elaine

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I have a 9 year old son with ADHD. He has several medical issues as well. He does have some learning,developemental and social delays. I've reached out to every orginization I can to help him. I understand very much so what you are going through. He has mostly been on adderall for this. At times it helps and and other times it seems to have no affect. It makes my son have such difficulty to have friends and do well in school and be able to make friends. I wish there was more out there to help children with ADHD. It is a very real disorder. And watching your child struggle with it is unbearable. I do all I can for my son. He is very bright and intelligent. I hope one day they can come up with a cure or something to this disorder. When he is able to focus? My son can read up to Senior reading. that says alot. And in other areas he struggles very much so and other parents think it's just misbehavior because the child don't want to listen. It's not that at all. They want to have control of the problem just as much as other people seeing them react in manners that is innappropiate. My son is aalso a very loving and caring child and it's to the point he doesn't know what to do. He is in therapy. I hope the Lord above will send down a miracle for my son and all the children and parents of the world who are having struggles in the world of the disorder of ADHD And ODD. Quote:

Leeanne said: My son is 11 and is going through the same thing. His medicatoin (metadate) quit working as well when he was about 10 and we have been trying to find the right combo since then. We've tried Concerta, Adderall, and different doses of each. We are now trying Strattera. Nothing seems to make a huge difference OR seems to cause anger/defiance, etc. I'm struggling with this and would like to know your take AND anyone else's on: Do medications cause these types of mood swings? Is it puberty and we just have to deal with it until his hormones stable out? ARGH! I've seemed to notice that the emotional behavior responses seemed marked in the a.m. or p.m. when the medication is building up or going out of his system. Have you noticed this? I've read that refusing to take medicine is a normal part of adolesence. This is so difficult for my son and I worry about how he perceives himself. He's recently said he's a failure at everything, nobody likes him, etc. Any adivce from anyone? Is anyone dealing with the same thing? At the very least, it would help to know that I had company. Thanks!

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My son is 9 1/2. He was finally and very reluctantly diagnosed ADHD when he was in 1st grade. Since then he has been on every combo of meds that can be given. Concerta 18,then 27, then36, then57mg ..then..

Adderall 25,then 30mg..then. .

back to concerta 57mg with a 2.5mg Focalin in pm..then..

Intunive with Concerta 57 and focalin 2.5mg.. then..

2- 36mg concerta at once..then..

ritalin 20mg XR and a 10mg in the evening

now, we are back to the Adderall 30 with a 10 of ritalin and a start up pack of Strattera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY gosh..it still isn't working...all of the meds work..in some form or another..but not consistently.. after a couple of months, weeks or days (no clue what causes this) It just up and quits working...! We were going 6 mos between med changes..now we can go as little as a day.

I have never in my life been so frustrated and the docs think I am a wack-o. The teacher and my husband can back me up though. The concerta..makes him meaner than heck..and extremely argumentative. The Ritalin made him talk toooo much, the adderall is sort of an in between..and works the best..however it doesn't always work and that is our problem. The Intunive made him very depressed..so I am at my wits end.

We are scheduled to see a neuro-psychologist in May. I am looking forward to what we learn and I am hoping with all my heart that that dr. can help us. My son is an extremely smart..yet slightly lazy little boy. He is a year younger than all his classmates because he is so smart..which doesn't help him socially. He does O..K..with his friends..but he is soo bossy and has to do everything his way that his friends don't often put up with him for long..and I can't get him to be polite to me to save his life.

SOOOOOOO..I am hoping someone has some insight.. I am hoping to figure my Tim out soon.

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Hello to everyone! Its nice to see so many parents taking a real interest in their children.

