Amanda, There is Dexedrine which is somewhat similar to Adderall. I don't know if it is cheaper. Unfortunately, it doesn't last as long, either 3-4 hours or 5-6 hours for the Dexedrine SR.

Vyvanse is a new medication that is similar to Adderall but is probably expensive since it is new. However, you can problably get one month free as a lot of doctors get free vouchers to give to their patients to try out new meds. My daughter just got the free sample that way. Not that it helps in the long run.

Most of the other meds, except for Straterra, are a form of methylphenidate which is what Ritalin and Concerta are.

I wish I could be of more help. Medication can be so expensive when you don't have insurance.

Quote

Hi Amanda,

I am in the same situation. My son was taking Ritalin but the dosage was too high and he was a zombie. The doctor decided to take him off the Ritalin and put him on Vyvance. The Vyvance seems to be working pretty good and we did get a one month supply by going on the Vyvance web site. Unfortunetly he is running out and the Vyvance is over $130.00 for a one month supply. I did not know that the generic of Ritalin was on the Walmart $4 dollar plan. I may have to concider going back to Ritalin on a lower dose so that my son does not act like a zombie. You can go to the library and get a card that will give you a 20% discount on all your meds if you do not have insurance. Any little bit helps. Good Luck,

Quote

Amanda,

I forgot to tell you that my son also took the Adderall XR. The doctor started him on 10mg. He complained that it was not working very well and that he was having difficulty staying focused in school. His grades were horrible and after the medication wore off, which was about after 6 hours he became very irritable and emotional. He did much better on the Ritalin as for, he was able to focus well, he was doing great in school, he was not having a problem falling asleep, and he was not so irritable. He was though very quiet and he would hardly smile. He also said that he did not like to feel and be so quiet around his friends. I think that if the doctor would have lowered his dosage a little, he would have been fine. It is definitly a trial and error until you can find the medication that helps best.

Quote

Thanks for your guys help. Ill see what I am able to. The reason that no one knows that Ritalin is on Walmarts 4 dollar list is becuase it is a controlled substance or narc. so they by law they cant. The only reason I knew about it, was because I am employeed by walmart....or atleast was until a week ago. Horrible horrible place to be empoloyed by an ADD in my mind any way!

Quote

They make generic Adderall. It probably isn't to expensive.

Concerta is just the extended release form of Ritalin. I tried Ritalin and Concerta and both effected me the same because it's basically the same drug, methylphenidate. Since you didn't do well on the Concerta you probably wont do well on the Ritalin, but it may work. You never know.

Quote

Quote:

Amanda Nelson said: I am now taking Adderall IR. I love it. I am losing my insurance soon and need to figure something out.

I'm on Adderall IR and have no insurance. Do you have a Costco near you? You do NOT have to be a member to use their pharmacy and their prices are the absolutely cheapest anywhere. I can't believe how much other drugstores charge, even Sams Club charges more than Costco. Warehouse clubs are required by law to allow access to the pharmacies to everyone, otherwise they lose their license to dispense drugs.

I just breeze in past the door checker (pharmacy is in the back) and if they say anything, I tell them I'm there to get a prescription. The only problem with not being a member is that you can't pay by check (cash only) and they won't give you prices over the phone but they will at the window.

Quote

Heres a great website I often use. Its lists most of the differences between ritalin and adderall.

http://healthcalls.com/AdderallvsRitalin.htm

Quote