Difference Between Adderall And Amphetamine Salts (Page 4) (Top voted first)

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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I am a 56 year old female that has been in therapy off and on since I was in the 6th grade. Never actually had any of my therapists care enough to take the time to diagnose my symptoms. So I started self medicating. I used street drugs off and on for 30 years.
I never felt like fit in anywhere but the drugs made me not care, or at least I was able to convince myself that I did not care. I continued rotating using therapy or using drugs.I have been giving everything from lithium to paxel. However I always went back to street drugs. The meds that therapist gave me caused me to have no emotions, I just didn't care about anything or anyone.
Recently when I was sick I showed up for my appointment with my new doctor. For some reason she just came out and asked me if I would mind talking with a therapist that just so happened to be at that office on that day. That day changed my life. I began seeing her weekly and one day I asked her why my doctor suggested I talk with her that day and her reply was that the doctor not only wanted her to talk to me but she wanted her to commit me to a mental institution. She told me that after talking to her that first day she trusted that I was no harm to myself or anyone else at that time.
I feel so blessed for that accidental meeting. After a few sessions with her she began having me fill out questionairs. And she would not really ask me questions but talk to me about my responses which lead to her diagnosing me with ADHD. However most insurance companies have this ” age out” for any drugs that are used for ADHD. It took 3 months for her to get the ok for amphatamin salts.
Due to bring blessed enough to find someone who cared and the amphatamin script I don't wake up wanting to just end it all and I make it through the day understanding that their is a reason that I have felt different, its because I am different. Pills may not teach skills but at least now I can stay focused long enough to learn about my disorder and educate the people in my life so that we can work together to make living with this mental disorder more accommodating for everyone.

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That's funny, I can take amphetamine salts and practically fall asleep at my desk an hour later.

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Looking for Answers, I can really appreciate your comment. I, too, have no trouble whatsoever sleeping, even though I take Adderall. It shows me that you are one of very few these days who actually need to be taking it. Unless one has ADD or ADHD, they just don't get it. I get wise cracks from some who know of my meds, and because they are aware of amphetamine being one of the active ingredients of Adderall, they compare it to "speed". I have to explain I am not strung out on methamphetamine and that the amphetamine used in Adderall is equivalent to about a pin-head size of what a methamphetamine user would ingest when they take a "dose" of methamphetamine. Anyway, for those of us who take it because we suffer with ADD or ADHD, it actually has more of a calming effect then a "speedy" effect, except for MAYBE the first few times we ever had the medication. After those initial early days the body quickly adjusts & helps us to do what it was supposed to help us with - better settle & focus. It's not an issue of being more mature or exercising better self-discipline. I try explaining it to people like this, think of it as being in a Walmart Super Store, which we all know is a HUGE sprawling store. I don't even attempt going to Walmart if I haven't had my Adderall yet - as for me it is the difference between being in Walmart for a half hour versus being in there for 5 hours. With all of the choices I have had trips there where I spent upwards of 45 minutes in just 1 aisle. It's very debilitating but highly treatable.

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Generics are not all equal. They can be so different

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For years I have tried understanding "why"? I have so many side effects that are extremely bad with medications, and including some vitamins and supplements that makes me feel a nauseas even when taken with meals.
I began investigating after years of being talked down too by pharmacists and Dr.s like what I was saying didn't make sense, or I am " the first" to ever complain about a generic medication.
This is what I suggest may want to consider, after what a "good Dr." who cared enough to help me find out why. Go have an alergy test done ASAP. You may find out that it is the fillers and binders that is causing your illness from the medications, foods, and environment. Look up and read what the inactive ingredients are and what are the side effects. One of the ingredients is micro crystalline cellulose in a generic Adderal that is a refined pulp wood used as a textorizer and can cause irregular heart beat, lack of energy, headache and depression, even hair loss.
Another was Lactose monohydrate and I am lactose intolerant. I could go on and on but you need to investigate the fillers and binders in the generic. They are "cheap" is "ONE" reason why you pay less for generic.
You need to know what allergies you have in order to find the a medication that won't make your illness even worse because of fillers and binders.

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I'm right there with u buddy... having bipolar requires ssris to work differently and that's mainly in a differential and difficult manner that's not very good because of all the side effects. If taking it properly and as prescribed I believe everyone on the planet could benefit from Adderall provided they see a doctor first. You have to lie and say you need two everyday as you can't concentrate, battle for your schedule, etc, and you don't want to see how the doctor is by asking for the biggest amount. See what he offers because he's going to be the one that's going to be in control and responsible if something happens. I digress. All I'm saying is call ahead of time. Don't go to get anything but pills that are pink baby corepharma, ideally a new bottle... In 2017 it's the only way to go... Search don't settle... You'll hate every moment knowing u got tevas and they suck so badly.

