Concerta is the exact same medication as Ritalin (methylphenidate) but is formulated so that it is longer-acting. As such, it take it a little longer to kick in when you take it in the morning. It does work, however, from the first day you take it. There is no need to build up blood levels like has to be done with Strattera.

That said, though, it isn't uncommon for it to take several days to get over the side effects and feel that it is working at it's peak.

When I tried Concerta, I did experience some reduced appetite and lost a little weight - not nearly as much as I needed to, but a little. I had mild headaches the first few days that soon disappeared.

Does that help?

I've been on Concerta for about 3 years, and it's been a winner so far. Dosages have been either 54 mg in the morning or else a combination of 36 mg in the am and 10 mg of methylphenidate (ritalin) at 5 or 6 pm. I'm 45 and was diagnosed just a few years ago with inattentive ADD. A nice thing about all of these med options is that they're fast into your system and fast out ... if it doesn't seem like one is the right one for you (everybody's different), you and your doctor can adjust quickly.