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kk's avatar

i dont know why they discontinued making the sr 20 mg name brand i cant take the other ones constipation and nauseous

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kk's avatar

make the name brand i get sick from the white ones

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Margarita9's avatar

At 44yrs I was prescribed Concerta Xl. The difference is measurable. I can even put a thought on hold , let people talk and the retrieve said thought. That never happened before. I can also concentrate quicker than before and get back to do stuff even after interruptions. Side effect...I get super drowsy when I stop taking Concerta XL and cannot function at all. This happens on day 2 after pausing.

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Beat ADHD's avatar

I've heard this referred to as "dopaminergic blunting".

From my understanding: Concerta causes that excess in dopamine to build up which your brain isn't used to. (But it's still less dopamine than people without ADHD). Once you go off the medication, your brain starts to compensate by downregulating your dopamine production which results in that crash.

Some tips I've seen to prevent/mitigate crashes:

- Regular exercise (30mins 4-5 times a week) to increase your baseline dopamine production

- Healthy diet + hydration

- Good sleep health.

Also are you vegetarian? I hear people with B12/Magnesium/Zinc deficiencies get way worse crashes. I take magnesium supplements which helps with reducing tolerance build-up. (But see a doctor/do your own research before supplementing)

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Beat ADHD's avatar

Realised my comment makes it seem like Concerta is the culprit here. Most methylphenidate formulations will cause a crash of some sort.

Some people react differently to different medications though.

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