Last month I knew nothing about Concerta. I was at the doctors office a few weeks ago talking to him about some tendon issues in my arm when my wife and I talked to him about how scattered and how funny it is that I bounce from thing to thing all the time. The doctor started asking some questions and thought I may have adult ADD. Here are the types of questions that the doctor asked:
- Do I have trouble finishing larger tasks?
- Do I lose concentration easily?
- Am I forgetful?
- Do my moods bounce around a lot
Well I seemed to qualify on all the points and on the way home my wife and I talked a bit and as much as I like being clueless, distracted, and happy go lucky I really could do a lot better things in life if I could just complete a lot more tasks efficiently instead of having a lot of open loops of unfinished stuff (you should see all the unfinished posts I could publish on this blog).
Anyway last week I went back to the doctor and started with Concerta, which is an adult ADD drug that is taken once a day in the morning. The way I started was with an 18 mg tablet in the morning and then after a week (three days ago) went up to two tablets. The change has been striking to say the least.
What is Concerta?
Concerta is just one of a whole bunch of ADD medications that include methylphenidate such as Ritalin. The advantage with Concerta is that is is time released so there is no ups and downs and the morning dose really helps me starting about 30 minutes after I take it and goes for about 12 hours. Many of these types of drugs get confused in peoples minds as antidepressants but it will take several weeks for an antidepressant to really help where with the Concerta I found that it helped me right away on the first day with what it was supposed to do.
First of all I want to dispel one myth. There is an attitude out there that ADD drugs make people lethargic and quiet and kinda dopey but I have found that this has not been the case at all. I guess if I had ADHD (the hyperactive version) this may be the case but I am always very creative and very talkative and live a life where I tend to be very excited and this has not changed.
My Concerta for ADD Experience
So what has Concerta done for me? Well I get up and go to work. I will surf around a bit catching up with news and tech and fitness stuff and then will dive into one of ten projects on the go. I now can keep my concentration on one subject for hours if needed where before I would just lose interest and move onto something else pretty quickly, this is classic ADD behavior apparently.
Also as far as posting to blogs is concerned I have a few blogs with this Fitness blog being my main one and have probably 100 or so ideas in various states of completion. What I have been able to do is start to knock off a few posts a day and not have much trouble completing things.
My wife is really happy as well with the effect of the concerta on me. I have things that I always talk about wanting to get done and on the weekend I am just running through them and still have lots of time to hang out with the kids.
Downsides of Concerta?
So far no downsides. This newly diagnosed ADD and the Concerta that I have been taking for it have been fine with no side effects. Some people report having trouble sleeping but I find that I sleep great although I should probably be going to bed earlier with the damn dog getting me up so early in the morning for his walk. If you do have any of those symptoms above or can relate to what I have been writing about here in this post let me know. Also talk to your doctor. I find that this for me has been a bit of a lucky break from an offhand comment at the doctors office and a prescription for Concerta and has really turned my life around so if the story helps anyone else I would be glad to hear it.
My son has been on 36mg concerta for nearly 10 years, he has Asperger’s syndrome and add and more recently psychosis. He has challenging behaviour and the concerta helped somewhat. He is 27 years old, but the psychiatrist has now stopped concerta for the past 2 months as he says he doesn’t think it makes much of a difference to him. But my son totally disagrees and got very irate with doctor today, but he still wouldn’t prescribe it. My son feels he needs it for doing the jym to keep him focused amongst other things. I spoke with doctor also but to no avail. My son is upset and angry. Any suggestions please or help in getting the concerta back.
Thank you
Anne
A little over a year ago, my daughter recently started using concerta and I was absolutely amazed at the change. About 10 years ago at 36 years of age, I was tested and scored off the charts for Adult ADD. They started me on Stratara, I couldn’t wait for the changes that have held me back for years. After sticking with it, I couldn’t see any real life changing effects and just thought this was as good as it would get. I STOPPED AFTER a year. It just didn’t work for me.
When I saw the changes in her, I so desired to experience that for myself and go on to accomplish those things that I would never complete.
