I Could Use Some Advice About My Adhd Medication...

To start off, i'll give a little background on my situation. I'm 17, and I have had Inattentive ADHD for years (used to be called ADD.), and just got diagnosed a few weeks ago. Now, I have started taking the lowest dose of Concerta (18mg) for about a week so far, and I have barely felt anything, so my doctor said to take two pills every morning instead of one.

Today was the first day I started taking two, and I've noticed a huge increase in how it helps me, and I can think much clearer. The main issue I have, is if it's making me irritable or not.

Today, I flipped out on a friend. It was somewhat justified though, because he was making ignorant insults about a game that I like. (actually, swear by.) I started yelling at him, although it wasn't really yelling as I haven't yelled in years, but an elevated voice. I normally try to keep an open mind towards people's insults, even if they're against something I like, but in this case he just made almost no reasoning, and ignored everything I said. This pisses me off much more than most things, because I listen to most of his bullshit and then he goes and completely ignores me.

Now, I have always felt discomfort and irritation at things like this, but have tended to push those feelings to the back of my head and laugh this stuff off, because I can't focus on them well enough to react coherently. Now that I've taken an increased amount of my medication, I feel like I'm able to express myself much more clearly, and I didn't slip up once while "yelling" at him. I basically just said how much I hate how he does this, (although in much more words) and he just completely ignored me once again, and said I needed to "take my medication." This enraged me even more, as he damn well knows that I've taken it. I just restrained myself, although it wasn't easy. I think my blood pressure may have temporarily risen from holding it back, but I can't be sure.

Now, in this case, would the medicine be artificially increasing my irritation at things like this, or is it just bringing out how I really feel? I'm not sure, and I can't tell right now. I'm hoping that I'll have a more defined answer as I take the medication for longer, but what do you guys think?

Irritability is a side effect of Concerta, yes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerta#Side_effects

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Originally Posted by Slacker

To start off, i'll give a little background on my situation. I'm 17, and I have had Inattentive ADHD for years (used to be called ADD.), and just got diagnosed a few weeks ago. Now, I have started taking the lowest dose of Concerta (18mg) for about a week so far, and I have barely felt anything, so my doctor said to take two pills every morning instead of one.

Today was the first day I started taking two, and I've noticed a huge increase in how it helps me, and I can think much clearer. The main issue I have, is if it's making me irritable or not.

Today, I flipped out on a friend. It was somewhat justified though, because he was making ignorant insults about a game that I like. (actually, swear by.) I started yelling at him, although it wasn't really yelling as I haven't yelled in years, but an elevated voice. I normally try to keep an open mind towards people's insults, even if they're against something I like, but in this case he just made almost no reasoning, and ignored everything I said. This pisses me off much more than most things, because I listen to most of his bullshit and then he goes and completely ignores me.

Now, I have always felt discomfort and irritation at things like this, but have tended to push those feelings to the back of my head and laugh this stuff off, because I can't focus on them well enough to react coherently. Now that I've taken an increased amount of my medication, I feel like I'm able to express myself much more clearly, and I didn't slip up once while "yelling" at him. I basically just said how much I hate how he does this, (although in much more words) and he just completely ignored me once again, and said I needed to "take my medication." This enraged me even more, as he damn well knows that I've taken it. I just restrained myself, although it wasn't easy. I think my blood pressure may have temporarily risen from holding it back, but I can't be sure.

Now, in this case, would the medicine be artificially increasing my irritation at things like this, or is it just bringing out how I really feel? I'm not sure, and I can't tell right now. I'm hoping that I'll have a more defined answer as I take the medication for longer, but what do you guys think?
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ANY time you take medications it alters who you are.
I have not experienced ADHD first hand but i know personally the sinister effects that any prescription medications can have on the body and mind. One of my friends has ADD and is now ADHD. He has been on and off medications ever since i knew him and one day he started to use an alternative form of medication responsibily. Instead of eating pills he would smoke a hit of marijuana through a bong (cleaner, less tar, easier to regulate) periodically. He found that the effect was much more manageable than the ritilin he was taking and for the duration of the high and including the come down (some call it burnout) he had no problems with everyday interactions.

When you begin to question how your interactions appear to others as you yourself cannot be fully sure, perhaps you should step back and think about what it is that is causing you to think this way. If it happens whenever you take the medication, maybe its not something you should continue taking. I am in no way a physician or a doctor but having a wide experience with natural medicines, prescription drugs (respiratory and emergency drugs) and other varieties of chemical intoxicants, i have found that the paranoia of questioning something as how you feel compared to how you are reacting is something that you shoud take time on your own with and calmly meditate on. The smoke may help to keep you focused as you try to descipher your feelings vs. medicated feelings.

I hope that was a bit of help :)

Thanks guys, so it is affecting me then. I'm not sure this is enough to warrant me to stop taking the medication though, I'm going to observe myself the best I can for the next few days, and see how I fare.

As for Marijuana, I personally don't have a problem with it, but I will never take it as a regular form of medication while it is still illegal. There's just too much of a risk involved, no matter how much it would help me. My town has become incredibly strict about drugs, and I wouldn't even know where to get any. I also can't do it at home, as I have two younger brothers, and there's pretty much a parent home all the time. I'm not friends with anyone that does it, either.

Yeah the fact that most states and countries will not wake up to the Medical properties of marijuana and not just the worn out view of "stoner hippies" is unfortunate.

If it is that strict where you are from then cover your ass first! I just wish that more people would embrace the facts and let go of the superstitions. There is actually a lot of medical research completed and being done right now by Bayer in asscoiation with european pharmaceuticals for the production of a natural spray-form marijuana called Sativex. This is available legally right now as long as you meet the requirements of the medical association in your country (usa and canada). Mostly patients with chronic and debilitating arthritis are using it and cancer patients who do not wish to smoke due to lung cancer or the side effects of inhaling smoke.

Check it out on any search engine, i'm sure you'll find a lot of studies and information on it:)

Well, ADD medication always have side affects. irritation is one of them. You talk less and become less sociable. This is the worst side affect. lots of children that has ADD, that uses medication are more introvert than extrovert. They talk less and making friends are hard for them. They are very unpredictable and almost never talk. They have a very short temper and have trouble sleeping. There are variety of meds for ADD. Make sure the one you have works for you. I'm sure your doctor informed you about the side affects of the meds. He should have.

Well, the medicine does exactly the opposite for me, i'm normally quiet and reserved, but today I found myself commenting on a lot of things to my friends, although not needlessly, I didn't just talk for the sake of it. I was just able to think through what I was saying, so I felt more sure of myself and expressed my thoughts more. I'm stuck in a class with four people I know for 2.5 hours, and it's kind of boring, haha. (computer networking.)

As for the side effects, I have been feeling some minor ones, like stomachache, but just barely. I have been waking up several times in the night, or just early, but i'm not any more tired than I normally am. I had a lot of trouble sleeping before the medication anyway, so that's not the cause. My doctor was a woman, (haha) and she said there would be side effects, but didn't explain them. I'm going back the 24th to check up on myself. I'd rather go earlier, but they're "busy."

As for the marijuana thing, I think it really might be able to help me, but sadly, my parents still have say in what I take, as i'm 17, and they will definitely not allow me to take even legal marijuana, or any form of it. I'm in NJ, and i'm not even sure if it's legal in medicinal form or not. Hopefully i'll be able to explore my options a little more in college, or in my adult life.

Good Luck!

Funny you should mention irritability - I took concerta for my severe ADHD as well and that was a big, if not the only, effect I felt from it. It did not help me think clearer at all, so basically I just stopped.