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I truly appreciate your reply. It is difficult to explain to others that do not have problems focusing or staying still. It is a common misconception that Adderall is only there for people to feel high, etc. It has absolutely improved my quality of life and I am now able to complete tasks and not feel as if I'm struggling to do so. Thank you for being able to reply in an intelligent manner. I would have a tough time explaining our point without losing my temper. ;)

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Marcia, I relate well to your comment. Adderall is actually what brought me to the medication forums back in 2011 when I was first diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed adderall for the first time. During this time, there was an adderall shortage & it was even posted on the FDA website under the medications that they had shortages of. As a result of this, I had to go through hell every month to get my prescriptions filled. I had never experienced anything like this before & it was extremely frustrating. I had just turned 41 and never took adderall before, though I had heard of it. I learned quickly from having to deal with a LOT of different pharmacies the stigma that is attached to this drug. I was very naive & I guess I assumed that because I was this responsible 41 year old mature & professional female, that I would be treated as such. No, instead I was treated like a junkie by most of the pharmacies I went to - and in most of these instances it was the pharmacy TECHNICIANS and not the actual PHARMACIST who had awful attitudes with me & made nasty faces when I presented them with my scripts. It is very easy for others to judge. Everyone has a different story & all we can do as respectful human beings is listen to the other persons story. Yes, unfortunately many embelish, exaggerate & in many cases flat-out LIE about their reasons for taking/needing certain meds. It is mind-blowing to me that this medication is a recreational drug for thousands in this country. I can take my adderall, drink coffee all day which I love & drink a lot of, and still sleep fine at night without needing sleep medication. I wish I was able to take adderall back in the late 80s when I was in high school - I would have had an easier time & not experienced it like the hell it became, sitting in classes day after day & having the attention span of a mannequin. Better late than never.

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Please stop scaring people with your horror stories..who are you to say adderall does not help people..to my knowledge millions of people everyday have a better quality of life thanks to adderall..the only thing I'll trust you on pal is that your lack of self control that caused you to abuse amphetamines also led you to write this post.

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being smart or not has nothing to do with the need to take this medicine, my son has been having alot of behavioral problems and now that he is on a low dose adderall he has improved tremendously, its all about the chemical balance not about brain smarts! This medicine has been known to help thousands of people, yes some people do choose to abuse it and thats their choice but for the responsible ones out there who just want to be able to stay focused this medicine truely helps.

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No I would not recommend taking the generic. I was prescribed 30mg generic Adderall and I experienced anxiety x 10. I am now on the brand adderall xr and I love it. It is very smooth and I noticed positive changes right away expecially with my attention span. I am now able to focus on one thing at a time. I recommend the brand name, but this is just my opinion. Trust me you will feel a difference.

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Yes, amphetamines have loss of appetite as a major side effect. In fact, amphetamines used to be prescribed (and/or abused) as "diet pills." Supposedly, the effect does not last, which makes it a side effect and not a clinical use. I lost weight, too, which I was trying to do anyway, but it sounds as if the effect has lasted quite some time with you. 50 pounds in four months is MUCH faster than healthy weight loss is supposed to be. Burning fat that quickly can interfere with normal metabolism. I would recommend a checkup with routine labs.
Someone has to prescribe this stuff every month. Is the doctor not concerned? If its's a psychiatrist or a neurologist, they don't do general physical checkups, but you need to find someone who does.

Amphetamine salts, generic Adderall, have the same active ingredients as brand name Adderall. I take the generic and seem to do just fine, but many people on this forum claim to have more side effects from the generic. The FDA is concerned mainly with the active ingredients.

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Poor Girl, No wonder you're depressed. If there were no God, I would be depressed as well. In fact, I would not even get out of the bed to face this World without it's creator. Now, kids, I'm old. I have money. I have insurance. I have ADD. I take both, slow released which is a sub, as well as amphetamine salts. It's true that often, we do not have a choice. Either the insurance company decides, because they need to make money, or the "legal" drug industry complies, because of our interfering government. Hence, the supply is very low and sparse in most pharmacies. So it really doesn't matter what we want or what works best. What really matters is our sanity and ability to function to the best of our ability, day by day. BLESS you Child. JESUS loves you and your extra 15 lbs.