I am actually not a parent but a 21 year old gal with ADHD up the gullet. Going through school I had terrible grades, a C average most of the time but my parents were just SO confused by this because I am a smart individual and fully capable of getting A's, I just...couldn't do it. When I was in my second year of college I had just had it. I was so frustrated and upset with my inability to manage the things around me and my inability to make decisions I decided to go see a therapist and was immediately diagnosed with ADHD. Which, completely clued my poor parents in on my poor academic performance and problems in the past. I was put on 27mgs of Concerta and over the course of several months slowly bumbed up the dosage. Over those few months my focus DID improve however it came with a greatly damaging price. I became EXTREMELY depressed. It was such a bad depression that for 6 months I felt so tired and just sick all I could really do was sleep. I would wake up with a very rapid heart beat, chest pain, my heart felt like it would skip beats, and I began having the most horrible nightmares. It felt as if Satan himself had been in my head while I slept because I just did not think such horrible things could go on in my brain. I of course stopped taking the concerta but it took several months for me to FINALLY start feeling even remotely like myself. Awhile after I started taking Aderall and again my heart starting feeling sick and I began to have terrible mood swings as if I was bi polar, and again the nightmares began. Since then I've waited about a year and for the last 4 days have been taking Ritalin and yet again, my heart feels like at any moment I could have a heart attack and the devil is back in my head.

Up until now the only thing that has consistently helped me to relax and calm down and focus...is marijuana. I know of course no mother would willingly give their children marijuana to smoke but the difference that it has had for me has just....literally been life changing. I have been able to go through my life feeling NORMAL for once. My heart feels so much better, my blood pressure has gone down, and it doesn't feel like Satan is feeding me nightmares anymore. Also though, I choose to smoke it in absolute moderation. I'm scheduled to go in for a consultation with a doctor to see if I could get a legal prescription for it. Its really something to think about. You also don't HAVE to smoke it, there are pills, cookies, brownies...you name it. I actually also read an article about a study that USC (I think) did about how marijuana has been linked to help people with ADD/ADHD.

I guess my whole point of this is to say that I as a 21 year old woman can not believe that 9 year olds are taking Concerta, Ritalin, Aderall and whatever else. The next time the topic of medical marijuana comes up in your state/city maybe consider voting for it or even just doing a little research about it.

I have found so many friends my age that have been diagnosed with things such as anxiety and depression etc. And the "medicine" that we have all been prescribed has just made us to feel sicker than we were in the first place. Its just something to think about and open your mind up to a little. I urge everyone to educate themselves if not for yourself or your children then for the people like me and my fellow peers that have found something natural that really truly FINALLY helps me to feel at peace with myself and like a normal freaking person.

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I have been afraid to put my ADHD teenaged daughter on stimulant meds due to fears that it could trigger dormant schizophrenia in her brain, since some of the potential side effects (hallucinations, hearing voices, etc.) sound exactly like schizophrenic ones, so it must be affecting the same part of the brain. She is adopted from foster care and one of her birthparents was alternately diagnosed bi-polar and schizophrenic, but she remembers that parent being a regular marijuana user (and perhaps other drugs she wasn't aware of then). A recent study confirms much higher rates of schizophrenia developing in marijuana users (who started using imarijuana before schizophrenic symptoms began). Some marijuana users also have hallucinations, hear voices, etc., so it could be that it is triggering something in that part of the brain. Since this recent study wasn't implicating an expensive, legal pharmaceutical product, it was certainly much more likely to be done than one that might look into a link between ADHD meds and the emergence of mental illness! My daughter knows of her birthparent's schizophrenia and has a fear of it developing in her, so that could help keep her away from ever trying marijuana. We avoided meds for years for her ADHD, but in desperation recently tried Intuniv, but are about to give up on that since it makes her so drowsy and irritable, and hasn't seemed to do much for her attentiveness (how can it if she's about to fall asleep)! Don't know what to try next, since Strattera's label has the same warnings about schizophrenia-like symptoms that the stimulants have. None of the various alternatives we've tried, though (play attention, interactive metronome, fish oil, etc.--just about everything except a severely restricted diet--which I'm sure would be impossible to get her, as a teen, to comply with) have sufficiently helped, though. It's so frustrating!

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