I think it depends on the child. My 11 year old son has been on 54 mg of generic Concerta for over a year and it has worked well for him after having a negative experience with Adderal. It has been a game changer for him and our family. He is doing well in school and has had no behavioral issues. Before Concerta, I was getting calls from school all the time and he could not focus enough to get his work done. Now he is a solid A and B student. In fact, he may get all As this quarter according to his teachers in a recent parent teacher conference.

Our great grandson (we have custody) has been given the generic for Concerta. You cannot tell me that it is the same medication---no way. Generic does not work--nor does some of the other brands. He has been switched so many times to other medications that do not work. I cry and feel sorry for him as he feels we all think he is crazy. Had always been a very affectionate child--now very negative and hostile.
Had pride in doing well in school (honor roll). Now does not seem to care. Medications most definitely make a difference in a person.

4 yr old son on 18mg of Concerta, lowest dose available. Dosage seems too high. He often spaces off but has no mood swings. You almost forget he's around, he's so quiet but this is not his personality. Trying generic Concerta, 5 mg 2x/day. He does not space off anymore, but his irritable, irrational behavior is back. Not as bad as without any medication but not good. The generic seems to only last about 4hrs while the 18mg Concerta lasted from 7am to 9pm/10pm. (I know the dosing is different but even at 2x's a day it doesn't last from dose to dose.) We love the Concerta, just wish it came in a smaller dose. And there is definitely a difference between the brand name & the generic. The generic reacts closer to Focalin for my son. Same type of symptoms - good for a hour or two but still has meltdowns & cannot comprehend what you are telling him when upset. He just keeps repeating his thoughts. The intensity of the mood swings were worse on Focalin though.

i was on the brand name until the generic came out. the generic gives me an upset stomach

Anonymous wrote:The Placebo Affect is alive and well.

Funny how many people get hooked on Generic Vs Brand.

Even though ALZA's patent doesn't expire until 2018, due to a legal settlement, Watson Laboratories is allowed to sell an "authorized generic" version of Concerta.

This means that ALZA supplies Watson with brand-name Concerta tablets, which Watson packages and sells as a generic drug. Therefore, this generic version is exactly like the brand-name drug in every way, other than it being sold as a generic.

PLACEBO EFFECT. You can spend your money as you wish.

COMMENTS:

I am an adult whom had used the capsule version of ALZA 27 for several years and was switched to the "real" generic (I did take the exact looking product as a "generic" for several months with no noticeable affects) several months ago. This "generic" product looks totally different - it's a much larger, solid pill which is shaped more like a vitimin.

It did not seem to work as well or last as long. It appears that the "time" release does not work as "smoothly" (not delivered as consistantly), it does not work as well (not as effective) nor does it last as long (seems to wear off an hour or so sooner).

I recently had a script filled out of state (on vacation) and received what looks like the type I originally used. It took me almost a week to "re-adjust" to it (similar to what I experienced when I first started using Concerta) - this type definitely works better and lasts longer.

I would assume that anyone else that used both would notice that they do not work identically.

Anonymous wrote:The Placebo Affect is alive and well.

Funny how many people get hooked on Generic Vs Brand.

Even though ALZA's patent doesn't expire until 2018, due to a legal settlement, Watson Laboratories is allowed to sell an "authorized generic" version of Concerta.

This means that ALZA supplies Watson with brand-name Concerta tablets, which Watson packages and sells as a generic drug. Therefore, this generic version is exactly like the brand-name drug in every way, other than it being sold as a generic.

PLACEBO EFFECT. You can spend your money as you wish.

Follow-up (adult Concera users and, forced to use the, generic user) COMMENTS:

After using Concerta (ALZA 27) for several years - I had begun using a generic version for last several months - it looks totally and completely different than the "ALZA" capsuls. It is more of a "vitimin" looking soild pill and is not marked ALZA (I don't have one here to look at to note what it is marked - sorry)

It did not seem to work as well or last as long. I believe that the way it (time) releases is different and the dose is also weaker.

I just recently filled a script out of state (on vacation) and received what looks exactly like what I used to use and it is definitely better, more powerful and lasts longer. It took almost a week to re-adjust (just like I felt when I first started using Concerta) back to the "real thing".

Anyone who thinks that this generic, at least this one that doesn't look like the ALZA capsuls, is the same has obviously not used both...

I've been on Concerta for 8+ years and recently switched to the Watson generic which works just fine but in May MedCo refilled my RX with Mallinkrodt Generic for Concerta. The outcome was horrible when I tried the new generic. It was intense rush for about 3 hours, one in which I could not concentrate, my head was buzzing, and I felt generally spaced out. Then approximately 5-6 hours later another intense rush hit me with the same adverse effects. I've been doing some research and I'm not the only this is affecting. I have since thrown out this new RX and received a new one from my Psychiatrist for the Watson Generic which I have since filled.

