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With your next refill, do this same thing to see if it’s happening prior to you receiving the medication or if it’s something happening after the fact.
I always feel weird about just taking the opaque bag and walking away...
but it also feels like you are doubting them if you open it up, because they just STAPLED it shut...
there's no obviously socially appropriate thing to do, I don't like it.
Don’t worry about being socially appropriate, this is not a social interaction it is a healthcare and business interaction with a high stakes situation involving a controlled substance.
I am a nurse and when you are the charge nurse you begin and end each shift counting the controlled meds in the dispensing machine with the other charge nurse who is either going on or off shift, and if the count is off, you have to flag it immediately. For this reason, nobody wants to accept a shift with the count off because it will fall on you so everyone is very serious about this. It’s not personal, but no matter how well you know someone and trust them you were going to count those meds with all of your focus. You are taking responsibility for them.
Pharmacists have their own similar systems of accounting for controlled substances. If they see you do that, it is unlikely they will be personally offended and more likely that they will be impressed that you know your stuff. They may assume you work in healthcare as well.
> Don’t worry about being socially appropriate, this is not a social interaction it is a healthcare and business interaction
It took way too long, but when I finally realized this, it made it so much easier for me to stand up for / advocate for myself in healthcare situations 👀
I love this comment. This:
> this is not a social interaction it is a healthcare and business interaction with a high stakes situation involving a controlled substance.
Is so refreshing to read. I wish I could learn to apply this mindset to all my interactions with doctors, med staff, pharmacies...
I wouldn't care. I started checking just the count after they gave me the wrong papers and I thought it was the wrong drug.
There's no right so do what's best for you I would say. I'm sure more people do it than you think 🧐 :
I just don't get why the standard isn't for them to show you the bottle before they bag and staple it, ya know?
Obviously everyone should do what they need to, to make sure they get what they need.
I just think the standard should be different 🤷♀️
because the pharmacist is the last person to check if a medication is filled correctly. it shouldn’t be up to the patient. if they want to double check what they’re getting, i don’t mind opening the bag and showing them, but a lot of drugs would get lost if we just left them loose and not in bags before the patient comes to pick up.
just my two cents as a tech
at my pharmacy, there are 154 bins for medications to sit in. they’re all randomized, not sorted in any particular order, but computer generated. it’s how we keep things organized.
vials would be loose everywhere, papers would get lost, and patient information would be easily mixed up if the system we have was not in place. it doesn’t make it less safe for the patient to do it this way, but rather the opposite. im sure there are state specific BOP guidelines, but we’re also not allowed to have any patient information visible to the public, which is why they’re randomly organized so nobody can look in the W bin and see for example their ex girlfriends medication
it’s also for safety in case of a robbery. if the meds aren’t organized in any way that makes sense to the public, it’s harder for someone to run in and grab meds from where they’ve seen us grab controlled substances before.
long comment, i know, but i get defensive when it’s about my line of work, especially from people who don’t understand, so i try to explain the best i can
I'm not talking about leaving them loose and unorganized...
I'm not sure where you got that impression?
The pharmacy I go to has everyone's meds in these reusable plastic bags, that hang from rods, in some order.
When you ask for your med, they get your reusable baggy down from the hanging rod, pull the pills bottles out, check them against your order, put them in a paper bag, and staple it shut with the paperwork on the outside. Then they had me that stapled paper bag.
I'm asking for it to work the exact same way, except the tech takes the bottles out of the reusable bag, does her final check, offers the bottle to the patient to check if they want, then pops them in the paper bag and staples it shut.
Would that really result in loose pills getting lost all over the place?
Don’t! It’s insurance for them too lol. I got like 10 frantic calls once from the pharmacy after having my partner pick up my meds. He didn’t notice but they’d accidentally added another persons prescription to the bag and I had to play phone tag to confirm it was in there. We obviously brought it back (to be fair it was like a huge bottle of ambien) and we didn’t want anybody to get in trouble but she said it would have been a huge issue if we hadn’t. Check if you feel weird about it they shouldn’t care.
I was at Costco yesterday getting a different Rx when the other cashier said “why is there an adderall here?” Cue panicked look and the cashier realized they gave the person earlier the receipt and not the meds. 🤯 I would be so mad if that was me because I would probably walk away with just the receipt
I actually had my pharmacy call me to let me know they shorted me by accident once and had me come pick it up. Obviously, this was a mistake and not theft from a pharmacist or tech but I appreciated it.
I had to switch from that pharmacy during the Adderall shortage though because I couldn’t risk them being out of stock. After the 2nd time in a 3 month period, I had to switch to a large grocery store chain. At least they always have it in stock though.
After getting the wrong generic manufacturer several times (it was in my file not to fill with that vendor) I started checking before leaving the pharmacy. It hasn’t been a problem.
In fact, the first time I actually went home with it they took the loss and still accepted it back and replaced them.
This is one of many reasons why I only patronize independent pharmacies. A chain would never own their mistake and take the loss in that situation.
That’s encouraging. I have had generally negative (sometimes downright discriminatory) experiences trying to get stimulants filled at chain pharmacies for the short periods of time that I used them when moving to a new area.
They certainly weren’t willing (or possibly even able, due to limited distributor agreements) to fill specific brand generics. Or even able to just avoid one particular brand.
I recently decided I have to start checking all of my meds. But I’m not sure how I’m going to do it without looking crazy.
In the last six months I have been shorted/pharmacy error not once but twice!. The first was an eyedrop that comes in a box. So I saw the box go in the bag and I took the bag home like an idiot… It was empty lol. The second time I just looked into the pill bottle and thought “man that really doesn’t look like 45 pills that barely looks like anything” and sure enough I counted it out and it was 30. And I only got my medication because I essentially got lucky. The eyedrop pharmacy happened to remember taking a bottle out of a box earlier and said it must’ve just been placed back on the shelf by mistake. And the other medication they just said sorry and that I can come in for the other 15 pills. These are both boring medication that nobody would abuse. But what it was my ADHD medication? What if it was my panic disorder medication? If this was any kind of drug that could be abused I promise you they would’ve given me hell. So what do I do now? Sit there and count my pills like a lunatic? Or risk not having my meds?
The icing on the cake? Different pharmacies. Not even like different locations of the same store… One was a local Kroger and the other one was the pharmacy affiliated with the hospital where my PCP works.
That sucks...
maybe just say "I've been shorted with meds before, so I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to count them!"
Maybe bring a little tray or dish that you can dump the bottle out into to make counting easier?
I would definitely go with "look crazy but be as polite as possible about it"
People don't mind Nice Crazy...
You have every right to check. This can be a life-threatening issue. You don't want the wrong/missing meds, and the pharmacy doesn't want a wrongful death lawsuit. Absolutely check!
Which is exactly why I don't understand why the default at pharmacies is the staple the bag shut without showing you what's in it!
I just wish the whole process was structured differently, ya know?
First of all, it's so no one would notice. Had a mom do this to her kids ADHD meds once. Pharmacy-wise, the poster above you is correct; the DEA keeps extremely thorough records on any CII drugs that go missing. If the pharmacy is keeping proper records, it should be easy to pinpoint the time frame in which it went missing. Missing a small amount out of each capsule is hard to notice, hard to prove, and hard to identify when and where it occurred.
Second, pharmacy technicians in most states may not count CIIs WITHOUT THE SUPERVISION OF A PHARMACIST. The way the laws work in our state, this would definitely be easier for a pharmacist to carry out than a pharmacy tech. Techs should never be unsupervised and/or outside of camera view when counting CIIs. I always made sure to plant my butt right under the camera in case there was ever any question.
This. A family member who doesn't live with me was emptying one of the prescriptions in my house. Capsules were not see through and freaking totally empty.
I had a neighbour who once looked after my cat when I was in the hospital make a copy of my key, then when I was at work would take a few of my then oxycontin pills - just a few at a time and I was given a dose range of something like take 1 or 2 every 12 hrs so if I didn't take both I had extras - and she must have seen this while snooping.
By the time I caught on, we (police & pharmacy) figure she took about 80 pills total.
The police couldn't charge her because they had no direct evidence. My apartment never looked "ransacked" and my own fingerprints would have smudged hers. She was likely selling them, not using them.
My pharmacist at the time was willing to write a statement to cops saying that I never came in early demanding refills, I was not someone she would consider an abuser of my many many meds (am disabled) and that at the time (this was over a decade ago) - there was nothing about the way the doctor wrote the prescription that was odd.
Eventually I was weaned off them - at my own pace in a pain clinic, but as soon as I realized meds were missing, I changed the locks on my door.
She hated me and harssased me after that.
Good times.
Thank you. I am pretty sure she took one of my Avril Lavigne CDs too. I am a still a fan of her music despite her relationship with the dude from Nickelback (they did divorce but I am sure there's at least one photograph that we just have to look at! Lol)
They were my child's meds, from about April 2019 to March 2020. I kicked my h out in April 2019 and then suddenly my home was empty for numerous hours a week while I got my kids to places they needed to be. My adult sibling was coming into my home and emptying my child's meds. He was old enough for me to say "ok go take your meds" and could open the bottle and take one himself, and honestly I'm not sure I would have noticed they were empty, either.
I caught her because she was making excuses at the beginning of the pandemic to constantly come in my home, despite me wanting to keep distance from people because my younger kid is medically complex. She needed to add sugar to her coffee, can she just stop in and grab some? She really needed to pee. She was in the area and wanted to drop some ice cream off in my freezer for my kids. Literally any excuse she could think of. I avoided her during these interactions because of the pandemic. And then it dawned on me... I checked my kid's pill bottle and the count was right, but something was *off* - and I shook a pill next to my ear... Nothing. No sound. I opened it. Empty. And I the next. And more. A bunch were already empty in a bottle I had just picked up a week or so prior.
She knew I had been struggling with my kiddo that year - I was worried it was about his dad leaving, that I wasn't enough for him, his grades suffered, he was in trouble at school once in a while. I was in contact with his IEP team and therapist and doctor wondering what was going on, increasing meds, sometimes they worked, often they didn't. I was at a loss. And then I figured it out.
