Actavis Generic Adderall Not As Effective

Updated

For convenience I had my script for 30 mg Adderall filled @ target instead CVS. When I opened the bottle I immediately noticed it was physically different but was not concerned because Drug stores switch generics for several reasons such as cost and availability. After taking my first dose I noticed after 2-3 hrs. that I was not getting any noticeable or same response that I was accustomed to for my ADHD (combined) and depression! So I took a closer look at the pill and noticed it looked smaller and it had a #28 on it. This and the fact I was not getting the usual response (been taking for 20 yrs.) disturbed me enough to call Target to double check w/them to make sure that it might have been a mistake. Target said that they had switched recently but assured me it was the identical medication. I still felt that to me it was not the same and stopped by my usual CVS to get their take on it since they had my full trust from yrs. of patronage. They gave me same feedback and I left somewhat baffled. It's been a week now and I cannot wait for my next persription to change back! I will definitely tell my Dr. And ask if he has had any bad feedback from anyone else. In the meantime I thought I would go this route for the time being!

13 Replies

Earliest Newest Votes
1

Agreed, same thing just happened to me.

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2

If I'm not mistaken, I believe the difference you're noticing in overall efficacy is at least in-part, due to the variations of inactive ingredients (binders/fillers) that make up the tablets composition. My understanding is that some of these substances may prevent the active ingredient from metabolizing as efficiently as it would in tablets that use other binders/fillers. Since nothing else allegedly changes when you switch between different manufacturers, this seem to me like the most viable theory as to why one works better or worse than the other.

Nevertheless, I think it's completely unethical for pharmacies to pass off one tablet as being identical to another, when that's clearly not the case. A lab analyses might also reveal mild to moderate discrepancies in the percentage of active ingredients as well, but not many people have the time or money to invest in finding out if that is so.

I hope you're able to get by until the next refill. Best wishes~

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3

It's not the same mistake missing a salt. Adderall wanted to patent their product so txt get combined salts because you can't patent something that is natural to the earth. They are not the same. They think u r saying it because you are looking for the stimulant effect that someone with ADHD shouldn't feel. Just BS

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4

Does anyone know a pharmacy that carries Adderrall XR that ISN'T from the manufacturer Actavis? I checked CVS and Walmart and its all the same.

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5

I have been on Adderall most of my adult life. Recently since moving to Montgomery county PA, I can not understand why my medicine does not work like it should. They keep dispensing this 20mg R3060 from Actavis Elizabeth that is more like allergy medicine than something to help control my impulses. It's expensive and I need to get back to work!

My pupils don't respond properly and I keep trying to make police reports about someone possibly swapping them out because it's happened before. I highly doubt the doctor would give a fake prescription so it's either

A. Bad brand or
B. They are counterfeit versions again

But my skin is getting worse in Montgomery county and the real version of my medicine does not do this at all. In any case I have contacted police every time. So if it is true that someone has been stealing medicine from me, they will be the liable party, right? Failure to intervene IS A REAL MISCONDUCT CHARGE!

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6

Re: Jami (# 5) Expand Referenced Message

Jami I’m in your same boat!!

I started December Seattle cvs got orange one now in LA I got the blue 20mg ER/XR

It feels weak and burdening doesn’t it, I feel better fresher but still s****y without it. I’m thinking I report to FDA and my doc, and try an IR

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7

Re: Joe (# 4) Expand Referenced Message

Walgreens I believe doesn’t, honestly I am trying to figure out right now why I am experiencing a difference with my medication of the 30 mg ER extended release I have been getting from Jewel escalatelyly which I have noticed the capsules are extremely low in the amount filled… The one I just filled is almost halfway empty which definitely is not helping me, compared to when I was filling at Walgreens they would be completely full if not just about four and the capsules itself were of a different color being half orange and half clear. So I am pretty sure they carry a different brand unless they have switched within the past two months or so.

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8

"There are Pharmacist's that will vouch and SWEAR, it's the same medication..." I can assure you, the problem IS REAL! Even though it "MAY BE THE SAME," the efficacy is very different! As my brand was just switched. I take it for Adult ADHD inattentiveness, Minor depression & Narcolepsy. Dose: 10mg IR Tablet's 2x's daily. Brand: Lannett. "I'm not quite sold on it being OUT OF STOCK." As I myself am a Pharmacy Tech and we carry it, and it's through the same distributer.

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9

Re: Jami (# 5) Expand Referenced Message

Ok so weird - but my name is Jami also. LOL :D We're rare. ;)

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10

Re: Joe (# 4) Expand Referenced Message

I take IR but I go to Wallgreens because I kept getting Aurobindo from Rite Aid and those are so bad I think they’re fake. They feel like those old “crossroad” pills gas stations used to sell in a case on the counter in the 90s. I hate them & honestly that manufacturer makes terrible zofran too so I don’t take anything made by them.

So Rite Aid had those (not recommended) and Wallgreens here carry Teva. Those don’t seem to work well anymore but they don’t make me feel like crap so I take them. And no, it’s not a “tolerance” I don’t take these every day/regularly.

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11

Re: Jami (# 5) Expand Referenced Message

Honey, you made a police report? Can you please go and report it on the FDA medication report page I think they call it Medwatch. Then step two might be to tell the pharmacist that they aren’t working and see if they can get a different manufacturer, you could suggest to them that may be someone is swapping them out for fakes, but there are cameras all over the pharmacy and usually more than one person working so it would be shocking if it was happening there. I feel like they were just straight up steal pills out of your bottle before they would buy counterfeit ones, sneak them into work, and swap them out, but I’m not a criminal also maybe not.

But anyway, the police in your city are wonderfully patient, mine would never deal with that more than once.

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12

Re: Adam (# 6) Expand Referenced Message

Yes, listen, everybody needs to go to the FDA's webpage where you report things like this and report it. It helps they’ve had recalls in the past, it ends up causing a shortage sometimes, but I would rather have a shortage for a bit then to get bad pills.

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13

Re: ADHDR (# 8) Expand Referenced Message

It’s an absolute fact that generics can vary up to 20% in strength from the namebrand, either weaker or stronger. And that’s just each generic to the namebrand, so one generic could be up to 20% stronger and the other could be up to 20% weaker than the original, which is a pretty big difference between the 2 (a 10 mg could be 8 mg and one 12 mg-that’s not the same) It’s actually scary to think a pharmacist wouldn’t know this, I assume that one knew and just lied thinking that the patient was stupid.

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