ADHD, Concerta and Seizures
ByFor people who have ADHD (or ADD) and Epilepsy, there has been concern over the years as to whether taking ADHD medication, such as Ritalin, may worsen seizures.
Researchers from Harvard have just presented their data from a study which reviewed the impact of Concerta on seizures. The results are reassuring for ADHD and epilepsy sufferers.
This study included 27 children, with a mean age of 10, with ADHD and epilepsy. This was a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, cross over study. In other words, it was very well designed.
In the end the researchers were able to conclude that Concerta does not induce seizures.
This should help to reassure parents of children with ADHD and seizures that Concerta is safe in this combination of disorders.
Of course it is important to review your particular situation with your doctor.
Also, as is always the case in science – replication of studies is important to verify and truly establish facts.
What about the risks of Risperdal .250 mg to treat minor emotional issues (no mood disorder testing or diagnosis) in children? My son is adhd inattentive type, LD in non-verbal areas, and gifted according to wisc-iv. I know it is not FDA approved for this use but is prescribed.
As a parent, it feels like using and antipsychotic like Risperdal is a sledge hammer approach to a minor emotional problem. Your general thoughts and views about Risperdal in kids fitting this profile would be appreciated. Thanks
Hi Ally,
Thanks for your comments.
Yes, risperidone can be used in kids, despite the fact that it is not approved by the FDA, or Health Canada for use in ADHD.
It is originally an antipsychotic – i.e. to treat schizophrenia. It was then proven to treat bipolar disorder (manic depression). It now has also been shown to help in treatment refractory depression.
In kids, it has been shown to help kids with autism, and also conduct disorder (severe behavioral problems).
Minor side effects: headache, sleepiness, 30% chance of weight gain.
Moderate side effects: risk of an increase in prolactin – a hormone which promotes breast tissue growth and potentially lactation.
Rare but big risks: elevation of cholesterol/triglycerides (thus a long term health risk); also a risk of increased blood sugar/diabetes.
When it comes to making the decision to take risperidone, one needs to balance the risks and benefits. Is risperidone the only option? Could improving the ADHD medicine make a difference to the minor mood symptoms? Are there any side effects? If this is being taken, does it have to be for the long run, or can it just be for the short term?
To learn more about medication for ADHD, please visit: http://www.ADHDMedicationCourse.com
I do plan to write more articles about these ‘add on’ medications for ADD/ADHD, but I will also cover these in the medication course that I will do at the site above.
Dr. Kenny
Hi Dr. Kenny,
My son has ADHD and PDD-NOS. He is currently taking Concerta and his doctor recently prescribed Risperidone. About 5 years ago, he was on Ritalin and his doctor at the time had also prescribed Risperidone. What I found then and NOW is that the Risperidone seems to be interacting with the Concerta and causing it to not work. His current psychiatrist says that this is scientifically impossible. What are your thoughts on this?
Hi,
I cannot comment on your specific situation.
What I can say is that it is relatively common to use concerta and methylphenidate together. They do not interact with one another. The risperidone may be calming, and may cause sedation, but it is unusual to have it counteract the benefits of the concerta.
It is best to go back and talk specifics with your doctor.
Dr. Kenny
My son just started on concerta and has been having seizures since. He was directed to stop taking the concerta by his doctor and they have begun to clear up!
My son started taking cocerta a little over a year and half ago. He has had 3 seizers over the past 5 months. Now he has started taking Trileptal also. I am very concered and have been debating taking him off Concerta.Would like to know your thoughts on this??
adding to the above comment about my son. He is 10 years old, has hearing issues as a result of recurrent ear infections. He is scheduled for having his adenoids and tonsils removed next month. He does have disturbed sleep — snoring and irregular breathing sometimes. He has very bad seasonal allergies. Hope to get a response. THX
Hi Perm,
This is really a question for your doctor. I can’t give medical advice on a blog!
I appreciate you sharing your experience, but your doctor will have to evaluate the risks and benefits of staying on the concerta when there are seizures going on.
All the best,
Dr. Kenny
What is adhd-mb? My cousins son has it and is about to have surgery and if he makes it which the chances are 50/50 he will be confined to a wheel chair.. What is that MB stand for?
Crystal,
I’m sorry to say that I don’t know what MB stands for with respect to ADHD.
I haven’t heard of that before.
Best to you and your cousin’s son.
Dr. Kenny
I was diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADD in the second grade. I had my first seizure in the 9th grade. Now I’m a college student. I take trileptal(1500 mg) for seizures and I have never taken any ADD. Being in college the course work has been more challenging. I’ve been scared to take any kind of ADD medicatioN because of my seizure problem. But I need something to help me stay focused and concetrate in class and doing homework. Do u know anything else about this study of concerta and seizures? Or do u have any suggestions?
My husband has epilepsy and takes Divalproex Sod for it. He also has ADD. Can he take any medication for his ADD along with his seizure medication?
hello my son has adhd , heis just turned 16yrs of age and he is currently prescribed concerta xl,rispirodone,melatonin and ritalin…since being on rispiridone he has gained loads of weight and gone up by 3clothes sizes.as a parent i have spoken to has dr about this and theyv told me its nothing t be concerned about.i just wonder because he has 2ml of rispiridone daily will his weight continue to forever increase?
Hello All. Our 8 yrs. old son suffers from ADD and he has been taking Concerta for a while now. Last night we got home from school aftercare, only to find out he hadn’t completed the day’s homework, which we tried to do as we do every day. We got to a point that, during math work, he refused to even try to solve a problem, arguing that he didn’t understand or know. I tried to explain, even giving him the answers over and over, but he kept the same attitude. I got a bit upset at his lack of effort, even after telling him the answers, and let him know how I felt about it. Then, something happened, that I had never experienced before: He started crying and complaining that his hands hurt, I thought he was faking it, but when he started crying loud I touched his hands and they were stone cold, sweaty, and kind of tucked/curved into his forearm, with him being unable to open them at all. I mean, they were firmly, extremely tight, in such position, and remained so for close to 1 hour. In that time span, I called my doctor and the health plans hotline, who guided me through some questions and determined that it was some sort of emotional issue. I went to the local ER, and by the time we got there he was back to his old self, as if nothing happened. I was scared to death the whole time. Has anyone seen or experience this before? Over the past 2 years we have done all sort of test on him, and I mean, all there’s is to do, and have found nothing. I’m fixing to go to the doctor today and see what else we can do, or what’s the explanation for this event. Any comments?
Javier, of course the best solution is your own doctor, because of the fact that your doctor knows your son and can examine him, etc.
When it comes to concerta, I’ve never heard of this type of reaction. If your son is taking risperidone or other medicines, then it may be related to that. Again, the doctor is best to assess this. I hope things go well. Please let us know.
My 13 yr old son started concerta 3 days ago and had a seizure. scared me to death I dont know if I will ever give him any add meds again. he was only taking 18 mg no history of seizures!
Well, I took my son to his doctor, explained the event, and we got him off Concerta (maybe just as a precaution), and instead started alternative therapy (neurofeedback). He seems to be doing better, getting better overall with each week of therapy…
After taking the concerta for 3 days and having a grand mal seizure my son had a sleep deprived eeg which was perfectly normal. The nurse called me with the results and said it must have beeen the coceta.