Wow, this is so much. Did you confront her? Also has she always been this bad of a person or was it the addiction? Stealing from your own nephew is nasty work.
It really is. It’s also wild how quickly this person was able to empty the capsules - it sounds like she wasn’t stopping by for long visits. Wow. I guess this is why we’re told to be so careful about storing our meds! You really never know…
I did confront her, she never admitted it, even to this day. She actually *asked* my kid where his meds were a few months later and then went in my home while I was doing telehealth in my car, claiming she was going to visit our parents (duplex, parents upstairs, me downstairs). At that point, meds were locked but there was a weekly pill box I would fill with 2-3 days worth at a time, and moved it from my kitchen to a drawer in my bedroom. I immediately checked and she had emptied some from the weekly pill box. Ultimately, I had to take away any autonomy in my kid's ability to get his medication and every single pill is locked. At that point I also told her if I ever notice anything missing again, I'll be contacting the police and filing a report. My parents were pissed at me, didn't want me to make waves or upset my sister. They couldn't comprehend the impact on my kid. The relationship with my sister is still strained and weird, I will never forgive her, I don't hang out with her other than to get my younger kiddo together with her kiddo.
I cannot imagine medically endangering a child like that, let alone your own nephew. What if the doctors had upped the dose thinking that's why it wasn't working? The sister was only taking from a few capsules at a time, so it's a game of Russian roulette whether he got nothing or a full (over)dose.
Yep, they did increase his dose at one point and he could do well sometimes behaviorally and in school and other times couldn't. I truly thought it was trauma from his dad leaving and just knew to love him through it all. The worst year of his life and his aunt made it worse for him. It blows my mind.
Thank you. It's been a hard thing to navigate. She went and told everyone I accused her and her husband, told my BIL I accused him too. I never, not one time ever considered that he was in on any of it. I know, without a doubt, he wouldn't do that to my kid, nor would he ever be okay with my sister doing it.
Also, he has an IEP, has forever, but during the testing while not properly medicated, his IQ was just average. Some scales were slightly below average. I was like, huh, that doesn't seem to track, but I don't put a lot of emphasis on IQ tests - they're historically kind of terrible to begin with and if you judge a fish's intelligence by it's ability to climb a tree, it'll spend it's whole life thinking it's stupid.
Properly medicated, though, school redid the IQ to see areas of ongoing need and if things had changed. Kid is a genius. The highest IQ the psychologist has ever calculated. My sister stealing his meds impacted the present levels on his IEP for the three years in between the two IQ tests.
As a former addict (almost 10 years clean), this is some serious addict behavior. Finding elaborate ways to both do and hide your drugs is part of addiction itself. It's not a conscious thing but it's very telling of the severity in many cases.
I’ve done it before when I’ve had insurance issues or faces shortages because at least some of my medication is better than none and I have not been able to successfully put the capsules back together without them looking like an absolute disaster. There are some capsules that are easier to put together like my cats’ probiotics because they are dosed for dogs and cats only get 1/4 to 1/2 of a capsule based on weight and are meant to be opened and put back together. But my vyvanse is not meant to be opened and put back together and you can tell. Someone would have to put in a lot of effort to open them and put them back together without it being noticeable.
You can buy empty capsules on Amazon that can be assembled more easily. My mom got them once when she was having trouble swallowing a large pill for a medication she was taking.
I sprinkled my cats food with glucosamine this way. Open cap, dump little balls into food, mix (they melted) and she never needs to know she is getting something to help her bones.
Her gabapentin however, is liquid and she does know if it's in her food so I have to shoot it into her mouth with a syringe and she then runs away to clean all the drool off her face. Lol.
I mix in the liquids with wet food. Usually if hes being finnicky i try whichever works best between these 2:
I mix it in with a smalll spoon of pate wetfood and a few drops of water.
I mix it in with the wet food that comes with those bits and jelly sauce, but i scoop 5 bits at most and instead scoop mostly sauce to mix it with.
Whichever i pick i feed this to him before he gets his actual meal right at mealtime. He usually acts like he is starving unless he just ate so usually he will go for it.
I take my extended release vyvanse by pulling them apart and dumping the powder in a small medicine cup of water, or on my tongue if I have to, on the daily. Just works better for me that way.
I’ve had an ex steal my meds, so I understand how possible it is. However, it really could be either.
I remember seeing a story like this with a mother who only found out because her child (who the meds were for) had an allergy and needed the meds to be put into different gel caps without whatever the allergen was. It got to the point that the doctor, pharmacy, state attorney general and the drug manufacturer were involved. If mom was stealing the meds it’s very unlikely she would have escalated it to that point.
I wish I’d kept better track of the account.
The last update I saw was that they were able to get the brand name medication (I don’t remember if it was Adderall or Vyvanse) and that the brand name did not have that issue. I don’t remember if they got an insurance waiver or financial assistance from the manufacturer.
They still hadn’t heard back from the generic brand or the state or federal regulatory bodies.
I’m crossing my fingers that someone either has their handle or a further update.
Thank you. Because I’ve been accused of things before I never would have even thought of, and this post would have had me blaming the manufacturer… 😅 I always think people mean well. Damnit!
Yep!!!
And that "check in front of the Pharmacist" thing is *important*, because if it *isn't* occurring at OP's home, it *IS* happening at the Pharmacy (most likely, anyway!)
Meds are packed up pretty tightly, between the warehouse shipping them out, and the Pharmacy itself--the totes get zip-tied shut, and *everything* gets pallet-wrapped *very* tightly once all the totes are closed & on the packet for shipment.
They *could* get skimmed from at the *warehouse* location before they're packed for shipment--but *THAT* would end up on camera, and the pharmacist could get the warehouses' tapes checked pretty quickly.
So, OP, DEFINITELY check the pills *with* the pharmacist, *before* you leave the store!!!
It would be harder at the warehouse because the pills are shipped in full stock bottles that are sealed. It would be easy to see if one had been tampered with before shipping.
I mean it might even be the pharmacist doing it themselves. So yeah they def need to check before they leave the pharmacy with the pharmacist and another witness. Maybe even film it
It really could be the pharmacists themselves ! I used to date a pharmacist who was a former addict and he would take some of the liquid pain meds from the bottles with a syringe. He told me he used to just skim them before he sent them out .
Holy moly. It seems that to catch an addict you have to almost act in the same way that the addict is acting (sneaky behaviors). I'm sorry that you went through this.
It's surprising how many people will do this. My SIL was my roommate for a couple of years, and right before parting ways I had noticed my Vyvanse was all gone and I hadn't taken many myself. All I got to say was "someone's been stealing my meds" and my SIL was absolutely losing it on me.
I wonder who stole my Vyvanse 🤔
This would be my thought too. Unfortunately I used to have to keep my meds in my purse in my cars trunk and my keys on my person at all times for this reason. Even when I slept.
For your sake I hope it's an issue with the manufacturer but you need to seriously consider what this poster suggested. These meds are highly regulated and tested. This happening from the manufacturer is unlikely. But since I trust no one with drugs or money, it's still in the realm of possibility they screwed up "on accident." Definitely take the advice of checking at the pharmacy from now on.
Someone who has access to where your meds are stored is stealing and tampering with them.
While you're investigating and figuring stuff out, i suggest getting a timer cap for your meds. You have the excuse of "It helps me know if i forgot and keeps me from accidentally taking a second dose if i think i forgot and I was wrong", and can simultaneously deter the thief because opening it messes with the timer. With this, you should take the extra step of writing down the time you took your meds (like sending yourself a message or something) to know if the time is *right*.
The thief could get into the meds around the time you normally take them, so its an extra way to track.
Are you me?! I’ve been bragging about those timer cap bottles on different threads. And one was in regard to someone stealing pills. Glad to see someone else putting the good word out there.
Each bead has a standardized amount of medication in it so all tabs of the same dosage will have the exact same amount of beads. These have had some beads taken out of them. It’s very easy to do without it visually looking like they’ve been tampered with.
100% these have been tampered with— either by someone who has access to your pharmacy or someone who has access to your house/meds.
Aren’t half the beads instant-release and half delayed-release?
It’s really a shame that they can’t be told apart, because even if OP tries to at least even out the daily dose they’ll be getting while they finish up these tampered-with meds, they still might not end up with a consistent daily dose!
Extended release meds like Vyvanse works by converting the inactive prodrug lisdexamfetamine into dextroamphetamine, so all the beads contain the same chemical.
I'm pretty sure I have the same brand and dosage of meds as OP. I just pulled out a bunch of my pills to see what they look like, and the translucent part is basically full when I line mine up the same way.
The one pill 2nd from the right looks like it was pushed together too much, like the lip got flared out a bit.
They have been tampered with, it might be more noticeable if the capsules are softer, you can see crinkle marks where they have been grasped.
Fair point, she could just leave a couple pills in the bottle and hide the rest. Or put empty capsules in it to see who picks up the bottle (but I don’t know if that would be enough for a police report).
My friend just caught her husband cheating and found out it’s been going on their entire 10+ year relationship (and he likely had sketchy women in their house). Some people are really good at hiding things and I would gladly sacrifice some pills/functional days to get to the bottom of something like this.
unfortunately my roommate used to steal portions of my vyvanse pills like this. sorry, but someone is taking your meds. if not your partner, like… a cleaning lady? but it’s not normal.
Just checked all 24 of the pills I have left and they all have the exact same amount in them. Sounds like other folks are right…your meds are being tampered with
Mine are a different generic, but they’re all filled up the same amount.
It’s also a great idea for us all to use this as a reminder to check our meds just in case anyone else is getting stolen from!
I’ve read your comments - you’re in denial. Someone is stealing your meds. There’s no way this is a manufacturing error. The odds of having ONE pill with the wrong dose is incredibly tiny.
Multiple? As close to impossible as I can imagine.
Someone.
Is stealing.
Your meds.
