concerta and weight gain

I have a daughter who is 7 yr old and she has ADHD. We've tried many meds and so far concerta seems to be the only one working. Her appetite hasn't been affected but her weight gain has. He gained 1/2 lb in the last two years. She got bigger in heights but not in weight. I don’t know what to do. Is there anybody who can give me an advice? Thx

Hi there! I had the same problem with my child, but she is getting much better now. Her pediatrician suggested we should give her a nice big milkshake or yogurt shake near bedtime to help her gain weight. This seems to be working not only with weight gain but she seems to sleep better with a full stomach. I try to give her as many calories as possible in her nutrition, and she has been fine for now.

gained a half a pound? woopdiedoo im on concerta a hafl a pound in 2 years is nothign when you grow you gain weight

Guest wrote:

gained a half a pound? woopdiedoo im on concerta a hafl a pound in 2 years is nothign when you grow you gain weight

Duh, you're not too bright...Most people are concerned that they have only gained 1/2 lb in 2 years, especially if you're a child! You need to learn to read and comprehend.

Yes, the best thing to do is feed your child before bedtime. Or feed them before they take the pill. Because i know from experience that once that pill hits your system you dont want to touch food, However once it reaches about....12 midnight, you have an insatiable hunger.

Feeding your child before bedtime is great though. Because all the stored energy will turn to fat. Its not so great, but if that is what has to be done, than so be it.

You should check if she wants to eat before taking the pill though. A nice healthy breakfast

My daughter has been on Concerta 36 mg for ADHD for almost three years now. She mostly has good control and concentration but we have had a problem with her not gaining enough weight for how much she is growing. We aren't able to give her high sugar/high carb foods because they cause her to be more hyperactive than she is without the medication so we can't give her milkshakes or things like that. She just turned 10, is 4'9" and finally weighs in at 81 lb. The pediatrician keeps "threatening" to lower her dosage or take her off if we can't get her to gain weight, but she eats as much, if not more, than my 14 y/o son. We have been trying to find "regular" foods that she can eat that are very high fat. I have started adding some coconut milk in with her regular whole fat milk, pot pies that have a very large amount of fat in them, and lots of cream-based soups. It is a very slow process, but it does seem to be working. Good luck, Sood.

Hey there,
My daughter is 7 also and only weighs 38 lbs. She keeps getting taller and taller but she never puts on weight. She has only been on Concerta for 4 1/2 months, she was skinny before this but since she started taking the medication she just isn't hungry or is hungry at bed time like some of you said before. When it's time to eat a meal she acts like it will kill her stomach if she finishes her plate, and mind you I don't put a lot on her plate. Sometimes if she does finish everything on her plate she vomits. I have an appointment with her doctor on thursday to see what we can do about it. I do like the idea of giving her a milkshake before bedtime. I think that would help a lot. The medicine has helped a lot with her adhd but I am very worried about her weight. You can see almost every bone in her back. She just doesn't look like the other kids that are the same height as she is. She doesn't act like she feels bad she just never wants to eat a full meal. It's very frustrating.
Well..I probably didn't help anyone but at least you know your not alone.
Thanks,
Jessica[/b]

I just thought I would give some insight to parents who have not taken this drug themselves. I am an adult on Concerta for ADD. I have worked with children with ADD for years as my background is in ECE and SSW.
I used to tutor kids who complained they had stomach aches, headaches and so forth. I never understood it, until I went on Concerta recently. I tried to take other medications to help with my ADD but after years of battling with it I gave up. The meds work a treat, including the fact I lost weight( I gained 40 pounds over the years from taking other meds that cause weight gain).
Anyway this is how I feel: I wake up in the morning and have no appetite, but I force myself to eat something then I feel sick. Then I feel full and have no mptivation to eat ALL day. Then at about 6 I feel sick again and cant eat. As soon as it gets to 9pm I am starving.
What I find really helps is if I eat very very small portions all day I lose the nasea and can feel my energy level rising. I pack 10 small(very small) ziplock containers with nuts, raisins, 1/4 of an apple, cheese ect... dont make the portions to big as it is way to scary to think about eating that much food as you know you will get sick after. I also take 2 shakes a day I take the ready made ones as a person with ADD as no interest in making food if they are not hungry.
I have suggested this to parent with ADD children and they have found it helps. Please dont make food a big issue as you will make it worse for the child as he feels bad for not being able to please you by eating.
Its tough but stick with it.
and good luck.

You put your 7 year old daughter on ADHD medication? Why? That's her just being a KID. That's horrible that you can't just deal with herbeing a little happy and have to put her on medication. i hope you know you are going to mess her up.

I am an adult recently officially diagnosed with ADHD and I WISH someone had recognized it as a child and put me on the meds, I might have actually fulfilled my potential instead of just daydreaming about it. Don't be so quick to judge. The parent giving their child the best opportunities is a good parent, I grew up in a time before we even though much about this stuff...