The Official Adderall IR Generics Information Thread

[NuLeesOnLife]

Isn't it interesting how we both had the same bad reactions to the opposite brands?
I have read around a few "theories". One is the fillers used by the different companies may be better for some but worse for others. For instance one has lactose one doesn't.
Also the binders/fillers may break down differently based on body chemistry.
There's also your body's acidity that may get affected. - My shrink told me to take a small glass of water with a 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda, 15-20 mins before the dose. You can also use Tums or Rolaids, but he told me the baking soda (which is just sodium bicarbonate) in the water gets absorbed fastest, and sets your body's ph level for optimum results.

Hope you get some relief.

[rer222]

Thanks. I've seen a couple other posts mentioning tums or baking soda. I do believe I'll try that. I go back to work tomorrow and these last three days off have been terrible. I've got nothing accomplished and had no enjoyment. Hopefully, complaining to my pharmacy will do some good. They are not a big chain so if there's enough complaints, they may switch back. If not, surely, one of the many pharmacies in my area has what I need. If the tums or baking soda doesn't help, I'll give these pills a week. Then I'm going to have to quit taking them till I get a new script. I've even been prescribed Xanex for about 4 years. When I started the Sandoz Adderall, I went from 2mg Xanex to 1. After a couple months, I went to 1/2 mg. Now I take the 1/2 as needed instead of every day. I had pretty much stopped taking them, at all, these last 2 months. I kept forgetting about them because I just didn't need them anymore. I was diagnosed with severe depression and tried several meds. All of them made me sick. I can't emphasise how much the Adderall was a miracle cure for me. And at 20mg only once a day! I feel like all my progress has been yanked away from me. Gonna be a long month...

[ph(a)d(d)]

I've been taking the Barr laboratories 20mg IR 2x / day for about a year now with good results. (Exception: I once got a scrip filled at a chain pharmacist (Walgreens? CVS? ...can't remember) and got Corepharma tablets. Those gave me headaches and were about 1/2 as effective at controlling my symptoms as the Barr tablets.

Today I go to my regular pharmacy and they gave me the Sandoz 20mg IRs, saying "these were the only ones we could get right now."

Long story short, I ended up here trying to see if I was going to have a negative reaction to the Sandoz like I did the Corepharma tablets. (BTW, thanks to all the folks on this thread who contributed well-researched information!)

Checking on the active ingredients in the Sandoz generics, I've come up with this analysis:

FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 - coloring agent
LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE - Disaccharide binder/stabiliser (used for its high compressability/carrier for amphetamine salts); glidant (allows for increased powder flowability [reduces friction between granules])
MAGNESIUM STEARATE - excipient antiadherent (reduces adhesion between powder (granules) and punch faces; prevents adhesion to tablet punches during manufacture)

Verdict? THEY OBVIOUSLY FREAKING WORK. I've got an appointment in 10 minutes and I'm still typing this because of the intense buzz/focus.

Hat's off, Sandoz!

[AMust711]

I'm new here too buddy, I don't even really fell like intruducing myself or giving background info at the moment because I have been on these horrible 10 mg barr/teva pills for about a month now.

Started at 1 pill twice a day, felt nothing but tired. Moved up to 1 and a half of the 10mg twice a day. At this point im starting to really notice some side effects. I thought it was just me, i became constantly exhausted, even after a good 8 hrs, my knees felt weak, i would take my first dose and sit on the couch untill i got up hrs later to take my second dose. I figured it was lyme disease after a tick i picked up so i went and got blood work done, Negative. I didn't want to sound like I wanted more and more so i told my doc it was kind of working but wasnt effective for the 14 hr work days i had.

Week two i was prescribed 20 mg XR generic(Teva) for in the morning and still take the 1 and a half of the "blue devils" in the afternoon. A couple days of that and my symptoms got worse, My mind starts messing with me, i start to think if its all in my head. I have always been an extremely social person and now im starting to not want to be around anybody or do anything. After reading all the reactions people have been posting on this forum i realize that I may not be turning into an anti-social/psychosomatic, its probably the JUNK pills Teva has been putting out with the quality of an Eastern European ecstasy lab. After reading this i stopped taking the "blue devils" and only take the one 20mg XR a day, its not enough to cover the the whole day but its better than the side effects i was getting.

Its only been a couple days and I'm staring to feel better, although i am frustrated, still dont know what to do with myself, and still dont want to be social, the joint-pain, weak knees, and fatigue are starting to subside. I have bad reactions to artificial sweeteners and blue dye which i suspect is the culprit because the XR doesnt seem to bother me that much. My doctors appt is in 2 days and im going to ask her for name brand XR (only because i dont trust teva) and maybe IR dexedrine.

