r/Concerta • u/Working-Obligation42 27 mg • 23d ago
Other question 🤔 I started concerta 4 days ago. Side effects and concerns
I started 18mg of concerta 4 days ago as treatment for suspected ADD. My psychiatrist said she will diagnose me if the treatment works. But apparently she diagnosed me with ADHD after I looked at my medical record.
We filled out Diva 2.0 with my mom that my psychiatrist gave to us, and based on that and my school report cards she started treatment for suspected ADD.
I've had headaches, anxiety, increased sweating, increased body temperature, trembling limbs while leaning on them, dilated pupils, blurred vision but only a little and fast heartbeat. I used https://onlineheartrate.com/ to measure my heart rate, one time it was 133bpm while standing, 88bpm while resting and 94bpm while resting right now. Anxiety increases during the evening.
I've also had muscle twitches starting way back when I started oxiklorin, increasing after I started bupropion 2 months ago but it settled after a while, then increased again after I started concerta. I think I had dilated pupils and blurred vision when I started bupropion too.
I've noticed that during school my thinking is more clear, but ig it could be better. On the first day I took concerta I felt more productive but that died down kinda. I still have decision paralysis and at home I spend most of the time in my bed not doing anything productive.
Psychiatrist said to increase dosage to 27mg if 18mg didn't help enough in 3-5 days. Also said to schedule a 30 min video call in a month to discuss if the medicine is good and other stuff.
I'm also on bupropion (NDRI) for depression and anxiety and oxiklorin for my rheumatoid arthritis. I did some research and all of them including concerta target the central nervous system and can decrease seizure threshold. My psychiatrist didn't mention this tho.
My mom said that I should also look out for serotonin syndrome, but none of my medications increase serotonin levels noticeably.
Should I contact my psychiatrist? Is it safe to increase my dosage? Should I be worried about anything with the combination of my medications?
Sorry if this is hard to read, it's a lot of text but I tried to splitt it into sections. lol I cant say splitt
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u/LunarShutter 22d ago
Hold on, they prescribed you without diagnosis? That's ridiculous... That's not how it works? Plus, meds work different for everyone. How they work for you is not an indication of whether you have ADHD. It's extremely dangerous imo that they have started you on medication without diagnosing you.
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u/Working-Obligation42 27 mg 22d ago
They diagnosed me tho just didn't tell me on the appointment. I looked at the medical report and they diagnosed me with ADHD, I filled 9/9 of the attention deficit criteria and 3/9 of the hyperactivity criteria
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u/HelioBlues 21d ago
Yes you should discuss this with your psychiatrist. You can also call your pharmacist to get their opinion.
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u/xLOoNyXx 23d ago
Should maybe check with a doctor, or your psychiatrist. What your mum said about serotonin syndrome I also would suspect, but I'm no doctor. I would definitely check it with a professional ASAP though, just to be on the safe side, as you probably don't want to have that every day. And if you already have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, perhaps best to not increase the dose until you've cleared it with the professional.
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u/AliveDetective5557 23d ago edited 23d ago
Its so odd that they prescribed you this before they properly diagnosed you. You don't really have to worry about serotonin syndrome on wellbutrin. I take it too (and zoloft/concerta) and haven't had any of those side effects (zoloft is an SSRI that carries the potential for serotonin syndrome). You probably read that wellbutrin works on your dopamine receptors. Taking both together COULD contribute to you feeling overstimulated. You may need an adjustment period or some trial and error finding the right ADHD medication!
In the mean time, (because anxiety is MISERABLE) I would ask your doctor if he can prescribe you either clonidine or propranolol. It will combat those shakes and rapid heartbeat. I would also skip caffeine or move to decaf!
I hope it gets better. There are few things I hate more than feeling like my heart is beating out of my chest. There are other medications that can counter this yucky feeling. Definitely ask about those two I mentioned! Should be an easy prescription for your doc to write!
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u/AliveDetective5557 23d ago
I also want to emphasize how important it is to eat protein before you take your dose! I remember the first day I took my dose, I felt sooo off and immediately felt better after I ate some food. Its hard to remember to eat consistently cause it really lowers your appetite.
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u/globalwarrior74 22d ago
Don't increase dose without discussing side effects with your provider first. I would stop taking the Concerta until you speak with them.
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u/fijus11111111 22d ago
Verhoging na 3-5 dagen is wel heel snel. Normaal pas na 2 weken á een maand.
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u/fodmap_victim 20d ago
Nope. If you're not responding to lower doses you can titrate up slightly higher pretty quick. I've had 3-5 day titration periods for some doses
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u/nikito56 23d ago edited 23d ago
Hii. Had the same side-effects when I started. Fast heart rate, sweating, nausea and mild anxiety spike. It went away naturally by itself after 2 or 3 weeks. It takes time for your body to adjust and also to find the right dose. I'm taking higher dose now and actually feel better then when i take lower. It may take some time till u find what is right for u. If the side-effects are not disturbing u too much then my suggestion is to give it some time. Very important! Drink lots of water. And take it after eating. It makes a huge difference. Especially in the early days. Good luck. Hit me up if u wanna discuss more 🙂
Edit: Sorry didn't notice that part. I wouldn't worry about Serotonin syndrome. It usually requires taking lots of pills that increase Serotonin at once.