Hi Kathe23,

My son was on Concerta from age 11 to 15 and he was taking 72 mg. He had started at 36, later adjusted to 54 and then to 72. Many kids are undermedicated according to scientific studies. Dosage is not based on weight, at least for the stimulants. It varies depending on the individual's metabolism of the medication and on symptom relief. The dosage is increased if symptoms are still causing a problem or not helping enough. Unless he is having a serious problem with side effects, he can take up to 72 mg., if needed. If at some point in time that stops working, he may need to switch to another medication. At 16 my son was switched to Vyvanse (similar to Adderall) and that is working fine for him.

In addition to the Concerta at 72 mg., my son took Focalin in the afternoons or early evenings if he had homework or a baseball game. It didn't interfere with his sleep, but each child is different. My son took 20 mg. of the short acting Focalin (dexmethyphenidate) which is equivalent to 40 mg. of Ritalin. So 5 mg. of Ritalin would be a very small amount and I wouldn't expect it to do much. If 40 mg. of Ritalin is approximately equivalent to 72 mg. of Concerta, then 5 mg. of Ritalin would be like only 9 mg. of Concerta!

I've learned a lot during the years through lots of reading, research, discussions with our doctor and with my sister , who is a pharmacist. I also take medication for ADHD as does my husband and our 26 yr. old daughter. So we've had quite a bit of experience in this area.

By the way, methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, etc.) is one of the most researched psychotropic drugs and has been in use for over 50 years. It is safer than aspirin or Tylenol. They even use Ritalin for the astronauts when they are in space to combat the drowsiness of the anti-gravity medication so they can stay alert.

The risks of not being medicated (or undermedicated) are far greater than any potential risks or side effects of the medication.

If you have any other questions that I might be able to help you with, you can also email me at Elaine5687@comcast.net I see my ADHD doctor tomorrow (Thursday) and I always ask him questions.

Good luck, Elaine

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Well I'll tell you that we now have our son off all ADHD medication. Hallucinations have been terrible. The higher the dosage the more problem he was having. 90 milligrams of Concerta made him see dead bloody ghost faces, demonic laughter, and feeling of something touching him. He is under care of all kinds of doctors and he is doing just fine now that he is off the medicine. He has been on ADHD medication since he was 8 and how he is 17. He finds himself to be more alert, happier, not so tired and drug feeling. We will never go back to any kind of ADHD medication ever. He is a new boy. He is an A student, a great athlete and will be going onto college in 2009 full scholarship for football at BC.

I would be very careful on ADHD medication. He has his permit and is driving with us just fine. He is going to driving school and they are very happy with him. You can do anything off of ADHD medication if you have the right family to help you through it. He has opened a whole new door for himself. He is very HAPPY! This kind of medication really works on the minds of our children. My mother is an RN and has worked in pedicatric area for years. She has seen many ADHD issues. No medication is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do not listen to doctors and people who think they know about the medication, it has almost ruined my son and others that I know have come off the medications completely. There are other ways to deal with this besides making our children zombies

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