Very basic question about Time-Release pills

[Jamshyd]

I honestly didn't know how to go about searching for this so apologies for any redundancy.

My idiot psychiatrist, by virtue of being idiotic, can be lead to prescribe just about anything psychiatric. Today, it was Concerta.

He gave me 16mg capsules. I took only one, and basically felt as though I had taken 16mg of the normal Ritalin and maintained taking them for the rest of the day. I was very surprised.

So my question is, does the "16mg" refer to the total amount of drug in the pill, or does it refer to the dose-equivalency at any given time that the pill is active?

Is it the same for all extended release pills (eg. wellbutrin SR, Oxycontin...etc), or is it different for different formulations?

 

[slowdive]

Concerta has one of the strangest controlled release mechanisms I have ever seen.
And each pill contains what the dose is. As far as I know.

I understand your question, as 18, 27, 36, and 54 mg are strange doses compared to immediate release doses and those of Ritalin SR and others.

I took a Concerta whole one time and it felt immediate release to me. I don't mess with stimulants anymore, but it really did feel immediate. I guess we need to find more information on how Concerta is manufactured and how it's unique controlled released mechanism functions.

 

[Jamshyd]

Well I do know that Concerta's pill-coating is in fact active, which accounts for the immediate release. That said, it feels as though the coating alone has 16mg. Very strange.

 

[bronson]

The 16mg indicated the total amount of the active ingredient in the pill without regard to the mechanism of release.