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Post by ofku2000 on May 29, 2004 18:18:55 GMT -5
have any of you felt that retalin sr 20 mg. works better than concerta 36mg?
I think maybe that is the case for my 12 yrs old son. I must admit Im confused. can anybody help?
my main concern is his behaviour control. thanks.
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Post by HooDunnit on May 29, 2004 19:25:15 GMT -5
Hi ofku and welcome to the forums.
Barry
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Post by Linda on May 30, 2004 13:04:47 GMT -5
How long has he been on the concerta 36?
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Post by ofku2000 on May 30, 2004 14:13:58 GMT -5
hi. thanks for asking. he's been on concerta 36 for a few months and before that on retalin 20 sr for 4-5 years.
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Post by Linda on May 30, 2004 14:51:15 GMT -5
I am thinking that maybe 36 mg is not enough?Just my opinion though.
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Post by savvymom1 on May 30, 2004 22:01:12 GMT -5
Hi and welcome! My daughters both started on Concerta 18mg and over a couple of years we moved them up to 36 and then 54 mg. Concerta worked very well for both of them. My biggest concern has been lack of appetite and weight gain. My 4th grader still is the same size/weight as she was in first grade! All she has gained is a little bit of height.
Now we are giving them both Focalin. It doesn't last all day (about 4 hours) but they both can really tell a big difference in their concentration. I hope Focalin will soon be available in a long lasting form.
It seems like many of us have to occassionally change our kids meds. They must build up a tolerance after a while. If what your child is currently taking isn't working for him, talk to your doctor about a change or adjustment. Good luck and keep us posted!
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Post by ofku2000 on May 31, 2004 13:34:16 GMT -5
he has been on retalin for a few years. it seemed to work for him. then it wasnt so good so we moved to concerta . he loved it. he said it felt better (less side effects) and his appetite was better but things in school became , well not too good. so we're back to retalin sr but in a way i think its like going backward. or is it? concerta 54mg seems so much to me... although he is 12 yrs old and growing fast...  |
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Post by Honeysmom on May 31, 2004 23:08:45 GMT -5
Hi and welcome!! I wouldn't think of it as going backwards. Some meds just don't work for some people. I do agree with Savvymom that people can build up a tolorance for meds after a while. Plus, it is not going backwards if you are making some progress with whatever he is taking. IMHO, I also think that as kids enter puberty they may react different to meds. Sort of like as some of us get older we can't tolorate caffiene as well, or eat certain kinds of foods. I think changing hormones and body chemistry will affect meds. Once again for comparison, many women will have mood changes as they have changes in hormone levels through out the month. When I was taking meds for depression they didn't have as much effect when my hormones changed. In fact, they didn't seems to work at all. A few days later, they seemed to work again. What really seemed to help my moods the most was starting hormone therapy. (which I am not old enough for, but that is a whole differnt story  ) So I strongly believe that many drugs that affect the brain may work differently as our kids age. Also, I wouldn't turn down a med b/c the dose seems high. If it is a dose that is approiate for his age and weight it may be worth a try. If it does not work, or the side effects are too much you can always switch back or lower a dose. Have you tried any other meds yet? There are so many too choose from, maybe something other than these two would work better for him. Good Luck...Becky  |
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Post by Brocksmom on Jun 1, 2004 13:07:24 GMT -5
Before concerta was available ds was on ritain sr it was ok but the rebound was awful(it left his system to quickly) and the littlest thing would set him off and he would be so frustated and angry and didn't know how to control it or what to do. We like concerta cuz it gradually goes in and gradullay wears off so there' no spikes like w/ ritalin. The only down side is the lack of appetite, we've had that w/ all the stims we've used though.
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Post by JulieinSC on Jun 2, 2004 7:56:49 GMT -5
Since your son does well on the methylphenidate stimulants, you may want to give Metadate CD a shot. My 13 year old (primarily inattentive) was on regular Ritalin, tried Concerta (with too many side effects) and has now been on Metadate CD for 2 years with great success.
For some reason it seems that doctors aren't that familiar with Metadate CD.
As others have mentioned, of course, drugs work differently in all kids.
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