Question for Dr.J regarding Concerta

[Anonymous]

Hi Dr. J,

I started taking Concerta a few weeks ago, I have to say I really like the way the meds work, really much smoother than ritalin, the only thing really missing to make it perfect is the fact that its effective range is about 11-12hrs for me so it lacks about 3-4 to cover the regular 15-16 hours day.

Is there a reason why concerta lasts about 12hrs instead of about 16hrs ?

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[Anonymous]

Btw, I take ritalin to cover the whole day but ritalin being what it is….it gives me the low and high feeling which Im not really looking for

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[Anonymous]

Hey John, I’m not Dr. J but I can offer an explanation regarding duration of the medication. That’s how long it is in a portion of your digestive track that allows for the medication to be useful/absorbed. For some people with a higher rate of digestion it’s much less than that 10-12 hours, for someone with a really slow system it could be longer. If you are finding that the end of the day is tough, try waiting until late morning to take your Concerta.

For me I’m up at 5:30AM at work for 7:00AM, home at 4:00 PM, make diner for the family for 6:30PM, walk the dogs and go to class for 7:30PM and if I’m lucky will be in bed for 11:00 PM. That’s a big day for a 27mg pill to cover. I figure I can get up and moving, stick to my routine and make it to work most days and the concerta doesn’t really help with this stuff so I don’t need it at this point. Once at work, at least in the mornings there is normally enough to do that as long as I stay organized and my attitude is good I can coast through to 10-11:00 on motivation and desire to get it done. By 11:00 most days, I’m ready for a nap. That’s what it feels like, but I find that if I get ‘into something’ the energy is there. The concerta at this point is like going to the gym or going for a run, it clears the cobwebs a little and I find it easier to work on less stimulating things, BUT it still takes effort to get going and I need to reward myself for getting it done. The 8-10 hours I get from the pill takes me through supper and into the evening, but is done before bed and this routine helps me reinforce the importance of having the right motivation and attitude.

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[Anonymous]

I agree callmecrazy. Wait…….that didn’t sound right.

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