Comments on: Generic Adderall XR – New Formulations

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:54:38 +0000

Can I ask if you ever have taken the ir tabs?

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:10:23 +0000

Dr. Handelman,

With so many complaints over the generics, even the authorized ones are you aware of any legitamate clinical studies testing this? I remember reading ones in school about non-psych drugs but never have seen one for ADHD drugs.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:23:35 +0000

I do not have ADHD, so fortunately do not need to take Adderall. If you read my posts I said if you feel the brand is better, by all means ask for it. I really am an advocate for patients and like to give them what they want. I do not work for Shire, never have, and personally feel that pharma does do many conniving and borderline unethical things. However, unless they are utterly lying about their manufacturing processes (which I have no way of knowing), I stand by my statement that they are the same. They can price them differently because it costs them next to nothing to produce them. You are paying for R&D costs when you purchase drugs which can be billions of dollars. You guys are getting hostile for no reason. If you ever came to my pharmacy and asked for brand name anything, I will give it to you and not think twice about it. But, anectdotal evidence is not true science, and psychiatric conditions do not have measurable metrics, so it is very diffIcult to say that this drug can lower this or raise that when talking about diseases of the mind. Any doctor or pharmacist knows this but wants to see their patients improve, so if they feel the brand works better, no medical professional in their right mind would tell them they have to take the generic. But, people are putting false info here. There is no difference in indication for age as someone said. Shire did not sell the patent to XR as someone said. There is no difference in release mechinism as another said. I am just trying to be helpful, but would NEVER, AND I MEAN NEVER, tell a patient to take the generic if they do not want it.

By: Mick68

Mick68 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:30:41 +0000

I continue to ask you, have you taken both the generic and the name brand Adderall?

By: Mick68

Mick68 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:28:11 +0000

Have you taken both the name brand and the generic?

By: Mick68

Mick68 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:00:31 +0000

Have you taken both the name brand and the generic of Adderall? Answer the question…

By: Mick68

Mick68 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:59:09 +0000

Exactly, lakemcdougall…I am sick and tired of hearing from pharmacists that they are the same! I always ask the pharmacists, “Have you taken either or both name brand and generic Adderall?” I always get the same reply. “No, I haven’t.” Well, then you obviously don’t know about the side-effects or the fact that the generic doesn’t work! Until someone has taken them both, they will never know. (Unless you start listening to the multitudes who have had issues with the generics)

My neuro-psychiatrist has taken them both and has reported extensive side-effects, as well. You know, he knows this medication considering he has been in practice for over 35 years treating ADD/HD. (By the way, I started having the side-effects long before talking with him about it, so it isn’t just my imagining that there are differences.) Once I changed to the name brand, miraculously the ill-effects went away and I was back to normal.

Bottom Line:
I could care less what ANY pharmacist says until they have actually taken both drugs and endured what we the unsuspecting public have dealt with!

By: Mick68

Mick68 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:45:26 +0000

Again, Dan, my question to you is, have you taken either the generic or name brand Adderall XR or IR for that matter? If you have not, then again I say, You have nothing relevant to add to this discussion except quoting your Rx manuals…I understand what they are “supposed to do,” That is not the issue here! We are all aware of what the regs are that pharma’s are expected to follow. In the case of Shire, they are not following them! You can say they are the same til you are blue in the face, but until you have tried them both in a blind test, then you do not have complete information. Quit telling us they are the same! They are not! Too many have complained and continue to complain about their differences. I spoke with my neuro-pysch this week about this issue once again. He is still having multiple patients bringing him the “trash” generic Adderall XR which he is sending in droves back to Shire. We are not all crazy. Shire will answer for this whether with the FDA or in court. One way or the other this will get exposed as FRAUD!

By: lakemcdougall

lakemcdougall — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:58:35 +0000

The bottom line on authorized generics is unless you have actually taken them you really are not able to add anything relevant to the conversation. If we were able to resolve the medication issues we encounter by reading pharmaceutical literature, we wouldn’t need Dr. Handelman’s blog. We come here to discuss issues with others who have similar experiences, and to gain insights into the problems we face. I have taken the authorized generic (Teva) for Adderall XR 30 mg and the fact is, they Don’t Work. Period. Unless you have taken the medication, telling us they do work is ludicrous and truthfully, insulting.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:59:13 +0000

One more thing. Shire has not sold the patent to the XR version, only the IR.