Amneal Generic Concerta 18 mg HELP
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Has anyone started taking the generic concerta by Amneal pharma, my son has been on it for about 6 weeks and it does not seem to be the same as the generic concerta by Actavis (Janssen). I am afraid he is about to lose his job because things has spiraled out of control.. we are looking for any one else who has noticed differences as well, we ill also be filing a medwatch report with the FDA because we don’t think it meets the AB standards.
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My psychiatrist doesn’t let me get the generic, I have to get name brand. I won’t be much help her but I am doing ok on the name brand.
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You are correct in your analysis. Quick data inquiry of medical/pharmaceutical research documents will reveal that scientists confirm that generic Concerta (Methylphenidate Extended Release) is a BIOEQUIVALENT, that is, the generic tablets have the same biochemical make-up of the Concerta, however the effectiveness of the proprietary delivery system (it is patented) of the Concerta is NOT part of the generic. The absence of the effective delivery system greatly reduces the generic Concerta efficacy. The FDA only certifies prescription generics on a basis of bioequivalency; not delivery.
What makes Concerta unique as an extended release is in fact the way the medicine is delivered throughout the day via a tiny hole in one end of the pill. This provides a slow dosage of the medicine over time, and greatly reduces side effects of headaches and loss of appetite since the medicine is not absorbed into the blood stream all at once.
CERTIFIED GENERIC CONCERTA will have the tiny end hole in the pill, as will name-brand Concerta. Do not accept any other generic prescription. You will have to advocate for this at the pharmacy, since many pharmacists will not be aware of this issue with the Concerta.
If you have not picked up by now, we had this issue with our daughter last fall. I am so sorry to hear your son’s gpa took a hit, but then the positive is that you found a medicine that is very effective for him.
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What did you end up doing? We were giving a different generic at the beginning of the year and it didn’t work for our daughter. I found the generic concerta by Actavis at Walgreens and have been filling there with an GoodRX coupon since my insurance wont let me use Walgreens. Now my Walgreens is dispensing the generic concerta by Amneal. I am trying to find the Actavis generic but am struggling. I would prefer not to pay almost $400 for Concerts brand. Any insight would be helpful.
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My daughter has been on Concerta –
Methylphenidate for a while over the last couple of months she has put on about 20 pounds and said she does not feel right. We talked to her Dr. and started digging around and the medication manufacturers has changed from Actavis to Amneal our Dr. even rewrote a RX. for her meds for the Actavis manufacturing but Walgreens filled it with the Anmeal which IS NOT WORKING 1/2 as good as the Actavis but when I call different drug store to see were I can get her medication they say “because it is a controll 2 they can not tell me what manufacture they use I will need to drive to the store”
So in my personal oppenion the Amneal manufacturing does not work near as well as the Actavis. -
My doctor won’t let me take generic. I’m doing well on brand. Just my experience. I feel for him. It’s scary to fear losing his job. It takes time to find the right medication. I was recently on Adderall for 7 years and it just stopped working and was sedating me. Could barely make it through the day. Switched to brand Concerta. Much better.
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I had a similarly bad reaction when CVS switched from Actavis to a generic 36mg concerta manufactured by Trigen Labs last year. I found the Actavis at Walgreens and have been filling my prescription there since. I recently picked up a new bottle and it is still Actavis (filled 9/19). I hope Walgreens isn’t going to discontinue Actavis! Please do file an adverse reaction report with the FDA. I did for the Trigen and the FDA followed up with me by phone. The Trigen 36mg was eventually recalled.
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Can anyone else share how they reacted to this drug? I’ve been taking 27mg Actavis for 3 years and received a bottle of 27 mg ED amneal today. Has anyone found a difference from actavis to amneal? It says it’s extended release, so maybe I shouldn’t be too concerned. I haven’t taken it because I’m too afraid it’s not the same delivery. One time my doctor switched me to adderall and I had a terrible experience. I felt a rush for 4 hours. I felt my heart rate increase and panicked! Actavis has been great for me because the slow release. I really don’t want to try this until I hear other experiences.
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I was diagnosed and treated for ADD in my mid 50s.
For the past year I’ve benefited from generic Concerta produced by Actavis (at Walgreens). Unfortunately my last Rx was manufactured by Amneal, it’s not as good.
Amneal Concerta increases anxiety.