From a young man until now,
I have landed some of the best jobs a man could want. In construction as a 20 year old, I would move up to supervising crews faster than anyone in the company, but when I couldn’t hold on to multitasking and keeping up with all the numbers, records of my crews hours etc. I ended up being threatened of loosing my job. I remember asking myself, how could I go from most desired employee to seeing disappointment in thier eyes.
I was hired at a major hotel company and worked my way up from no experience at the front desk to DIRECTOR OF SALES in 2 years. I could sort of cheat and bluff my way up. I never lied, but I could cover my short falls with hard work, and seeing what the industry wanted then doing it better than those around me. But as a DOS, I could no longer organize, stay focused for 9 hour days and keep long term goals, I had to move on for fear of loosing my job before I could quit.
I would go from one Hotel company for about two years to the next until, I just ran out of companies.
Then, I pastored my first church, and like before, I would win everyone over by strong interviews, flashes of Greatness in messages, a personable attitude and creative thinking. But, long term goals and focus would show up and it started to pill up. My to-do list would start to look like i was a horder of notes.
5 years later, I was invited to be the NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF MOTORSPORTS for a small men’s chaplain group in the sport of NASCAR.
They served one team at the time and so, I knew I could grow this much needed work into something more. My boss, the founder, lived in Tx and I near all the teams in NC.
I loved it and it grew quickly. No day was the same, it was always changing and was fast paced. Visiting these race teams during the week, helping guys in a sport with a Divorce rate of 80%.
I traveled two times a month all over the country to races with the teams that I served. We became the largest chaplain presence on race day with the most recognizable names in entertainment and in the sport. During that 7 years I would watch my boss’ patience wear thin as I would forget some of the most basic task. When he would seem to reach a breaking point, I would feel the pressure and create some great move that would move us ahead by huge steps and I would be safe again.
When the economy fell through and the $$ became tight, we had to tighten everything so I didn’t have as much freedom. I couldn’t compensate any longer while I was alone becuse we were never apart. I began to see that same disappointed look in his eyes that those construction supervisors had when I would let them down time and time again.
Well, we agreed to part ways, and I left NASCAR. I took an incredible job with a life long best friend in LA in the entertainment managment industry and at 41, I couldn’t hide it as well and I didn’t last 1 year. He knew me all of my life and knew the pattern. I’ll never forget when he ask me if I was still the free spirit he remembered from our younger years because it wouldn’t work in that industry.
I never thought my struggle was viewed as a non-caring person who would bounce from job to job without a care in the world. But this was the “finished product” a wrong impression on the friend that knew me best. Guess I wasn’t covering it up as well as I thought.
Today, I am Pastoring again, caring for a community, and recently went back to address this ADD issue. I was prescribed something that didn’t change a thing because CONCERTA hadn’t been passed for adults yet.
Today I stumbled Accross an article that stated “CONCERTA FOR ADULTS”,
I can’t wait to see what can come from this experience. If it does in me what it has done in my beautiful 13 year old daughter.
I’ll feel that I have come to the end of one journey as another Begins.
I’ll keep you updated!
FA
Yes, I have been using Concerta for quite a while now and it has been great! I don’t feel any different but my head is a lot more clear and I have a far longer concentration span so that I can stay on task.
Thanks so much for you and your daughters story. I think there are many more people struggling with this in this day and age than any other just because of all of our inputs with mobile and home and work computing.
Hello,
This evening I was at the doctor and was discussing some of the issues I have been having in regards to staying focused, fidgeting and anxiety. I have always known that I have had some kind of “problem” (ADD) but have never sought medical attention. Growing up my brother was diagnosed with terettes syndrome, so with his erratic behavior I kind of flew under the radar. Long story short the dr. prescribed me Concerta. I came home and started to do some research, I havent taken it yet and am a bit nervous. Most of the info i have found has told me that finding the right dosage is key, My Dr. prescribed me a 54mg dosage… usually I thought they would start lower and work it up if needed. So I am wondering is this drug going to be right for me. I have never been on any kind of medication before and am very cautious when it comes to this kind of thing. I am 25 and in a professional career, I cannot afford to be taking this and have my employer notice any negative reactions. Any insight or things that I should be aware of would be great. Thanks