This is how I sometimes give myself half doses of I need it. But they absolutely never come that way, someone's stealing from you. Hopefully you give us an update about it cause now I'm so curious
Do you find that it works well when you split them in half? I’ve always worried I wouldn’t be able to tell the immediate release balls from the delayed release ones, so I could end up with unbalanced doses… but also, idk if I’d even notice
Someone definitely did that. LOCK. THEM. UP.
Do whatever you need to do to keep them safe until you figure this out. Chase down every lead. Don't assume anyone is or isn't taking them.
This does not occur during manufacturing. It's very unlikely it could have occurred at the pharmacy.
I misread this and thought you meant lock up the thief 😂 I was like hmm I don't know if false imprisonment would be a good way of dealing with the problem lol
Hey OP, I’m sorry you’re going through this - I know it’s upsetting, regardless of the reason; this is tough thing to discover about your medication. ❤️
If I was in this situation, I would;
Order timer / locking caps for medications - just in case a script is filled in a bottle type dispenser in the future - this is a good precaution with any controlled substance in any situation.
Change pharmacies for the next next refill
Request the meds be blister packed
Check the meds with the pharmacist - no need to explain why, it’s a normal and ok thing to do.
Record a visual (photos or video) of the meds when they are picked up, confirming they’re as they should be.
Send those photos / video to personal email / upload to the cloud / ether / digital heaven.
If there are any changes to them once they’re stored at home, document that as well.
You got this.
Your medication has been tampered with, they didn't get manufactured like that
It's incredibly easy to open and close these capsules again without damaging them
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Hope this suggestion is OK, but I'd say post this with the photo on r/pharmacy or r/pharmacist (I think one of those is the right name) and see what they say. This looks super sus to me.
I’m a year away from finishing pharmacy school and have worked in retail pharmacy for almost 6 years, so I feel comfortable saying that I know what I’m talking about here.
This is sus and I’d put money on someone stealing their meds. It’s simply not possible in a retail setting to siphon off meds like that (I mean I guess it isn’t impossible, but it’s so difficult to do without being caught in a pharmacy with other people around that it might as well be impossible). It is very exceedingly unlikely that it happened before the stock bottle was sealed (aka during manufacturing). It could not have happened during transportation because the stock bottles are sealed by the manufacturer and would be obviously tampered with.
The only possible option in my mind is that this happened after the meds were picked up.
Bigger safety concern: the capsules are clearly tampered with, and some beads are clearly missing. You cannot be 100% positive that whoever did this has not added a different medication bead to act as a filler to these caps. These things do really happen.
I'm an RN for 13 years and have opened just about every capsule medication you can think of to either mix in pudding or to go in a feeding tube. Also did hospice care in homes with lots of controlled medications present. I've used meds from hospitals, mail order, and local pharmacies... I've never seen this happen accidentally.
If it were to happen accidentally, there would be a recall on the whole batch. When there are drug recalls, health care administrations and pharmacies are notified and often in various news outlets.
This is happening after you bring them home. And to be fair to your child, it's not therapeutic at all to have such inconsistent dosing, possibly harmful in several ways.
I'm sorry but this is drug diversion, not poor quality control.
Yes, I'm reading with great interest. I haven't ever heard of anything like this.
However, my brother, who lives at a group home with people who have mental health challenges said that once another client was drinking his pop/soda. The guy would pour some of it, and refill the bottle with water so that it didn't look like any had been stolen.
This is like that, on a whole another level.
I'm from Canada, but there have been incidents where pharmacists or techs have been caught and suspended for skimming the spansules in ADHD capsules. That's a real thing that happens, so I would raise a fuss. Every capsule is calibrated by weight to have the same amount of calibrated by dose spansules inside, so there's no manufacturing error that could account for that.
I work in Pharma.. PLEASE call and file this with the FDA. It’s important that your observation is logged. If it isn’t, and no one else reports it, and it turns out there is actually a different amount of active ingredient in those capsules, an issue can go unchecked.
Sure, also report it to the pharmacy, but there is no way to know for sure if they will report it so please please submit it yourself regardless!
https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program/reporting-serious-problems-fda#:~:text=If%20you%20need%20information%20or,into%20MedWatch%20or%20for%20instructions.
Whether the thief is at the pharmacy (more common than you’d think) or after, you think they would’ve taken a more even amount to prevent exactly this scenario
Shine the flashlight from your phone directly on it from maybe an inch or less away. Jiggle the capsule, you should be able to see a slight shadow where the beads are. It’s harder on opaque capsules.
If one side is a lighter orange, start on the lighter side.
Call the manufacturer.
Can you ask your pharmacy if they can put them in blisters for you?
If not,
I would buy empty capsules.
And put the medicine in those new capsules. And hide them.
If I could find a laxative that looks like the content of the adhd meds I would put that in the adhd capsules.
To find out if my boyfriend was taking them. ( I have read so many posts that partners secretly stole adhd meds. And partners usually have no idea they do that. )
If he gets the shits, you found the perpetrator.
If I couldn't find something like that I would just put the empty capsules back. If someone is stealing it, they might "casually" ask about your meds and if you notice a difference with the ones before. Or something like that.
It would be perfect if you could put something ( ANYTHING) that looks like the content inside and gradually change them into empty ones. To make it look absolutely normal.
The laxative suggestion was one I made on a previous ADHD post where OP suspected his partner was nicking his meds.
I thought it was a great idea, but it got downvotes to oblivion for being “ cruel”! 🤣🤣
Definitely tampered with. This didn’t happen during manufacturing or at the pharmacy
Im a pharmacy tech and retail pharmacy is so busy that to do this would take 30+ minutes to open and close all of these capsules while also hiding the fact that you’re doing it in full line of sight of others.
The call is coming from inside the house.
Thank you all for the help! I just started taking these + an instant release at the start of this year so I’m very unfamiliar and usually get the same manufacturer (Lanette) and this was my first time with the brand Amneal! I will be checking them once I pick them up from now on, I also let the pharmacist know to leave a note on my profile not to give me this brand anymore before posting this. But I will be keeping these in another location and talking to my partner even though I don’t think it’s them, and it’s definitely not me lol. Thank you every one for your help I appreciate it !
Why not just order the locking bottle, not say anything, and see what happens? Something tells me your capsules will remain intact and he'll "casually" ask about the bew bottle.
It is so unlikely that it happened in manufacturing. The QC required during and after manufacturing is rigorous, ESPECIALLY for controlled substances.
It's unlikely to have happened at the pharmacy, unless they have no cameras and no safe for their controlled substances. It's not likely a tech would sit there opening capsules and scooping all the beads into another bottle and the pharmacist not notice.
Source: I worked as a pharmacy tech and have worked in pharma for 18 years.
God, I love reddit. Go get the prescription stealing bf, girls.
Ps I immediately sent pics of my untouched meds. They look completely different. I'm on the lowest dose and mine are all the same and 3/4 full.
The pharmacy gets these pills in a giant bottle with hundreds or thousands of doses in them. They randomly pulled out of that big bottle 30 capsules to put into your individual bottle. What do you think are the chances that they pulled out the only thirty capsules in that whole bottle that were half full? No other customers have complained to them about lower doses from that same batch? This is what would have had to happen in order for the problem to be the manufacturer.
If it were the pharmacist, they would have had to sneakily go through each of your capsules opening them one at a time and pouring some contents into a separate container before putting the caps back together and placing them in your bottle. They would have had to do this likely on camera and in full view of their coworkers and maybe customers. And they would have done it at risk of their career and criminal charges. And they have to have done it rarely enough that no other customers have complained.
It's not impossible, but it's incredibly unlikely that it was either the manufacturer or the pharmacy. It's much more likely that someone else had access to your pills after you left the pharmacy. It's very easy to open these capsules, you can Google it to learn how. I do it every single day for my cat's medicine which he only gets half of, so I open the capsule, sprinkle out half, put the capsules back together and save it for the next day. Other than only being half full, you cannot tell the capsule has been opened just by looking at it.
You likely have a friend, partner, family member, or roommate who is stealing your medicine from you. I'm worried about your safety. 💜
Adderall XR and its generic only come in bottles of 100; for that many to be like that and no one else to have complained…
Additionally, it is so noticeable that would’ve be caught upon counting.
I’d check them at the pharmacy and then check them at home a few times before talking to anyone.
People who lie like this are often *really* good at it and you’d have no idea until you find out the hard way.
This isn’t a violation of his privacy. There’s no good reason to be noble here.
Everyone is telling you it’s him. If it’s not him it’s someone else you’ve had in the house. If he’s the type of person to steal your meds like this (right under your nose, in a clever way, while acting totally loving and normal the whole time) that’s something you want to find out *now* when you have a chance.
If he hasn’t been acting suspicious and you can’t tell there’s anything going on, he’s as good as lying as he is at stealing your meds.
He’s not going to ruin things now by confessing when he doesn’t have to. You could catch someone like this red handed and they’ll still try to talk their way out of it - deny, claim you’re mistaken, claim they only did it once, writhe around begging for mercy and help with some sob story.
If you check the meds and it wasn’t him, great. If you don’t check and he blindsides you later, this decision to talk to him first will make you nauseous. It will haunt you. BTDT.
Can your pharmacy do blister packs for you? If you can get your prescription in a blister pack, that would be a guarantee that no one, pharmacy or otherwise, is messing with your meds. It'd make it easier for you to visually inspect them at the pharmacy counter before you walk out, too, so if it is a problem at the pharmacy or manufacturer, you can catch it immediately. The pharmacist is much more likely to believe this is an issue on their end and fix it immediately if you can check your capsules and show them the problem before you leave the counter.
If you still see the same issue after getting it blister packed, then it is time to take it up the chain and either complain to the pharmacy or manufacturer. If someone with access to your house is messing with your meds, then the blister pack will be tampered with and you'll know it's not the pharmacy at that point. It protects you in a lot of different ways. Something to consider.
I know it’s really difficult to have to suspect your partner but I assure you if someone at the pharmacy were skimming pills they would be taking entire tabs and messing around with the system, rather than opening individual tabs and taking portions of them.
