Difference Between Adderall And Amphetamine Salts (Page 6) (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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OK I searched "if there is a difference between brand name and generic" bc I AM ADD and it messes with me so much that yes after 12 years of being off the medication I made the decision to try it again bc it's difficult. I read this and can't believe there are people in the world that believe that people with ADD are "stupid". Your not ADD and don't understand what it is like. In fact people who are ADD are among some of the smartest with higher IQ's than the average person. People proven to had ADD

1. JFK 2. Walt Disney 3. ALBERT EINSTEIN!!!

Look it up and try to understand the brain of person with ADD. We actually are distracted very easily and become forgetful of our short term memories. BUT we also have better long term memories and we start to focus in a much stronger manner called "hyper focus". Which means when our interest is piqued we will go into studying information on a subjects for not minutes but hours and sometimes days. Google is great but the moment I'm curious about something I have to Google it like an OCD person has to organize. Which is probably why Mr. Einstein developed the theory of relativity, he couldn't stop until it made sense.

SO to end my rant... before you ever throw around the word "stupid" or any word close in relation to that word, you should really think who your calling "stupid" bc I'm pretty freaking sure the people I listed amongst thousands more would disagree. Who would be ignorant enough to disagree with a guy who helped develop the atomic bomb... I mean really who? Watch your words and educate yourself. I'm a teacher in a community college, and I teach cosmetology. I hear all the time how we aren't smart but let me give you some knowledge. The muscle around your mouth that is used for kissing is called the orbicularis oris, the muscle in your rear end that you sit on is called the gluteus maximus. SO using YOUR orbicularis oris kiss MY gluteus maximus.

OBVUOUSLY I'm ADD but I would rather be that and smarter than to be as ignorant as the people who insult us for being born this way. Learn something new everyday and watch your words darling.

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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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I'm happy to hear to won't let your daughter see this doctor, but how about yourself? My unsolicited opinion is that it's time to fire this doctor! I am an RN, and it's a needed action at some times. Remember, "1/2 the doctors were at the bottom half of their class in med school."

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With all do respect for The Doctors out there, Doctors aren't as familiar (IN MANY CASES) WITH the drugs prescribed. Yes, they know what is prescribed, but most of what they get us from the actual sales rep. A memo. Call or talk with the pharmacy, the actual pharmacist themselves. A tool to remember, a wealth of information.

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In my personal life as well as in my counseling practice with patients, the consensus seems to be that if you are going the generic route with Adderall, the Barr formulary - 20 mg peach ovals are the only option for a smooth, even release of medication that is close to the brand rx.

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Actually Add and ADHD have the highest IQ of most; my doctor was adhd an introvert & im an exegert/there's an IQ test for 3$ I think on the computer, has nothing to do with school: it's how your brain precieves items, I think there are 20 questions & I passed them all, remarked I was a genuious. My problem in school was conduct I couldn't sit still: they didn't have this Med when I was in school..

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There's a huge difference in generic and name brand, I been on IR and ER for years and yeah I know your pain, I pretty much get 3 different kinds every 3 months I might get lucky and get the one that actually works for me and don't make me sick 2 months in a roll, But yea they don't care, It's all the same to Docs and pharms, I go threw this big thing with Suboxone and subutex but it all comes down to they don't care about you or me unless your somebody of importance like a dr. Or something but I bet they wouldn't give somebody with heart problems whatever medicine is laying around, I'm sure they get the right meds everytime but when it comes to stuff like this if you say a word about what kind you need then there going to Red flag you saying your just trying to get a certain kind of medicine and blah blah blah welcome to the mesd game where nobody has a voice so your wasting your time with posts it's like beating a dead horse. Idk why I even comment anymore but hope you can get what you need just telling the truth.

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I would just ask for Dexedrine myself. It's the most potent drug for ADD. No joke cause when I started after riddelin they put me on adderall and when that didn't do the job a medium to high dose of Dexedrine did perfect. I was able to concentrate with no distractions. It's almost like method amphetamine, but legal and a capsule or pill form.

