Difference Between Adderall And Amphetamine Salts (Page 14)

I was recently diagnosed with Adult ADD and have been prescribed Amphetamine Salts (Generic for Adderall) for a few months now. The initial dosage was one 10mg tablet/ three times a day and recently my Doctor upped the dosage to one 30mg tablet/ twice a day. I know that overall this has been very beneficial for me but I cant help but wonder if the generic brand (IR Amphetamine Salts) has less of the active ingredient, and more unnecessary side effects(irritability, fatigue). I know that while the active ingredients are likely to be the same, the "fillers" usually are not and even the active ingredients can vary up to 10%. I also know that everybody reacts differently depending on their bodies' make-up as well as the drugs and I have always reacted sensitively to any kind of drug. The more I "google" the more I want to stay away from the generic form. Also- almost every pharmacy around has little to no Adderall Brand IR tablets in stock, they only have the generic brands and possibly Adderall brand but only the Extended-Release. My Doctor seems to firmly believe that there is no difference between Adderall XR and Adderall IR, and because she prescribed me the generic form (Amphetamine Salts), she probably doesn't see a difference there either. I don't have the time to ask 10 doctors what they think so if anyone has any information or experiences please share! Thank you!

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My Dear, it is time to get a new Doctor. For the sake of your self and your daughter, go get another opinion. I was just reading on this forum above, that one person is on Adderal Extended Release AND Xanex at a small dose each day for bother ADHD and Panic Attacks. Most Doctors will not tell you that they did something wrong or ill advised you because of the liability. But there is light at the end of the tunnel...be strong and see another reputable professional. Good Luck!

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I disagree, my insurance Co keeps changing it up, and after being on tablets (generic) for 11 years, I had to switch to time release. It made me shakey, and doing hair/pedi's/ waxes for a living, I was not happy. I'm back on the generic and I haven't been happier.

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Thank you, Sarah, for your thoughtful response to Margarita's ridiculous assertions.

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No difference. Was prescribed both and when I got the one that said "amphetamine salt 15mg- generic for adderall" it seemed to work better and longer than the ir generic that said "amphetamine/dextroamphetamine" generic for "adderall" ir

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A common misconception about stimulants, I think, arises from quick Google searches of brand name drugs, such as adderall. The word "amphetamine" shows up and the first thought is "methamphetamine". Its an understandable response. I'd just like to explain, in a straight forward way, why this should not concern anyone considering to take adderall. First of all, the word "adderall" is the same as "amphetamine" in the same way that the word "aspirin" Is the same as "acetylsalicyclic acid". When acetylsalicyclic acid was found to general relief capabilities, it was used as the active ingredient in a new medicine called aspirin. The name of the active ingredient and medicine are now interchangeable. While aspirin as a medication contains multiple compounds, in chemistry aspirin would typically refer acetylsalicyclic acid specifically. Essentially adderall is the same as amphetamine in that amphetamine is the active ingredient in adderall, and adderall has shown positive affects of regular doses of amphetamine. To put things in perspective, eating "pure" aspirin causes stomach bleeding. Looking at the active ingredient without its binders tells you nothing about the drug.

Even if we ignored everything said up to this point, amphetamine has a undeserved bad reputation. METHamphetamine, on the other hand, probably will do all those things "Margarita from post 2" said adderall causes. Just like CO2 and carbon monoxide are only one atom away from each other, we are aware of how different they are. Methamphetamine is amphetamine but ends with NH instead of a very stable NH2 that amphetamine has. By definition, chemical names ending with "mine" are supposed to contain NH2. Usually that works well, but methamphetamine is an unnatural and unstable chemical. In fact, methamphetamine will be converted to amphetamine inside the body before anything else. This is the process that is so harmful because it releases an incredibly high amount of energy. If meth were burning wood and amphetamine were the left over ash, theres chance you could get some embers going with enough of it, but you would need A LOT. Amphetamine is the relatively stable compound that is illegally altered into hard drugs we associate with it.

