How much concerta

Concerta has a long, steady release pattern, while the short-acting Ritalin releases more quickly and the level drops between doses. This creates more hills and valleys in your blood level. Some people do better with the long release of Concerta while others may need the quicker action of Ritalin. Other versions of Ritalin may work similarly to the long-acting benefits of Concerta. But Ritalin LA does not last as long as Concerta. Recall that Concerta can act for up to hours.

The Cleveland Clinic estimates that long-acting Ritalin works for six to eight hours. There is a cost difference between the once-daily dosage of Concerta and the several doses per day you take of immediate-release Ritalin.

In general, Ritalin costs more because you need to take it more often. Both medications are available as generic drugs. Generic forms tend to cost less than brand-name versions of the same medications.

Generic forms of Ritalin tend to cost less than generic forms of Concerta. The cost to you depends on your health insurance plan. Your plan likely covers generic forms of both drugs. Also, Concerta and Ritalin are both usually stocked at most pharmacies.

Stimulants like Concerta and Ritalin carry the risk of side effects. Both drugs may affect growth in children or cause weight loss. Because they contain the same drug, Concerta and Ritalin share the same side effects. Common side effects can include:. These drugs are not right for everyone. In the most severe cases, Concerta abuse may result in cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack, excessively high or low blood pressure, stroke, circulation failure, convulsions, seizure, coma, or fatal drug poisoning.

Concerta is sometimes taken in combination with other drugs, such as alcohol , especially by college students. Mixing Concerta with alcohol can have dangerous consequences. As a Stimulant, Concerta can override the Depressant effects of alcohol.

Users may not feel the effects of alcohol like they normally would, leading them to drink more. This increases the risk of alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. Combining the drug with alcohol can also intensify the negative side effects of Concerta, such as nausea, headaches, and dizziness. It can also cause anxiety and impaired concentration in the user.

Learn More. There were 15, emergency room visits related to ADHD treatment medications like Concerta reported in Overcoming a Concerta addiction can be difficult, but professional treatment can help with the process. Please contact a treatment provider now for help finding a Concerta addiction treatment program. After graduation, he decided to pursue his passion of writing and editing.

All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional. Theresa is also a Certified Professional Life Coach and volunteers at a local mental health facility helping individuals who struggle with homelessness and addiction.

Theresa is a well-rounded clinician with experience working as a Primary Addiction Counselor, Case Manager and Director of Utilization Review in various treatment centers for addiction and mental health in Florida, Minnesota, and Colorado. She also has experience with admissions, marketing, and outreach. As a proud recovering addict herself, Theresa understands first-hand the struggles of addiction. There is no limit to what Theresa is willing to do to make a difference in the field of Addiction!

Monticello, MN. View Center. Canton, SD. Chicago, IL. Lemont, IL. Gilman, IL. Concerta should also be avoided in children with structural heart issues or other serious heart problems. Sudden death, stroke , and heart attack have occurred in people taking stimulant medications. Concerta may also be used off-label for other conditions. But it can continue into your adult life. Symptoms of ADHD include:. To be diagnosed with ADHD, your symptoms must cause trouble in multiple settings, such as at home, work, or school.

Your symptoms must also be present before the age of 7 years. However, genetics probably play a role in the development of this condition. The three types of ADHD are described below. Three different clinical trials studied Concerta use in children ages 6 to 12 years. In these studies, children taking Concerta had a significant decrease in inattention and overactivity. This was in comparison to children who were taking a placebo treatment with no active drug.

In addition, one study looked at adolescents children ages 13 to 18 years with ADHD. Adolescents taking Concerta had their ADHD symptoms reduced more than did adolescents taking a placebo. A clinical trial showed that Concerta significantly reduced inattention in adults taking the drug compared with adults taking a placebo.

Concerta is approved for use in children ages 6 years and older with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD. You may wonder if Concerta is used for other conditions. Using Concerta for weight loss is not an appropriate use of the drug. Sometimes stimulant medications such as Concerta can make anxiety symptoms even worse. If you have both anxiety and ADHD, Concerta may not be the right medication for you, because it can make your anxiety even worse. With bipolar disorder, people can have extreme changes in their mood and energy levels.

Concerta is not an appropriate treatment for people with ADHD who also have bipolar disorder. Taking Concerta can make your bipolar disorder worse. If you have bipolar disorder and ADHD, talk with your doctor about your treatment options. With this condition, you may feel unusually tired and fall asleep suddenly. However, Concerta is not approved to treat narcolepsy.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it decreases the activity of your nervous system. Concerta, on the other hand, is a stimulant medication. It increases the activity of your nervous system. Concerta can also cause dependence in some people. With dependence, your body needs the drug in order for you to feel normal. Concerta can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods.

Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase the number of side effects or make them more severe. Below are lists of medications that can interact with Concerta. These lists do not contain all the drugs that may interact with Concerta.

Before taking Concerta, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Taking Concerta with Prozac fluoxetine can possibly cause a drug interaction.

Concerta is a stimulant medication that acts on your central nervous system CNS. Caffeine is also a stimulant. Products that contain caffeine include coffee, soda, and certain teas and headache or pain medications. When caffeine and Concerta are taken together, you can have increased side effects, such as feeling irritable or anxious. Both caffeine and Concerta can cause trouble sleeping and can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. If you enjoy drinking coffee, tea, or soda, try drinking decaffeinated forms while you are taking Concerta.

Taking Concerta with Zoloft sertraline can cause a drug interaction. Concerta can block the breakdown of Zoloft in your body.

This can increase your levels of Zoloft. This will help prevent you from having too much Zoloft in your body. Concerta can interact with Lexapro escitalopram if these drugs are taken together. This can cause your levels of Lexapro to increase. Clonidine is a medication that can be used to lower high blood pressure.

Concerta can cause an increase in your blood pressure. Taking Concerta with clonidine may decrease the effects of clonidine, which can increase your blood pressure. In rare instances, this increased blood pressure has resulted in death.

MAOIs are a class of medications that are used to treat depression and anxiety. Examples of MAOIs include:. These medications should never be taken with Concerta. Using Concerta along with an MAOI can cause stroke , heart attack , kidney failure, and sudden death. Taking Concerta with warfarin Coumadin can cause a drug interaction. Concerta can block the breakdown of warfarin in your body.

These tests will check the thickness of your blood, which is affected by warfarin. You may have to have blood tests done more often when you first start Concerta than you did before you started the drug. These seizure medications include:. This can be very dangerous. If you need to take Concerta in combination with a seizure medication, your doctor may decrease the dosage of your seizure medication. Your doctor may also do blood tests to make sure that levels of the seizure medication in your body are not too high.

Taking Concerta with a vasopressor may not be safe. Vasopressors are a class of medications that are used to treat low blood pressure. Examples of vasopressors include:. Both vasopressors and Concerta cause your blood pressure to increase. Taking vasopressors with Concerta can cause your blood pressure to be even higher, which may become dangerous.

However, you should still check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any of these products while taking Concerta. Concerta is a stimulant medication that can cause an increase in your blood pressure and heart rate. Caffeine can also cause these same effects in your body. While taking Concerta, you should avoid consuming foods and drinks that contain caffeine. Examples of foods and drinks that contain caffeine include:.

Consuming any of the foods or beverages listed above in combination with Concerta can increase your risk of side effects, such as:. If you feel that you need some caffeine, talk with your doctor about how much caffeine is safe for you to consume. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or use their online tool.

But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away. Multiple treatment options are typically used together to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD. Along with Concerta, treatment should include psychological, educational, and social therapies. Some other therapies that may be used in combination with Concerta include:. If Concerta was prescribed for you or your child, your doctor may talk with you about other treatments that should be used with Concerta.

If you have questions about other treatment options for ADHD, talk with your doctor. If you need financial support to pay for Concerta, help is available. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Concerta should be taken once each day in the morning. It should be taken at about the same time every day. Concerta can be taken with or without food. In clinical trials , Concerta worked the same way when it was taken with a big meal as it did when it was taken on an empty stomach.

If Concerta upsets your stomach or causes nausea, it may be better for you to take it with food. Taking the medication with food in your stomach can reduce these side effects. No, Concerta should never be split, crushed, or chewed. But making the decision to treat your child's ADHD symptoms is an important first step.

Part of this includes a team of people focused on helping your child like family members, caregivers, teachers, and your child's healthcare professional. This treatment approach may also include behavioral therapy. Every child is unique and will have his or her own response to ADHD medication. For your child to get the most out of treatment, it's important to work closely with your child's healthcare professional.

Your doctor or your child's doctor can discuss potential side effects. Please read the accompanying Medication Guide before speaking with your doctor or your child's doctor.

But it may be necessary to adjust this dosage to get the best treatment results. This adjustment process is called titration.

Week 1: One mg tablet once daily Week 2: Two mg tablets once daily for a total of 36 mg Week 3: Three mg tablets once daily for a total of 54 mg. During the first few weeks of treatment, it's important that you and your child's healthcare professional discuss how your child's treatment is going. This may help your child quickly get to the dose that works best.