Struggling to concentrate!

Sjoe, still not tired, and cant force myself to sleep. And i have a Pre test for an exam tonight.

Im almost reluctant to take the another pill 2day...
 
Sjoe, still not tired, and cant force myself to sleep. And i have a Pre test for an exam tonight.

Im almost reluctant to take the another pill 2day...

Dude, what are the side-effects to the drug? Is it worth it to take them?

(Side-effects: the reason I don't take drugs.)
 
From what I have read different people react in different ways.

Tbh, with how desperate i am to finish this course, it is probably worth it for 3 months.
As long as i can start sleeping atleast like 5 hours a night. The cotton mouth etc isnt nice, but i can deal with it.

Just need to sort a sleeping pattern out!
 
Yes these are over the counter products. If you can speak to somebody knowledgeable working in that section ask them which product they recommend as there may be cheaper ones than those that I have posted below. Just read the labels very carefully as you are looking for a product which contains around 200mg of standardised extract in the case of Ginkgo Biloba etc. Here are a few products which you could consider ...
http://www.solaltech.com/new/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=49
http://www.vital.co.za/shop/supplements/herbal/ginko-biloba
http://www.vital.co.za/shop/supplements/herbal/herbtime-memory-and-concentration
http://www.pricecheck.co.za/offers/12950/Formule+Naturelle+Ginkgo+Biloba/

According to studies, you need to take at least 240 mg of Ginko Biloba a day to be effective, and if you combing Ginko with the herb, Ginseng, then it is even more effective in aiding attention and memorisation.


So, the Vital products offer too little Ginko to be effective. Only the product in the first link provides the minimum amount of Ginko.
 
From what I have read different people react in different ways.

Tbh, with how desperate i am to finish this course, it is probably worth it for 3 months.
As long as i can start sleeping atleast like 5 hours a night. The cotton mouth etc isnt nice, but i can deal with it.

Just need to sort a sleeping pattern out!

Take extra good care of your teeth if this medicine gives you cotton mouth and causes you to grind your teeth.
 
Fonzy what does it feel like? Are you able to zone out and just concentrate on studying? Does it feel like the information is being taken in?
 
Ye, you kinda just focus on 1 thing intensly.

Usually i end up skipping half the words and like rushing it, where as now im able to really concentrate.

Every half an hour or so i get the urge to take a quick break, and then i do, and when that break is finished, im able to go back to studying without a problem, and focus hard again.

Even though i havnt slept etc, the info is still sinking in ALOT better than it was.

Im also able to block out everything else around me, dogs barking, planes flying over the house etc... where as before all those little things used to make me rage and get very distracted.
 
Ye, you kinda just focus on 1 thing intensly.

Usually i end up skipping half the words and like rushing it, where as now im able to really concentrate.

Every half an hour or so i get the urge to take a quick break, and then i do, and when that break is finished, im able to go back to studying without a problem, and focus hard again.

Even though i havnt slept etc, the info is still sinking in ALOT better than it was.

Im also able to block out everything else around me, dogs barking, planes flying over the house etc... where as before all those little things used to make me rage and get very distracted.

What dosage are you on?

At first I had terrible cotton mouth and I also had trouble sleeping but those side effects have since subsided. As long as I take the pill before 12PM it does not affect my sleep.
 
I am on 36mg dosage.

Something that I didnt mention earlier, was that over the last 3 months, i spent alot of time in hospital with liver problems, Due to my gall bladder(it took 3 months for them to figure that out).

So my liver took a pretty bad beating. Since then, i have a very low tolerance to things like painkillers, alchohol etc etc.

This could also be a factor in my side effects being pretty severe.
 
Guys be careful with taking this stuff. Concerta is pretty much Ritalin which is pretty much cocaine. It's not really that great for you.
 
Guys be careful with taking this stuff. Concerta is pretty much Ritalin which is pretty much cocaine. It's not really that great for you.

You're right.From wikipedia:
Abuse of prescription stimulants is higher amongst college students than non-college attending young adults. College students use methylphenidate either as a study aid or to stay awake longer. Increased alcohol consumption due to stimulant misuse has additional negative effects on health.[89] Methylphenidate's pharmacological effect on the central nervous system is almost identical to that of cocaine. Studies have shown that the two drugs are nearly indistinguishable when administered intravenously to cocaine addict.
 
I have taken concerta/ritalin in some form for many years and while I'm no dr I do my homework very well when it comes to chronic medicine.

It's not toxic and puts no stress on your liver (or brain for that matter) if the dose is right - so no need to worry about that. I take milk thistle anyway as insurance. I mean who never drinks or eats any junkfood?

If you grind your teeth / can't sleep you prob need more magnesium - I like to take it 30 mins before sleep as it tends to get rid of the bit of stimulating effect the drug still has left at that point.

Hyperfocus and inability to shift your attention or lack of creativity could mean the dose is too high. 36 is kinda the lowest dose for adults so it should get better as your body adapts to the drug.

Other things I found usefull:
Acetyl-l-Carnitine - works very well with concerta! Brings back my creativity and improves memory (stimulating dopamine can eventually depresses acytylcholine and this will reverse it). I'n mild cases of ADHD (like my daughter) it can replace concerta completely.
Siberian Ginseng - Makes concerta a little bit more effective and smooths out the up's and down. Effect is quite subtle though.
Phenylalanine - after some time on the drug your brain dopamine stores could get depleted. Phenylalanine is what your brain uses to make dopamine. Use only if you feel the effect is getting less after a few months.
Zinc - Proven in studies to increase the positive effects of the drug.
Multivitamin - you should take this anyway but concerta increases your need for Vitamin B3.

Oh and in regards to the comparison with cocaine: Cocaine has a half life of 20 mins and methylphenidate 3.5 hours. Other than that it is indeed very similar. Don't let that put you off though. South Americans have been drinking coca tea and chewing the leaves for thousands of years as a mild stimulant. Its hardly different from coffee when used that way. On the other hand if you snort a weeks worth up your nose all at once you will probably hurt yourself ... ;)
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X