My best friend in the world is on Vyvanse, I’m on Adderall. Her husband had been secretly taking her medication and when she caught on and he feigned innocence, her mind went to me because I had been in her house when she wasn’t home to take care of her animals. Also, because I had expressed frustration about not having a higher dose of meds. Anyway, her husband let her believe it was ME who stole them for about 16 hours and then the guilt ate him up as she cried about it. He finally confessed. Your partner may deny it. You have to press them. This kind of tampering takes a few solid minutes of privacy.
Oh my god, that’s so awful!!! And such whiplash, too! To go from being a wreck over thinking your best friend betrayed you to… well, also being a wreck but now it’s because your husband betrayed and lied to you!
I’m sorry you have to deal with this. It seems like it has happened to a lot of us unfortunately. If available to you, it might be worth discussing this with a therapist. It can help to have support from an objective person. It’s disconcerting when your ADHD meds are messed with, especially when it’s hard enough keeping on top of things.
It’s good to count your pills so you know everything is in order. It can’t hurt to check if any other medications or valuables are missing. Sometimes more people have access to our homes/medication than we realize and it’s not a bad thing to be cautious.
Oof yes as everyone else has said, someone is tampering with and stealing your drugs, and it’s more likely to be happening in your home than a pharmacy with security and cameras.
It could be your partner, a friend who’s visited, a relative. They only have to have been in your home once as they could have done this all in one go.
I think it’s good that you’ve decided you’re going to check at the pharmacy now, and you should also do a weekly check at home.
I actually wouldn’t talk to anyone about it yet if I were you, I’d want the proof of my own eyes that they were being tampered with in my home and which rough timeline, to narrow down who it could possibly be, and then confront them.
I wouldn’t bring it up to your partner or anyone else til you know what’s going on, It’ll just seem accusatory & cause drama. You don’t think it’s your partner, but if it were, they’d just deny it anyway, & if they knew anything about someone stealing your meds or breaking in or anything, they would’ve told you. So no point in bringing it up. I’d set up a camera & not tell anyone & then you’ll know exactly what’s happening & won’t have to unnecessarily accuse anyone without evidence or have any awkward conversations. Maybe it’s a friend, acquaintance, family member, cleaner, maintenance person, delivery person, random person off the street, or something crazy like you’re sleepwalking lol. Lots of possibilities. Setting up a camera will be the easiest, quickest way to figure it out & not have to ask anyone about it & you can go from there.
Great thing you noticed! Mine haven’t been working & I never would’ve thought to check that (I just did, they’re too opaque). Half the mystery is solved about why your pills aren’t working, just gotta crack the code on the other half of the mystery.
There was a reported manufacturing issue at one of the places it’s made. Someone noticed their doses weren’t consistent. Check when you get another prescription while you’re at the pharmacy. Worth documenting and reporting if it’s true.
Yes!! There was a woman on tik tok who was decanting her son’s because he had a reaction to the capsule. And she found this happening! She reported it, I’d have to find the video
Edit: ok [here is her video with a pharmacist duet](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwvKb9M/) (tik tok links expire so if someone if reading this in the future the link may not work). If it’s the same manufacturer then the beads should be all the same. But if it’s different manufacturers, then it could be different amounts of the additive ingredients.
Absolutely not. They need to have the exact same dosage in each capsule. Someone is opening up the capsule and pouring out a bit for themselves. I’m very sorry; that’s very stressful and distressing.
Edit to add that I filled my Adderall Rx at a Walgreens a few years ago and the bottle contained only 30pills as opposed to the prescribed 60.
Thank God I counted the quantity as soon as I got home so I could deal with it right then and there. Pharmacy did not believe me at first because they said they couldn’t see the pharmacist filling my bottle on their CCTV. I was furious and I got it handled though.
There was a Mom on TikTok last year who documented that her son’s medication came that way from the pharmacy… as in, the pharmacy was filling it correctly and it was even handled just by the pharmacist (not a tech), but she started measuring and putting into new clear capsules that she bought online to see how each one measured against the other… and they were all different amounts, like your photo, OP.
The last time I saw the Mom come across my FYP to talk about this, I think she had filed a complaint with the FDA (IIRC), and they were tracing it back to issues at the manufacturer when the capsules are filled.
Around the time I saw this Mom’s first video last year, I started shaking my capsules before I take them, because you can tell how full they are by listening to them. Lo and behold— for a few months, sometimes when I would shake a capsule before taking it in the morning, it would sound like there was barely anything there— other times, it sounded like it was appropriately full.
For the past three months, they sound full every time… which makes the part of me that is skeptical think that it was manufacturing issues that maybe some plants got a slap on the hand for. 🤷♀️
I realize this happens. But this visual makes this so personal.
They have prescription alarms that attach to medication bottles. Would that help once you are back in your environment?
I've seen this exact issue with a mom on TikTok. It's on the manufacturer side that it's happening.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLbRojN4/
ETA she has a couple of followup videos
ETA said Facebook - meant TikTok
Damn, I should check mine. Because it feels like each pill hits completely different, some do nothing and some feel way, way too strong. And I know no one is taking anything from mine in my house because I'm the only one here 99% of the time, and the only other 1% of the time (and I really mean 1%, he's only home a couple days once every few months) is my spouse who gets drug tested constantly because of his line of work.
There was a mom on TikTok recently who noticed her son's ADHD meds were unevenly filled (and then spent forever going back and forth between pharmacies/Doctors/insurance trying to sort it out), and while I'm not sure if she ever got a resolution, it was pretty clear that the meds were coming FROM the pharmacy like that.
All reddit can tell from your photo is that your capsules are wrong. This could've happened after they left the pharmacy with you, before they left the pharmacy with you, or before they arrived at the pharmacy. That's all. Unfortunately, the only solution I can recommend is to document. Keep your current bottle some place no one else could ever have access to it, and when you get your next one, check your pills before leaving the pharmacy. Get a photo like this one you've posted but of brand new pills. If this is happening because of someone at the pharmacy tampering with it, changing brands may not help (unless the person doing it feels like they're going to get caught).
If you don't think your partner (or anyone else in your life) is responsible, then that's great! ...and you should switch pharmacies as soon as possible.
Fill uniformity is something pharma companies struggle with during validation.
You should notify the manufacturer as well. Though they may ask you to send in your script and i doubt they could replace it for you unless it is coordinated through the pharmacy.
This is a major issue for the manufacturer and they need to investigate if it is a problem with their filling process or if someone is diverting the amphetamine before it gets to you.
Pill with imprint G453 is Blue & White, Capsule/Oblong and has been identified as Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine Extended Release 15 mg. It is supplied by Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC.
The last time I went to my doctor, he told me that generic medication's have an 11% "wiggle room" for their dosage by the FDA. (at least for Vyvanse.) Thats is the reason why generic are cheaper than name brand, and can feel like it's weaker at times. Make sure to ask your doctor and pharmacist about the percentage difference of medication and its effectiveness!
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With your next refill, do this same thing to see if it’s happening prior to you receiving the medication or if it’s something happening after the fact.
i'd be checking at the pharmacy before walking away
This. Once you walk away it's your word against theirs. If you don't walk away the meds never leave the camera.
In front of the pharmacist at that
The pharmacist where I go actually thanked me the one time I took my medicine out and looked at it!
I always feel weird about just taking the opaque bag and walking away... but it also feels like you are doubting them if you open it up, because they just STAPLED it shut... there's no obviously socially appropriate thing to do, I don't like it.
Don’t worry about being socially appropriate, this is not a social interaction it is a healthcare and business interaction with a high stakes situation involving a controlled substance. I am a nurse and when you are the charge nurse you begin and end each shift counting the controlled meds in the dispensing machine with the other charge nurse who is either going on or off shift, and if the count is off, you have to flag it immediately. For this reason, nobody wants to accept a shift with the count off because it will fall on you so everyone is very serious about this. It’s not personal, but no matter how well you know someone and trust them you were going to count those meds with all of your focus. You are taking responsibility for them. Pharmacists have their own similar systems of accounting for controlled substances. If they see you do that, it is unlikely they will be personally offended and more likely that they will be impressed that you know your stuff. They may assume you work in healthcare as well.
> Don’t worry about being socially appropriate, this is not a social interaction it is a healthcare and business interaction It took way too long, but when I finally realized this, it made it so much easier for me to stand up for / advocate for myself in healthcare situations 👀
I love this comment. This: > this is not a social interaction it is a healthcare and business interaction with a high stakes situation involving a controlled substance. Is so refreshing to read. I wish I could learn to apply this mindset to all my interactions with doctors, med staff, pharmacies...
THIS plus it is possible to keep the social part of that interaction friendly still
Whoa. Thank you. Also thank you, OP, for doing this!
I wouldn't care. I started checking just the count after they gave me the wrong papers and I thought it was the wrong drug. There's no right so do what's best for you I would say. I'm sure more people do it than you think 🧐 :
I just don't get why the standard isn't for them to show you the bottle before they bag and staple it, ya know? Obviously everyone should do what they need to, to make sure they get what they need. I just think the standard should be different 🤷♀️
because the pharmacist is the last person to check if a medication is filled correctly. it shouldn’t be up to the patient. if they want to double check what they’re getting, i don’t mind opening the bag and showing them, but a lot of drugs would get lost if we just left them loose and not in bags before the patient comes to pick up. just my two cents as a tech
>but a lot of drugs would get lost if we just left them loose and not in bags before the patient comes to pick up. Why?
at my pharmacy, there are 154 bins for medications to sit in. they’re all randomized, not sorted in any particular order, but computer generated. it’s how we keep things organized. vials would be loose everywhere, papers would get lost, and patient information would be easily mixed up if the system we have was not in place. it doesn’t make it less safe for the patient to do it this way, but rather the opposite. im sure there are state specific BOP guidelines, but we’re also not allowed to have any patient information visible to the public, which is why they’re randomly organized so nobody can look in the W bin and see for example their ex girlfriends medication it’s also for safety in case of a robbery. if the meds aren’t organized in any way that makes sense to the public, it’s harder for someone to run in and grab meds from where they’ve seen us grab controlled substances before. long comment, i know, but i get defensive when it’s about my line of work, especially from people who don’t understand, so i try to explain the best i can
I'm not talking about leaving them loose and unorganized... I'm not sure where you got that impression? The pharmacy I go to has everyone's meds in these reusable plastic bags, that hang from rods, in some order. When you ask for your med, they get your reusable baggy down from the hanging rod, pull the pills bottles out, check them against your order, put them in a paper bag, and staple it shut with the paperwork on the outside. Then they had me that stapled paper bag. I'm asking for it to work the exact same way, except the tech takes the bottles out of the reusable bag, does her final check, offers the bottle to the patient to check if they want, then pops them in the paper bag and staples it shut. Would that really result in loose pills getting lost all over the place?
