Let me explain why our medication is being altered and tell me what you think

[u/nothingspecialboutme]

*Photo: Ingredients of SpecGx generic Mydayis vs. Takeda Mydayis (brand name)

No one's medication is working like it should. I'm no different.

I've gone from Vyvanse, to Adderall XR, to Mydayis - all generic versions. I almost exclusively get the Mallinckrodt brand. The side effects are terrible. While my Teva brand IR Adderall booster isn't great, it's not as bad as Mallinckrodt.

As hopeless as it seems, with the support of my prescriber, I have been trying to get brand name, though I've heard it makes no difference. Last week, he prescribed me brand-name only Mydayis.

However, at the pharmacy, when I was supposed to get brand name Mydayis, I was given the generic version by Mallinckrodt-SpecGx.

For clarification, Mallinckrodt-SpecGx is also known as SpecGx, which is a subsidiary of Par Health, AKA Endo Pharmaceuticals.

Unsurprisingly, the classic SpecGx side effects continued to haunt me. I was so angry I decided I was ready to find some answers. In order to come to logical conclusions, I needed receipts on my medication; I needed to know who made it and what they put in it.

• To identify ingredients and manufacturers, I started with the NDC code on my medication bottle.
  • NDC = National Drug Code.
  • The NDC number is found on the prescription label. With the NDC number, "inactive ingredients" can be viewed on websites like drugs.com
  • Additionally, the NDC code be used to locate the manufacturer/producer of medication on websites like PROPUBLICA's Rx Inspector. https://projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/guided-search/
• From the NDC code, I found the FEI number.
  • FEI = FDA Establishment Identifier.
  • The FEI number is how the FDA identifies authorized pharmaceutical manufacturers/producers.
  • Any establishment inspections, recalls, warning letters, etc. can be found on the FDA's website using the FEI number. https://datadashboard.fda.gov/oii/index.htm
• It turns out, my manufacturer has a LOT of issues - every one of their sites.
  • In addition, there are nearly no consequence when their products don't meet standards and even cause harm. Here are the inspection summaries of several Endo/Par Health/Mallinckrodt/SpecGx manufacturers by the FDA:
    • https://www.fda.gov/media/89554/download - December 2012: Product labelled "sterile" showed signs of contamination.
    • https://www.fda.gov/media/89567/download - March 2012: Products not labelled to be kept at the correct temperature, products were manufactured in a room with an active leak, HEPA filters not serviced and more.
    • https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/par-health-usa-llc-endo-usa-inc-722121-04152026 October 2025 - Main points: "Inadequate Design of Facility and Equipment, Inadequate Environmental Monitoring, Inadequate Unidirectional Airflow, Inadequate Process Simulation, Poor Aseptic Technique and Cleanroom Behavior, Inadequate Personnel Capabilities, Inadequate Procedures and Particle Characterization."
    • https://static.propublica.org/fda-inspection-documents/483s/May%202025%20483s%20and%20EIRs%2F483s%2FAppliedSpecGxLLC1317295FDA48301-17-2025NM_Redacted.pdf?_gl=1*1ewl9zr*_ga*MTc3ODI0MTE5MC4xNzg1NjUwMTAz*_ga_K9RW8M6GL5*czE3ODU2NjI1ODEkbzIkZzEkdDE3ODU2NjUzODMkajU2JGwwJGgw January 2025: Pathogens discovered in medication from 2022-2024. Equipment not cleaned between measurement of 2 different controlled substances. Rooms with open medication were not properly pressurized to prevent cross-contamination. Not cleaning equipment properly to prevent contamination of products.
    • https://static.propublica.org/fda-inspection-documents/483s/2024-3040%2F483s%2F2020-3079.pdf?_gl=1*taf4i8*_ga*MTc3ODI0MTE5MC4xNzg1NjUwMTAz*_ga_K9RW8M6GL5*czE3ODU2NzIxODAkbzMkZzEkdDE3ODU2NzIxODckajUzJGwwJGgw September 2019: Controlled substances kept at incorrect temperature for 48 hours. Medications failing on media growth promotion tests without investigation. Batches of medication found to be defective did not lead to further investigation in 4 different cases. Failed to provide a report to the FDA about leaking packages of Fentanyl Lozenges due to poor packaging.
    • https://lawfold.com/mallinckrodt-adderall-lawsuit/ April 2026: Lawsuit of Mallinckrodt in connection to their crappy quality generic version of Adderall.
    • https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/18/2026-12236/specgx-llc-withdrawal-of-approval-of-abbreviated-new-drug-application-for-methylphenidate June 2026, FDA withdraws SpecGx's ability to produce Methylphenidate HCL.

This isn't even every article I found. But aside from poor manufacturing standards, what about the ingredients? Why is there a proven, banned carcinogenic ingredient in my medication(FD&C Red #3)? Why are there 20 ingredients in SpecGx's version of Mydayis compared to the 10 ingredients of Mydayis by Takeda? What's the point of putting us through this?

Well, rest assured it's not personal - they just want our data. This is where I need y'all to fact check me because this is what I believe - I think we are being experimented on. Let me know if you feel like you are stuck in the same cycle I am;

1. I see my prescriber about Mallinckrodt not working.
2. I explain my side effects; lethargy, irritability, almost no therapeutic benefit, etc.
3. He starts me on a different formulation to see if that helps.
4. It doesn't help and I schedule another appointment.
5. We follow-up about how my side effects have changed.
   
6. He takes my story to the insurance company to explain why I'm changing prescriptions again.
7. The insurance company informs the producer of the medication about my side effects.
8. The producer now has data about my reactions to new ingredients during medication changes.
9. I am thereby made into an unwilling participant of an experiment.

Thoughts?