Generic Concerta is here!

[Anonymous]

I'm so happy. The pharmacist told me the generic is now available. My monthly medicine bill just dropped significantly.

I'm crossing my fingers that it will be "as good".

[Anonymous]

This is awesome. Agree about hoping for effectiveness.

[Anonymous]

I believe the generic Watson sells is made by (at least for now) the same company that makes the original so I hope the formulations aren't too different.

[Anonymous]

Oh crap... now I will be given the generic... I have military insurance so I was getting the real stuff free now they will switch me.

[Anonymous]

My son was switched last week. I really was hoping for better results. It just doesn't work the same. Seems to wear off in about 5 hours. Then he just gets cranky and argumentitive. I really could have used the financial relief of generic, so I am bummed.

I keep hearing that the generic is exactly the same as Concerta. Sorry, I don't believe that for a second. Doesn't make financial sense for the big drug company.

[Anonymous]

A doctor told me once that even though generics have the same formula for the actual medicine, they may use different (cheaper and possibly less effective) ingredients that have an effect on delivery of the drug, time release, etc.

[Anonymous]

I found that out last month because they charged me $75 to fill my DDs prescription with the brand version since a generic was now available. Of course CVS did not actually have the generic in stock at that point. So be warned that your bills may actually go up if your insurance company has the same policies as Aetna and you decide to stick with the brand.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone speak to whether the generic has gotten them the same results?

[Anonymous]

I take the generic now and I actually think it's provided me with better results. I'm an adult and take 54 mgs a day.

[Anonymous]

Always be cautious about using any generic medicine. Today, June 2, 2011, I have declared the generic Concerta a failure, at least, for me. Backtrack for these past few weeks. On May 1, 2011, Watson drug pharmaceutical released the generic Concerta. On May 10, 2011, I went to pick up my Concerta 54 mg and was given the generic Watson (non-Canadian) version instead. I didn't want the generic Concerta, but my pharmacist said my insurance wouldn't cover the brand anymore and the generic could be just as effective in helping me control my ADD. I paid for the generic because (1) since it just came out I couldn't find anything online about it being bad (2) the brand would have cost me $250 (3) the generic had the same color, shape, size, shell color, hard capsule encasing, the black font and size of the print (well except for the "alza" part). While on Concerta (which was for the last several years), I managed to work full-time while attending law school in the evening, buy my own condo, pass the California Bar, and enter into a stable loving relationship. (My fiancee actually finds my high energy level endearing.) In the last few weeks of being on the generic Concerta, I have been able to concentrate, but not as effectively. I've experienced side effects from other generic medicine, but they were always physical (vomiting, dizziness, dry mouth, etc.). With the generic Concerta, I did not experience any physical side effects and mind you, I was carefully monitoring myself for any changes in weight, appetite, dry mouth, exercise, sleeping patterns, and dizziness. With generic Concerta, I am experiencing severe mood swings, thank goodness not to the level of depression. I'm little Miss Sunshine so it has been extremely out of character of me to isolate myself from friends, family, and my fiancee these past few weeks. I am grateful to be surrounded by such patient loving individuals. Getting back... on generic Concerta, I became anxious and irritable - sounds seemed to be amplified, babies seemed to cry louder, people's voices seemed higher pitch, and even the air seemed to feel heavier on my skin. To the naysayers, I am not imagining these symptoms. I had actually forgotten that I was taking a generic Concerta because the pill looked so similar and I had transfer the pills into a smaller pill container. Well, I had a meltdown yesterday. So this morning, I called my doctor and explained what was going on. He is writing me a new prescription and marking it as "do not substitute" so the health insurance won't give me a hard time and let me pay the brand copay of $25 instead of $250, which would have been the cost of the medicine itself. He's also filling out one of those insurance forms that says that I am getting an adverse reaction from the medicine. So just be cautious of what you put into your body.

[Anonymous]

My 9 year old son and my wife both take 36mg of concerta. The mail order pharmacy sent the generic last week and it had almost no effect on either of them over the weekend. Both reported that they noticed this and it was as if they didn't take anything. We are now working to get the name brand back as 'medically necessary'. Too bad, since the cost is so much less.

[Anonymous]

Interesting; my son started on 18mg Concerta 10 days ago, which they filled with the generic, and it doesn't seem to do a thing for him, positive or negative. This is the first med we've tried with him and I was going to talk to his doc about adjusting the dosage or trying a different med. Now I'm wondering if I should discuss trying the brand name version.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you have on what our next steps should be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting; my son started on 18mg Concerta 10 days ago, which they filled with the generic, and it doesn't seem to do a thing for him, positive or negative. This is the first med we've tried with him and I was going to talk to his doc about adjusting the dosage or trying a different med. Now I'm wondering if I should discuss trying the brand name version.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you have on what our next steps should be.

18 mgs is a really low dose....that's probably why.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your thorough response 19:03. I wish that there were some things i could "unread" about this generic, though. It's impossible for me to know how much of my reaction to my kid on generics has been colored by these negative responses. After all, unless one was keep a medication diary from before using generics, one could never know for sure if reactions are truly different. *sigh* very frustrating.

And dick move criticizing the military recipient. He or she is making a big sacrifice with travel and deployments; potential loss of life and limb--nobody is really getting it for "free".

[Anonymous]

Interesting - our son has taken both name brand and generic Dexedrine Spansules for ADHD. At least in our experience, we've seen little difference between the two, although the name brand may indeed last slightly longer.