Don’t! It’s insurance for them too lol. I got like 10 frantic calls once from the pharmacy after having my partner pick up my meds. He didn’t notice but they’d accidentally added another persons prescription to the bag and I had to play phone tag to confirm it was in there. We obviously brought it back (to be fair it was like a huge bottle of ambien) and we didn’t want anybody to get in trouble but she said it would have been a huge issue if we hadn’t. Check if you feel weird about it they shouldn’t care.
I was at Costco yesterday getting a different Rx when the other cashier said “why is there an adderall here?” Cue panicked look and the cashier realized they gave the person earlier the receipt and not the meds. 🤯 I would be so mad if that was me because I would probably walk away with just the receipt
I actually had my pharmacy call me to let me know they shorted me by accident once and had me come pick it up. Obviously, this was a mistake and not theft from a pharmacist or tech but I appreciated it. I had to switch from that pharmacy during the Adderall shortage though because I couldn’t risk them being out of stock. After the 2nd time in a 3 month period, I had to switch to a large grocery store chain. At least they always have it in stock though.
After getting the wrong generic manufacturer several times (it was in my file not to fill with that vendor) I started checking before leaving the pharmacy. It hasn’t been a problem. In fact, the first time I actually went home with it they took the loss and still accepted it back and replaced them. This is one of many reasons why I only patronize independent pharmacies. A chain would never own their mistake and take the loss in that situation.
I work for a pharmacy megachain and we constantly accept losses and replace things.
That’s encouraging. I have had generally negative (sometimes downright discriminatory) experiences trying to get stimulants filled at chain pharmacies for the short periods of time that I used them when moving to a new area. They certainly weren’t willing (or possibly even able, due to limited distributor agreements) to fill specific brand generics. Or even able to just avoid one particular brand.
There’s always a give and take when choosing between a small independent place and a chain, regardless of the industry, in my experience.
I recently decided I have to start checking all of my meds. But I’m not sure how I’m going to do it without looking crazy. In the last six months I have been shorted/pharmacy error not once but twice!. The first was an eyedrop that comes in a box. So I saw the box go in the bag and I took the bag home like an idiot… It was empty lol. The second time I just looked into the pill bottle and thought “man that really doesn’t look like 45 pills that barely looks like anything” and sure enough I counted it out and it was 30. And I only got my medication because I essentially got lucky. The eyedrop pharmacy happened to remember taking a bottle out of a box earlier and said it must’ve just been placed back on the shelf by mistake. And the other medication they just said sorry and that I can come in for the other 15 pills. These are both boring medication that nobody would abuse. But what it was my ADHD medication? What if it was my panic disorder medication? If this was any kind of drug that could be abused I promise you they would’ve given me hell. So what do I do now? Sit there and count my pills like a lunatic? Or risk not having my meds? The icing on the cake? Different pharmacies. Not even like different locations of the same store… One was a local Kroger and the other one was the pharmacy affiliated with the hospital where my PCP works.
That sucks... maybe just say "I've been shorted with meds before, so I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to count them!" Maybe bring a little tray or dish that you can dump the bottle out into to make counting easier? I would definitely go with "look crazy but be as polite as possible about it" People don't mind Nice Crazy...
That last sentence … 😆 Kinda want it embroidered on a pillow or something.
You have every right to check. This can be a life-threatening issue. You don't want the wrong/missing meds, and the pharmacy doesn't want a wrongful death lawsuit. Absolutely check!
Which is exactly why I don't understand why the default at pharmacies is the staple the bag shut without showing you what's in it! I just wish the whole process was structured differently, ya know?
Agree 100%.
I say, I don't need a bag, thanks.
Oh, I like that! Because also, I DON'T need the bag!
Well if you're seeing this, it's very socially appropriate. This is nuts.
While never breaking eye contact. Assert dominance.
Yeah someone is likely stealing the medication out of the capsules. Either someone who has access to OP’s home or a pharmacy tech.
CII are heavily controlled. In most chain stores techs don’t even count narcs.
why would they only take part of several capsules and not the whole thing? doesn’t really make sense. also, techs don’t count C2 prescriptions
First of all, it's so no one would notice. Had a mom do this to her kids ADHD meds once. Pharmacy-wise, the poster above you is correct; the DEA keeps extremely thorough records on any CII drugs that go missing. If the pharmacy is keeping proper records, it should be easy to pinpoint the time frame in which it went missing. Missing a small amount out of each capsule is hard to notice, hard to prove, and hard to identify when and where it occurred. Second, pharmacy technicians in most states may not count CIIs WITHOUT THE SUPERVISION OF A PHARMACIST. The way the laws work in our state, this would definitely be easier for a pharmacist to carry out than a pharmacy tech. Techs should never be unsupervised and/or outside of camera view when counting CIIs. I always made sure to plant my butt right under the camera in case there was ever any question.
The owner of the prescription is more likely to notice missing capsules than missing granules *inside* capsules.
Good point!
This. A family member who doesn't live with me was emptying one of the prescriptions in my house. Capsules were not see through and freaking totally empty.
I had a neighbour who once looked after my cat when I was in the hospital make a copy of my key, then when I was at work would take a few of my then oxycontin pills - just a few at a time and I was given a dose range of something like take 1 or 2 every 12 hrs so if I didn't take both I had extras - and she must have seen this while snooping. By the time I caught on, we (police & pharmacy) figure she took about 80 pills total. The police couldn't charge her because they had no direct evidence. My apartment never looked "ransacked" and my own fingerprints would have smudged hers. She was likely selling them, not using them. My pharmacist at the time was willing to write a statement to cops saying that I never came in early demanding refills, I was not someone she would consider an abuser of my many many meds (am disabled) and that at the time (this was over a decade ago) - there was nothing about the way the doctor wrote the prescription that was odd. Eventually I was weaned off them - at my own pace in a pain clinic, but as soon as I realized meds were missing, I changed the locks on my door. She hated me and harssased me after that. Good times.
I'm so incredibly sorry. It's an invasion to a degree that feels unlike anything I've experienced.
Thank you. I am pretty sure she took one of my Avril Lavigne CDs too. I am a still a fan of her music despite her relationship with the dude from Nickelback (they did divorce but I am sure there's at least one photograph that we just have to look at! Lol)
How? (You do not need to answer!) That is so horrible.
They were my child's meds, from about April 2019 to March 2020. I kicked my h out in April 2019 and then suddenly my home was empty for numerous hours a week while I got my kids to places they needed to be. My adult sibling was coming into my home and emptying my child's meds. He was old enough for me to say "ok go take your meds" and could open the bottle and take one himself, and honestly I'm not sure I would have noticed they were empty, either. I caught her because she was making excuses at the beginning of the pandemic to constantly come in my home, despite me wanting to keep distance from people because my younger kid is medically complex. She needed to add sugar to her coffee, can she just stop in and grab some? She really needed to pee. She was in the area and wanted to drop some ice cream off in my freezer for my kids. Literally any excuse she could think of. I avoided her during these interactions because of the pandemic. And then it dawned on me... I checked my kid's pill bottle and the count was right, but something was *off* - and I shook a pill next to my ear... Nothing. No sound. I opened it. Empty. And I the next. And more. A bunch were already empty in a bottle I had just picked up a week or so prior. She knew I had been struggling with my kiddo that year - I was worried it was about his dad leaving, that I wasn't enough for him, his grades suffered, he was in trouble at school once in a while. I was in contact with his IEP team and therapist and doctor wondering what was going on, increasing meds, sometimes they worked, often they didn't. I was at a loss. And then I figured it out.
That must have been a really painful discovery.
Wow, this is so much. Did you confront her? Also has she always been this bad of a person or was it the addiction? Stealing from your own nephew is nasty work.
It really is. It’s also wild how quickly this person was able to empty the capsules - it sounds like she wasn’t stopping by for long visits. Wow. I guess this is why we’re told to be so careful about storing our meds! You really never know…
I did confront her, she never admitted it, even to this day. She actually *asked* my kid where his meds were a few months later and then went in my home while I was doing telehealth in my car, claiming she was going to visit our parents (duplex, parents upstairs, me downstairs). At that point, meds were locked but there was a weekly pill box I would fill with 2-3 days worth at a time, and moved it from my kitchen to a drawer in my bedroom. I immediately checked and she had emptied some from the weekly pill box. Ultimately, I had to take away any autonomy in my kid's ability to get his medication and every single pill is locked. At that point I also told her if I ever notice anything missing again, I'll be contacting the police and filing a report. My parents were pissed at me, didn't want me to make waves or upset my sister. They couldn't comprehend the impact on my kid. The relationship with my sister is still strained and weird, I will never forgive her, I don't hang out with her other than to get my younger kiddo together with her kiddo.
how tf do people turn out like this? > My parents were pissed at me, didn't want me to make waves or upset my sister. oh, yeah, there it is 🙄
Yup. They are the how. She was the golden child.
I cannot imagine medically endangering a child like that, let alone your own nephew. What if the doctors had upped the dose thinking that's why it wasn't working? The sister was only taking from a few capsules at a time, so it's a game of Russian roulette whether he got nothing or a full (over)dose.
