Does Concerta Shorten Life?

Question

I am told that taking ADHD medication will shorten my life and i am worried about it. I have been taking it since i was 10 and i am wondering if i should stop.

Answer 1

Concerta doesn't directly shorten one's lifespan per se. Although FDA actually plans to strengthen Concerta warnings after finding that Concerta can cause psychotic behavior and death. A routine FDA review of Concerta found that there have been dozens of reports of hallucinations, violence, thoughts of suicide and death. However, there is no need to generalize that all patients taking the drug will have the said side effects. It is advisable that if you experience some of the above scenarios, seek help immediately. Also, parents of children taking these drugs should be aware of the possible side effects and should seek help for their children should the need arises.

Answer 2

There is no proof that it does, it probably wont, but it might.  When they say it may shorten you life they often mean by a few years, you may only like to be 90 instead of 95.

But on the other hand concerta can give you a quality of life.  It can give you a chance to achieve your goals, to have a future and a career, to be able to enjoy your leisure activities more, to have better relationships with friends.  Basically it may take 5 years away, but it will give you 90 better, good quality years.