Finally, for people who have adhd, amphetamine activates parts of the brain typically unused by people with adhd. Over time, this part of the brain will continue to operate even if the drug has not been used for several months or years. Brain scans have been done proving the increase in brain function. These same people on average gain 4 IQ points, as well as show an increased ability to recognize when cooperation is preferable in situations that instinctually the first response is to show dominance. Basically, other than the drug having a high risk of dependency, responsible use has positive side effects. Yes you could eat a whole prescription of it at one time and bad things would happen. Probably seizures. Still, I could that with aspirin and begin bleeding internally. As for kids, if they learn to use it responsibility studies show they will show more academic success. Also, learning when cooperation is more importance than dominance sounds a lot like being 10. I would honestly welcome any research showing a correlation between prescription stimulants and any long term negative impact. Things like sleeplessness don't count, that's as easy as adjusting dosage.

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I took Adderall starting freshmen year in high school because I have ADHD, not because I want a drug to make me smarter. If used properly, which believe it or not many people with ADHD do use it properly, Adderall can really help. It's not for everyone, but it is not a hardcore drug if used the way it is prescribed. Also, having ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence and it is actually common for people with ADHD to be very creative. Adderall doesn't completely "cure" me but it does help with driving, school work and my job. Please actually become informed before you tell people not to get medication that might help them.

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As a 37 yr old white male who has been diagnosed with every horrible thing from mild Adult Add for which I take 15mg AMPHETAMINE SALTS/sub for 15mg adderall...I find these work better than the generic that says dextroamphetamine/amphetamine but its probably just in my head...I also was diagnosed with Agoraphobia and G.A.D. and depression in 1999 and was prescribed Prozac 20mg,xanax 1mg 3 x per day and Amitryptiline 75mg 1x at night...also as a chronic pain patient I take opana 30mg every 12 hrs ,soma 350mg twice a day as needed ,Gabapentin 800mg 3 x a day and percocet 10/325 twice a day as needed for BT pain..(yes, I know this is ALOT of medication and each year I try to eliminate at least one of the list. But on ALL THESE MEDICATIONS I GET GENERICS.(Except for the opana bc there is no generic yet...but ALL the others are always generics some different than before and they all WORK THE SAME.I will say that I do NOT care for the generic MYLAN ALPRAZOLAM (XANAX).Other than that,all my generics work the same.

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I also want to add that if your such a religous person and believe that everyone is made the way they are then why are you judging people for there disabilities i believe that god said not to cast judgement. People with adhd are not stupid we cant focous for long periods of time we still have a brain in our heads and are probably smarter then you due to ur post margarita!!!!!!????????????

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Make sure your insurance will cover it in name brand first..your Dr may have to put an override code on the script. Good luck!

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I'm so glad I came here trying to find some answers for my husband, he just called his dr and of course the dr says there is no difference In generic or brand but u can clearly tell there is and that makes sense that the fillers may have a different effect. Every time he gets his prescription they all look different, sometimes pink, sometimes orange and this last medication he got was orange but they were extremely thin and he said they haven't done anything he's even up'd his dose and it still does nothing. Thanks for the insight guys.

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Hey, Margarita,
you sound like a well-educated authority on ADHD and stimulant treatments... NOT!

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Hi,
My daughter suffers from ADHD and has struggled from K because of it. We started with focalin which had horrible side effects. From their our DR recommended Vyvanse at the lowest dosage. She has been on that for two years with relatively low side effects. Side effects being she has a complete lose of appetite, sometimes can't fall asleep, and she's extremely emotional when the drug wears off. Her grades this year have slipped dramatically and they wanted us to either increase her dosage or try a new drug. I was afraid to increase the dosage thinking that would increase her side effects so I opted to try a different drug. I've heard good things about Concerta unfortunately it wasn't an option for us because she's unable to swallow the capsule. So they gave us Aphetamine Salts to try and seeing all the posts on this board I'm very apprehensive about giving her this drug. Of course the last thing you ever want to do is put your child on medicine especially this these types of medicines but I also know the alternative and how much she struggles without any medicine. We also do not give her the medicine on weekends or during school breaks to try and minimize the side effects and the possibility of becoming addictive or gaining a tolerance to the medication. I realize that ever person has different side effects and reacts differently to medication but anyone who's tried any of these and can shed some information on them would be greatly appreciated.

