What's the difference between name brand and generic Adderall?

Whoever started that answer is on the right track. The active ingredient is identical - both have the same amphetamine salts in the same dosage. FDA doesn't mess around with that stuff, so generics have to meet the same bioequivalence standards as brand name Adderall. That's just how it works.

Where you might actually notice a difference is in the inactive ingredients and how the pill is formulated. Brand name sometimes uses different binders, fillers, or coatings that can affect how fast your body absorbs it or how your stomach handles it. Some people swear they feel a difference between generics and brand name, or between different generic manufacturers. Could be placebo, could be legitimate - everyone's chemistry is a bit different. I've heard people say certain generics hit them weird or don't last as long, but that's usually more about the formulation than the actual drug.

Pricing-wise, generics are cheaper because the company doesn't have to recoup R&D costs anymore. If one generic isn't working great for you, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can try a different manufacturer - sometimes that helps. But bottom line, you're getting the same medication either way. The brand name markup isn't buying you better medication, just a different package.

Ever wonder why your pharmacy sometimes switches you without asking? The bioequivalent part is solid - generic and brand-name Adderall contain identical amphetamine salts in the same dose, and the FDA absolutely enforces that. Where people run into real-world differences is in the inactive ingredients and how quickly your body absorbs the medication. Brand-name Adderall uses specific binders and fillers that some folks swear feel slightly different than generic versions, even though they shouldn't theoretically matter.

The tricky part is that "bioequivalent" means the drug levels in your bloodstream should be essentially the same, but it allows for a range - usually 80-125% of the original. So two different generics (or a generic versus brand name) might hit slightly differently if one lands at 85% absorption and another at 110%. Most people won't notice, but if you've been stable on one formulation for a while and suddenly switch, your body might take a few weeks to readjust. Some pharmacies will switch between generics without telling you, which honestly drives me up the wall on behalf of people dealing with this stuff. If you find one works better than another, it's worth asking your pharmacy to stick with that manufacturer consistently.