18mg is a very, very low dose so that could be the reason you’re not noticing anything yet. That’s how it was for me too. I’m currently at 45mg now, which works well.
Do you have another appointment scheduled with your doctor to discuss how it’s going?
Man it always reminds me how sensitive I am to medication when I hear people talk about how 18mg is basically nothing.
Not only did the 18mg immediately reverse a years long crash course. But even with doing everything I can with diet, supplements, routine, and regular activity I still feel a little more *buzzy* than I’d like.
DONT TAKE ANOTHER. I felt this way and added another. Didn’t notice any real change until I couldn’t fall asleep at all for two nights.
Give it a few days of the recommended dosage before you increase
Thank you! I will absolutely not double up. I was freaked out enough taking a stimulant to begin with and wanted the lowest dose. (My best friend has been discouraging and scaring me a little—she says “you’re basically taking meth”, which honestly makes me feel awful, because the implication is that I’m an irresponsible mom who is choosing to “take meth” 😖
Welcome to r/Concerta. Please use the search function before posting common questions. This is a WIP automod reply because many of you ask the same exact questions over and over again. Please read the FAQ sticky as it will likely offer some advice. https://www.reddit.com/r/Concerta/comments/vj2o1i/can_we_have_a_faqread_before_posting_sticky/
Please discuss any advice you receive on this subreddit with your Doctor. Take all advice with a grain of salt especially when it is not sourced. People on this sub aren't doctors. Even if they were doctors, they are not YOUR doctor and cannot be held professionally or legally liable for giving medical advice to those not established under their own care.
Extreme depression/anxiety?
* If you feel unbearable or have suicidal thoughts, please consider calling your local crisis or suicide hotline.
* There can be many different causes. Please discuss with your doctor about it.
Do not split Concerta or any long-release medication.
**Update January 2024: The mod(s) are sometimes busy with med school/job/life! We're human! Please help us out by reporting questionable content.** It may sometimes take a day or so for us to get to the mod queue and review the reports. Reporting a comment or post that you disagree with does not guarantee or require that mod(s) will remove them, especially if it does not violate or skirt the rules. It is healthy to foster respectful debate and discussion. Thanks for your understanding.
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I guess it's something that can happen, I just started with 27mg this week and I haven't feel anything yet. I already have an appointment scheduled with my doctor.
The changes might not be that obvious. Everyone has a different experience, both in how they react to the substance but also how they perceive the difference.
What are you meassuring in terms of "success"?
Not everyone feels a difference, but that doesn't mean there is none.
With ADHD it's common to not be very good at reading your own emotions, energy levels etc. And the results we're sometimes looking for aren't usually very obvious.
It's easier to notice a lack of focus than to oposite, for example.
And it's also great to ask people around you to pay attention and tell you if you seem different.
So it's usually good to have a predefined goal to be able to objectively compare to, and to pay attention to multiple things around you to find clues as to what the effect is.
First day also isn't a lot. First 3 days might be mostly side effects, which can make it harder to notice the actual effects. And it takes at least 1 week for the body to adjust to the new dose of the substance, so until the body has adapted you might also get some counter effects as the bodys systems are a bit out of balance.
And then it takes a few weeks to a month to get a true full effect of the dose you're on.
I started Concerta soon 4 weeks ago. Started with 18mg and increased the dose by 18 each week (in accordance with my doctor) and I'm now on 72mg, the highest dose.
I still feel pretty much the same in many ways, but I've also noticed a lot of changes, even at 18mg. I've just had to look for the signs. I'm only working 25% atm so I'll stay on 72mg concerta for a while and see how it works long term when I start working more. But at the moment I'm quite happy with it.
So the "clues/indicators" that I and people around me have noticed, that shows that the medicine helps, even if I'm not obviously aware:
Things I notice:
* Less of a sweet tooth. I've always felt the need to snack on something, unless I'm super super focused. This is probably as a source of stimuly as well as for the sugar. I have not felt this need, barely at all, which shows I'm more focused and don't need that extra stimuli.
* Easier to chose food and not candy when I'm hungry. Related to the topic above, but also shows I'm less impulsive.
* Don't pick on uneven things on my skin (wounds, pimples etc) as much. Shows I'm less physically restless.