I’m currently searching for a solution: another pharmacy with Actavis Concerta or another generic that doesn’t have Amneal’s side effects.
I empathize with wilcox1681’s concern for her son.
-cmj -
My 15 year old daughter has gained weight and has less control ever since WALGREENS’s switched to AMNEAL this past summer. I told her pediatrician that I’ve noticed issues with her. After seeing these posts I am certain it has to do with the new generic. I will be pressing hard to get name brand covered by insurance.
Thank you for posting. -
My son has been taking 56mg of generic Concerta, activus manufacturer, cylinder shape with word Alza on side. This month after driving to 5 different CVS, (my husband was directed and assured pharmacy had what we were looking for), we ended up settling for Trigen brand. We were leaving for vacation and had run out of time. Has anyone had any behavior issues with this brand? My son seems impatient, short fused, perseverative negative behavior. We are also now paying over $200/month for these meds, so I’m not happy and wondering what recourse with pharmacy I may have?
Any help appreciated -
You can ask the doctor to write “brand medically necessary” on the prescription and get brand-name Concerta. I don’t know what the cost implications would be for you.
Or, you can find a pharmacy that fills the scripts with generic manufactured by Activis/Jansen. This is exactly the same as brand. When my son was taking Concerta about 9 months ago, Walgreens was still filling scripts with this generic. I don’t know if they’ve changed. If you have a small pharmacy (not a national chain), they are likely willing to order and stock the equivalent generic if you request it.
Penny
ADDitude Community Moderator, Parenting ADHD Trainer & Author, Mom to teen w/ ADHD, LDs, and autism -
additudemag.com/forums/topic/warning-a-new-generic-methylphenidate-er-tab-hit-the-market-in-december-2016/#post-105987
I would direct you all to the ongoing issues going on with substitutions and unfortunately according to Wikipedia’s account of the Amneal company, from my comprehension, was founded on the basis of two things: 1) Impax, another generic, non-Janssen, manufacturer I believe of methylphenidate, in 2017 merged all its holdings with the Amneal company. 2) Amneal apparently did a large purchase of 5 of Mylan’s generics, and according to that forum, was one of the major root manufacturers that exhibited poor efficacy compared to Concerta.
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Again is there any generic that contains OROS delivery system as there is no more of the activis generics available anywhere? Brand concerta runs 800.00!! Don’t know what to do for my child!!;( desperate mom!!
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The equivalent generic has had different manufacturer names. Actavis, Jansen, and Teva all have produced the OROS generic at one time. I believe it might be Teva now.
Penny
ADDitude Community Moderator, Parenting ADHD Trainer & Author, Mom to teen w/ ADHD, LDs, and autism
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Thank you to all who’ve posted .. I have taken conconcerta for years… About 9 months ago, my pharmacy changed to the generic by Amneal Pharmaceuticals… 9 months ago, I’ve been reverting tto pre treatment days… I’ve been noticably “off”. I couldn’t figure it out. My family depends on me being sharp… I’m a care giver in addition to holding a full-time position requiring strict attention to details. I was offered an incredible opportunity to that required me to write a simple one paper… Could never get it done, missed benefit sign up deadlines, actually left my cell with cell wallet complete with cards on top of my car, lost a storage locker of a deceased family member because I kept forgetting to bring documents to the pffice,awkward conversation responses, time management struggles, had several near miss accidents from turning too soon,/late and the list is longer than this. Worse, I’ve gone from feeling confident to unsure… Thank you for posting. I am afraid not to take my meds… Has anyone stopped taking their meds?
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lanettemcafee,
I’m sorry to hear the difficulties you’re confronting — though I’m glad you took the time to share.
I, too, could not tolerate Amneal. It’s so bad I stopped taking it. Fortunately, I managed to resolve my situation. It was an effort, but I prevailed. I support you to do the same.
My success was the result of multiple communications. First, I contacted Walgreens Pharmacy staff and store manager. Next, I wrote and phoned Walgreens corporate. Finally, someone in their corporate customer care department heard me. He was awesome. My local Walgreens must’ve gotten some heat; their responsiveness improved dramatically.
The pharmacy manager found another generic that works fine. I haven’t had any issues since.The new generic is called JJ Patriot (or just Patriot). I recommend it.
I hope this helps. Thanks for reaching out.
– Craig
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Your son is not taking generic Concerta. The authorized generic is from Patriot Pharmaceuticals.
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