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I agree with your points and anger with her views. The God card can't be played in the medical community as you said. In a way if we are leaving our health and destiny to what he has in store for us, then all of us are bypassing his direction for us. Figure if he wants somebody to come home(Heaven)and we are giving heart transplants or other organs, then we are already disregarding his big plan. Same with medications and other ways to live longer.
I do have to say that 8 Mgs of Xanax is a high dose daily, and while it may help you, can you imagine going a day without it? Your withdrawals will be deadly. Say if you go locked up or natural disaster, out of stock pharmacy, there may be a time that you can't access that degree or any of the dosage you take. I too take Xanax but limit or try to at no more than 2 mgs daily and usually under 1mg. I try a low dose of say instant paxil or wellbutrin/buspar etc. and it helped me. Not judging just thinking of your hell if what I mentioned above prevents you from getting it, or if your Doc retires or has an accident, I don't know many Docs that will continue that daily dosage, regardless how long you have been on it.

Again I agree with you and it is your choice, but really just voicing a concerned opinion on the latter I spoke of. Cheers, and happy progression.

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Dear Lissa, I have had a lot of experience w/generic Adderall. I took it from age 49 to 59 at 30mg 2 a day. Then took a break for 1 yr. to have back surgery. I started back again on same dosage and learned there is a HUGE difference between different Manufacturers now, and it's vital to try at least 3 brands out to decide which one works best for you. TEVA brand did absolutely Nothing. Another brand was Mediocre. Then, I tried CORE, 30 mg Hot pink tabs, and they work wonderful! There are also a couple other Brands, one is Sandoz, but I stopped looking when Core worked just fine. Manufacturers can put only 80% of the Active ingredient into the pill and it's perfectly legal. Also The in active ingredients or fillers vary. I wanted to try to different kinds and one month so I asked my pharmacist to give me half of one brand and half of another and he was happy to do so. This way it took less time for me to find out which one was right. So, please, Don't give up. It's very important for everyone to try different amphetamine salts Brands until you find the best one for your body. We all react differently. This system saved my entire Quality of Life!

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I have used adderall and amphetamine salts for years now and never one time have I been addicted or said to myself hey... Adderall is great... I think I'll go have some methamphetamine? It has its purposes but to throw it in the same category as blow and methamphetamine is pushing it way too far.

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I'm 26, with a 3 year old son. I am not with the mother but due to the fact I have an impulsive mind, I quickly found refuge after she left me with a single women who has two children of her own. We split custody 50/50 without any need of a court system (not very heard of) and have been doing just fine for almost a year. Off topic but had to put it in there...I personally have always struggled with relationships, work, school, sports, etc. Anything that required me to focus for a long period of time has been difficult. My brain gets bored and self destructive. Some positives that I have noticed with the medicine in general, whether it's adderall XR, or amphetamine salts, it removes impulsive behavior. It puts your brain on the topic at hand. Finishing tasks, or setting goals will no longer be an issue. Relationship wise, it has only hindered me even more, but I can't say at this exact moment whether or not that's such a bad thing. The reason being, I've always had to be in a relationship and that as well follows under impulsive behavior which has been removed from the equation. I have always been emotional but the medicine removes my emotions completely and I now use logic. This can be a blessing but only if you allow it to be. Remember, what you choose to be your mind set, your brain will focus in on that mind set. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT allow negative minds into your own. You will get trapped, at least for that day anyways. Also, the mother of my child has seen the change in my world and has wanted to be together again, however; logic tells me otherwise. My email is {edited for privacy}. Feel free to contact me personally if you ever need some support. Talking with my aunt who has this has helped me. Hope this helps...more.

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I don't know if u got my last answer. i told y I am stupid on here. {edited for privacy}

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Margarita, i am not trying to be mean. BUT some people do need Adderall. besides at a bus stop!!! they do NOT always lead to all these illegal drugs that u speak of. one of my sons was on it from around 8-18 years old. he did not get hooked on them!! in fact when he had surgery and almost died he didn't want to take anything. he still to this day does not smoke or drink. you are scaring people who may need these these meds. do not get me wrong. i do not advocate any meds. Except..would you tell somebody that had high blood pressue or diabetes..DONT take the meds??? I do realize they are overdone. i am a retired nurse. stop making people feel guilty who actually need them. if you lost somebody due to this im very sorry and I mean that. i am not making fun of you at all. i promise this.

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The "stay awake" meds don't do a damn thing for ADD , only amphetamine works .

The DEA made the mistake of listing Adderall as a much more dangerous drug than Opiates for years and they were totally wrong .

