Concerta and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• A09...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 2, 2021

For ADHD "I've been taking 18 mg XL for a week and decided to take myself off. I can hardly eat a thing, I'm tense, anxious, occasional blurred vision, really irritable, complete lack of motivation, low mood, headaches, and stomach pain. Feel absolutely horrific and haven't noticed any benefits at all."

• lun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2015

For ADHD "I have been using Concerta for 15 days now. I started out with 18 mg for a week and the second week 36 mg. I haven't seen any difference by now, which is very disappointing for me. In fact, I feel slightly extra depressed than I already am, but no big difference. Starting tomorrow, my doctor told me to take 54 mg per day. Any suggestions? Is it too soon to see any difference?"

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 12, 2015

For ADHD "I started taking this medicine at age 10 for about 1 year. I took it, and it made me feel really like I was depressed, and it made me feel no hunger. I never ate until the medicine would wear out by the end of the day, that’s when I would start binging on foods at nighttime. The medicine was useless. And by the way, I still have ADHD, and it doesn't affect anyone or myself."

• Max...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 16, 2018

For ADHD "I started taking Concerta a few days ago. It seems to have fewer side effects than Adderall. It helps with concentration and focus. However, when it wears off after about 7 to 8 hours, I begin to feel depressed and don't want to leave my house. I heard that adding Ritalin IR at 5 mg may help. So next time I see my doctor, I will discuss this with him. I don't want to change my current antidepressant, but if I begin to crash again, I may switch from Lexapro to Wellbutrin, which is also good for ADHD (off-label use)."

• Aro...
• November 27, 2011

For ADHD "What would I give to not take medication! I am 18, and have been taking Concerta for 3 years now. It helps me keep things in order, stop forgetting things, concentrate in class for long periods of time, and do mundane tasks I hate. However, within the first week of taking it, I feel very moody, have tics, etc. I get excited and anxious easily. In the evenings, it is impossible to concentrate, and it often gets me very frustrated or irritable. I have been considering changing medications or stopping because it suppresses my creativity and will have me concentrate on negative thoughts, causing depression. However, the withdrawal effects will make me very lazy, depressed, or even manic."

• bis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 21, 2019

For ADHD "This medication, Concerta, was excellent at first. It was like my miracle drug. It worked great for focus and gave me lots of energy. But before I knew it, I was needing more and more of it for it to be effective. I got to the highest dose pretty fast, then it would make me totally crash at 2 pm after taking it at 7 am. So, from 2 pm to when I go to bed, I am exhausted and can barely move. My attention gets bad, and I got depressed. So, if you’re thinking of taking Concerta, just remember that at first it’s great, but then it stops working. I don’t know how it is for kids, it might be totally different as I am in my 30s."

• Anonymous
• December 6, 2010

For ADHD "I've been on Concerta for about 2 months now. While the effect is much more gradual compared to the 'hitting a brick wall at 100 mph' effect Adderall gave me, there were some negative aspects. The first week I was a little shaky, which I also had with the other medicines I've tried (Vyvanse, Adderall, Ritalin). The first dose always seems to make me feel really depressed and sick, then the next day I feel much better after my dose. Unfortunately, after the first month of use, I've built up a strong tolerance to it, and it doesn't work for me anymore. Thinking about trying a higher dosage."

• LHJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 26, 2022

For ADHD "The first day on Concerta was amazing. I was able to focus more on my homework and felt happy and full of energy. After the first day, it still worked, but just not as much in terms of focusing on homework. But now I am starting to notice that the comedowns are really bad, just feelings of depression and unhappiness, and it doesn't work as well as it did the first day with focusing on homework. It also causes me to hyper-focus on things even when they cause me anger or distress. I don't think this is the medication for me, but I would recommend giving it a go if recommended by your psychiatrist."

• LHJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 26, 2022

For ADHD "The first day on Concerta was amazing. I was able to focus more on my homework and felt happy and full of energy. After the first day, it still worked, but just not as much in terms of focusing on homework. But now I am starting to notice that the comedowns are really bad, just feelings of depression and unhappiness, and it doesn't work as well as it did the first day with focusing on homework. It also causes me to hyper-focus on things even when they cause me anger or distress. I don't think this is the medication for me, but I would recommend giving it a go if recommended by your psychiatrist."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2021

For ADHD "Concerta is the first ADHD med that I tried, and I only could handle one day. I have an anxiety disorder, so I was hoping that the smallest dose (18mg) wouldn't give me increased anxiety. Concerta worked really well for my ADHD, and I actually felt calm and clear-headed when it was in my system. But after a few hours, my heart would start to race, and I would feel really nervous, like I had a lot of coffee. When the medication wore off (which was about 8 hours for me), I felt HORRIBLE anxiety. I also felt moody and depressed. I suppose this was a rebound effect for me. At bedtime, I was so exhausted, but I couldn't sleep at all, like I involuntarily pulled an all-nighter. It was a terrible night for me. I'm giving it 3 stars because it did essentially eradicate my ADHD while it was in my system, but it just was too strong for me with my anxiety, I guess."

• How...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 31, 2021

For ADHD "This drug (and all drugs used to treat ADHD for that matter) is dangerous. I was on it for almost 12 months and ended up seriously underweight, depressed, and feeling like I was losing my mind. I lost all sense of my personality and basically became a ghost human. Tapering off was a whole other story that actually landed me in the emergency department, I was so mentally unstable. I’m not anti-medication at all, but these drugs are absolute band-aid cover-ups for something that can be managed in many other ways. A high-protein diet, proper cardio, routine, sleep, dietary supplements, THERAPY!! have all helped me learn to live and even excel without stimulant meds. Please educate yourself on the long-term effects of these drugs, and please, please, please don’t medicate little children with them. Stimulants change people's personalities, and you only start to realize once you're way down the rabbit hole of suffering."

• Cha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2020

For ADHD "It should be labeled that this gives you severe depression and suicidal episodes for the price of placebo. Nothing but placebo for my ADHD. Didn’t help a single bit, except giving me suicidal thoughts and really bad depression. Please, for the sake of your well-being, do not take this, I repeat, do not take this."

• Anonymous
• September 23, 2011

For ADHD "My 8-year-old son has taken it for two months now. It has helped out a lot in school and with his social behavior. However, he has gotten depressed, and we have just taken him off it."

• jea...
• December 27, 2009

For ADHD "Very bad side effect: insomnia, depression, important weight loss..."