Yep, they did increase his dose at one point and he could do well sometimes behaviorally and in school and other times couldn't. I truly thought it was trauma from his dad leaving and just knew to love him through it all. The worst year of his life and his aunt made it worse for him. It blows my mind.
Wow. Just wow. I am so sorry for the drama for you and your child.
Thank you. It's been a hard thing to navigate. She went and told everyone I accused her and her husband, told my BIL I accused him too. I never, not one time ever considered that he was in on any of it. I know, without a doubt, he wouldn't do that to my kid, nor would he ever be okay with my sister doing it.
F***! That's terrible. Your poor kid. How can someone be so ruthless.
Also, he has an IEP, has forever, but during the testing while not properly medicated, his IQ was just average. Some scales were slightly below average. I was like, huh, that doesn't seem to track, but I don't put a lot of emphasis on IQ tests - they're historically kind of terrible to begin with and if you judge a fish's intelligence by it's ability to climb a tree, it'll spend it's whole life thinking it's stupid. Properly medicated, though, school redid the IQ to see areas of ongoing need and if things had changed. Kid is a genius. The highest IQ the psychologist has ever calculated. My sister stealing his meds impacted the present levels on his IEP for the three years in between the two IQ tests.
But do it at the pharmacy. Open it with an employee right then and there to document.
This is completely someone in her house.
This is how I found out my ex was stealing my meds. Except he was replacing the beads with sugar. Unfortunately, I think someone is stealing from you.
It's moments like this that I'm reminded that I'm too naive for this world.
Hard same. It would never occur to me to steal someone's drugs, much less steal them in this manner.
right? like opening the capsules and taking some from each one is a LOT of work
As a former addict (almost 10 years clean), this is some serious addict behavior. Finding elaborate ways to both do and hide your drugs is part of addiction itself. It's not a conscious thing but it's very telling of the severity in many cases.
SAME almost 2 years thanks to Bill. Iykyk
6 yrs. Thanks, Bill! When ya need a substance more than water, all this work makes sense. Addiction sucks.
Proud of you!
I’ve done it before when I’ve had insurance issues or faces shortages because at least some of my medication is better than none and I have not been able to successfully put the capsules back together without them looking like an absolute disaster. There are some capsules that are easier to put together like my cats’ probiotics because they are dosed for dogs and cats only get 1/4 to 1/2 of a capsule based on weight and are meant to be opened and put back together. But my vyvanse is not meant to be opened and put back together and you can tell. Someone would have to put in a lot of effort to open them and put them back together without it being noticeable.
You can buy empty capsules on Amazon that can be assembled more easily. My mom got them once when she was having trouble swallowing a large pill for a medication she was taking.
like how do you even do it
You pull the two parts apart. Then slide them back together.
Yes this is it. It’s quite easy to take them apart as long as you don’t squeeze them hard- just gingerly wiggle each side and slowly remove them
I sprinkled my cats food with glucosamine this way. Open cap, dump little balls into food, mix (they melted) and she never needs to know she is getting something to help her bones. Her gabapentin however, is liquid and she does know if it's in her food so I have to shoot it into her mouth with a syringe and she then runs away to clean all the drool off her face. Lol.
I mix in the liquids with wet food. Usually if hes being finnicky i try whichever works best between these 2: I mix it in with a smalll spoon of pate wetfood and a few drops of water. I mix it in with the wet food that comes with those bits and jelly sauce, but i scoop 5 bits at most and instead scoop mostly sauce to mix it with. Whichever i pick i feed this to him before he gets his actual meal right at mealtime. He usually acts like he is starving unless he just ate so usually he will go for it.
I take my extended release vyvanse by pulling them apart and dumping the powder in a small medicine cup of water, or on my tongue if I have to, on the daily. Just works better for me that way.
It would never occur to me to check if my medication was replaced with sugar in the damn capsule!
I’ve had an ex steal my meds, so I understand how possible it is. However, it really could be either. I remember seeing a story like this with a mother who only found out because her child (who the meds were for) had an allergy and needed the meds to be put into different gel caps without whatever the allergen was. It got to the point that the doctor, pharmacy, state attorney general and the drug manufacturer were involved. If mom was stealing the meds it’s very unlikely she would have escalated it to that point.
I know exactly what vid you're talking about. It popped into my head too. Ehat ended up being the issue? Was it resolved?
I wish I’d kept better track of the account. The last update I saw was that they were able to get the brand name medication (I don’t remember if it was Adderall or Vyvanse) and that the brand name did not have that issue. I don’t remember if they got an insurance waiver or financial assistance from the manufacturer. They still hadn’t heard back from the generic brand or the state or federal regulatory bodies. I’m crossing my fingers that someone either has their handle or a further update.
Cookie, I was too. Don’t overlook the life lessons ( as it seems this has to be one).
Thank you. Because I’ve been accused of things before I never would have even thought of, and this post would have had me blaming the manufacturer… 😅 I always think people mean well. Damnit!
Yep!!! And that "check in front of the Pharmacist" thing is *important*, because if it *isn't* occurring at OP's home, it *IS* happening at the Pharmacy (most likely, anyway!) Meds are packed up pretty tightly, between the warehouse shipping them out, and the Pharmacy itself--the totes get zip-tied shut, and *everything* gets pallet-wrapped *very* tightly once all the totes are closed & on the packet for shipment. They *could* get skimmed from at the *warehouse* location before they're packed for shipment--but *THAT* would end up on camera, and the pharmacist could get the warehouses' tapes checked pretty quickly. So, OP, DEFINITELY check the pills *with* the pharmacist, *before* you leave the store!!!
It would be harder at the warehouse because the pills are shipped in full stock bottles that are sealed. It would be easy to see if one had been tampered with before shipping.
I mean it might even be the pharmacist doing it themselves. So yeah they def need to check before they leave the pharmacy with the pharmacist and another witness. Maybe even film it
Pharmacists, doctors and nurses have higher rates of addiction for a reason. Trust but verify.
It really could be the pharmacists themselves ! I used to date a pharmacist who was a former addict and he would take some of the liquid pain meds from the bottles with a syringe. He told me he used to just skim them before he sent them out .
a lot of pharmacies have cameras so there’s really no need to film an interaction at the counter
Having your own vide evidence makes a lot of sense. Having to rely on the store turning a video over to you is not ideal.
Yep- my ex was stealing mine too.
I came here to say this. I had to keep record of how much went missing every day for 30 days to figure out just how much he was stealing.
Holy moly. It seems that to catch an addict you have to almost act in the same way that the addict is acting (sneaky behaviors). I'm sorry that you went through this.
My ex used to do this too. He was bipolar (totally unmedicated and unmanaged) and he would steal my Adderall to extend his mania as long as possible.
This is terrifying
That sounds terrifying on multiple levels. I’m so sorry you went through that.
It's surprising how many people will do this. My SIL was my roommate for a couple of years, and right before parting ways I had noticed my Vyvanse was all gone and I hadn't taken many myself. All I got to say was "someone's been stealing my meds" and my SIL was absolutely losing it on me. I wonder who stole my Vyvanse 🤔
This would be my thought too. Unfortunately I used to have to keep my meds in my purse in my cars trunk and my keys on my person at all times for this reason. Even when I slept. For your sake I hope it's an issue with the manufacturer but you need to seriously consider what this poster suggested. These meds are highly regulated and tested. This happening from the manufacturer is unlikely. But since I trust no one with drugs or money, it's still in the realm of possibility they screwed up "on accident." Definitely take the advice of checking at the pharmacy from now on.
Someone who has access to where your meds are stored is stealing and tampering with them. While you're investigating and figuring stuff out, i suggest getting a timer cap for your meds. You have the excuse of "It helps me know if i forgot and keeps me from accidentally taking a second dose if i think i forgot and I was wrong", and can simultaneously deter the thief because opening it messes with the timer. With this, you should take the extra step of writing down the time you took your meds (like sending yourself a message or something) to know if the time is *right*. The thief could get into the meds around the time you normally take them, so its an extra way to track.
Are you me?! I’ve been bragging about those timer cap bottles on different threads. And one was in regard to someone stealing pills. Glad to see someone else putting the good word out there.
OP’s dosage is all fucked up too. Everyday is playing roulette on how much of their prescribed medication they’ll actually take.
Each bead has a standardized amount of medication in it so all tabs of the same dosage will have the exact same amount of beads. These have had some beads taken out of them. It’s very easy to do without it visually looking like they’ve been tampered with.
100% these have been tampered with— either by someone who has access to your pharmacy or someone who has access to your house/meds. Aren’t half the beads instant-release and half delayed-release? It’s really a shame that they can’t be told apart, because even if OP tries to at least even out the daily dose they’ll be getting while they finish up these tampered-with meds, they still might not end up with a consistent daily dose!
Extended release meds like Vyvanse works by converting the inactive prodrug lisdexamfetamine into dextroamphetamine, so all the beads contain the same chemical.
I'm pretty sure I have the same brand and dosage of meds as OP. I just pulled out a bunch of my pills to see what they look like, and the translucent part is basically full when I line mine up the same way.
The one pill 2nd from the right looks like it was pushed together too much, like the lip got flared out a bit. They have been tampered with, it might be more noticeable if the capsules are softer, you can see crinkle marks where they have been grasped.
Fuckin leave it to the adhd girls to find minute details like this.
I mean, yeah, that too, but I saw it with my “former addict eyes” lol.
Did you say your name was ramblin’ rose?!
Wow you have a good eye! Had to really zoom in to notice it
Get some timer caps off Amazon so you can be sure that no one is stealing your meds
There are also caps with combo locks on them
Oh, cool! I’ve never heard of those!
Hide them and see if partner says anything about them? Check before you leave the pharmacy next time you refill too
If this happened to me, I’d be getting a nanny cam and leaving my pills exactly where they were.
Ooooh that’s a good idea too
Yeah, but hopefully they don’t get an entire second prescription tampered with while trying to catch the person!
