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half empty vyvanse capsules?

Hi all, today I obtained a new script for 20mg of Vyvanse (a switch from Adderall XR). I got it filled at CVS, and having read accounts of tampering, I checked out the capsules and noticed their contents are low, and significantly varied. Most of the capsules are only HALF full, and none of them are entirely full. I'll also note that I picked the script up myself, and kept them in a secure place until I opened them. I assumed they wouldn't be vacuum packed but the amount free space looks strikingly redundant. I tried calling both the pharmacy and Shire, only to get the runaround. CVS said that the pills are delivered pre-assembled, and Shire gave a lecture about "natural settling" and FDA enforced measurement uniformity. My instincts tell me that somebody opened the capsules, took half of the drugs out, and will dispense or use them at their hearts dictates--scot-free. Because who's to say I didn't alter them myself? After all, it's a "controlled substance" user's word against a drug company and or giant pharmacy chain. Anyone take these? Is it normal for the caps to be half full? I hope I'm wrong on this one.
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Avatar universal
Vyvanse capsules no matter what dose all have the same concentration of powder inside.  Meaning that a 20mg capsule will have less powder in it than a 70mg capsule.  For example, bc I do not know exactly, but say The powder is all 10mg of actual drug per 100mg of powder, with the extra 90mg being fillers...etc.  A 20 mg capsule will have 200mg of powder while a 70mg capsule will have 700mg of powder.  
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BINGO
Curious as to why usually the Vyvanse capsules are 100% full of powder and this last month the capsules were 3/4 full except one capsule was 100% full. The dosing instructions for Vyvanse say the capsules can be swallowed or else the capsules can be opened to mix the powder with a glass of water, so sometimes I’d just swallow the capsule and sometimes I’ll try mixing the powder in water and I just noticed this past month some Vyvanse capsules were 3/4 full of powder except one capsule was 100% full of powder, so I went ahead to check the full bottle and noticed the capsules were 3/4 full except one capsule was 100% full.

There’s a lot of forums online after a quick Google search where a lot of people have experienced capsules not being 100% full. I guess the curiosity is because one capsule out of 30 was 100% full, and then every month prior every capsule was 100% full, so it’s just something that made me wonder and the only explanation would be because of fillers in the powder since each capsule is designed to have the same exact amount of the active ingredient in it and therefore it must be irrelevant whether or not each capsule has the same amount of powder in it. Maybe the machines that assemble the capsules at the manufacturing company use different batches of powder with different fillers and somehow one capsule out of 30 was filled all the way like every month prior and then maybe a new batch of powder with different fillers ended up only needing to take up 3/4 of a capsule and that must be how the latest bottle of capsules had all the capsules 3/4 full except for one being 100% full.

