Difference between Generics?

[Struggling wife and mother]

I have been taking methylin for months now and this last time I was given a different form of it, methylphenidate. I am noticing huge differences in affectiveness. Has anyone else had this issue?

[cdnmum1]

My son has taken many forms of methylphenidate over the past 8.5 years. We've found a dramatic difference in the effectiveness of the medications. Although the dosage of methylphenidate in one formulation compared to another, may be the same dosage .. depending upon the way the drug has been prepared, it will function in a different manner. For example, some are long acting, slow-release, etc. (In gr. 2 my son, who has a hypermetabolism, took 72 mg of Concerta and this only covered him from approximately 8:30 am until about 1:30 pm; then he took three more doses of just the regular ritalin at 15 mg every 2 hours). Also, we found that on a few occassions the drug was ineffective altogether, as the drug was past it's best before date, and heat/humidity reduced the effectiveness of the medication on another occassion.

So, the reason for the difference in the "effectiveness" of the forms of methylphenidate you took and are presently taking could be due to:
- drug formulation (long-acting/short-acting)
- dosage
- medication outdated (past the best-before date)
- medication has been compromised (heat/humidity/etc)
- your body may break down the various forms in different ways (compared to the norm)
- other medications could be interacting with the medication

I hope this helps a bit.