Should 50mg Vyvanse Capsules Be Full Or Half

Kim Says:

Tue, March 15, 2016

Some of my capsules are filled all the way some are filled just a little and some are just half of the way which is the proper amount?

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David Says:
Tue, April 26, 2016

Hi Kim,

From what you've stated, it seems like they've been tampered with. I would probably call a local pharmacy and find out if these irregularities are normal. Something just doesn't sound right about each capsule containing what appears to be different doses; let alone the thought of being shorted on the full amount.

Did you get this filled at a licensed pharmacy or come about it through some other means? I'm just curious because that would probably help determine their legitimacy.

Thanks for any additional info you might have.

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Mitzy Says:
Sat, July 9, 2016

I just got 30 day supply of 50 mg vyvanse & over half of my pills were half filled. This really makes a difference in how I feel daily. I will talk to the pharmacist about this issue. The 30, 40 mg all seem to be full dosage when I took them.

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DagnyT Says:
Tue, July 12, 2016

The same thing just happened to me. The powder in the pills is usually kind of packed down in the bottom but this month its loose and only half full. My husband picked up my pills and i thought he had helped himself to some of most of them. There are a few that ARE packed down like normal so naturally i right they had been tampered with. But if yours are the same , maybe it's a Shire quality control issue (or a cost cutting measute).

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Mimi Says:
Tue, August 2, 2016

I too have the same problem! I am in process of lowering my dose but since I just refilled Vyvanse 50mg I decided to empty half of it out as opposed to getting a new script for a lower dose. I was surprised to discover some of the capsules were only half full yet the others are completely full. I looked at the labeling on the capsules and out of the five I opened, the ones that are not even (50 mg on one side and a set of numbers on other side) are not full but the ones where the labeling is even have so far been full. I am the only person who has access to my medication so it is something that happened before I picked them up.

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Maine Says:
Sun, December 4, 2016

Dose increase in Novber, from 40 to 50, December, filled a 30 day supply of Vyvanse 50 mg and 10 days in thought that it was really inconsistent, and almost like it wasn't working as well as the 40 had, but some days were fine.
Checked the caps and low and behold, 4 were filled and the rest were half or less! Not packed, loose powder.
For a moment I honestly thought my partner had gone rouge and emptied them as he isn't the biggest fan of stimulant drugs. But I knew in my heart that just couldn't be so.
Glad to have found this forum, I'm going to talk to pharmacy and Dr.

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Sameoldbs Says:
Sun, December 4, 2016

Maine,
There have been more then a few complaints filed nationwide on this exact issue. It appears to be a quality control issue.The best recourse is contacting the pharmacy that filled your script.if you have no satisfaction with them,certainly contact your prescribing doc there after. Hope this works out for you.Best wishes, Kenie

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Ace Says:
Fri, January 20, 2017

January of 2017 and this issue is still present. My pharmacist has checked their stock and indeed finds that there is little to no consistency to the amount of powder in these 50mg capsules. That said, they are a large chain and quite frankly don't want to "Rock the boat" so to speak. I have a good relationship with the pharmacy manager. She knows that I am a respectible and responsible individual who does not abuse my medications and am not drug seeking. She is going to do some research this weekend to see how she should proceed as there is obviously an issue which truly concerns her.

I have contacted the manufacturer who has given me every answer under the sun, including "natural settling" and "powder potency differences" as the two main reasons for this discrepancy. The issue with these answers is that the pharmacy has inspected the 30mg, the 40mg, 50mg and 60mg. All of these doses with the exception of the 50mg were consistent. The 30mg and 40mg caps had a bit less powder that the 60mg, but the 50mg capsules had less than all of the others. Does this mean that they have a specially formulated powder just for the 50mg that does not require the amount inside if the capsule to be the same? I think not.

We all need to band together and contact Shire Pharmaceutical and let them know that this shall not stand.

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Heather Says:
Thu, February 9, 2017

I am prescribed 40mg, which CVS gives me 2 20mgs to take each day. I also noticed they didn't seem to work as well some days and looked at my capsules. The last script was about 50/50, some filled and some only half way filled. My recent one I just opened and ALL OF THEM WERE ONLY HALF OR LESS THEN HALF. I contacted CVS immediately after noticing this and was told to contact Shire directly. The pharmacist said they don't deal with the amount in the pills, and have not had any complaints previously. After researching this issue though, I have found numerous sites with posts containing the same issue with Vyvanse.
I have yet to read one post which states any legit response from Stire. It seems just excuses are being made to cover themselves for any responsibility. If anyone wants to go any further with this, count me in!