Opiates are far far more dangerous , most of the Physicians i have seen over the years agree that Amphetamine should be a class III drug.

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If the medications make you feel better than by all means take them. Pretty sure your dr. Wouldn't give you anything you couldn't handle. And screw whatever anyone else thinks. We are not all perfect. Some of us just need a little help and ain't nothing wrong with that!

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Everything she said is true. Do not take down her post. Instead, post it in elementary schools' teacher break-rooms for all the teachers who don't want to deal with excited creative kids who think outside the box of what our society manufactures them to be. Hopefully they'll see what they are really doing when they diagnose your kid with ADHD because they want their job to be easier. To which, most do and could give a f*** about you and your kid because their pay is near minimum wage.

Society manufactures us towards mathematics and reading so we become well behaved and employed, tax payers. For any parent reading this... If your kid likes to draw or sing or dance and play when it come time to sit down and read f***ing Jane Eyre, then you probably have a dreamer on your hands. People who follow the pavement instead of their dreams never create unimaginable things that change the world for other dimwitted f***s that click the dislike button on Margarita's post.

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AMEN to that - pun intended. :)

I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was almost 19 years old. I tried a few different stimulants when first diagnosed, but Adderall-XR was the only one that worked for me. I didn't feel a single change on any of the other medications, but I've been on Adderall-XR for 10 years now (15mg-30mg depending on the day) and I can't tell you how much it's done for me. I went from a kid that didn't give a s*** in elementary or high school, I just wanted the minimal grade to get into college. I completed college with a 94% average, and then went on to graduate University with my BA in Psychology, also with honors. Several people with ADHD/ADD (the DSM only uses the diagnostic term ADHD now as both diagnoses fall under the same umbrella), are actually extremely intelligent, many also being diagnosed as Gifted. I went my whole life not knowing my full potential, and now I'm working in the School System as an Intervention Specialist working with children with complex diagnoses, and severe behavioral needs. We are not stupid. People with physical conditions need medications or therapies to support them daily, and mental health is no different. Please don't be another person contributing to the ridiculous mental health stigmas. Educate yourself.

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I have been prescribed generic adderrall for the past 10 years for Adult ADD. One 30 mg generic pil. However at some point they said generic for Dextramphetamine Salts and the latest just says Amphetamine 30 mg. The Dextra I was very unhappy with so I requested the pharmacy to get me a different generic Adderall. Simply put, what is the difference between a 30mg Amphetamine Salts and same no salts? All 3 of the generic versions have a slightly different reaction and find the plain amphetamine to be most effective and the Dextra to be least. Thanks in advance for any answers because as most adults I feel we all need to be responsible with what we put in our body. BTW- because someone takes a prescribed medication for a medical condition does not make them an addict. I've been working with addicts at a Methadone Clincic as a CSW for two decades

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My issue with this, besides the condescending tone and insulting presumptions and generalizations, lies in the inaccuracy of the information. Adderall IS an addictive substance, and it IS a stimulant, so in those regards it can be considered to belong to the same category as coke and methamphetamine, but it would also be the same category as caffeine. Not that going nuts with any of those substances is good for you or recommended, but the point is just because a stimulant medication is potentially addictive does not delegitimize its value; it should be worth assuming within reason that an adult can manage their own medication in their best self interest. And, addiction and recreational value aside, there are many, many medications that have no recreational value that can cause truly awful side effects, and many that cause chemical dependence on them anyway.
The most egregious error here, I think, is the assertion that amphetamine salts and methamphetamine are "in the same league". Their side effects present the same (increased heart rate, body temp and energy, appetite suppression, etc.), and that's about it. The chemical structure of methamphetamine, the full name of which is methylmethamphetamine, allows it to cross the blood-brain barrier more quickly and efficiently by action of the extra methyl group attached to the methamphetamine molecule. This is also what makes methamphetamine neurotoxic, and what "kills the joy" in people; really, this is an over-flooding of dopamine, which over a long period of time reduces the production of dopamine that occurs naturally in the brain. Adderall, while it can have a nasty withdrawal period if a larger dose is cut cold turkey, does not have the neurotoxic effect that methamphetamine does. The same goes for coke, not to mention the ROA for those substances significantly increases the risk of damage, whereas Adderall is ingested and absorbed with minimal damage, if any, depending on the individual.

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