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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Has ADHD. Stopped Concerta, Lack Of Focus, Frequent Talking. Can Puberty Affect How Concerta Works?

My son is 14 and on Concerta for ADHD- had been for many years. Recently he began refusing the meds bc he says they make him feel sad and that he thinks he can do better school work without them. This is day 2 of no meds at school. So far some teacher feedback indicates that he was more chatty and a bit more unfocused w/o the meds. No academic achievement to look at yet. BUT my question is, can puberty affect how the Concerta works?
Wed, 21 Nov 2012
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Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist,  's  Response
hello there,
there seems to be a relation between concerta (methylphenidate) and puberty, but it's the other way round. actually puberty does not affect the way concerta works, but concerta does affect attainment of puberty more so in boys.

when the child starts attaining puberty, the testosterone level is raised and it tends to worsen the ADHD in the person, so it may not be the best of times to stop taking medicines as it may turn counterproductive.

so my advice would be to restart medicine without delay and without any gap. and furthermore you should have consulted your doctor before taking any such steps as it may be detrimental to your son.

hope my advice is helpful for you
thanks for your query
Dr. Amit Kumar
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Has ADHD. Stopped Concerta, Lack Of Focus, Frequent Talking. Can Puberty Affect How Concerta Works?

hello there, there seems to be a relation between concerta (methylphenidate) and puberty, but it s the other way round. actually puberty does not affect the way concerta works, but concerta does affect attainment of puberty more so in boys. when the child starts attaining puberty, the testosterone level is raised and it tends to worsen the ADHD in the person, so it may not be the best of times to stop taking medicines as it may turn counterproductive. so my advice would be to restart medicine without delay and without any gap. and furthermore you should have consulted your doctor before taking any such steps as it may be detrimental to your son. hope my advice is helpful for you thanks for your query Dr. Amit Kumar