switch

[jennyjay]

I don't have insurance right now and I am on Adderall, and even the generic is $138.00 per month (or 90 pills). I have an appointment with my doc on tuesday and was wondering if maybe I should ask him about switching to generic Ritalin for a few months until I get insurance again (it is much cheaper $60 for 100 pills!!)

My question is will ritalin work for me? Has anyone else switched from adderall to ritalin?

[Hyperion]

One other option is for your doc to prescribe twice the dose and have you cut each pill in half. Usually the price is the same for 90 pills of 10mg and 90 pills of 20mg.

Also, see if your pharmacy has a discount program for people without health insurance. If they don't, see if you can find one that does. Also, some grous such as AAA offer drug discount programs, which are not insurance, but do get you cheaper prices at the pharmacy.

[bowlerkid]

If you can't afford it due to not having insurance, companies give the branded medications free. Ask your doctor about Prescription Assistance Program. (PAP)

[jennyjay]

I had my appointment anb he switched me to Dextrostat or Dexadrine, 5mg pills - take 2 pills three times a day - so 30 mg. I was on 60 mg of Adderall and that was starting not to work as well as it did a year ago (tolorence?)

I guess my concern is that there is no way that 30mg of Dexadrine is going to cut it. Does anyone have any insight on this. I start the Dex tomorrow. How different is it from Adderall?

[Hyperion]

Adderall is a combination of the two isomers of amphetamine: levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine. It's just the right and left handed types of the molecule. Dexedrine is made from only the right-handed type, dextroamphetamine. Dextroamphetamine has more of a centrally stimulating effect anyways, and it is primarily the dextroamphetamine that is responsible for most of the effects of Adderall.

Anyways, Adderall is roughly 75-25 dextro to levo, so your 60mg of Adderall contained the rough equivalent to 45mg of dexedrine. So it won't be like cutting the dose in half, but it might be a smaller amount than you were taking with the Adderall. If it helps, then it helps; if it doesn't feel like enough, then talk to your doctor.