Concerta

[Crescentmoon4]

Hey everyone,Ontario Canada here, I have a 12 yo boy who is on 27mg of concerta. First prescription was brand name, this one is the generic...did any of you experience a difference with these? Like side effects wise?

He keeps saying he feels unwell on them...super tired, headache and just blah...makes him not want to take them. And I can see a difference in him too since he started taking these...he had 3 days off over xmas cause his dad forgot to pack them and too lazy to drive in so I had to get my own prescription filled. He was so chipper and full of life and wanting to do stuff with us and last 2 days on these he just wants to watch YouTube or game... All blah like.

I hate this .

Also what do you do when you have a boy who gets up late on weekends or holidays.....like stays up till 1 and gets up at 10 or 11 sometimes even Noon.... Did you still give his pill? Or make sure he was up earlier?

Thanks!

[Eataash]

I heard a similar report that the generic meds are not as effective or unpredictable effect on patients.

It is already difficult to find supply of stimulants.

My daughter is on Vyvanse and I don’t think it’s been as effective as Ritalin LA. But, I feel that I don’t have a choice. It’s better than nothing.

[Isabellarose in reply to Eataash]

Hi, can I please ask you why you switched from the Ritalin LA my 6 year old has just been prescribed Ritalin LA but I’m scared to start a medication roller coaster. He is currently on concerta 36mg but it makes him so angry and agitated and he is also still hyperactive while on it, so they want to try something new.

[Eataash in reply to Isabellarose]

We couldn’t find Ritalin LA at all. The only option was an unreliable supply of Vyvanse.

Calling around 10-13 different pharmacies to get Ritalin LA was not much of an option and my daughter really needed stimulants for school.

[Mamamichl]

many people feel the difference between name brand and generic, though not most… it’s the fillers that are different. Also, you could go either way with the meds (taking later will probably have them up later though). I personally would have him get up earlier. Have something that needs to be done in the morning each day so there is incentive. Hope this helps. Zen hugs 🫂

[Elijah1]

The 'rule' for generics is that they should have blood levels between 80% to 120% of the brand name drug. This means that the effect may vary in some people. In addition, the actual delivery system (how Concerta releases methylphenidate) differs between the brand name and the available generics. Most people don't notice a difference when switched. When the first group of Concerta generics hit the marker years ago, the blood level variability was so great that they were downgraded by the FDA so that pharmacists could not automatically substitute them for the brand name (they are not longer available). It is likely that the generic you are using has sufficient difference in release and levels to cause his complaints. Either ask for the brand name or a different generic manufacturer.

[Peace2020]

My daughter - 15 yrs old been on Concerta since she was 7yrs old. It started from the low dosage and now on 54mg. There was one time we noticed the med did not seem to work. We found out that there were 2 different pharmaceutical who made this med. The one did not work ( I don't remember the pharmaceutical ) made the med function differently and did not do well for her body. She acted like she was not on the med. We tried to use the brand but our insurance is really hard on that, even though finally they approved it, but so much hassle. The effect was so much different. When the other pharmaceutical was back in supply, we tried and been with the generic since that. I don't usually let her take the pill late - after 8.30AM. That will cause the side effect of more alert during night. Since she is in HS school now, she goes to bed late anyway. We never have to switch to other med.

[ADHD_DAD]

Generic Concerta is not the same as the brand name. I suspect if you switch him back to the brand name, you will be happy with the result, A strict, regular sleep routine is important for children with ADHD. Going to bed and waking up at the same time daily helps ADHD symptoms as does taking the meds at the same time every day. If sleeping in periodically is unavoidable, give the meds first thing when he wakes up. We have found that Concerta wears off in about 8 hours, so it should not affect nighttime sleep routine. Skipping a day of meds did not work well for us. We found that he was able to function at his best and learn good habits when he stuck to a routine. Skipping days of the meds threw off the routine and resulted in set backs. Good luck to you.

[adoptivemom]

My daughter had a similar issue when going to the generic. Originally the generic was made by the name brand manufacturer, but when it went to a different manufacturer we had issues. It didn't work the same. I heard the release profile was different. In any event, we couldn't afford the name brand and the generic didn't work so we had to switch to something else.

[TwoBreaths]

YES! As another person posted, the generics of Concerta are not exactly concerta. My daughter also experienced issues with generics. One generic manufacturer was ok, but a generic by another manufacturer was not! And she could tell me if felt different and I could see (she’s 7 years old). I now learn to ask and check for the manufacturer ( my insurance will not cover the name brand). So we only get the generic that works ok and it’s like a hunt for it. Our psychiatrist confirmed that some patients will react differently with the generics.

Many of the Concerta generics were FDA approved over the objections and concerns of FDA scientists due to concerns about bioequivalence because Concerta uses a patented delivery system that not all the other manufactures can replicate exact. Here are links to issues:

chadd.org/attention-article...

(one was this site the blogger has been tracking the issue: adhdrollercoaster.org/adhd-... )

[Peerandparent]

Generic Concerta tends to be awful. Most drug plans will cover the brand name if the doctor specifies no substitution. Talk to your doctor/pharmacist for help on this one.

Ultimately Concerta is methylphenidate with a unique delivery system. The generic, last time I checked, doesn't use the same delivery system, and manages to be called the generic version because it delivers roughly the same amount over roughly the same time period. Note the two uses of the word "roughly". The margin of error is rather large, too. That means more peaks and valleys of the med in your system, which means less benefit and more side effects.

If you can't get covered for the bramd name, consider a different slow release version.