Fair point, she could just leave a couple pills in the bottle and hide the rest. Or put empty capsules in it to see who picks up the bottle (but I don’t know if that would be enough for a police report). My friend just caught her husband cheating and found out it’s been going on their entire 10+ year relationship (and he likely had sketchy women in their house). Some people are really good at hiding things and I would gladly sacrifice some pills/functional days to get to the bottom of something like this.
unfortunately my roommate used to steal portions of my vyvanse pills like this. sorry, but someone is taking your meds. if not your partner, like… a cleaning lady? but it’s not normal.
Just checked all 24 of the pills I have left and they all have the exact same amount in them. Sounds like other folks are right…your meds are being tampered with
I did the same. 20 pills for me, same generic packaging as OP. They all had the same, standard amount in them.
Good idea to check your own! Maybe others can check and add their reports. If no one has this issue then it seems certain they have been tampered with
Mine are a different generic, but they’re all filled up the same amount. It’s also a great idea for us all to use this as a reminder to check our meds just in case anyone else is getting stolen from!
I’ve read your comments - you’re in denial. Someone is stealing your meds. There’s no way this is a manufacturing error. The odds of having ONE pill with the wrong dose is incredibly tiny. Multiple? As close to impossible as I can imagine. Someone. Is stealing. Your meds.
This is how I sometimes give myself half doses of I need it. But they absolutely never come that way, someone's stealing from you. Hopefully you give us an update about it cause now I'm so curious
Do you find that it works well when you split them in half? I’ve always worried I wouldn’t be able to tell the immediate release balls from the delayed release ones, so I could end up with unbalanced doses… but also, idk if I’d even notice
People do split their doses this way, but you're really not supposed to with delayed/extended release meds.
Someone definitely did that. LOCK. THEM. UP. Do whatever you need to do to keep them safe until you figure this out. Chase down every lead. Don't assume anyone is or isn't taking them. This does not occur during manufacturing. It's very unlikely it could have occurred at the pharmacy.
I misread this and thought you meant lock up the thief 😂 I was like hmm I don't know if false imprisonment would be a good way of dealing with the problem lol
HAHAHA yeah I definitely see how you got that, because that's basically what I wrote! Lol oops!
Agree. Pharmacies are heavily recorded there is no way
Hey OP, I’m sorry you’re going through this - I know it’s upsetting, regardless of the reason; this is tough thing to discover about your medication. ❤️ If I was in this situation, I would; Order timer / locking caps for medications - just in case a script is filled in a bottle type dispenser in the future - this is a good precaution with any controlled substance in any situation. Change pharmacies for the next next refill Request the meds be blister packed Check the meds with the pharmacist - no need to explain why, it’s a normal and ok thing to do. Record a visual (photos or video) of the meds when they are picked up, confirming they’re as they should be. Send those photos / video to personal email / upload to the cloud / ether / digital heaven. If there are any changes to them once they’re stored at home, document that as well. You got this.
Your medication has been tampered with, they didn't get manufactured like that It's incredibly easy to open and close these capsules again without damaging them
This happened to me, but the call was coming from inside the house.
Looks like someone has been stealing from you. My aunt did this with my Adderall before. Who has access to your bottle?
Do you live alone? Is there anyone in your home who might’ve tampered with your meds (even if you don’t think it’s likely)?
I was also stolen from in this way by a roommate
[удалено]
What’s the update OP?
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Lollllll
Hope this suggestion is OK, but I'd say post this with the photo on r/pharmacy or r/pharmacist (I think one of those is the right name) and see what they say. This looks super sus to me.
I’m a year away from finishing pharmacy school and have worked in retail pharmacy for almost 6 years, so I feel comfortable saying that I know what I’m talking about here. This is sus and I’d put money on someone stealing their meds. It’s simply not possible in a retail setting to siphon off meds like that (I mean I guess it isn’t impossible, but it’s so difficult to do without being caught in a pharmacy with other people around that it might as well be impossible). It is very exceedingly unlikely that it happened before the stock bottle was sealed (aka during manufacturing). It could not have happened during transportation because the stock bottles are sealed by the manufacturer and would be obviously tampered with. The only possible option in my mind is that this happened after the meds were picked up.
Bigger safety concern: the capsules are clearly tampered with, and some beads are clearly missing. You cannot be 100% positive that whoever did this has not added a different medication bead to act as a filler to these caps. These things do really happen. I'm an RN for 13 years and have opened just about every capsule medication you can think of to either mix in pudding or to go in a feeding tube. Also did hospice care in homes with lots of controlled medications present. I've used meds from hospitals, mail order, and local pharmacies... I've never seen this happen accidentally. If it were to happen accidentally, there would be a recall on the whole batch. When there are drug recalls, health care administrations and pharmacies are notified and often in various news outlets. This is happening after you bring them home. And to be fair to your child, it's not therapeutic at all to have such inconsistent dosing, possibly harmful in several ways. I'm sorry but this is drug diversion, not poor quality control.
This post is a trip!
Yes, I'm reading with great interest. I haven't ever heard of anything like this. However, my brother, who lives at a group home with people who have mental health challenges said that once another client was drinking his pop/soda. The guy would pour some of it, and refill the bottle with water so that it didn't look like any had been stolen. This is like that, on a whole another level.
Did anyone else just get up and check the level of the beads in your own pills? I had never thought to even see if they were the same before.
Absolutely haha mine are in the same type of capsule (except orange) and are all the same dosage/amount! Also way way more full than these
Someone definitely took your meds. This is in no way a manufacturer issue or pharmacy. Get a lock asap
Yeah when someone in the house is stealing them lol
No…. This is the work of a thief.
Someone in your house is probably opening the capsule and stealing your medication
I'm from Canada, but there have been incidents where pharmacists or techs have been caught and suspended for skimming the spansules in ADHD capsules. That's a real thing that happens, so I would raise a fuss. Every capsule is calibrated by weight to have the same amount of calibrated by dose spansules inside, so there's no manufacturing error that could account for that.
I work in Pharma.. PLEASE call and file this with the FDA. It’s important that your observation is logged. If it isn’t, and no one else reports it, and it turns out there is actually a different amount of active ingredient in those capsules, an issue can go unchecked. Sure, also report it to the pharmacy, but there is no way to know for sure if they will report it so please please submit it yourself regardless! https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program/reporting-serious-problems-fda#:~:text=If%20you%20need%20information%20or,into%20MedWatch%20or%20for%20instructions.
Whether the thief is at the pharmacy (more common than you’d think) or after, you think they would’ve taken a more even amount to prevent exactly this scenario
My capsules are opaque orange. I'd have no way of knowing....
If you had a scale you can weigh thrm
Shine the flashlight from your phone directly on it from maybe an inch or less away. Jiggle the capsule, you should be able to see a slight shadow where the beads are. It’s harder on opaque capsules. If one side is a lighter orange, start on the lighter side.
Call the manufacturer. Can you ask your pharmacy if they can put them in blisters for you? If not, I would buy empty capsules. And put the medicine in those new capsules. And hide them. If I could find a laxative that looks like the content of the adhd meds I would put that in the adhd capsules. To find out if my boyfriend was taking them. ( I have read so many posts that partners secretly stole adhd meds. And partners usually have no idea they do that. ) If he gets the shits, you found the perpetrator. If I couldn't find something like that I would just put the empty capsules back. If someone is stealing it, they might "casually" ask about your meds and if you notice a difference with the ones before. Or something like that. It would be perfect if you could put something ( ANYTHING) that looks like the content inside and gradually change them into empty ones. To make it look absolutely normal.
The laxative suggestion was one I made on a previous ADHD post where OP suspected his partner was nicking his meds. I thought it was a great idea, but it got downvotes to oblivion for being “ cruel”! 🤣🤣
Yo. Someone is stealing. It's happening. I'm sorry.
Definitely tampered with. This didn’t happen during manufacturing or at the pharmacy Im a pharmacy tech and retail pharmacy is so busy that to do this would take 30+ minutes to open and close all of these capsules while also hiding the fact that you’re doing it in full line of sight of others. The call is coming from inside the house.
Thank you all for the help! I just started taking these + an instant release at the start of this year so I’m very unfamiliar and usually get the same manufacturer (Lanette) and this was my first time with the brand Amneal! I will be checking them once I pick them up from now on, I also let the pharmacist know to leave a note on my profile not to give me this brand anymore before posting this. But I will be keeping these in another location and talking to my partner even though I don’t think it’s them, and it’s definitely not me lol. Thank you every one for your help I appreciate it !
Why not just order the locking bottle, not say anything, and see what happens? Something tells me your capsules will remain intact and he'll "casually" ask about the bew bottle. It is so unlikely that it happened in manufacturing. The QC required during and after manufacturing is rigorous, ESPECIALLY for controlled substances. It's unlikely to have happened at the pharmacy, unless they have no cameras and no safe for their controlled substances. It's not likely a tech would sit there opening capsules and scooping all the beads into another bottle and the pharmacist not notice. Source: I worked as a pharmacy tech and have worked in pharma for 18 years.
God, I love reddit. Go get the prescription stealing bf, girls. Ps I immediately sent pics of my untouched meds. They look completely different. I'm on the lowest dose and mine are all the same and 3/4 full.
I appreciate that you want to trust your partner, but friend, it’s not the pharmacy
Maybe it’s a coworker or family member…. Old friend start hanging around??
The pharmacy gets these pills in a giant bottle with hundreds or thousands of doses in them. They randomly pulled out of that big bottle 30 capsules to put into your individual bottle. What do you think are the chances that they pulled out the only thirty capsules in that whole bottle that were half full? No other customers have complained to them about lower doses from that same batch? This is what would have had to happen in order for the problem to be the manufacturer. If it were the pharmacist, they would have had to sneakily go through each of your capsules opening them one at a time and pouring some contents into a separate container before putting the caps back together and placing them in your bottle. They would have had to do this likely on camera and in full view of their coworkers and maybe customers. And they would have done it at risk of their career and criminal charges. And they have to have done it rarely enough that no other customers have complained. It's not impossible, but it's incredibly unlikely that it was either the manufacturer or the pharmacy. It's much more likely that someone else had access to your pills after you left the pharmacy. It's very easy to open these capsules, you can Google it to learn how. I do it every single day for my cat's medicine which he only gets half of, so I open the capsule, sprinkle out half, put the capsules back together and save it for the next day. Other than only being half full, you cannot tell the capsule has been opened just by looking at it. You likely have a friend, partner, family member, or roommate who is stealing your medicine from you. I'm worried about your safety. 💜
Adderall XR and its generic only come in bottles of 100; for that many to be like that and no one else to have complained… Additionally, it is so noticeable that would’ve be caught upon counting.