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Miss ADD Says:
Fri, April 7, 2017

This is truly disturbing to me because Vyvanse is SO EXPENSIVE! I take 20 mg but have no insurance. It is the same price for 20 mg pills as it is for 60 mg. Thankfully my doctor is awesome and agreed to prescribe me 60, which I open and split into thirds. Even with a coupon 30 pills is over $250! This is such an expensive medication, so why the hell is it so expensive when they can't even package it correctly? I can say my 60 mg pills so far have been full. I was already disgusted that all the doses cost the same and I'm a woman in my 40s cutting powder like a drug dealer in my kitchen so I don't have to pay THREE TIMES AS MUCH for the medication I need to function better when I work, but reading that so many people have gotten shorted amounts of the actual medicine....well, sounds like a legal suit!!!

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Ace Says:
Sat, April 8, 2017

Miss ADD,
The issue is proving it. Unfortunately, even though my doctor and pharmacy have both seen with their own eyes that the 50 MG caps of mine were nowhere close to being consistent, they also do not wish to go up against a pharmaceutical company like Shire. I worked very hard putting games together videos, interviews and data to present to Shire, but in the end, all I got was a stupid letter from them, letting me know that my claims were unfounded and my data must have been wrong. I've never had an issue with my 60mg caps. Just the 50s. I'm really considering just coming off of Vyvanse all together as I just don't trust them as a company. I just wish more people would step forward and not be afraid to stand up to Shire Pharmaceuticals.

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True North Says:
Mon, April 24, 2017

OMG! What is going on with vyvanse prescriptions? I called Shire and inquired about capsules packed with a hard substance. They said that this is not filled with vyvanse. They do not pack with a hard substance and that it should be a loose powder inside the capsule/. Still getting them with hard substance and now this prescription has twelve empty capsules. I dare anyone to assume I tampered with them. I know who I am and why I take them. I just paid 360.00 for a prescription that is 3/4 no good. We all need to document, tell the truth and stand true to facts. It is sad to take advantage of add/adhd patients not to mention cheat them of their medication for reasons that are not our burden to
bare or to assume we have no right to complain because we will not be believed.

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zxxy4u Says:
Mon, May 8, 2017

This sounds like a full scale RIPOFF, and those that should be doing something about it aren't, like the DRUG CHAINS and the DOCTORS. The reason is because they ALL get a kickback from SHIRE, and SHIRE knows this. They have HIGH TECH quality control filling machines that weighs EVERY CAPSULE, and rejects the ones that don't have the right weight, it seems SHIRE has their machine programmed on a full, three quarter, and half filling cycle. They know this, the FDA knows this, we folk are just PAWNS. A legal suit would do the trick; a NATIONAL SCANDAL PUBLICITY against SHIRE is what's needed.

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Walt Says:
Mon, June 5, 2017

I live in Canada, and was on 30mg of Vyvanse. I often opened the capsules and found inconsistencies, but often the capsule was overflowing when I separated the two. Last week I went up to 50mg of Vyvanse, and I found the power is less than half the amount in the 30mg, plus I feel like I'm getting a lower dose than the 30mg. So there definitely seems to be a problem I plan to talk to the pharmacist about this soon.

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Connstance Says:
Tue, June 13, 2017

This just happened to me / they aren't full capsules / June ,13 2017

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Kel Says:
Thu, July 6, 2017

Hi! Just checking to see if anyone has found an answer to whether or not the vyvanse had been tampered with. I have often wondered myself and have definitely noticed the packed vs unpacked difference. I also wonder what the difference is between 40mg and, say 50mg, dosage. Is it 10mg more of the same powder or is the chemical makeup different altogether? Thanks!

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buddydog Says:
Wed, July 12, 2017

I just had this happen since I only take 1/2 of 60mg. Have always opened the capsule and its always been filled to the very brim but yesterday I opened the first one and it's at least 25%-33% less filled. Opened another...same thing. So went to my pharmacist (CVS) and they are contacting Shire.We'll see if that gets awywhere. I now see this has been reported many times over several years in other forums. Something is not right and Shire needs to answer. What did you find out from your research?

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Lucielou Says:
Mon, July 17, 2017

Okay to everyone freaking out...the vyvanse contains THE SAME AMOUNT of medication, regardless of whether the powder has become compressed (due to shipping), or whether it is fluffy. Roll the pill around on a table using a spoon for a minute and you will find that the nub inside turns into powder. Sometimes the capsules contain an extremely fluffy powder, which overflows when you open the capsule. Other times, you will find an eraser-like nub. You can tell whether the capsule contains one by shaking it. It will make a little clicking noise. I can assure you all that no one is tampering with your medication. When it's humid especially, you will find powder. When it's cool and if the capsules have been transported a lot (gravity compresses the contents of the pill), you will find the pellet. It's science, folks. If you weigh a pill containing the powder versus a pill containing the nub, they weigh the exact same.

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Mimi Says:
Mon, July 17, 2017

There's no "nub" in my capsules. They are all fluffy white powder. Some capsules are full, some just over half full. I've had too many days where I felt like I had not taken it.

