ADD / ADHD Community

wouldn't be too alarmed if i were you as i've had the same thing happen to me with my adderall xr 30mg script. yes i was also confused when i noticed that some of the capsules said 'adderall xr' on both the orange and clear parts of the capsule and the '30 mg' inscriptions were absent. i thought they had been tampered with at first but concluded it was either an error by the manufacturer or the pharmacist, as the pills in question were filled to the right amount with the xr beads and it worked the same way it always does. hope this helps you find some relief!

Hi There,

No need to be alarmed here. I've been on Adderall XR 30mg for years, and recently switched back to it after half a year on Vyvanse. Story goes: Years ago, generic Adderall XR became available, and was manufactured by Teva Pharmacuticals (they are the company that sued Shire (the original manufacturer/creator of the medicine) for the right to manufacture the drug.) After winning their case, they began manufacturing the medication and there were very slight differences in the capsule - not differences in the medicine or how it works, but simply how the capsule looks (color, size). More generic manufacturers sell this medication now, and although it all works the same, you will notice very slight differences in the capsule between manufacturers. As for the 30mg, I've noticed that some capsules are bright orange, while some are brownish-orange.

The inscription you're speaking of has to do with manufacturing the capsules before they are filled with the medication. While Shire may have had a defined process for inscribing 'XR' on the colored portion, and '30MG' on the clear, the cheaper generic companies probably send both ends of the capsule down the line, and whatever they're inscribed with is what you get. Inscription varies heavily in generic Adderall, I have found, both regular and XR. It all works the same though.

The pharmacists would have nothing to do with inscription, etc. They do not fill the capsules, they simply count them. It's also something they take extremely serious since this is a controlled substance, so the chance of something getting messed up in the process of getting to you is highly unlikely. The pharmacy will not tamper with your medication, and as long as the capsules are filled properly, then the manufacturer made no mistake - although capsules will vary.

When it comes to being 'tampered' with, it's what happens when we get out of the pharmacy with our medication that you need to be most concerned with. While its unlikely that the medication would be tampered with before it gets to you - the world is a crazy place, and some people try to use these as drugs (that's where they end up getting their bad rep anyway - drug abusers, not individuals with ADHD.) I've never had an issue as I try to be very careful with the medication, but if you truly feel your medication isn't right, this is the first route I'd explore.