Concerta – "Controlled Substance"

[lunasea275]

Just joined and have a question regarding meds.  A friend suggested Conserta for adult ADD and even the generics for it are now a “controlled substance” that requires me to visit my doctors office 20 miles away every month to rrefill my prescription.  Not going to happen, especially for an ADD’er.  Are there any approved meds that are not “controlled substances”.  Maybe this is a New York State thing. – Thanks!

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[blackdog]

Hi @lunasea275, welcome to TADD. 🙂

It is not just a NY State thing. My doc is doing the same thing with my Vyvanse. He gave me a prescription for 3 months but I can only get 30 at a time and I have to wait until it’s all gone to get it filled again. Which is a huge hassle and means there will be times I will have to go without because I just simply can’t get to the pharmacy.

Any med that is in the amphetamine family will be controlled. And there aren’t many that don’t fall into that category but there are a couple. I think Strattera is one. But read up on it before you decide if you want to take it. I think it has some pretty nasty side effects and there are some people who can’t take it, especially anyone with heart problems or high blood pressure.

I hope you can find a solution.

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[shutterbug55]

Welcome, lunasea275.

You have a great friend! Just remember, what works for them, won’t necessarily work for you.

A lady on the bus who takes wellbutrin for her ADD, recognized I might be suffering from ADD as well. She gave me a copy of “ADD and Loving it”, which started me down this path of discovery. Wellbutrin makes foggy, and twitchy at the same time. YUCK! I finally found Adderall, which seems to be tailor made for my brain. I take a minimal dose a couple times a day, and it helps.

First off, you will be working with your doctor on meds. Finding the right one, that addresses your issues best, will be an individual process. Generally, you want to know which drug or combination of drugs, taken in the right dosage(s) at the right time(s) is right for you.  All meds affect us differently. After all we are all individuals and we are all on different points of the spectrum.

I don’t know what your situation is, but if you have someone very close to you, ask them for help. You will need this person to take notes about you and how you react to the drugs your doctor is prescribing.

You both will need to write notes about which symptoms you want help with and how those drugs are helping. Your goal is to minimize those symptoms as much as possible, while minimizing the side affects of medication. My top four was hyper-focus, communication skills (blurting, interrupting), constant thoughts racing around in my head, which I call “monkey chatter”, and inattentiveness.

You both will need to write notes about side affects. Yep all the meds have side effects. You have to decide are the side effects worth the help you get from the meds.

You both will need to talk to the doc about all this and ask questions. Like how much experimentation with dosage and timing can you do on your own, with the meds they perscribe.  Remember as smart as docs like to think they are, they haven’t got it right yet. Why do you think they are still “practicing”? They aren’t mind readers either, so constantly remind them about YOUR goals.

Meds are only part of the treatment. They are NOT a cure. There is no magic pill out there that will make your ADD go away. All meds will do for you is give you a little space to step back from the situation so you have a chance at altering your behavior.  Counseling and learning as much as you can about ADD will help as well.

At the end of all this and you have your meds dialed in, you can get larger prescriptions, or multiple prescriptions, so you don’t have to see the doc so often. My doctor writes me two or three prescriptions for a 30 day supply each. I turn them all into the pharmacy next to work and at the first of every month go down and pick up my meds. Easy.

At the beginning, you WANT to see the doc all the time. Your doctor is trying to be helpful. Work with the doc. Unless you are very lucky, you may go through several medications, before you land on one that works the way you want.

 

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[lunasea275]

This whole thing is insane and makes no sense if the information that I read is correct and that ADD meds are very “safe”.  So what does “controlled substance” mean?  I hate to sound like a cynical lunatic but this I am sure is partly about the Lobbying of Family Practitioners billing for the office visit each and every month.  So all of a sudden the normal system of Prescriptions sent to the pharmacy and the fact that I show my drivers license at the pharmacy is not enough control???  That I am the patient who was assigned the medication?  What are pharmacists for? Have Pharmasitsts lost their credentials for “controlling substances ????”   At least allow the doctors offices then to administer the meds so that we do not have so many steps involved.  For me, I cannot see staying with it.  It would be great if there were enough people maybe stemming from a site like this that could join forces and change the new rules because people like me will suffer the consequences.  I am a traveling salesmen and visiting my doctor, waiting in a waiting room, spending 2 hours including travel, etc. etc. 12 times a year for a “safe” medication is absolutely insane.

