Does how much you weight and your height effects adhd medication effectiveness?
Question:
Im 6'2" 220 lbs and I take Concerta 72 mg it works OK If you like to know
Answers:
I wondered about this, too, when I first decided to start on medication for my ADHD, and asked my doctor how the dosing was determined. He said with a lot of medications it is true that it is figured proportionately according to your height and weight, and to some extent it's done with ADHD meds. With stimulant medication specifically, he said it's based on metabolism more than height/weight because the rate at which your body burns it off will determine how quickly it's out of your system every day. Obviously, you don't want to still be awake at 1:00 in the morning because your Adderall hasn't worn off yet.
For example, he said that a 12-year old kid who weighs 90 pounds might be taking a higher dose of stimulants than an adult who weighs twice that much. Kids typically have a higher metabolism than we do, particularly those with the hyperactivity trait. My 8-year old son and I are both on stimulant medications; he is on 10 mg. of Dexedrine and I am on 45 mg. of Adderall. He's less than one-third of my weight, but for now both our doses seem to be o.k.
By the way, if your medication is not working, the dosage is not always the problem. Some medications simply do not have any noticeable result on some people. I took Ritalin for a month or two and got up to 40 mg. but never noticed any difference; went on Strattera for a month or so, with no difference except negative side effects. I do have moderate results with the Adderall, so I'm staying on that for now. It might be time for your doctor to have you try a different medication. Good luck.
Beth
Height and weight are not great factors in medications taken daily, especially if they work on mental or nervous system issues. The standard is to use a starting dose that has been established as safe by the drug company and work up from there as the patient needs. I have seen large (6'2" 300+) men that were on lower doses of these types of meds than little old ladies, it just depends on the paitients' needs and individual response to the specific med. The key factor is honest communication between you and your care providers. This will help you find the right med and dose for you.
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