Got the dreaded backorder text for concerta 27 two weeks ago. No change. Talked to my prescriber who called in Ritalin 30 LA today. It's backordered also.
Six tabs left and it's time to start the pharmacy phone tag game. Win and you get meds before you run out. Lose and you're out of meds, losing the executive function required to find your meds 😎🤙
It's been two years now how is this still a thing
I don't envy people who need stimulant medication, this fucking country's obsession with making sure no one "feels good" when they aren't supposed to is killing people who now can't get their meds because apparently all psychoactive substances need to be under a lock and key with round the clock surveillance and arbitrary restrictions on who can access them because gasp someone might use it go get high!
Fuck all of that, chauvinistic ass medical system feeding bodies right into the prison industrial complex, where doctors turn into cops the moment you need a chemical on their naughty list.
Another extra stupid thing is that as far as stimulants go, it's less harmful and less addictive than caffeine or nicotine
That's what I was gonna say like do people even abuse these things? Concerta or whatever? Like I think it's just kids using it to study oh no
Concerta and other extended release formulations are hard to "abuse"(damn I hate that word in the context of drugs). Normal pills of methylphenidate on the other hand can be crushed and snorted, but the effect is shit and the comedown is worse than coke's. Not saying that there aren't any MPH addicts, but come on... Get a cool drug to ruin your life!
It's been two years now how is this still a thing
If you're in
it's because the DEA still refuses to increase their production quota.In 2023 "manufacturers only sold approximately 70 percent of their allotted quota". "in 2022, manufacturers did not produce the full amount" [0] Manufacturers haven't been limited by that quota, they aren't making enough to reach quota. The quota system isn't great, but increasing the quota won't fix it.
The DEA did shut down an amphetamine and MPH manufacturer, which is a big contributor to the shortage, but it was because of shoddy record keeping and "not accurately account for millions of dosages" of opioids. [1]
[0] https://www.fda.gov/media/170736/download?attachment
[1] https://www.yahoo.com/news/dea-shuts-down-drug-factory-212040745.html?guccounter=1
Dextroamphetamine shortage too
The FDA shortage database is vaguely helpful if you know what manufacturer(s) your local pharmacies typically order from, but it's still been absolute hell trying to navigate it the last few years
I gave up on mine. Having to pay $30 a month for a 5 minute long medication management telemedicine session, and then to be notified the medication is backordered. Ffffuuuuucck it all
I just hope to scrape by and not get fired. I've pretty much given up, to be honest. Every night going to sleep with the hope that I don't wake up.
My bottle used to say "amphetamine-dextroamphetamine" and had oblong pills but now says "amphetamine salts" and has circular pills. My doctor says they're the exact same thing but they're very clearly not. The last month I've been taking them has been a huge disaster. It feels like my brain is overheating and sometimes I look at the clock and realize 5 hours just up and disappeared while I was basically catatonic. Anyone else?
Went off on a rant that isn't really fully relevant, but leaving it because I already typed it.
My generic Adderall was labeled as "amphetamine salts" when I was taking it a number of years ago. But I was on generic Adderall for like 5~6 years and can't recall if I ever saw "amphetamine-dextroamphetamine" on any of my bottles. I don't recall ever having it feel any different. But I changed over to Vyvanse because even the generic XR would just not last long enough. Which was also kind of a good switch in recent years as I have seen random folks talk about how their Adderall (name and generic) seemed "weaker" than before. And with shortages ramping up causing issues for people. Though there is a massive shortage of the new generic for Vyvanse ever since my doctor and insurance tried having it filled for me back in December of 2023.
I kept getting an automated message about my refill (or really first fill) being on back order and I wasn't even aware they had a generic yet. So I went to the pharmacy to find out and was told they had literally no idea when it would be available and I was already a week out of meds. Had to be like "well just fill the brand name if no pharmacies had stock please" and just have been paying more. Though it seems my insurance also must have seen how bad shit was. Because my cost the first time was over $250 (was paying only $60~$80 before due to both insurance and a coupon thing Vyvanse had for each year). But after two months, my cost went back down to around $90~$120 from insurance covering more again (just no longer have the coupon thing since Vyvanse stopped providing it).
I think that's very relevant and I'm sorry you had to deal with that <3 No one should have to fight for the medications they need, especially not ones that actually cost $5 a bottle to produce.
It's been months since I got the oblong ones... Come to think of it, I feel like it hasn't been working the same. I left some of my clothes in the washing machine the other day... I don't think I've ever done that.
Edit: I take methylphenidate, not what you said. Isn't amphetamine salts just pharmaceutical grade meth?
Pharmaceutical grade speed, not meth. Though methamphetamine is actually also a schedule 2 drug and can (theoretically) be prescribed by a doctor.
I think it's adderall IIRC I never got the name brand, I just know what's on the bottle.
It's really difficult to find information about this. I know there have been numerous recalls of ADHD meds lately so I wouldn't be surprised if both our meds get one soon (hopefully!).
I just want to be a productive enough drone to not get fired but no, drugs are bad
But don't you know capitalism will incentivize pharmaceutical companies to step up production to match demand, just gotta let the invisible hand of the market do its work.
I'm lucky and haven't had any problems with mine, fingers crossed it stays that way.
Amazing that this is still a thing, this was a major pain when i first started concerta 2 years ago (currently taking 36 mg).
Im due for a refill this week so hopefully my dosage isnt affected. And ive got enough extra, but the phone game to all the pharmacies and having to switch meds is sucky though. Such a waste of time and energy
Yeah I see folks skip weekends and save up a month I'm gonna start doing that I think
Are these drugs not available from illicit sources either?
Risky buy unless you know the seller and that they got it from a pharmacy. There's a ton of counterfeit Adderall out there, and it's always meth. Even the XR gelcaps are counterfeit now.
Meth isn't a terrible substitute, but it's not going to be dosed correctly or even the same dose pill to pill. It has a much longer half-life.
Ritalin is probably safer because it's less controlled in other countries, so it might be cheaper to import the real stuff than press fakes.
IME illicit sources are usually some college kid selling their legally-prescribed extras, at least in the US, so they're also in shortage. I don't think there's much black market synthesis of theraputic amphetamines because there's a lot of legal supply — you're more likely to find meth which has a lot of shitty side effects and is actually addictive.
