Concerta Side Effects

Concerta Side Effects, Information and Concerta Tidbits

What is Concerta?

Concerta is used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It contains a prescription stimulant called methylphenidate that is also in other brand name drugs such as Ritalin. Concerta uses a sustained release like Ritalin SR, Methylin and Metadate CD. Methylphenidate affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that are a contributing factor to hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Methylphenidate is also used to treat narcolepsy.

Potential for Abuse?

Methylphenidate is widely accepted as the closest pharmaceutical equivalent to cocaine. Some studies have shown cocaine addicts cannot tell the difference between methylphenidate and cocaine when it is administered intravenously. Cocaine, however, has a greater affinity for the dopamine receptor, the mechanism which is associated with the euphoric cocaine high.

Methylphenidate is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance and is recognized as having a high likelihood for abuse due to it's addictive potential.

Concerta Side Effects

Call your doctor immediately if you have an allergic reaction such as hives, difficulty breathing, swelling in your face, tongue, lips or closing of your throat.

Serious Concerta side effects:

• fast, pouding or uneven heartbeats
  
• feeling like you might pass out
  
• fever, sore throat, headache with severe blistering, peeling and red skin rash
  
• aggression
• restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior, motor tics
• easy bruising, purple spots on skin
• dangerously high blood pressure
  

Less serious Concerta side effects:

• stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of apetite
  
• dizziness, mild headache, vision problems
• sweating, mild skin rash
• weight loss
• nervous feeling, insomnia
• numbness, cold feeling in hands or feet, tingling
  

This is not a complete list of Concerta side effects. Consult your doctor for a full list.

Interesting Concerta Tidbits

Here are some interesting tidbits on Concerta:

• Methylphenidate has been said to be indistinguishable to cocaine addicts when given intravenously.
• The way methylphenidate affects people is not well understood.  Some researchers theorize ADHD is caused by a dopamine imbalance in the brain.
  

Share your Concerta experience