Re: Not loving it, looking for suggestions.

[jennifermac]

My daughter just started taking concerta 18mg a few weeks ago. She is 14, and had anxiety/stress related to school. She seemed to get very irritable and moody almost immediately and within a few days it had escalated to crying for “no reason’ and feeling jittery in the evening. I read online about taking 5-HTP with concerta to eleviate these symptoms and since I have taken it for years, I had it on hand. Wow, the very next day she was her happy easy-going self again! (I gave her 100mg, Happy-Sense, by Preferred Nutrition.) The theory is that if you had anxiety to begin with, a stimulant is going to exacerbate the problem. 5-HTP is a serotonin booster available at health food stores( a naturopath can help you with dosage). The 5-HTP works well for depression, anxiety and a host of other mental health issues. It CAN’T be taken with prescription anti-depressants, so you need to talk to your doctor. It is a very effective alternative to these drugs, and may allow you to tolerate the ADD meds. with less side effects. Trying to cope all these years without meds. has been very stressful for my daughter and I feel she has paid dividends in her health. I think its important to take stock of your general health and realize that stress wears you out! It may take a more holistic approach to find that balance because the meds., while necessary, may not solve all your problems. Hope you feel better soon!

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