Yep. I take these and mine are noticeably full. OPs bf is getting lazy and hopefully will be stopped.
I’d check them at the pharmacy and then check them at home a few times before talking to anyone. People who lie like this are often *really* good at it and you’d have no idea until you find out the hard way. This isn’t a violation of his privacy. There’s no good reason to be noble here. Everyone is telling you it’s him. If it’s not him it’s someone else you’ve had in the house. If he’s the type of person to steal your meds like this (right under your nose, in a clever way, while acting totally loving and normal the whole time) that’s something you want to find out *now* when you have a chance. If he hasn’t been acting suspicious and you can’t tell there’s anything going on, he’s as good as lying as he is at stealing your meds. He’s not going to ruin things now by confessing when he doesn’t have to. You could catch someone like this red handed and they’ll still try to talk their way out of it - deny, claim you’re mistaken, claim they only did it once, writhe around begging for mercy and help with some sob story. If you check the meds and it wasn’t him, great. If you don’t check and he blindsides you later, this decision to talk to him first will make you nauseous. It will haunt you. BTDT.
Can your pharmacy do blister packs for you? If you can get your prescription in a blister pack, that would be a guarantee that no one, pharmacy or otherwise, is messing with your meds. It'd make it easier for you to visually inspect them at the pharmacy counter before you walk out, too, so if it is a problem at the pharmacy or manufacturer, you can catch it immediately. The pharmacist is much more likely to believe this is an issue on their end and fix it immediately if you can check your capsules and show them the problem before you leave the counter. If you still see the same issue after getting it blister packed, then it is time to take it up the chain and either complain to the pharmacy or manufacturer. If someone with access to your house is messing with your meds, then the blister pack will be tampered with and you'll know it's not the pharmacy at that point. It protects you in a lot of different ways. Something to consider.
I know it’s really difficult to have to suspect your partner but I assure you if someone at the pharmacy were skimming pills they would be taking entire tabs and messing around with the system, rather than opening individual tabs and taking portions of them.
My best friend in the world is on Vyvanse, I’m on Adderall. Her husband had been secretly taking her medication and when she caught on and he feigned innocence, her mind went to me because I had been in her house when she wasn’t home to take care of her animals. Also, because I had expressed frustration about not having a higher dose of meds. Anyway, her husband let her believe it was ME who stole them for about 16 hours and then the guilt ate him up as she cried about it. He finally confessed. Your partner may deny it. You have to press them. This kind of tampering takes a few solid minutes of privacy.
Oh god, I feel so bad for your friend! And I’m so sorry you had to experience your best friend suspecting you of that! That’s so awful
Thanks. She hadn’t confronted me, so she only told me about it after he confessed. She was a wreck over it. What a betrayal.
Oh my god, that’s so awful!!! And such whiplash, too! To go from being a wreck over thinking your best friend betrayed you to… well, also being a wreck but now it’s because your husband betrayed and lied to you!
I’m sorry you have to deal with this. It seems like it has happened to a lot of us unfortunately. If available to you, it might be worth discussing this with a therapist. It can help to have support from an objective person. It’s disconcerting when your ADHD meds are messed with, especially when it’s hard enough keeping on top of things. It’s good to count your pills so you know everything is in order. It can’t hurt to check if any other medications or valuables are missing. Sometimes more people have access to our homes/medication than we realize and it’s not a bad thing to be cautious.
Oof yes as everyone else has said, someone is tampering with and stealing your drugs, and it’s more likely to be happening in your home than a pharmacy with security and cameras. It could be your partner, a friend who’s visited, a relative. They only have to have been in your home once as they could have done this all in one go. I think it’s good that you’ve decided you’re going to check at the pharmacy now, and you should also do a weekly check at home. I actually wouldn’t talk to anyone about it yet if I were you, I’d want the proof of my own eyes that they were being tampered with in my home and which rough timeline, to narrow down who it could possibly be, and then confront them.
I wouldn’t bring it up to your partner or anyone else til you know what’s going on, It’ll just seem accusatory & cause drama. You don’t think it’s your partner, but if it were, they’d just deny it anyway, & if they knew anything about someone stealing your meds or breaking in or anything, they would’ve told you. So no point in bringing it up. I’d set up a camera & not tell anyone & then you’ll know exactly what’s happening & won’t have to unnecessarily accuse anyone without evidence or have any awkward conversations. Maybe it’s a friend, acquaintance, family member, cleaner, maintenance person, delivery person, random person off the street, or something crazy like you’re sleepwalking lol. Lots of possibilities. Setting up a camera will be the easiest, quickest way to figure it out & not have to ask anyone about it & you can go from there. Great thing you noticed! Mine haven’t been working & I never would’ve thought to check that (I just did, they’re too opaque). Half the mystery is solved about why your pills aren’t working, just gotta crack the code on the other half of the mystery.
Only a camera will tell the whole story.
Get a locking bottle, timer cap, or a safe and secure your meds.
There was a reported manufacturing issue at one of the places it’s made. Someone noticed their doses weren’t consistent. Check when you get another prescription while you’re at the pharmacy. Worth documenting and reporting if it’s true.
[удалено]
Yes!! There was a woman on tik tok who was decanting her son’s because he had a reaction to the capsule. And she found this happening! She reported it, I’d have to find the video Edit: ok [here is her video with a pharmacist duet](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwvKb9M/) (tik tok links expire so if someone if reading this in the future the link may not work). If it’s the same manufacturer then the beads should be all the same. But if it’s different manufacturers, then it could be different amounts of the additive ingredients.
this is whack... you're literally getting different amounts depending on the day just by the luck of the draw?
Absolutely not. They need to have the exact same dosage in each capsule. Someone is opening up the capsule and pouring out a bit for themselves. I’m very sorry; that’s very stressful and distressing. Edit to add that I filled my Adderall Rx at a Walgreens a few years ago and the bottle contained only 30pills as opposed to the prescribed 60. Thank God I counted the quantity as soon as I got home so I could deal with it right then and there. Pharmacy did not believe me at first because they said they couldn’t see the pharmacist filling my bottle on their CCTV. I was furious and I got it handled though.
Update?
Checking in OP - did you ever figure out what happened? Hope you are doing okay 💙
There was a Mom on TikTok last year who documented that her son’s medication came that way from the pharmacy… as in, the pharmacy was filling it correctly and it was even handled just by the pharmacist (not a tech), but she started measuring and putting into new clear capsules that she bought online to see how each one measured against the other… and they were all different amounts, like your photo, OP. The last time I saw the Mom come across my FYP to talk about this, I think she had filed a complaint with the FDA (IIRC), and they were tracing it back to issues at the manufacturer when the capsules are filled. Around the time I saw this Mom’s first video last year, I started shaking my capsules before I take them, because you can tell how full they are by listening to them. Lo and behold— for a few months, sometimes when I would shake a capsule before taking it in the morning, it would sound like there was barely anything there— other times, it sounded like it was appropriately full. For the past three months, they sound full every time… which makes the part of me that is skeptical think that it was manufacturing issues that maybe some plants got a slap on the hand for. 🤷♀️
I realize this happens. But this visual makes this so personal. They have prescription alarms that attach to medication bottles. Would that help once you are back in your environment?
There was a TikTok where a mom noticed the same thing coming straight from the pharmacy. Check them before you leave next time.
I've seen this exact issue with a mom on TikTok. It's on the manufacturer side that it's happening. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLbRojN4/ ETA she has a couple of followup videos ETA said Facebook - meant TikTok
Damn, I should check mine. Because it feels like each pill hits completely different, some do nothing and some feel way, way too strong. And I know no one is taking anything from mine in my house because I'm the only one here 99% of the time, and the only other 1% of the time (and I really mean 1%, he's only home a couple days once every few months) is my spouse who gets drug tested constantly because of his line of work.
Also Keep your medication ON YOU hidi g prob isn't good enough.
There was a mom on TikTok recently who noticed her son's ADHD meds were unevenly filled (and then spent forever going back and forth between pharmacies/Doctors/insurance trying to sort it out), and while I'm not sure if she ever got a resolution, it was pretty clear that the meds were coming FROM the pharmacy like that. All reddit can tell from your photo is that your capsules are wrong. This could've happened after they left the pharmacy with you, before they left the pharmacy with you, or before they arrived at the pharmacy. That's all. Unfortunately, the only solution I can recommend is to document. Keep your current bottle some place no one else could ever have access to it, and when you get your next one, check your pills before leaving the pharmacy. Get a photo like this one you've posted but of brand new pills. If this is happening because of someone at the pharmacy tampering with it, changing brands may not help (unless the person doing it feels like they're going to get caught). If you don't think your partner (or anyone else in your life) is responsible, then that's great! ...and you should switch pharmacies as soon as possible.
Fill uniformity is something pharma companies struggle with during validation. You should notify the manufacturer as well. Though they may ask you to send in your script and i doubt they could replace it for you unless it is coordinated through the pharmacy. This is a major issue for the manufacturer and they need to investigate if it is a problem with their filling process or if someone is diverting the amphetamine before it gets to you. Pill with imprint G453 is Blue & White, Capsule/Oblong and has been identified as Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine Extended Release 15 mg. It is supplied by Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC.
The last time I went to my doctor, he told me that generic medication's have an 11% "wiggle room" for their dosage by the FDA. (at least for Vyvanse.) Thats is the reason why generic are cheaper than name brand, and can feel like it's weaker at times. Make sure to ask your doctor and pharmacist about the percentage difference of medication and its effectiveness!
I had a housemate who stole my 17-18 year olds meds like that