I'll try rolling capsules around before opening them just to see if it's a settling issue. If that's the cause I'll talk to my doc about changing medicines.

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Lucielou Says:
Mon, July 17, 2017

If you really think someone is tampering with your medication then I would go to a different pharmacy, although it is highly unlikely that someone would be taking such a small amount of powder out of each capsule. I am almost positive that the capsules you're talking about contain the same amount of medicine, partially compressed. While there are issues with pharmaceutical tampering, they are extremely rare. There are usually 2 pharmacists present at every time, and all pharmacy's have accountability protocol. They are usually busy and customers are in and out of the building, and most pharmacists will not risk being charged with a felony to steal small amounts of powder from your vyvanse capsules. They wouldn't even be able to sell it like this, let alone consume/transport it in that form. Sometimes the capsules are twisted while being transported. I have found many capsules that are not perfectly aligned/lettering on opposite sides. However, that was usually with my Adderall and not Vyvanse. That is the only suspicious part of your story. The best thing you can do is go to a different pharmacy. If something is happening, it could be happening at any point in the distribution of the medication, although it is most likely happening at the pharmacy level, since the medicine is shipped directly there in containers from the company. The medication is shipped with the capsules filled already, and delivered to the pharmacy as so. Just be aware that it is much more difficult to tamper with medication, especially powder like Vyvanse (it would be easier to take pellets out of Adderall and collect them). Also, you feeling as if you haven't taken them can be due to a placebo effect. If there is still some medication in the capsules as you say, you should feel something. Also, if a pharmacist was tampering with your pills, don't you think they would be smart enough to realign the letters/numbers and possibly fill the capsules with flour?

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Lucielou Says:
Mon, July 17, 2017

Also just a note to everyone saying they work well on some days and not others...this is true with any type of ADD medication. The potency and efficiency of the medication depends on many things, such as the pH level in your stomach (you want alkaline, not acidic, so drinking orange juice, taking vitamin C or eating fruit with your medication can decrease its effects; taking with coffee can mess with it too), how many hours of sleep you are getting, general nutrition, magnesium levels, and more. I have been prescribed almost every type of ADD medication there is, and there are ALWAYS inconsistencies regardless of the brand. Vyvanse powder can become COMPACTED. And I assure you that every capsule works the same. If you all want to continue "eyeballing" the capsules and assuming they have different amounts, then fine. That does not prove your case. Get a little scale, or find a friend that has one and WEIGH the capsules, and you will find that they all weigh THE SAME. If you tell yourself that something looks funny, this pill probably won't work today, it has less medication in it, then you will experience a placebo effect in which you do not feel the effects of the medication as strongly. It has been proven time and time again that state of mind matters, both in clinical trials and experiments across the world. These companies, while having issues of their own, must comply with specific government requirements and put the same amount of medication in each capsule. The only thing the producers of Vyvanse are doing wrong is monopolizing the market by increasing the price for their drugs, since they still have a patent on the formula. When that patent runs out (and it will soon), the price for Vyvanse will drop dramatically and generic brand will emerge. So there is hope. If you do suspect signs of tampering, simply go to another pharmacy. You can attempt to call and contact the producers, but if someone is indeed tampering with the medication (which I can assure you, thousands of people ask the same question about Vyvanse capsules and thet are not all tampering cases, it is simply a result of the condensed vs condensed powder issue), the best thing for you to do is go to another pharmacy. Think of the powder in the capsules as flour. It remains light and fluffy until it is packed down. Once it is packed down, it stays that way until physically moved or shaken. This is exactly what happens to the capsules of Vyvanse. The powder is so light and fluffy that it becomes compacted at times, but it will return to its normal state if crushed or rolled under a spoon. It's the same exact amount, formula, and mixture.

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Christie Says:
Wed, April 17, 2024

2024 & I just opened & measured a 40mg pill which had 80mg in it! Then opened a 20mg pill & it had 30mg in it! No wonder why I thought I was dying of a heart attack!!

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JJ Says:
Tue, August 8, 2023

Re: Lucielou (# 17) Expand Referenced Message

So, when the nub is exactly 2mm in the bottom of the white side of the pill and I crush it and it barely fills half, it is the same amount of med and we are all having a placebo effect? I think not. To many people experiencing the same thing and that is called a pattern especially when they feel like they took nothing at all. And the weights are different also. Yes everybody is freaking out and righteously so, there meds are bunk.

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May Says:
Sun, May 22, 2022

Sometimes the actually powder in the pill is condensed or packed tightly. If you try to squeeze the pill and it feels rock hard just kisses up the powder and you’ll see it is full. It’s the same milligram it’s just that sometimes the powder is very condensed and you have to loosen it in order to fill the capsule to the top. But if you are finding any that are less then half, it was def tampered with

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