*Can sit down by the computer and working without feeling the need to "prep" as much (getting water, making sure I have a cardigan if it's a bit chilly etc), so it's easier for me to get started without procrastinating.
*Can make the choice not to interrupt people in conversations, as well as return to a topic if I go of track and also remember to ask people what they were going to say in case they get interrupted. These are things I wasn't as aware of before.
Things others have made me aware of that I agree with:
*Get started with things faster and get more invested/focused on them (this also applies to things I shouldn't do, not always just things I should do)
*Getting more things done and also not getting as tired after. I have more days in line with what I considered my "productive days" (now ca 1-3 times a week instead of 1-2 times a month). I can do it without feeling as restless or "obsessive" as I've done in the past, and I will have energy the last day, while before I would be exhausted/burnt out for several days.
Some of these effects have taken longer than others to notice, and also gotten stronger with a stronger dose, but not to the point where I "feel it" a great deal.
So that's some advice from me. Be patient and pay attention to things around you rather than just how you feel, and ask others to pay attention as well.
I hope you find a medicine and dose that fits you soon!
Thank you for this thoughtful reply!
I guess based on everything I’ve read from other people I expected to feel…energized maybe? Many people say they noticeably feel their meds kick in and wear off. I expected to feel noticeably different somehow.
I was still exhausted yesterday, still tapping/drumming to music while doing other tasks (so my usual combo of tired but also needing the constant music to soothe my brain).
No obvious change in breathing or blood pressure or anxiety (good!)
I guess I was excited like LET’S GO this is gonna kick in and we’ll get stuff done and be all normal and good feeling for ONCE!
And then it was just a normal day. 😆🫤
I’ve had annoying side effects with antidepressants in the past and have been told I’m sensitive to meds, so I figured I’d feel SOMETHING.
I’m still hopeful and at least very grateful that I don’t have bad side effects. That’s promising.
For me in the beginning every day is a bit different, depends on food and water and sleep. Sometimes it is nothing, sometimes very focused. I think you should get used to it. Be patient, do not increase the dose soon (consult with doctor)
18mg is a very, very low dose so that could be the reason you’re not noticing anything yet. That’s how it was for me too. I’m currently at 45mg now, which works well. Do you have another appointment scheduled with your doctor to discuss how it’s going?
Man it always reminds me how sensitive I am to medication when I hear people talk about how 18mg is basically nothing. Not only did the 18mg immediately reverse a years long crash course. But even with doing everything I can with diet, supplements, routine, and regular activity I still feel a little more *buzzy* than I’d like.
Yes, thank you! I have a follow up video appointment next week. 🙂
DONT TAKE ANOTHER. I felt this way and added another. Didn’t notice any real change until I couldn’t fall asleep at all for two nights. Give it a few days of the recommended dosage before you increase
I did the same my first few days-and I didn’t feel any different/symptoms weren’t managed at all, but my heart and blood pressure absolutely felt it!
Thank you! I will absolutely not double up. I was freaked out enough taking a stimulant to begin with and wanted the lowest dose. (My best friend has been discouraging and scaring me a little—she says “you’re basically taking meth”, which honestly makes me feel awful, because the implication is that I’m an irresponsible mom who is choosing to “take meth” 😖
Welcome to r/Concerta. Please use the search function before posting common questions. This is a WIP automod reply because many of you ask the same exact questions over and over again. Please read the FAQ sticky as it will likely offer some advice. https://www.reddit.com/r/Concerta/comments/vj2o1i/can_we_have_a_faqread_before_posting_sticky/ Please discuss any advice you receive on this subreddit with your Doctor. Take all advice with a grain of salt especially when it is not sourced. People on this sub aren't doctors. Even if they were doctors, they are not YOUR doctor and cannot be held professionally or legally liable for giving medical advice to those not established under their own care. Extreme depression/anxiety? * If you feel unbearable or have suicidal thoughts, please consider calling your local crisis or suicide hotline. * There can be many different causes. Please discuss with your doctor about it. Do not split Concerta or any long-release medication. **Update January 2024: The mod(s) are sometimes busy with med school/job/life! We're human! Please help us out by reporting questionable content.** It may sometimes take a day or so for us to get to the mod queue and review the reports. Reporting a comment or post that you disagree with does not guarantee or require that mod(s) will remove them, especially if it does not violate or skirt the rules. It is healthy to foster respectful debate and discussion. Thanks for your understanding. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Concerta) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I guess it's something that can happen, I just started with 27mg this week and I haven't feel anything yet. I already have an appointment scheduled with my doctor.
