Concerta
Concerta helps people with ADHD focus better, stay calm, and control impulsive behavior.
Form
depottabletti
Strength
36 mg
Active Ingredient
Methylphenidate hydrochloride
Manufacturer
Janssen-Cilag Oy
How to Use
Dosage
The doctor usually starts with a low dose, often 18 mg once a day, and may increase it weekly.
Method
Take Concerta once a day in the morning with a glass of water. Swallow the tablet whole; do not chew, break, or crush it. It can be taken with or without food.
Important
The maximum daily dose for children is 54 mg and for adults is 72 mg.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Headache
- •Nervousness
- •Trouble sleeping
- •Uneven heartbeat (palpitations)
- •Mood changes or swings
- •Joint pain
- •Blurred vision
- •Tension headache
- •Dry mouth, thirst
- •Fever
- •Decreased sex drive
- •Unusual hair loss or thinning
- •Muscle stiffness, muscle cramps
- •Loss or decrease of appetite
- •Inability to get or keep an erection
- •Itching, rash or redness, raised itchy rash (hives)
- •Unusual sleepiness or drowsiness, feeling tired
- •Teeth grinding (bruxism)
- •Panic attacks
- •Tingling, prickling or numbness of the skin
- •Increased liver enzymes in blood
- •Cough, sore throat or irritation of the nose or throat, upper respiratory infection, sinus infection
- •High blood pressure, fast heart rate
- •Dizziness (vertigo), feeling weak, uncontrolled movements, hyperactivity
- •Feeling aggressive, agitated, anxious, depressed, irritable, tense, nervous and abnormal behavior
- •Digestive problems or stomach discomfort, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, unpleasant feeling in the stomach and vomiting
- •Excessive sweating
- •Weight loss
RARE
- •Thoughts of suicide or suicidal feelings
- •Seeing, feeling, or hearing things that are not real (signs of psychosis)
- •Uncontrolled speech or body movements (Tourette's syndrome)
- •Allergic reaction (rash, itching, hives, swelling of face/lips/tongue, shortness of breath, wheezing)
- •Unusual excitement, overactivity, or lack of restraint (mania)
- •Heart attack
- •Sudden death
- •Attempted suicide
- •Seizures (epilepsy)
- •Flaking skin or reddish-purple skin patches
- •Inflammation or narrowing of brain arteries
- •Temporary paralysis or problems with movement, vision, or speech (may indicate brain blood vessel problems)
- •Uncontrolled muscle twitches in the eyes, head, neck, body, and nerves
- •Decreased blood cells (red, white, platelets), leading to more infections, bleeding, or bruising
- •Sudden high body temperature, very high blood pressure, and severe seizures (neuroleptic malignant syndrome)
- •Recurring unwanted thoughts
- •Unexplained fainting, chest pain, or shortness of breath (may indicate heart problems)
- •Prolonged and sometimes painful erections, or increased number of erections
- •Dry eyes
- •Constipation
- •Chest discomfort
- •Blood in urine
- •Lack of desire
- •Tremors or shaking
- •Increased need to urinate
- •Muscle pain, muscle spasms
- •Feeling hot
- •Increased liver values (seen in blood tests)
- •Anger, restlessness or crying, talking too much, excessive awareness of surroundings, sleep difficulties
- •Problems with sex drive
- •Confusion or disorientation
- •Vision problems or double vision
- •Swelling of breasts in men
- •Redness, red bumpy rash on skin
- •Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- •Muscle cramps
- •Small red spots on the skin
- •Abnormal liver function, including acute liver failure and coma
- •Changes in test results, including blood and liver tests
- •Abnormal thoughts, lack of feelings
- •Cold hands and feet
- •Numbness, tingling, and color changes (white to blue then red) in fingers and toes when cold (Raynaud's phenomenon)
- •Migraine
- •Dilated pupils
- •Very high fever
- •Slow, fast or extra heartbeats
- •Severe epileptic seizure (grand mal seizure)
- •Beliefs in things that are not real (delusions)
- •Severe stomach pain, often with nausea and vomiting
- •Problems with brain blood vessels (stroke, cerebral arteritis or cerebral occlusion)
- •Inability to control urination (incontinence)
- •Jaw muscle spasm making it hard to open mouth (trismus)
- •Stuttering
- •Nosebleed
Important Warnings
- Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to methylphenidate or any other ingredient in it.
- Do not take if you have very high blood pressure, narrow blood vessels, or a history of heart problems such as a heart attack, irregular heartbeat, or heart failure.
- Do not take if you have had problems with blood vessels in your brain, like a stroke or a bulge in a blood vessel (aneurysm).
- Do not take if you have a thyroid disorder, high pressure in your eye (glaucoma), or a tumor on your adrenal gland.
- Do not take if you have an eating disorder, such as anorexia, where you don't feel hungry or want to eat.
Show 3 more warnings
- Do not take if you are currently using or have used certain antidepressants (MAO inhibitors) in the last 14 days.
- Do not take if you have severe mental health problems, such as a severe personality disorder, schizophrenia (seeing or hearing things that aren't real), thoughts of suicide, severe depression, or mania (feeling unusually excited or overactive).
- Tell your doctor immediately if you have a painful erection lasting more than 2 hours.