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The amphetamine salts xr (extended release) can be taken with applesauce. So it is taken out of the capsule and made easier to swallow. Maybe she should try the amphetamine salts xr since it should last throughout her school day and by the time she gets home and ready for bed the medicine would have worn off. Making it easier for her to sleep. I personally take this medicine and its a miracle pill for me. As far as appetite goes there was a decrease in appetite, but over time it will not bother her as much. In fact I have put on a few pounds myself recently and I have to work out to get it off. I hope this helps. Good luck to you and your daughter!

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You are ridiculous. People don't take Adderall to be smarter, they take it to balance out an imbalance in the brain. Not only am I a nurse but I have been diagnosed with ADHD on multiple occasions throughout my life. If I wasnt taking Adderall Id be a hazard to society. If God gave you cancer should you just live with cancer? That's not how life works. Read a book.

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Hello,
I am Peter O'Brien, I had GREAT Success while taking Adderall, but my Physician had me try Adderall ER and I felt almost Nothing, are there any differences between the two?
Thank You

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That is so ridiculous! I am an adult as well as a nurse and myself and children and grandchildren all take Aderall. It works and I have 3 generations of proof. When you can remain focused and complete tasks and can sit still long enough to eat and you do well in school and aren't in trouble for disturbing others, there is factual proof. Anyone can abuse ANY medication. Don't take it when you have days off or the kids have vacation. This does give your body a break. Take it as prescribed and you and others will see the difference. I had to be off it for 6 months because of changing insurance and my co-workers could absolutely tell the difference.

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Cricket2789-- You need to stop seeing that Doctor immediately! There are plenty of capable docs out there, and unfortunately a few quacks too. Take it from me-I'm a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience. RUN (don't walk) away from this person. Your sanity and very life are at risk!

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Margarita, If you read the research then you would know that there is actually a link between NOT medicating ADD and addictions so you have it backwards. I have been on Adderall for YEARS. I take breaks in the summer when I am not working and do half doses on the weekends with no consequence (there's no withdrawl or "oh my god I need my drugs" involved whatsoever). If you are going to throw out info please back it up with something other than your opinion.

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Hi there, I've been taking added all on and off since 2000. At first it is fantastic almost too much. I've tried them all and I think I'm pretty happy with my dose. Anyway what I suggest is to incorporate a vitamin regiment to boost the adderall. What I take is one multi vitamin daily along with super b complex,( you will be surprised the energy you have) if taken in the right dose. B complex is great. Also my latest addition is magnesium. I heard on the radio that add is, among other things a magnesium deficiency. Before I even took the adderall( to baseline the effects) I took the magnsm. And there was a very notable difference .
You will have energy for days and your mood will be lifted. Now just like with adderall alone, you will have Your good and Bad days. This all boils down to are you getting sleep, are you eating regularly, also you want to eat a diet that is low in acids. A basic diet would consist mostly of veggies. So try these things if you want. And let me know how it works out.

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That statement is just ignorant and unjustified. People with ADHD were not born stupid, most of us are actually smarter than your average joe. We are prescribed Adderall to help us focus and stop the constant action In our brains. I personally was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 14 and placed on medication, after the medication I was able to focus and stay organized. I origionally failed the 7th grade but after being diagnosed, my grades switched from all F's and D's to straight A's and I was academically promoted to the 8th grade. I'm sorry if it isn't a disorder that you understand or deal with personally but saying god made us stupid is just rude. It's like saying a person with autism was born stupid when in actuality they are some of the smartest people out there.

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