Concerta Medication for the ADHD Child
Concerta Medication can be an extremely effective ADHD medication. However, as with any medication for ADHD, it must be used with caution. There are many types of ADHD medication, with stimulant medications being the most used type by far.
What is Concerta? Concerta medication for ADHD children is a widely liked option. Here is some information you will want to be familiar with regarding using Concerta as an ADHD treatment:
What Actually is Concerta?
Concerta is a brand name for Methylphenidate. Other brand names for Methylphenidate are Metadate CD, Metadate ER, Methylin, Methylin ER, Ritalin, Ritalin LA, and Ritalin-SR.
Concerta (Methylphenidate) affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.
Important Facts About Concerta:
Concerta for ADHD children can create serious problems if not used properly. You may find that alternative medicine for ADHD makes more sense. Whatever you decide, here are some guidelines for using this stimulant medication.
Do not use methylphenidate with an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam) or even if you have used this within the past 14 days. This can create life threatening issues.
Do not use Concerta medication if you are allergic to methylphenidate or if you have glaucoma, tics (muscle twitches) or Tourette's syndrome, depression, or severe anxiety, tension, or agitation.
Concerta is a brain stimulating drug and it aggravate these problems.
The medication should be taken at least 30 minutes before a meal.
Concerta ADHD medication can have interactions with other medications such as:
Blood thinners:
Warfarin (Coumadin)
Clonidine (Catapres)
Seizure medicine
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Phenobarbital (Luminal)
Primidone (Mysoline)
Antidepressants
Amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon)
Amoxapine (Ascendin)
Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Clomipramine (Anafranil)
Desipramine (Norpramin)
Doxepin (Sinequan)
Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil)
Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Protriptyline (Vivactil)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Trimipramine (Surmontil).
So before starting Concerta, or any other medication for ADHD, make sure that your doctor knows if you are already using any of these medications for your child, due to any other health condition.
Mental stimulants have a tendency of causing insomnia. To avoid sleep problems, give your child this medication early in the day, no later than 6:00 pm.
Side Effects and Allergies:
Allergic reaction to Concerta for ADHD treatment generally includes hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Side effects can be from mild to serious.
Users of this ADHD drug have reported the following side effects:
vision problems
mild skin rash
dizziness
nervous feeling
sleep problems (insomnia)
nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite or
weight loss
fever
sore throat, and
headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash aggression
restlessness
hallucinations
unusual behavior, or motor tics (muscle twitches) or
easy bruising, purple spots on your skin
fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats; feeling light-headed, fainting
increased blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision
trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure)
Whether you are interested in Concerta for ADD or ADHD, understanding these side effects is extremely important. Be sure to verify and discuss all the information on Concerta medication presented here with your doctor.
Improper use of Concerta or any other medication for ADHD has the potential to lead to serious problems and should be used only under the strict direction of a physician.
When using any stimulant drug for ADHD, providing a healthy ADHD diet is important. This is due to the fact that Concerta and other stimulant medications act as appetite suppressants and can lead to malnutrition.
Considering the many negative side effects of stimulants including Concerta medication for ADHD, a natural approach to addressing the needs of the ADHD child should be considered, leaving medication as a last resort. Changes in diet, increased amounts of sleep and using herbal treatments such as focus formula from Native Remedies has been helpful for many families who struggle with the effects of ADHD or ADD.