Brand Adderall vs. Generic Adderall | ADHD Information

The brand name Adderall 20 MG works the absolute best for me.  I won't ever touch the Barr generics again, they make me feel worse than not taking anything at all.  Whatever brand the blue 20 MG seems to work ok, but not as good as the brand name.  It really sucks because I have no insurance, and the price difference between the 2 is like 0.  It cost me for the generics last time I got them, and 9 for brand name.  I wish there was a Shire assistance for regular adderall and not just the XR. 

BARR is worthless in my opinion!  Too bad I've only found the blue generics once, I can't find them anymore...It's all Barr now.  It's like they know they suck and they're trying to get rid of them as quick as possible or something.
I hate Barr. It isn't as effective for me, and the side effects are worse. I prefer Abrika brand, but it's difficult to find. Eon is my second choice, and a pharmacy here will special order it for me. I don't really like Mallinkrodt, either. Unfortunately, most of the chain pharmacies carry Barr only. Price isn't an issue for me, my insurance copay is the same. I have not tried brand-name Adderall, as my insurance copay would be around 0 and I don't want to try it and like it and then end up having to pay 0 a month for it! :-)The generic blue 20mg pills are Abrika brand. Some pharmacies will special-order a specific brand for you, it's worth asking.Have you tried all the different manufactured brands of Adderall?

1) Which brand do you think works the best overall, regardlesss of price?

2) Which brand do you think is the best value for money (for example, it might not work the absolutebest, but is close enough, not to mention a lot more affordable)

3) Which brand will you never touch again?

4) Have you been able to compare all different generics vs. the brand names?

I have only tried the brand Adderall XR and the generic Barr Adderall and I wouldn't touch the Barr again. I haven't tried the other kind(s).

Can anyone tell me their stories and compare?
Hello Oscar:

I'm fairly new to taking meds and was recently changed from 20 mg of amphetamine (it says that this is the generic equivalent on the bottle) to 15 mg of D-amphet combo Barr (I assume this is the same one you were talking about).

I've noticed a difference but wasn't sure if it was the change in dosage or the change in my routine with taking the meds. My counselor told me that there could be a marked difference between the generic and brand name meds and that getting the brand name could be difficult with respect to getting insurance to cover it. She also said the psychiatrist would need to check a special box on the script in order to request getting the brand name.
I assumed that the generic was the way to go b/c in the insurance literature it suggests taking it over the brand name...I didn't realize there would be much difference between them and it hadn't occurred to me to discuss this with the Psychiatrist. This is all still pretty new to me.

I've noticed I am not as hyped on the Barr, it seems to have a much smoother effect on me. In addition, I don't feel as much of a rebound when the meds wear off. The amphetamind did, however, make me extremely focused which was great but I found myself getting hyperfocused at times and wound up being later than usual as a result (ie in the morning when getting ready for work, I'd take a "quick" look at my e mail and you know how that goes).

In sum, I think that I'm responding much better since starting on the Barr. How about you...What specific differences did you notice? What has your experience been in getting a specific type of Adderral (ie how did you go about it, what was the response from the insurance co., etc)?

My doctors (I recently changed) never discussed taking generic or brand as an option. Did you ask your doc to try different types of Adderral, was it something that was dependent upon the pharmacy you go to or was it the docs request?

Thanks for sharing.
Master Mind

[QUOTE=ArtBabe]I started on the Barr---I thought it was good----no bad effects---just not hungry(bonus!) I just got a new script and got it filled at a different pharmacy---I got Mallinkrt---it is a dark blue 10 mil pill----I take 1 1/2  pill three x's a day----Is it possible that these are stronger??? Because I have a hard time staying asleep last night. I could sleep no problem after about 5 hours of taking my last dose with the barr---but this stuff seemed to keep me thyinking all night---kinda like the barr did the first day or two----weird---its the same dose I have been taking for a couple of weeks so it should not feel so differant I would think----could it be stronger???? I keep asking myself----maybe I will take 10 mil instead of 15---[/QUOTE]

I have a friend that works in a hospital and takes classes to become a nurse.  This topic is something i asked her about generic VS Brand.  She said that it is possible that generic drugs may not be up to par with things like strength.