I have tried Concerta, and AdderalXR. I felt a little hyper on concerta, but so glad to be motivated for a change... and able to actually get things done! After a couple of weeks on it though I started to feel anxious, and my heart felt like it would beat right out of my chest. Then in the evening as it wore off I became irritable, impatient, agitated and very sensitive to external stimuli. The lights were too bright,did people have to talk so loud, so much, or at all! Really! I knew I was over the top when I asked my husband why on earth he had to breathe so loud! Stimulation overload -and intolerance.
Then I tried adderal xr. Felt much mellower, more active,and motivated but less than with concerta. Also, I became depressed , apathetic, antisocial and anxious within a few weeks. When it wore off I was less agitated, but got so tired- and yawned uncontrollably. Some palpitaions, but not as bad. But the depression, lack of confidence feeling made me mostly a hermit. Not the way I am, or want to be!
The two are definitely different!
Of the two I prefer concerta- realizing I need dosage adjustments for the hyper feeling and palpitations. My focus was better. Also my dr will likely prescribe a shorter acting ritalin to bring me down with less adverse reaction in the evenings.
They both lasted around 10-11 hours for me.
I have not tried focalyn- my nephew started on it 2 days ago and I am awaiting some feedback on it.
I am 47 and just diagnosed a couple months ago. It's been a hard transition- butzi feel I'm finally on the right track. For years was misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression. I always felt worse on the meds--tranquilized and unable to put a thought together- let alone a plan.The more aI complained , the more they increased my dose! My husband said it was like living in a zombie- state... No way to live!!! - in my job thinking fast, and acting fast is imperative!... Klonopin sucks!!!, so does zoloft.- at least for me! So glad to be off of them!!
Good luck. Unfortunately , everyones metabolism is different - as you well know. So trying them is really the only way to know how YOU will react.

I realize this topic originated a while ago, but I also feel it may have sparked some worthy discussion.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]SnappDragon-
Does the Concerta have the same kind of effects on your ADD as Ritalin did (apart from the differences that come with a sustained/long acting release vs. immediate effects)? And have you ever taken Adderal or Adderal XR?

Like [COLOR="darkred"]getreal, I concur that both Adderal and [methylphenidate] can have totally different effects. Ritalin works amazingly well for me, except that I need 20-30mgs of it for each 3-4 hours I have to be "on task." With Ritalin, I am aware and can multitask quite easily. I am interested in trying Concerta - if only to be taking less in total/day mgs. of Methylphenidate. I have noticed personally for me that Adderal (XR) does not work quite the same - I am able to organize and focus my thoughts quite well but for some reason still get extremely sidetracked and then put my time into something less important:rolleyes: The other drawback is that I only get about 4 hours out of it, which probably starts 1.5 hours after I take it.

The Adderal might work well for days when I have to sit in a three hour lecture or work steadily on research, but for now (with the go ahead of my dr.) I am working to see how I can make them complement each other (sigh).

It actually frustrates me knowing thatADD meds are something I will always need, especially as I continue through higher ed and into my discipline.

I take focalin, there is no comedown as far as i can tell period. The difference is ritalin and concerta have d-methylphenidate and l-methylphenidate, i think d is dextro and l is levo. Focalin only has dextro methylphnidate, and for some reason that makes it absorb into your blood very very fast, but there is no lingering about it. It is only supposed to last 4 hours and after that no after effects. It is also twice as potent as concerta or ritalin, 1 mg of focalin = 2 mg of ritalin or concerta. It's also cheaper for me.

You mentioned wanting to try Concerta for over-all less pill popping during the day. I just started taking one 27 mg/day pill of Concerta, it's extended time-release capsules and the effects are continuous for 12 hours. I take it in the morning and it really helps me get through the day. I'm a 28 year old female who is still finishing college because I was always unable to take full-time loads before, and this semester I finally decided to take 5 courses because I can actually concentrate and get work done!
Concerta makes me feel a little speedy, but if you take Ritalin than you're probably used to that feeling.