Concerta generics aren’t equivalent

[EmbertheStrange]

I hope this post will help people find the right ADHD medication and the strength to keep trying . In my experience, finding the right medication was very difficult. I felt guilty constantly switching the meds or upping the dose to achieve what I knew was possible . I was paranoid that my psychiatrist would think that I had drug seeking behavior. But, I kept at it and stumbled upon an article about Concerta, which helped me tremendously.

I was diagnosed with ADHD for the first time around 2007 in my 30’s. The first and only medication I tried back then was Concerta. It was life-changing! For the first time in my life I felt normal. The racing thoughts and the chatter in my head went away. Within a few years I went off of it because life distracted me enough that I felt I didn’t need meds to function. Fast forward to 2023, almost 50 years old, I needed help big time. So naturally, I started with Concerta. It wasn’t working so we increased the dose a few times and then I tried Focalin and Adderall, increased doses…. you see the pattern, right? Then my psychiatrist recommended that I take a month off of all ADHD meds and focus on getting my blood pressure under control. It was very hard in the beginning, but it was the best thing I ever did. I realized that all of those medication’s made me feel revved up, like I was being ran by a motor. I was very irritable and it didn’t feel good. Worst of all, it didn’t help with any of my ADHD symptoms, in fact, it made them worse. So why was Concerta such a big failure this time around? Well, during my month off of meds I was determined to find something to help me with my ADHD and now menopause. If you don’t know, menopause totally exacerbates ADHD. I stumbled upon an article about Concerta’s delivery system. Some of the generics are not equivalent to the brand Concerta. The generic I took back in 2007 was equivalent, that’s why it worked. There are 2 generics available that are manufactured by the same manufacturer as Concerta. One of those is made by the company Activis. I started on the 18 mg on Valentine’s Day and I have done so well. Huge difference! Although my brain isn’t as hyperactive as it was in my 30s, I’d say it’s more foggy hyper now. I feel totally calm. I talk slower, my movements are slower. I’m able to reroute my obsessive thinking better.

Long story long, if any of this resonates with you, my suggestion is to keep trying to adjust your meds. Maybe even give Concerta a try? Good luck!

[KentuckTD]

This is so frustrating when some generics don’t work as well as the name brand. How do you guarantee that you’ll get the “good” generic, though, from your pharmacy?! Most insurance won’t cover the name brand when a generic is available.

It’s my understanding with Concerta that it’s the release mechanism from the capsules that is the “secret sauce” for a controlled release.

[EmbertheStrange in reply to KentuckTD]

Sorry it took me so long to respond… ADHD brain 🤪 I was fortunate enough to work in a pharmacy years ago as a tech where I learned a lot about prescriptions and how they are processed through insurance. Activis is one of the company’s that makes the generic equivalent to Concerta and as I understood from the article, it is manufactured by the same company as the brand Concerta but it is the generic so you should have no problem getting your insurance to cover it as any other generic. The other company is called Camber, they weren’t mentioned in the article but my friend who’s a pharmacist said they are also AB rated as having the same “secret sauce” release as the brand.

The trick is to call pharmacies in your area to see who carries these two specific manufacturers. Most pharmacists should understand why you’re asking because this is not the only drug that this has happened with. Good luck. I’m still going strong on the 18mg, I’m happy to say I’ve noticed a big increase in my productivity most days.