I had a terrible reaction to generic concerta. It was like the time release happened all at once. Went to e.r. thinking I was having a stroke. Didnt know it was from generic though until I took another pill later in week n had another terrible reaction 8 hours later. Facial tics, fast heart beat, etc. Sooooo bad. Never had a problem with brand name in 4 years.
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My pharmacist told me that,the generic and the original are EXACTLY ths as,e....at least for,the time being since the same company is making both

Wow, so much to read (and I did read it all).

As a 33-year-old chemistry undergrad (hooray for late diagnosis of ADD) the statements that the current generic is the same make sense to me. The issue is that you have to look at it as not actually being generic; it just has a different sticker on the bottle. It's like a lot of shampoos, actually. One machine, one formulation many different bottles (I had a friend a few years ago that worked at a bottling plant. Same stuff that went into Pantene Pro-V bottles went into Suave Damage Control bottles (or whatever it was called)).

Anyway, I'm writing to address a few specific points:
First, even if the kid doesn't know that they have been switched to a different brand, the parent(s) do. In a family home environment, the parents have a significant impact on the child's behavior. Not only that but the parent's bias in favor or against the very concept of "generic drugs" could color their perception of their child's behavior.

Most scientific studies are double-blinded. That is neither the test subjects nor clinicians know whether a person is getting an active product or a placebo. Why would they do this? Because the if the clinician knows whether the subject is on placebo or drug, they can inadvertently, subconsciously affect the results.

Second, almost nobody here has controlled for variables. Seriously. Your kid has been on Concerta from age 5 to age 13. This new brand of Concerta comes out around the same time they start acting out. Clearly it's the Concerta. Except not. It could just as easily be raging adolescent hormones, the realization of a crush on a schoolmate, making new friends from a trouble-maker crowd, losing friends who shifted out of their social circle, or any number of other things. This is a well-known logical fallacy called "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc", or "After this, because of this." Event B happens after event A, therefore event A CAUSED event B. This is a VERY common mistake.

And don't tell me that your kid tells you everything about themselves and their lives. That's just a lie you tell yourself to feel better. I was very open with my mother and I didn't tell her everything. ALL of my nieces and nephews talk to me about things that they don't feel comfortable talking to their parents about but they have great relationships with them. And their parents think their kids tell them everything. I keep the kids confidence until I think that they are at more than a mild risk of harming themselves or others. I haven't had a situation yet where I couldn't help them reason themselves out of stupid behavior (not silly, but demonstrably stupid. Everybody needs a little silly sometimes).

Third, your sample size of 1 is laughably small.

Fourth, the plural of anecdote is not evidence. Many of you will look at the third point and say, "But there's 6 pages of negative reports!" That's true, there are six pages of single subject samples that aren't double-blinded, with no variable control and tons of bias. The difference between 2 crap data points and 200 crap data points is nothing: it's still crap data.

Fifth, placebo is the single most powerful force in the human mind. If it weren't for the litigation-happy nature of the US populace, I'd bet that doctors would have been pleased as punch to prescribe placebos instead of antibiotics while treating patients with viral infections. As we know, antibiotics do nothing against viruses. If you took an antibiotic and it solved the problem, it was was either the placebo effect or your infection was bacterial in nature.

You want another awesome demonstration of how powerful placebo is? Look at the wonderful scam known as Power Balance bracelets. It's a little rubber bracelet, almost identical to those LiveStrong rubberband bracelets except that it has a spot for a hologram sticker. Power Balance sells them for $30-$50 claiming that they will make you faster, stronger, better at sports and better at school. Of course, this is BS. It's a rubber bracelet with a hologram sticker on it. A couple of guys in Australia managed to find the factory in China that makes the bracelets. The factory said (paraphrasing), "Sure, we'll make you some bracelets with your own sticker on them. They're $1 a piece." (actual production cost is probably much lower, but I'm high-balling it). Those guys sell their placebo bands for $4 a piece. The only difference is the sticker on the band.

So, yah. That's about it. Just some things to think about. I doubt any of this will sway any "true believers" out there but at least I tried to inject some rational sanity into the discussion.

Anonymous wrote:Concerta doesn't seem to be working for my son on 54MG it's been a while now but i think the generic was working better at school. Anyone else have this problem.

Maybe Ritalin might work better for your son.

I haven't had time to read everyone's posts, but the "generic" concerta is actually the brand repackaged by Watson. It is the exact same medicine. Literally. Watson is shipped product made by the original manufacturer. This will continue until 2014. This is also why the medication did not go down much in price. http://ir.watson.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=65778&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1490219

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I have had numerous conversations with my doctor about these side effects and am told the medicine is exactly the same so the effects would be the same. I requested Ritalin tabs as a supplement in the past to make it through dinner and homework. Have any of you that have previously posted found another reason for your side effects which could cause your doctor to be skeptical of your claims? I am surprised to read so many posts that mirror my year + of being a complete #%^£* and just attributed it to aging. Thanks, people.