Is my prescribed Concerta Pills a placebo?

Question

I was just prescribed 18mg of Concerta, and I recently took one about two days ago in the morning and didn't feel any difference. Then, I took three today, making it a total of 54mg of Concerta, and I still can't feel any difference. The bottle looks legit with the prescribed form and everything, the pill says "Alza 18" on it, and everything seems legit.

The thing is, my mom went to you get it for me, I was not interviewed, or anything, the doctor just gave me 18mg to try and see if it works.......? I'm 16 years old for reference.

How can you tell if they gave you a placebo Concerta rather than the real ones? And how should I feel when taking it? Or after taking it?

Answer 1

Are you part of study? That's the only time you can get the placebo and you have sign papers and do lot of testing to be part of drug study.

Sometimes drugs do not help or take long time to see results like months.

contact you doctor and tell him/her that the drug is not working and he/she should prescribe something else. Do not change your dose on your own because this could be dangerous for your health.

Answer 2

"Alza 18" is what's imprinted on real Concerta tabs.  I found this just by googling it.

It's highly unlikely you're taking a placebo or some kind of faked Concerta - some people just don't respond to it.  If it's not controlling the symptoms it's supposed to control you should go back to your doc and explain what's going on.

It's weird that this stuff was prescribed for you without you actually visiting the doctor.  Responsible doctors don't prescribe without a proper clinical visit - certainly not controlled substances like this.

Answer 3

I would think that your doctor would not have prescribed the medicine without you being seen, My son is on Concerta and the Dr did a full evaluation before putting him on it, Concerta tends to make you more focused, wide awake, and will affect your appetite, as well as your sleep. I would think that you would notice a change in how you feel nearly immediately. Hope this has helped..

Answer 4

if they say alza 18 and they are very hard and look like capsules, it is the real thing. they are time released so dont expect a big jolt of energy. also if youve tried adderall and youre expecting them to be similar, dont....they are completely different experiences.  

Answer 5

It is possible. I took a Bioethics class this past semester and my professor discussed how doctors will sometimes give their patients placebos.

However, it could also be that it is the real thing and it just does not make a difference. I was put on anxiety meds and I did not feel a difference. I believe this is because my anxiety is not due to malfunctioning serotonin levels in my brain, but rather due to distorted thought processes. I had a negative explanatory style for so long, that I was so used to thinking negatively.

I believe Concerta is used to treat ADHD correct? Well perhaps your conentration problems are due to anxiety instead of malfunctioning processes in your brain. Also, drugs do not work for everyone with ADHD. Perhaps you could try another medication like Adderall or Ritalin. Tell your doctor it is not working and he can prescribe another type of drug.