Why cant they just make this stuff without all of the unnecessary ingredients? There is a Serious Problem throughout the entire medical field right now! Just this little "slice of the pie" we are experiencing with insurance and medications is only the beginning. We are essentially being forced to take sub-standard medication by Big-Pharma and Insurance companies or face not paying our bills or not eating. They have been doing this to senior citizens for years and now its everyone else's turn to be taken advantage of. Anyone else realize that this isnt going anywhere good?

[BR549]

Originally Posted by AlexMusto

My doctors appt is in 2 days and im going to ask her for name brand XR (only because i dont trust teva) and maybe IR dexedrine.

One thing to remember is that Shire still manufactures ALL XR. Teva and Global (Impax) distribute it under their brand name. The capsules are all manufactured at the same time and in the same plant. The only differences are 1) price--name brand is more expensive and 2) one is stamped "Adderall XR" and the others are stamped "M.Amphet Salt". They are otherwise identical down to the color of the capsules for each different mg.

With IR, they are manufactured by different companies.

[AMust711]

Thats good to know, i would rather not shell out a ridiculous amount of money for name brand. I know there isnt much difference but i find it hard to trust a company like Teva/Barr that filled over 630 million prescriptions in the US last year alone, that's 1 in 6 of all prescriptions issued in the US.
There is very little we can do except keep an eye on all the changes to inactive ingredients, i think these are the reasons for my adverse reactions. I really feel like it is up to us, the patients, to try and keep these companies as "honest" as possible.
I'm only 26 but i have witnessed how sketchy insurance and pharmaceutical companies have become just in my short lifetime, my mother works at an OB/GYN and I've witnessed these injustices are across the board. What i worry about is, what will be the quality of life for future generations if these companies are allowed to continually cut corners to increase their bottom line? It's a massive snowball effect so let's get out the blow-torch's. Always read all of the ingredients in anything, be aware of what we are putting in our bodies. We do have power, our nearly-broken system still works on supply and demand.

[shelby123]

Hi,
I have had the best results with the Barr oval. I am currently taking 15mg twice a day. Right now I am on the Barr "round" after having been on the oval 30 mg broken in half due to the shortage. Is there a difference between the two? Or is it all in my head. I feel the the rounds make me just want to stare at the wall. Or again, maybe it's all in my head and I really do just want to stare at the wall.

[shelby123]

I should mention too, its IR Thanks!

[AMust711]

I always ask if it's just me before looking at outside sources. In doing a lot of research though it seems like many people experience the same symptoms. To my knowledge both the oval and round Teva/Barr pills, in their respective strengths, contain the same active and inactive ingredients. Im pretty sure it gives a breakdown of all generics at the beginning of this thread.

[ssseeker]

Thanks so much for this thread!

How do I find a different generic? I have called all the major pharmacies in Seattle and they all carry Teva. (Walgreens, Costco, Safeway, Bartell) They say I have no choice about the supplier.

Also, some say Teva and Barr are the same. Some in the forum say they are different, and Barr is top quality. What's the deal? (Mine are Teva and look exactly like the picture -- blue, oval.)


Background:
On TEVA 10mg, short acting, I actually became paranoid, agitated, extremely depressed, and didn't sleep for 2 days after the last dose. I almost went to the hospital! Strangely, the reaction didn't start until I'd taken the pills for 3 days. I would say this wasn't even the same drug, but I tried it from several pharmacies with the same results.

I've been taking Adderrall for 14 years, name brand and later generic, and have never had a reaction like this. I didn't realize the supplier had changed so I didn't suspect it until I had ruled out all supplements, food and even the water. Name brand fixed the problem.

I appreciate the list of ingredients very much! Now I can compare them if I have a reaction to anything else in the future.

[RoxyMusic]

While I don't take Adderall for my ADHD, I take Teva produced Dex IR. I have had a bunch of side effects in the last month or so from the Dex. It may just be that I am still getting used to it, but I am also wondering if Teva is messing with the formulas of their stimulant medication. The Dex IR was working great for me until a month or so ago.

I was thinking of trying Adderall, but now I'm not sure, reading through this thread.

Anyway just my $.02 cents.

[Nocturnal]

I know this is in regards to the regular non time release Adderall but I have to say I am so damn disappointed. I've searched Google and found another fella who noticed about towards the end of last year is when he noticed a change in the XR formula too, even the brand new. Now I'm scouring the net and can clearly see that there is definitely something different with the way they make the generics and it's quite sad that we're being ripped off like this. I understand they would prefer for us to move to Vyvanse due to their patents on it but it sickens me to think they'd purposely do that.

[Twiggy]

I take 15mg 3x a day of Barr/Teva generic Adderall IR and I don't even notice any real benefits nor side effects.
ONLY Barr/Teva makes this strength...

[AMust711]

Anyone get the new generic brand "Global" offered by walgreens?

[AMust711]

i currently take 30 mg XR. Two 10 mgs in the morning an 1 at night