Pharmaceutical Chemist Question, Please?

Question by Dre: Pharmaceutical Chemist question, please?
I have gotten several answers, but I wanto to be sure of who is right. Is amphetamine sulfate, 30 mg. er the same as Adderall 30mg er? I don’t think it is. Adderall has some other component in it that doesn’t agree with me.

Best answer:

Answer by David R
It sounds like you’re talking about the generic and name-brand equivalents. Even if the active ingredient is the same, there can often be a number of differences in formulation (the filler agents, binding agents, the method used to form the pill/caplet/beads, etc) that can cause significant differences.

In this case, there’s even more of a difference. Amphetamine sulfate is only one kind of salt. Adderall uses a mixture of salts – amphetamine sulfate, amphetamine aspartate, and amphetamine saccharide. They claim this results in a “smoother” absorption; this may or may not be true. The type of salt wouldn’t make much of a difference with most drugs, but the absorption of amphetamine can be significantly altered by the pH in the GI tract. Sulfate salts will have a different pH than aspartate or saccharide.

You say that it’s the “ER” formulation, but I could only find “XR” (extended release) and “IR” (instant release). Assuming that it’s extended release, the formulation can make even more of a difference in the amount absorbed and how quickly it’s absorbed.

Long story short, 1) yes – there are different chemicals in it, 2) they might make a significant difference, 3) if you’ve noticed a significant difference, you’re probably right. Talk to your doctor about it, and/or get a second opinion.

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