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I am sorry you had such a difficult time. I have nothing but good experiences with Adderall,, generic or otherwise.

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This site was created for information, input,experiences of others relating to the same subject. It is intended to help people come to their own conclusions and maybe help with what they may be experiencing. It is not intended for name calling or for one person to decide what and who's input is needed or not. What helps one person, may not help another. But in all, is intended to share our experiences to possibly help another.

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Sadly, folks like Margarta ususally never re-visit the place of their ignorance...they keep moving forward and by never looking back they can live in the place where they can tell them selves that they are awesome individuals. The reality is that in many of these cases, if they looked back they would see the wreckage that lies in their wake. The choices we make and the interactions we have affect the world around us, including people. Folks can say things like, "don't let those people bother you" but really they do whether we like it or not. That's not to say we shouldn't do our best to take a deep breath and remember what path that person walks, a destructive one - and each of us can remember that no one forces us to day anything. The proof is in the pudding and the oldest form of punishment in any social gathering is ostrization... in many of the oldest civilazation we know that be an outcast was more feared than death. Our interdependence is a strength and a weakness. Its incredibly valuable to bad behavior to be called forth for examination by the many, but it is equally valuable for us to exercise forgiveness as we all make mistakes and learning only happens if your safe enough to say you were wrong in the first place.
Many in my family have been diagnosed ADHD and I scoffed the diagnosis because its apparent over use, the negativity around treatment, and the sub-species treatment of the individuals that struggle with the ailment. It wasn't until my son started experiencing difficulties that I came to the realization that I could be angry or I could support my son in success. Through this journey, and a battery of cognitive testing I was shown to exhibit ADHD patterns in the extreme. As Sarah also mentioned I have a very high IQ and apparently that is how I have coped so many years, but I see the struggles in so many others that I feel, but fight with every fiber. Now I don't mean that others are weak at all, I just developed the "perfect storm" that allowed the successful result. Now though with my physical ailments my system doesn't have the strength and I am trying medication to see if helps ease the stress on my system. So POO on those that say medication is an addicts excuse, I want to live my life and just as some folks need diabetes medication(insulin) ...some folks need Parkinson's medication (dopomine stimulants)... others need ADHD/ADD medication.
I am to start taking amphetamine salts and wanted info about differences because my system is very sensitive - I also have multiple auto immune disorders. I appreciate all the great experiences folks have to offer, I feel a little more comfortable giving it a try.

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Margarita,

You may have some good insights, but no one is going to care what you say when you make such condemning and unjust statements along with those insights. It really isn't wise to say that God makes some people stupid and I really don't think that God would appreciate you saying that either. Yes, people have varying degrees of intelligence and that's understandable. However, people who are taking these drugs are not trying to be smarter, they are taking them to enable their brain to process information correctly so that they can function to the extent of their intelligence and not be hindered. If you are genuinely trying to be helpful, don't be rude or make blanket statements as if you know everything. In regards to what you've said about the addictive nature of these drugs, current research shows that they are not addictive. Yes, a person may become "addicted" to the ability to think clearly and stay focused, but people who don't struggle with these issues are already addicted to that, they just don't need help. Lastly, if you believe in God and care about Him, please don't abuse his name by using it in a condemning manner to try to make your point.

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Newt,
I've been taking adderall IR for 11 years and had the exact same issue with the different types of generics. The round orange ones make me anxious and "speedy". Also very irritable. There's also a round, pink generic. This one is pretty bad as well. It doesn't necessarily make me anxious. It just really doesn't do anything at all. Like you said, the oval oraane tablets are the way to go. Glad to hear someone else can relate to my experience.

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Lissa

THANKYOU!! I have a new doc that has taken me off xanax...I have used for years to help me sleep...and anxiety.... I have not been functioning or sleeping the same since! He has had me try several other sleeping pills cause he does not want me goin back to xanax! Xanax is the ONLY thing that has EVER helped me!! I never abused it....so yes..thankyou for the comment that " dont judge us as abusers for using simething that makes us feel NORMAL and a Part of society
Main FACT!!....NOBODY knows what your feeling and if you say something is working....NO DOCTOR can say its Not!!!

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Medication effects people in different ways for we are ALL DIFFERENT. You may believe whatever you read, but try and think before you make such subjective conclusions. There are horror stories and success stories to adderall, and some in between. Medication effects, just like people are not so black and white.

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