I just know the only explanation would be because of fillers in the powder because each capsule is designed to have the same exact amount of the active ingredient in it so it would therefore have to be irrelevant how much powder is in each capsule.
Avatar universal
Please contact me. I would like to know if anyone knows the gram weight to each capsule. I just weighed each capsule and had weights from 11 to 16 and none of my capsules were full. This is the second month in a row this has happened. The capsules were difficult to open the first 4 months I was on medication, now they are not. I know we are being ripped off. I am on 50 mg capsules.
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I was wondering if you know what the correct weight of the capsule. I'm on 50mg too,i got my new script Monday and even took it later than normal it I notice at work it wasn't working right n only about 2 hours in they uasally I don't notice them wearing off till the end of the night. I don't want to accuse pharmacy n make them not like me.I contacted my Dr but haven't herd nothing back
189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
  Sounds silly, but double check the label and make sure that they didn't  cut your order in half.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I would dump them all out on pharmacy counter and check them when I picked them yo so they can't say u tampered with the medication
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
i used to take them  i never noticed them being half full. my dosage was 25 at first then 30  but still nothing like that.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there i picked up my Vyvanse today and one of the capsules almost full and then one was just under half and now one other was half. The reason i started checking them is my last script i was taking them but wasnt getting any relief, so i opened a capsule and there was nothing in it at all. I didnt say anything  because they probably would not do anything about it, and think im lying.
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Avatar universal
The powder in a vyvanse often gets compacted making the capsule seem less full.  Also, the few times ive opened one, they seem about 3 quarter filled which looks normal
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Avatar universal
I have had the exact same issues! My son started acting like he was off his meds and his capsules were all completely empty!!! The pharmacy cvs even implied I could have taken the powder out. They refused to fix it. I had to have my insurance override it and get new medication. So they got paid twice! Since then I check my meds when i pick up and they ALWAYS have different amounts of powder in them. Either they are screwing people to get money or someone is stealing the powder. Something is up. Sometimes my capsules are almost empty, half full or completely full. Has to be manufacturer. If anyone gets a law suit together, let me know. I am pretty sure tampering with kids meds or selling something without filing it is illegal.
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2 Comments
My granddaughter looked at her 40mg Vyvanse pill this am & noticed that the capsule was only 1/2 filled w/ medication.   I got her RX filled at Walmart this time instead of Walgreens because her Dad changed jobs & his insurance hasn't gone into effect yet.  At first I examined the capsules to see if they had been tampered with.  I don't have a clue because I don't know what I'm looking for.  There seems to be a dimple in the green/bluish capsule side at the curved end.  Does everyone else see that on their capsule.  I know the capsules from Walgreens are almost full.  At least 3/4 full. The ones gotten at Walmart are only 1/2 full.  Maybe the pharmacist or pharmacy tech is tampering with the meds there!?  How would we know it how could we find out?
Maybe we all need to talk to a lawyer it's not right to mess with people medication
Avatar universal
I also have a very accurate scale and I see wide variations in weight and volume. Even when "full", some 30mg capsules only weigh 22mg (including the capsule). I have never had empty ones, but often have seen 1/2 full ones. With this many people seeing this, it has to be the manufacture!
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Avatar universal
My son has been on Vyvanse 30 mg for over 4 years and I went to a different pharmacy than I use but have used them in the past. So this past month I started to notice him acting differently as if he had forgot to take his meds and then his teachers started calling me about his behavior at school so I then checked his pills and I opened up every one that he had left in his bottle and they were all absolutely empty!! I am mortified, I called the pharmacy and talked to the pharmacist and he said I should call the manufacturer so that's what I will be doing. My son now has his meds from the pharmacy we usually use and I checked them and they are all full so hopefully this doesn't happen again. But, again this is my child's life...just makes me so upset.
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
Vyvanse capsules no matter what dose all have the same concentration of powder inside.  Meaning that a 20mg capsule will have less powder in it than a 70mg capsule.  For example, bc I do not know exactly, but say The powder is all 10mg of actual drug per 100mg of powder, with the extra 90mg being fillers...etc.  A 20 mg capsule will have 200mg of powder while a 70mg capsule will have 700mg of powder.  T
I have been on Vyvanse 70 mg for 5 years or longer and I took my medication this morning about 15 mins later nothing it was as if I didn't take anything, so I checked my pills and 13 of them was less than half full so I took another one and I was fine.  What am I suppose to do for those 13 days do without.  I never had this problem before.  From what I have been reading this is not a quodience, to many people are complains about the same problem.  I'm from Kentucky
189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
   I am guessing that you would need a very accurate scale to measure any weight that small.  A scientific scale would work, but I doubt that any kitchen scale would.  Double check the size compared to your old pills.   Perhaps its just a one time thing?  Post and let us know if this is still a problem after say two more times - or if everything is now ok.
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1 Comments
I have also noticed a significant reduction of the medication since I started it about a year and a half. In order to stretch it I would take some of the powder out and put it in another capsule. Mine are packed like really condensed like if they got wet and dried off. I have not mentioned it to anyone. Everyone is touchy with this medication unless you are a kid. I am a very careful patient. I do not drink alcohol use any illegal drugs, buy drugs or sell them. I have gone on a two day holiday to try to bump up the effect. 1) I have a lot of paperwork. I am getting a new job
2) any longer I am in pain because I have fibromyalgia. Surprisingly, the Vyvanse helps the body aches. 3) the holiday gives it two days of potency then it is back to working part of the day. It sucks because no one is going to believe us on this. I see my PA and he is very timid and I am sure he will not give an Adderall booster.I don't like Adderall. It has a lot of side effects. We are stuck on this.
Avatar universal
Same issue. Wasn't getting any effect from them which is rare as I don't take them daily and have not built up a tolerance.. The pills have barely any powder in them but when I found an old one in my purse it was pretty full when i held it up to the light.  Nothing will ever come of it.. our word against big pharma... HA!
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Avatar universal
i've had the same experience this week. very disturbing.  but yes- quite the conundrum when you consider it's our word against big pharma. i think i'm just going to bring it up with my doctor and see what she says.
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Avatar universal
i've had the same experience this week. very disturbing.  but yes- quite the conundrum when you consider it's our word against big pharma. i think i'm just going to bring it up with my doctor and see what she says.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It probably has to do with settling, I noticed this too so I decided to weigh some capsules out. I have a very accurate scale, to the milligram, and the weights were pretty consistent even though some capsules appeared half full. A 50mg vyvanse weighs about 175mg including the capsule and there was little variance (+/-5mg) in any capsule, even comparing one that appeared completely full to one that appeared half full.  I also tried weighing just the powder of a full and half full capsule, they both weighed about 125mg. The half full one did have more "chunks" of powder though, a significant amount was compressed into a cylinder shape which is probably part of the reason why it appeared to have less powder. So it seems like the batch may impact how dense the powder is, but the weight seems consistent, which is probably the important part. But if you're getting completely empty capsules that is obviously something to be concerned about
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Avatar universal
two months ago I had my sister pick up my daughters Rx for me and noticed that all but 10 pills were half empty; however, because it was so late in the month I decided I would wait and just keep an eye on them. The next month I picked them up and they were all full, so then I started thinking my own sister tampered with them. I picked up this months Rx last night and I noticed once again they were half full so I went back to the pharmacy to bring to his attention. He never noticed it before but in front of me he opened a brand new bottle by the manufacturer that had never been opened and they were all half full. He suggested I call the company directly and he asked that I get back to him about the outcome because he too was curious as to why this is happening. I haven't called the company yet but definitely plan to today. I am glad that its not the pharmacy or pharmacist and to know I am not the only one noticing it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
From what I know, and from experience, the capsule is not supposed to be completely full, but not half full. If you take the two sides of the capsule, the inner part(usually the white, longer piece) should be full where if you flash a light through it you can't see the light. The shorter, outer side(usually the colored piece) should have a little "bubble", an empty space where the inner part ends and the end that rounds off, that allows the capsule to be closed when being put together. An easy way to tell if your pill isn't full(and to lower your liability of tampering by opening it) is to take a small flash light and put it against the capsule with the colored, outer shell upwards, you can see the contents, you can also lightly squeeze and role in your fingers the capsule to make any powder stuck to the sides fall off. This has recently happened to me, I got a prescription for 40mg and they worked as well as 15-20mg pills so I had to take two for them to work so I flashed a light through to see that most of the capsules were barely half full, I called my pharmacy and told them, they thought I meant the little bubble on the end, so they told me there is nothing wrong. So either something happened to my pills(tampering or manufacturing defect) or that I suddenly needed 80mg overnight.
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Avatar universal
I'm looking into the same issue. Numerous clues over the last year have led me to wonder if 1 particular pharmacist is taking medication out of my pills.  I didn't really think it was possible, so when the medication worked some days and not others I didn't think too much about it. But I got a large prescription filled (90 tablets) and this particular pharmacist took the prescription apart twice and reshelved it. The pharmacy claimed it was their error, but seriously, who does this twice? She took it apart on day 31 of a 30 day prescription claiming it was too early to fill. I ended up getting it on day 32. The levels of medication in each pill differ significantly. Taking it apart twice would have given the pharmacist the opportunity to take a fair amount out, i.e. up to 3x90, or 270 pills worth.