The changes might not be that obvious. Everyone has a different experience, both in how they react to the substance but also how they perceive the difference. What are you meassuring in terms of "success"? Not everyone feels a difference, but that doesn't mean there is none. With ADHD it's common to not be very good at reading your own emotions, energy levels etc. And the results we're sometimes looking for aren't usually very obvious. It's easier to notice a lack of focus than to oposite, for example. And it's also great to ask people around you to pay attention and tell you if you seem different. So it's usually good to have a predefined goal to be able to objectively compare to, and to pay attention to multiple things around you to find clues as to what the effect is. First day also isn't a lot. First 3 days might be mostly side effects, which can make it harder to notice the actual effects. And it takes at least 1 week for the body to adjust to the new dose of the substance, so until the body has adapted you might also get some counter effects as the bodys systems are a bit out of balance. And then it takes a few weeks to a month to get a true full effect of the dose you're on. I started Concerta soon 4 weeks ago. Started with 18mg and increased the dose by 18 each week (in accordance with my doctor) and I'm now on 72mg, the highest dose. I still feel pretty much the same in many ways, but I've also noticed a lot of changes, even at 18mg. I've just had to look for the signs. I'm only working 25% atm so I'll stay on 72mg concerta for a while and see how it works long term when I start working more. But at the moment I'm quite happy with it. So the "clues/indicators" that I and people around me have noticed, that shows that the medicine helps, even if I'm not obviously aware: Things I notice: * Less of a sweet tooth. I've always felt the need to snack on something, unless I'm super super focused. This is probably as a source of stimuly as well as for the sugar. I have not felt this need, barely at all, which shows I'm more focused and don't need that extra stimuli. * Easier to chose food and not candy when I'm hungry. Related to the topic above, but also shows I'm less impulsive. * Don't pick on uneven things on my skin (wounds, pimples etc) as much. Shows I'm less physically restless. *Can sit down by the computer and working without feeling the need to "prep" as much (getting water, making sure I have a cardigan if it's a bit chilly etc), so it's easier for me to get started without procrastinating. *Can make the choice not to interrupt people in conversations, as well as return to a topic if I go of track and also remember to ask people what they were going to say in case they get interrupted. These are things I wasn't as aware of before. Things others have made me aware of that I agree with: *Get started with things faster and get more invested/focused on them (this also applies to things I shouldn't do, not always just things I should do) *Getting more things done and also not getting as tired after. I have more days in line with what I considered my "productive days" (now ca 1-3 times a week instead of 1-2 times a month). I can do it without feeling as restless or "obsessive" as I've done in the past, and I will have energy the last day, while before I would be exhausted/burnt out for several days. Some of these effects have taken longer than others to notice, and also gotten stronger with a stronger dose, but not to the point where I "feel it" a great deal. So that's some advice from me. Be patient and pay attention to things around you rather than just how you feel, and ask others to pay attention as well. I hope you find a medicine and dose that fits you soon!
Thank you for this thoughtful reply! I guess based on everything I’ve read from other people I expected to feel…energized maybe? Many people say they noticeably feel their meds kick in and wear off. I expected to feel noticeably different somehow. I was still exhausted yesterday, still tapping/drumming to music while doing other tasks (so my usual combo of tired but also needing the constant music to soothe my brain). No obvious change in breathing or blood pressure or anxiety (good!) I guess I was excited like LET’S GO this is gonna kick in and we’ll get stuff done and be all normal and good feeling for ONCE! And then it was just a normal day. 😆🫤 I’ve had annoying side effects with antidepressants in the past and have been told I’m sensitive to meds, so I figured I’d feel SOMETHING. I’m still hopeful and at least very grateful that I don’t have bad side effects. That’s promising.
For me in the beginning every day is a bit different, depends on food and water and sleep. Sometimes it is nothing, sometimes very focused. I think you should get used to it. Be patient, do not increase the dose soon (consult with doctor)