Concerta is a stimulant, like Ritalin. If you take it before bed, it will probably keep you up.
Note: It is extremely important that you and your doctor work closely together while taking Concerta.Concerta is a newer, long acting preparation of Methylphenidate - which is the medication name for Ritalin.It has been out for several years in the USA and Canada, and many other countries in the world.Despite the fact that it has been around for quite some time, I still see dosing mistakes in patients who are sent to my office.Allow me to explain to you how Concerta should be dosed.To start off, we need to go back to the original Ritalin.Here are the dosing guidelines for Ritalin:Recommended daily max = 60 mgTiming: as each dose only lasts 3-4 hours, it is generally dosed 3 times daily - i.e. morning, noon and 4 pmIt is not dosed too late in the day, as it may lead to insomniaChildren would be started at 5 mg twice to three times daily, and the dose would be increased upwards as needed.When Concerta was developed, they used a fascinating technology called OROS. OROS refers to: osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system. What OROS does, is use the water in the gut to cause the medicine to be absorbed gradually, through osmosis. Suffice it to say that this new pill takes a medicine that has to be taken 3 times daily, and makes it once per day. You can see a short video of how this works here.Concerta comes in 4 doses:18 mg27 mg36 mg54 mgThe way to convert Concerta doses into the equivalent of Ritalin doses is this:Take 22% of the Concerta dose, and that becomes the effective Ritalin dose, three times daily. In other words, the initial 22% is quickly released, and the whole rest of the pill supports that dose.You need to remember that not all of the medicine is released from the Concerta pill - about 10% is not absorbed.So, here is a conversion:18 mg Concerta = 4 mg Ritalin 3 times per day27 mg Concerta = 6 mg Ritalin 3 times per day36 mg Concerta = 8 mg Ritalin 3 times per day54 mg Concerta = 12 mg Ritalin 3 times per dayHere is an example of how some people get into trouble: Let's say that a teen required 60 mg of Ritalin per day - i.e. 20 mg three times daily.If the doctor converts the dose of 60 mg Ritalin to 54 mg of Concerta - because they seem close, this can have dire consequences.54 mg of Concerta is like 12 mg of Ritalin 3 times per day, so there would be a significant dose drop from 20 mg 3 times per day to 12 mg 3 times per day (i.e. a 40 % dose reduction!). It would be no surprise if the people noticed a change and felt that Concerta wasn't working.In the recent past, there has been approval in the US for 72 mg of Concerta for teenagers if needed.Recent ADHD practice guidelines published by CADDRA - the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance, suggest that teens and adults with ADHD may require up to 108 mg of Concerta daily.To put these doses into perspective:72 mg Concerta = 16 mg 3 times per day90 mg Concerta = 20 mg 3 times per day108 mg Concerta = 24 mg 3 times per dayTo achieve these doses, you can use:72 mg Concerta = two 36 mg tablets, or 54 mg + 18 mg90 mg Concerta = 54 mg tablet + 36 mg tablet108 mg Concerta = two 54 mg tabletIf you or your loved one was switched from another form of methylphenidate to Concerta, and it seemed that Concerta didn't work, please consider the information above.Concerta is a great preparation of methylphenidate, and can work very well. Don't give up on it unless you are sure you have had the right dose.Concerta Side Effects include: (not all individuals experiences these side effects.abdominal painaggravation, nervousness, hostility, sadnessdrug dependencedizzinessheadacheticsinsomnia and prolonged sleepinessloss of appetiteincreased coughing, sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infectionvomitingallergic reactionincreased blood pressurepsychosis (abnormal thinking or hallucinations).Concerta should not be used by people with anxiety or agitation, glaucoma, or tics or during treatment with monoamine oxidase inhibitors.No copyright laws.
The recommanded dosage is always the lowest working dose. If 18mg allows good results, then it is the correct dosage. We start at a low dose, and we increased if we don't get any result after a week trial. Blood volume, brain chemistry and metabolism are the basic determining factors for what dose is ineffective, effective or "high". Concerta is available in 18mg, 27mg, 36mg, 54mg and 72mg extended release capsules. 18mg is the common starting dose for children and 18mg to 36mg for adults depending on discretion of the doctor. The maximum dosage of Concerta should not be greater than 0.9 mg per pound of body weight. For people switching to Concerta from Ritalin, the dosage requires careful consideration because 18mg of Concerta is much different then 18mg of Ritalin due to Concerta's precision time release mechanism. The following chart outlines the dosage equivalents. 18 mg Concerta = 4 mg Ritalin 3 times per day 27 mg Concerta = 6 mg Ritalin 3 times per day 36 mg Concerta = 8 mg Ritalin 3 times per day 54 mg Concerta = 12 mg Ritalin 3 times per day
Concerta is a stimulant. Weed is a depressant, and they will antagonize each other. I personally would not do that.
tweeking out?
There are many possibilities, but one is that the Concerta dose is two high for you. You should speak to your doctor about this. There are many other reasons you might be tired.
I have been on this combination for a year now (10 mg Lexapro, which I just upped to 20 mg) and 36 mg of Concerta. I can't see any large side effects to taking both together, except perhaps excess sweating. Take Concerta in the morning only, especially if you have trouble falling asleep at night.
you can sell a 36 mg Concerta for $3-$6 per pill depending on where you live and how stupid/inexperienced your buyer is
concerta does not realy have any side effects,but when i changed my medication i felt anxious for 2 days but alot better than my first medication RITALIN LA it made me fell sad and i had mood swings for 2 weeks. adhd is hard to live with i cant pay attention
Ask your doctor. We cannot advise on such matters as we do not know your medical history
I have taken 8 in the last 16 hours. They don´t seem to be working any more. I was researching the subject when I found this question. My doctor prescribed 2 a day
First off the the two drugs are completely diffent substances. Yes, they are both FDA approved for the use of ADD and ADHD therapy, but Concerta falls under the class of methelphenadate type stimulants where as Adderall Xr is a stimulant medication that is derived from amphetamine and is made up of the 4 different salts which create a combination known as Amphetamine Salts. The dosage of 54 mg in Concerta would be comparable to the 30 mg. XR of Adderall, being that they are both the strongest dosage that you can possible obtain, but of course you may recvieve more than one dosage per day depending on individuals tolerance, weight, sex and height. Both drugs have stimulant effects but work on the brain differently.