I was informed that there is no generic form of Vyvanse available.  Also, I take the 60 mg. This is a weight measure and the pill should weigh 60mg plus the weight of the capsule. So weighing an empty capsule should allow you to get the total weight of a full pill. Some of mine are full right to the top, which I would expect with that dose. My son is also on ADD medication, adderall in his case, and his look low as well. No chance of abuse in his case, as he doesn't even want to take any on weekends, and often doesn't.

I think I can provide the weight of 50 mg pills for alwaysalice22, as I have some old ones around. But as I said, weight is weight. It should be 50mg + the weight of the gelatin capsule. Thats why pills of higher mg weight can get so large. I'll do some weighing when I locate my scale and report results back. None of us should have to suffer because of a pharmacist who's an addict.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
  Are you on a generic ?  Also try weighing something like a quarter, several times.  a gram is a pretty small unit of measure and the scale could be off.
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Avatar universal
Please contact me. I would like to know if anyone knows the gram weight to each capsule. I just weighed each capsule and had weights from 11 to 16 and none of my capsules were full. This is the second month in a row this has happened. The capsules were difficult to open the first 4 months I was on medication, now they are not. I know we are being ripped off. I am on 50 mg capsules.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ok, here goes another thing. I have been on Vyvanse about 4 yrs. and being a detailed oriented person I had noticed that the capsules in the past had the lettering lined up on the capsules but when I started feeling like they were not working I checked on the capsules and sure enough they were off centered, but they still felt the same weight, unlike what you all are talking about. Of course people who tamper could have gotten wise about the weight of them. I have been on the same mg for a long time so just figured that I was getting a tolerance for them. I have definitely noticed a difference for several months now. When I checked on the internet for others questions on this I saw several other people with complaints. So checked the wording on the capsules. When I checked originally it was to see if there was a generic for Vyvanse and several people were attributing the lack of effect from being maybe a question of a change in the generic.
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Avatar universal
This is happening to my son's pills also...in fact it has been an issue for a couple of years and I just don't know what to do about it.
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Avatar universal
The amount medicine can appear lower due to pressure fluctuation.  I think you are all imagining things.
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1 Comments
I don't think so
Avatar universal
Goo idea.
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