sheryl Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 My dd's psychiatrist put our dd on Aderall. We buy the generic which has only 2 of the 4 salts present. What are the salts? The brand has 4 salts....what! The dr. said that some people respond well to generic and some don't, it just depends on one's body chemistry and "processing" of the generic med/s. I think I'm witnessing a tolerance to this med and am debating whether she needs aderall brand or a completely different med. We are on a budget...no green backs in abundance here. :D Generic is $10 and brand $40. That is a big difference. She will probably be on this med EVERY month for who knows how many years. We just don't know. Should we spend the extra $30/month? That's several hundred extra dollars a year? If it's what is definately best then we'll do it in a heartbeat. If it's not a noticle difference then we probably would spend that money on something else. Thanks. Sheryl <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Unfortunately, the only way to know is to try it because everyone reacts a bit differently to medecines. It's worth $30 to give it a try for a month and see if it makes a difference. OTOH, has your dd grown since her dose was last adjusted. As you gain weight, you need a larger dose. Puberty can also affect dosage. FWIW, my ds takes the generic versions of the 2 medecines he's on and it doesn't make a difference vs. generic, but they're a completely different class of drug than Adderall. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 Thanks Julianna, yes, she has grown since the onset of her seizure meds AND her behavioral meds. I do agree with ya though...it's exactly what the psychiatrist said, you don't know how the patient will respond until you try it. This is something I'll have my dd try for a month...definately worth it! Thanks a bunch!!! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbaby Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 My dd just started on Adderall. The first month I was so excited about her progress, but then her body seemed to adjust and it just leveled off. Our dr. recommended upping her morning dose (since this is when we do school), but keep the afternoon dose the same so that she would have an appetite for dinner. So, in the AM she takes 2.5 mg. reg. tablet and the 10mg. XR tablet which releases 5 in the am and 5 in the afternoon. The leveling of if so frustrating...wish I had better advice. Have you already altered the dose? Don't get too discouraged...it sometimes takes a while to find what works right for your child:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 My girls take the generic Dexedrine and it seems to work fine. It could be a dose related thing--esp. if she has grown at all. Puberty is not fun for adjusting meds. Now for seizure meds, my 14dd MUST have the name brand or we are in big trouble--seizures, toxicity, etc. 13dd though on the other hand is doing fine with the generic Lamictal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 hs baby, same here....it was GREAT the first month, then it leveled. Which ties in to: Ottakee, she has had a growth spurt...i guess that can happen in 3-4 months. Combined together I believe because of the growth spurt she has leveled off. Like you other dd, my dd does fine with generic seizure meds. But, the behavior meds may be different. I am going to "test try" the aderall for brand for a month just to determine if i notice an improvement. Does it ever feel like a juggling act? I don't mean for that to sound cruel as it might, but practically speaking, there's ALWAYS a change of something every so often. Sometimes I feel like my head is spinning and lately in the last 6-12 months I've started to "forget" ALL her morning meds/vitamins about 1x/month. Now I remember in time....it's only a few hours late....still before noon. 99 % of the time we're regimented to the am/pm hour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbaby Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 YES!!! It's a constant juggling act! My dd also takes meds and a variety of supplements/vitamins.....DMG, daily vitamin, Vitamin D, Omega 3, probiotic. It seem I am always running out of something, forgetting to give her something, etc. My dr. suggests giving her her med. in the early AM so that it is in "full force" during school, but it usually ends up being 9 or 10 before I remember:blush: You know, because between hsing, chores, my other kids.....what else could possibly be on my mind?!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 YES!!! It's a constant juggling act! My dd also takes meds and a variety of supplements/vitamins.....DMG, daily vitamin, Vitamin D, Omega 3, probiotic. It seem I am always running out of something, forgetting to give her something, etc. My dr. suggests giving her her med. in the early AM so that it is in "full force" during school, but it usually ends up being 9 or 10 before I remember:blush: You know, because between hsing, chores, my other kids.....what else could possibly be on my mind?!?!?! You are soooo right. :D We have good excuses though if we "forget" to make dinner once in a while, right? ;) Nah, can't do it, but I thought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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