Concerta and fast heartbeat?

[Cindijh]

My daughter Beth was recently diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive. She started a prescription of 27mg Concerta on Thursday. I see a difference already but tonight she came to me with a fast heartbeat....127 beats a minute. It was pounding hard. She got scared and I think that made it pound even more. I just went downstairs now and she is laying on her bed with a bag of chips and a glass of lemonade and says she feels a lot better. She did drink coffee today (a cup) and probably smoked a few cigarettes on her walk with her boyfriend. She swore she did not take anything else and I believe her. You guys know so much. Any experiences with this?

Cindi.....

 

[klmno]

Sorry- I don't know anything about Concerta- but if she thought you caught her in something she shouldn't have been doing, it could make her heart race. LOL! I don't know her, but it does sound a little like that could have happened.

 

[smallworld]

Any stimulant like Concerta can cause a fast heartbeat. It's listed as a side effect. You should also be aware that the FDA recommended in April that all children and adolescents be screened with an EKG for heart problems BEFORE starting a stimulant. Here's a link to an article on this issue:

http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=88936

I recommend contacting the prescribing doctor about your daughter's fast heartbeat first thing Monday morning. I also recommend asking the doctor if Concerta should be mixed with coffee. They're both stimulants.

 

[Cindijh]

Sorry- I don't know anything about Concerta- but if she thought you caught her in something she shouldn't have been doing, it could make her heart race. LOL! I don't know her, but it does sound a little like that could have happened.

I asked her that...and her reply was that if she had done anything (drugwise) she would not have mentioned it to me. And she is pretty cool as a cucumber when lying (practice makes perfect) She said when she noticed that it was beating faster, it scared her....and I know how that goes. The more you concentrate on it the faster it pounds. We took her pulse..talked about it...probably 5 minutes went by and it stopped pounding. The thing is, I see a difference in her already. She did get in trouble yesterday and our discussion was so much different than at other times. One of the tests on the neuro psychiatric that she did really poorly on was when you have to name every word you can think of that begins with a certain letter. There were plenty of words in the brain (since she scored close to gifted on the language parts of the test) but the process that enables her to get the word out is faulty. So it has always been with discussions. But anyway....I am hoping this does not affect her ability to tolerate the drug. So far no sleep problems etc.
Cindi.....

 

[Cindijh]

Any stimulant like Concerta can cause a fast heartbeat. It's listed as a side effect. You should also be aware that the FDA recommended in April that all children and adolescents be screened with an EKG for heart problems BEFORE starting a stimulant. Here's a link to an article on this issue:

http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=88936

I recommend contacting the prescribing doctor about your daughter's fast heartbeat first thing Monday morning. I also recommend asking the doctor if Concerta should be mixed with coffee. They're both stimulants.

I will contact the doctor. It is her family doctor. He knows some of her history...and that her dad has a history of irregular heartbeat etc. I did know that racing heartbeat was a side effect but it is a really low dose. I think mixed with coffee and mixed with a couple of cigarettes that might have done it. She is being drug tested weekly so I don't think it is anything illegal that she mixed with it. Thanks for your advice.

Anyone else have any experiences with concerta? By the way, Beth is 17.

Cindi....

 

[BusynMember]

Concerta is a stimulant. Of course it speeds the heart. With the smoking and caffeine, that can't help. And since you don't know if she is doing recreational drugs, because she won't tell you, you can't really know what is causing what. But the short answer is, yes, Concerta can cause a rapid heartbeat. If one is sensitive (I am) caffeine alone can cause a fast heartbeat. For twenty years I was afraid to drink caffeine. This was one of the many reasons. Concerta is stronger.