Thanks for listening and for your suggestions, I really appreciate it.

 

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[blackdog]

Oh! Welbutrin!  I forgot that one. And I’ve been taking it myself for years! How could I forget?!? Oh, right, I have ADHD… 😉

Welbutrin could be a very good option. It is not a controlled substance and typically is well tolerated with very few side effects. However, as shutterbug points out, that is not always the case. Everyone is different.

It is not the most effective drug for treating ADHD but it is better than nothing and it might work for you. It is a fairly effective antidepressant so it might at least make you feel better and make it easier to get through your day.

 

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[blackdog]

I just read the rest of @shutterbug55‘s comments. Thank you, very informative.

@lunasea275, I understand your frustration and I agree the pharmacists should be given more power to control substances. After all, they are the experts, and they are the ones who see you all the time and check your ID and know your history. They have gotten to know me quite well at my pharmacy because I pick up my mom’s meds all the time and they never question me. In fact, one of the pharmacists questioned the prescription my doctor gave me for Vyvanse because the dosage is “way too low” for me in her opinion. And she is one of the newer ones who hasn’t even known me very long.

The drugs are perfectly safe when used appropriately. The problem is that they can also be used inappropriately. So they have strict regulations to prevent abuse by those who don’t really need them. Which makes it inconvenient for the rest of us.

As shutterbug said, you need to work with your doctor and discuss your options. And if you do start on a medication after awhile you should be able to get your prescriptions without having to go every month.

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[lunasea275]

Wow!! – Thank you all for the quick responses.  I never thought to ask about my doc writing multiple 30 day prescriptions that I could issue to the pharmacy monthly – A great alternative.  I am heading to the doctors office this afternoon after driving the receptionists nuts by phone today 😉 .   My Pharmacist did also mention 2 other meds that are not controlled substances; Intuniv and Strattera that I will also ask about.

I do appreciate all of the comments.  I was on a generic for Conserta and ran out through the holiday and this morning feel like I cannot get out of my own way.  A friend told me- “you may not realize you are on it but you will as soon as you go off it” – For Sure!

Thanks again all!!

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[shutterbug55]

Regardless of the medication you are taking being controlled, make sure it is the right one, before getting wrapped up in multiple ‘scrips, and all. That is the trial and error I mentioned. It takes patience and time (Yea I know ADD, right!)

Drugs are put on the controlled substance lists because of their potential to be either addictive, or abused or both. The definitions and lists are here: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/

I know Adderall is a schedule II, and it seems like I have to jump through flaming hoops every time I need to fill the prescription. It wasn’t until I had been taking it for a couple months, that my doctor, my wife, and I decided it was the one. Then we got the multiple scrips, dated in one month intervals.

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[Patte Rosebank]

One more thing to consider:  Depending on the manufacturer, “generic Concerta” may not be “equivalent to Concerta”.

Concerta is methylphenidate (the same drug as in Ritalin and several other ADHD meds), in a patented osmotic-delivery capsule. If a generic doesn’t use this unique system, then it’s not really “the same as Concerta”.

Gina Pera discusses this in detail, here: http://adhdrollercoaster.org/the-basics/an-update-on-generic-concerta/#.UsxgMtJDuSo

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[blackdog]

@lunasea275 You are very welcome. It’s what we all like to do, help each other and give advice and generally stick our noses into everything whether it’s where they belong or not. Or at least that’s me anyway. 😉

You really do notice the difference the meds make the most when you stop taking them.  It’s easy to forget what life without them is like. It’s like looking at an old photograph of yourself and saying “wow, did I really look like that?”.

@shutterbug55 Thanks again for all the helpful info and insightful answers. And it is true that finding the medication that works is the most important thing. It also needs to be prescribed at a dosage tha works, which somebody needs to tell my doctor.

@Larynxa Very good point about the generics. My pharmacy switched me to generic Bupropion once and all it did was give me wicked headaches and make me feel sick. I make sure I get the real stuff now.

And I just Googled and found out there is no generic version of Vyvanse right now, it is still protected by patent. And expensive too. But worth it if it works.

 

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