I'm brand-new to this forum, so I hope I'm not re-hashing too much, but I did read about 30 posts tonight that touch on these topics. First, I want to say I'm so happy to find the information I came across tonight about the generic vs. other generic debates.

My history:
I don't actually have an ADD diagnosis, I take dextroamphetamine for narcolepsy, which isn't a real common condition. My prescription is for 60 mg/day - (2x10mg tabs at morning, noon and 2pm). I NEVER take them all, I forget or get busy and when I remember, it's too late in the day. I usually only take the am and maybe noon dose. Also, sometimes I don't take anything on Sat or Sun, frankly I just prefer to sleep. (so my script actually lasts about 45 days)

I've been taking the dex for about 10 months - my doc switched me from another "wake promoting" drug called Provigil, which was actually a sweet drug, but despite the claims, people actually do build up a tolerance to the effectiveness. Also, I gained a LOT of weight the prior year due to taking an antidepressant (I went off of that around the same time I started on the dex, but after 8 months on dex, I only started shedding some of the pounds).
So with all that said, here are my comments/questions:

1) I did experience the same pharmacy issues others have posted about with generics. My first Rx was filled with Barr, so I had nothing to compare it to. I can't say it worked that great, though, and my doc ended up upping my Rx to the current dose. Then in June of this year, by chance, my pharmacy substituted the Barr with Mallinckrodt. Whoa! I noticed the difference immediately. It kicked in right away and seemed to leave me more quickly, which is good, because I could fall asleep w/o problems at night. Also felt "smooth" as others have described. The next month I went back with my script and the "other" (grouchier) pharmacist was working. She was pretty snubby about my specific request for the Mall. brand, and after waiting a few days, said they couldn't order it. I told her I thought I was maybe having a slight allergic reaction to the Barr brand, but she couldn't help. I tried another chain, they didn't have the Mall., but offered Shire (the yellow ones), I declined and went back for Barr since I was completely out and don't function well without wake-promoting drugs. This leads me to...

2) I finally took the time to look up the inactive ingredients. They are pretty hard to come by, I can't find anything on Barr or Ethex, but I found this interesting:
Tartrazine is an uncertified FD&C Yellow #5 color additive.
--GSK/dexedrine tabs contains tartrazine (I've never taken the brand name)
--Shire dex tabs contain tartrazine and lactose monohydrate (I haven't tried this, but good to know since I'm severely lactose intolerant, I got sick from a piece of fudge last week)
--Barr and Ethex: as I said, I couldn't find anything online, but they are colored, so I'm considering them suspect
--Mallinckrodt's inactive ingredients for tablest were posted, if you search google for "dextroamphetamine ingredients tablet mallinckrodt" and follow the DailyMed link, you see that there are only four inactive ingredients, no color additives (and of course the tabs are white)

So I'm convinced I need to demand the Mall. brand, but expect to get a buch of crap for it. Any suggestions? How do people deal with their pharmacist treating them like a junkie? I've actually scoped out the pharmacy and waited a day so I can see the nice one.

3) Tartrazine seems to have some potential allergic/adverse reactions. I've been having this scalp problem for about as long as I have been taking the dex. It's really bad and embarassing. I have a *compulsion* to pick at my scalp, which is scaly. I only pick at the scales. I think if they weren't there, I wouldn't even touch my head. I have a dermatologist appt next month, because I've tried about 8 different shampoos, and nothing helps. Does anyone out there recall an onset of scalp problems just after starting dexedrine or a generic equivilant?

4) I've read on this site that some people feel the Ethex brand is comparable in strength to Mall. and also feels "cleaner", but until I see the inactive ingredient list, I'm concerned - because that pill is particularly orange in color, which points to some form of yellow coloring. I think I've tried this brand in the past but it definitely didn't have the same impact as Mall. I did see a suggestion on this forum to take it with mint tums - I might try that if that's what it comes to. But maybe if I can actually get the Mall. brand, I can go back to a lower daily dose.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope raising these questions can help others. I look forward to any comments/suggestions.

Here's a link to a post here at this site by Cactus.Ed that will help you understand why your pharmacy is most likely not ordering the Mallinckrodt for you. For some pharmacies, their wholesaler does not carry the Mallinckrodt dex, but for most pharmacies it boils down to not enough $$$$ to be made selling the Mallinckrodt dex.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32726&page=2&highlight=wholesale+price

Smaller pharmacies will try... I am sensitive as far as the inactive aspects of a medicine form that I am bugging the GlaxoSmithKline company because they will keep telling that they are "Not Available". I was told that "Not Available" was appiled to the situation because Abbott has discontinued making it in tablet form. I tend to be impatient and respond superior to that form of the drug so I guess the knowledge of whether or not anyone else would make them was an answer I find important and the best specific as to why was leaving me with an unanswered question. I know the FDA hasn't discontinued it and know that everyone else is being told by the phone that they are being discontinued. I was told "not available" so I may be going through a death complex of denial and just want the real answer because I have to take dextrostat 10 mg to feel the effect of a 5 tablet that is dexedrine and also not suffer the "new med" side effects of stimulants every month. I look like Nicole Ritchie because I lose my appetite every month for 2 weeks and each generic has a worsened side effect that vary by brand. I feel that before I get the approval for my Dextrostat 10 tablets and rectify it with the pharmacy then I should get the final answer which the company isn't giving until they sent a letter to the FDA stating they have discontinued production. The dillemna with the generic brand is that a brand name is something that there is a legal thing involved with having to dispense it if not specified. I know there are state laws that are different everywhere but in Vermont I like to go to the pharmacy based on convenience and it seems that a schedule 2 amphetamine gets filled by the date on it regardless of how early it is yet you can't get a refill of a non addictive and you get the junkie attitude in a different part of the process too. I know refills in a sense control and the new prescription is official but I find irony in that if it's on file that treatment has persisted for years that but I get in heated debates with trying to get it all in one trip rather than waiting until the next day when a doctor can (not always will) but can if you are leaving town early for a trip. I just have little tolerance for waiting and that makes the situation flare up the most.

I am now taking 90 mg/day in capsule form.
How can you tell who the manufacturer is? The container says "BRR" at the end of the description. Does that mean Barr?
How much difference can/do the inactive ingredients really make?

Does that mean Barr?
How much difference can/do the inactive ingredients really make?
Yes, that does mean Barr.

The only way to know how much difference the inactive ingredients really make is to actually try the other brands available, and see how much of a difference the inactive ingredients make for you.

For some people there is no difference at all. For others, the differences are subtle, and yet some people seem to be very sensitive to the differences and insist on certain brands. The only way to know for certain how much of a difference is to have personal experience with each.

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