Concerta side effects?

Has anyone experienced the unusual behaviors, confusion… My son has been on and off this drug since August 2013. I don’t give it to him on weekends, summer and such. About a week and half ago he was discharged from psychiatric hospital where he spent 7 days and 2 in the er before that. They believed the behaviors were the result of concerta and Prozac, which he had just recently started taking. We’ve been home for a week and half now and I have been catching him doing odd things still (trying to shave, he’s 11, found a bald spot of the side of his head tonight, found his hair on my husbands nose trimmer). His regular therapist recently left the practice, hence why we went to the er. He was assigned a new therapist after discharging from the hospital. Anyways he can’t see the psychiatrist for almost another month. I’m going to call in the morning see if it’s an emergency can he be seen. To me it seems like it is the concerta period.

This sounds very concerning indeed! The only experience I have with Concerta is for my son. He is 14 and has been on Concerta for 3 years and we have not seen any unusual behaviors. He seems to tolerate it very well. Melanie I'm not comfortable giving advice on medications but maybe on of the other moderators can. I do wish you the best of luck.

Hi my daughter is on this for nearly 4years now and I have never seen a change like that the only thing I could say the shaving thing your son did she has done and she has no need to shave she has also had a few goes at her hair style as we’ll but that is just her she is impulsive and does what other things has he done that worrie you as that just a day to day in our lives

Hi my daughter is 12 and has been taking it for about a year and She hasn’t experience any side effects.

I am by no means an expert. But this sounds similar to my last ex's son. I became involved with him when he was 14. He had such a struggle with puberty. Those hormones are ADHD also. LOL

Most of his issue was an incomplete diagnosis. As it turned out, he was Asperger's Autistic also.

Just don't feel comfortable with a single diagnosis. research the inappropriate pubescent behavior on the web. That is how I can up with the Asperger's diagnosis before the "professionals" did.

Once we accepted the additional diagnosis and treated that disorder with a different approach, this little guys turned out to be an amazing boy. He graduated second in class with no special needs accreditation. He was a drop dead genius. Yet still struggled with the Autism in addition to the AdHD.

Maybe I should have mentioned none of these unusual behaviors showed up until after school returned for Christmas break. He has always been an overly cautious kid. I really don’t believe it has anything to do with puberty. He’s terrified of heights always has been and he recently climbed out the second floor window and jumped from the roof.

Wow! He could be my little brother. :)

To me, mom, sounds like somewhat normal adolescent behavior, exacerbated by the ADHD. My little brother shot himself in the leg (sort of accidentally) just to see what it was like, Climbed out of a second story balcony into a pine tree. Had to call the fire department to get him down. Jumped out of a second story window because he thought he could fly. Etc.

It all came on at once also. Hormones have no date stamp.

My brother grew up to be a E-9 in the Navy, joined the Army reserve after that. Has two retirements and a neat little family.

Love your way Melanie.